It's looking more and more like D.C. baseball may be in jeopardy. D.C. City Council Chairman Linda Cropp has delayed a vote on public financing for two weeks while alternatives are looked at. At first she hoped to rebuild or renovate RFK stadium to save several hundred million dollars, but opponents say that would not revitalize Anacostia. Now she hopes to get private funding for at least $350 Million of the estimated $530 Million stadium bill.

It's a noble effort, and recent polls show that a clear majority of D.C. residents are against using taxpayer funds. But Major League Baseball doesn't want private money. Raising private money is hard, especially compared to how easy it is to seize taxpayer dollars. And when the typical cost overruns come up, politicians just go back to the well and take some more. Once the first dollar is spent, it's pretty much guaranteed.

Now, there is no good argument for using taxdollars to fund a baseball stadium. One pundit said it makes as much sense as a taxpayer funded movie theater. But Baseball has the D.C. government over a barrel and in two weeks the city council will utlimately vote to build a shiny new stadium.

But something I think needs to happen on the federal level, is that the government should rethink the antitrust exemption that Baseball enjoys. Right now, if any existing teams want a new stadium they simply extort their hometown to buy them one. If they balk at the idea, Baseball just picks up and moves someplace that will foot the bill. After all, what are they going to do; start their own team? They can't. It's illegal.

Football has had to compete with the USFL, CFL, and XFL. Despite the competition, they've come through it unscathed. Baseball is the only major league operation and the government makes sure it stay's that way. Since baseball teams are so quick to stick their hand into the public kitty, maybe it's high time they lose their special status.