Many in the District are up-in-arms as the Washington Nationals take their business outside of the city. According to the Washington Post, $36 million from business and nonresidential utility taxes was used this past fiscal year to offset the $611 million the city has already invested in building the new stadium. Yet, despite District funding, the baseball club’s charitable arm plans to host their major upcoming events in Maryland’s Montgomery and Prince George’s counties.
These moves are personally insulting to District council members who feel the annual black-tie gala and FanFest should take place in the home of the Nationals. The council and local businesses have fronted large amounts of money to the team’s stadium and are being repaid with a cold shoulder. It seems to me that the National’s charitable arm is being anything but. They are making a fatal flaw in maintaining a mutually beneficial relationship with its stakeholders. People engage in a relationship if they see a benefit in it for themselves. They are more amenable to granting favors or carrying out a desired behavior if it appears to be in their best interest.
In response to the overwhelming disapproval being voiced in D.C., the Nationals’ president claims events should be held all over the area because it is a regional team. He adds, events will be planned in the District in the future; but, no plans have been solidified yet. This is no consolation for those who have been working so hard to welcome the Nationals to their home in D.C.
An organization should work for the best interest of its publics, not itself. The Washington Nationals’ appear to be brushing off one of its most critical publics, its supporters. Usually local proximity brings with it greater loyalty. If the Nationals’ are not careful and do not closely examine the public relations steps it is taking with the District, it could be jeopardizing an already delicate relationship.
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