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Marlins president David Samson is proud that he ripped off Miami taxpayers

David Samson

Miami Marlins president David Samson gestures as he speaks to members of the media, Monday, Feb. 13, 2012 in Miami. The Marlins finished last in the NL East in 2011 and haven’t reached the playoffs since 2003. But this year they’re expected to contend for a postseason berth. With spring training a week away, manager Ozzie Guillen also spoke Monday about the Marlins’ off season makeover, which included a name change and spending spree as the franchise moves into a new ballpark. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

AP

We’ve mentioned before that Marlins President David Samson is going to be a contestant on “Survivor.” Yesterday his little bio for the show was released. In those things, the contestants talk up their accomplishments and explain why they’ll win. Here’s Samson:

Personal Claim to Fame: Got local government in Miami to contribute over 350 million dollars to a new baseball park during the recession.

He’s actually understating things, as overruns put the public part of the stadium bill over $400 million.

But either way, that’s totally something to be proud of. Misleading officials about the benefits of the stadium and the dire straits the team was in when, in reality, the team was not going to move anyplace and was consistently turning a profit. Setting in motion a process that resulted in the bilking of taxpayers for more than anyone thought without their approval, costing multiple public officials their jobs and leading to an SEC investigation. Getting fans’ hopes up about bringing a winner to Miami and then quickly gutting the roster and thereby souring local fans on the team and the ballpark.

As claims to fame go, not bad. Not bad at all.