Do you realize that the City of Seattle voted on and passed a resolution to disallow building a new arena unless the team can prove it will make money for the city of Seattle.
How do they ignore all the business tax revenue generated is beyond me, go down to the City center and ask all those resturant and hotel owners how much money they plan to lose by not having a pro sports team playing 41 games a year right next door.
Washinton state already built both a Football and Baseball field without voter approval and now they have idiots in the legislature blaming the lack school funding directly on Ray allens salary ad nauseum passing thier current failures onto a project that has not even been started yet.
Not to mention all they need to do to fund a new arena is simply extend the current hotel /resturant tax that is largely paid for by out of towners and is the same tax we pay when visiting other sports towns.
The #1 thing that need to happen is that a new arena needs to be built outside of Seattle, they don't want sports teams and are activley introducing legislation to guarantee that teams are forced to leave the city of Seattle.
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Other reader comments on this article
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lets just look at this for a minute
1995 the Key arena is built (all theat was left from the previous... [MORE]
mike
Aug 23, 2007 13:29
That's the heart of it. Not everyone in the nation gives a ------ about professional sports. To some people, in... [MORE]
Puget Sounder
Aug 23, 2007 11:04
Only thing I'll say, John, the author, is absolutely dead-on with this viewpoint. I have nothing else to say, other... [MORE]
Ryan
Aug 21, 2007 20:57
If the OKC group would put a winning team on the floor of Key Arena for a couple of years... [MORE]
Connie
Aug 18, 2007 20:18
A wise man once said. " a fool and his money are soon parted" [MORE]
anne
Aug 17, 2007 13:00
Bennett bought the Sonics because he wanted to own a basketball team. I don't think he minds staying in Seattle... [MORE]
MR
Aug 17, 2007 12:13
I felt from the beginning that Clay's efforts to get an arena deal done were a complete ruse. I remember... [MORE]
Thad
Aug 16, 2007 10:45
Okay, Seattle has had an NBA team for 40 years. They obviously can handle an NBA team, they just need... [MORE]
Cullain
Aug 15, 2007 17:43
During the few times I have driven across country, and happened to pass through Bennett and McClendon's home state, I... [MORE]
steven
Aug 15, 2007 17:38
Mr. Hollinger,
Thanks so much for this article. This matter has needed national exposure for quite some time now. Hopefully more... [MORE]
Reuben in Iraq
Aug 16, 2007 06:55
Does this name not conjure up an image of a tire kicking, tobacco spitting, Gay bashing, Bush worshipping, "Hoss" from... [MORE]
Roger
Aug 16, 2007 17:57
Do you realize that the City of Seattle voted on and passed a resolution to disallow building a new arena...
Mike
Aug 20, 2007 13:20
"Do you realize that the City of Seattle voted on and passed a resolution to disallow building a new arena... [MORE]
MarkS
Aug 26, 2007 14:56
come on now...i have lived in the pacific northwest (yes, amazing) and now reside in ok city...it's not that bad... [MORE]
bethany
Aug 28, 2007 00:03
Since day one of this terrible ordeal anyone without their head in the clouds saw this coming. Since the transfer... [MORE]
michael ryan
Aug 15, 2007 16:57
Having seen firsthand what Seattle and the great Northwest can do, I have no doubt that this situation will be... [MORE]
Don
Aug 15, 2007 16:41
You state that KeyArena is obsolete. That, after a short twelve years and $100 million dollars. $50 million of the... [MORE]
Chris Van Dyk
Aug 15, 2007 15:25
Chris Van Dyke is a very controversial political activist in the Seattle area. He has personally fought against the Sonics,... [MORE]
EJ
Aug 15, 2007 15:43
The money could be spent on better things!!!!
The tax stream that would used for any public financing is already in... [MORE]
Scott
Aug 15, 2007 16:42
"New York or Oklahoma City may not need new schools..." Actually, OKC is now completing a five year program to... [MORE]
Bascom
Aug 16, 2007 10:24
Another kudos from Seattle. This has been going on for an entire year with these Oklahoma billionaires. They've been doing... [MORE]
Jaren
Aug 15, 2007 14:19
As a Sonics fan living in WA state, it was refreshing to see a different perspective of this hellish issue... [MORE]
Megan
Aug 15, 2007 13:48
Thank you for the excellent article! The very day when we were told that this team was sold to an... [MORE]
irene
Aug 15, 2007 14:16
Yeah, that's good business Stern. (shakes head)
What's next? Is he going to allow some rich billionaire to buy the Indiana... [MORE]
Mark
Aug 15, 2007 14:24
If the NBA lets these Okies take the team with them, I don't know how any fan could stay emotionally... [MORE]
Jared
Aug 15, 2007 16:05
Since day one, the new ownership group of muppets has done nothing to rally public support.
Zero public relations other than... [MORE]
Night Owl
Aug 16, 2007 02:41
Give it 2 years OKC fan. Clay and his red necks will be asking you to fund a new arena.... [MORE]