2008 Woodie Awards
Oklahoma City beware: Seattle needs the Sonics
Mike Novasky, Staff Writer
Issue date: 2/20/07
Last Updated: 8/9/07
There are better things to with 300 million dollars, right? Three hundred million dollars is how much money Sonics owner Clay Bennett will soon be asking from King County residents for a new arena to be built in Renton. Three hundred million dollars for a third sports stadium in just over ten years.
Maybe this is the time King County residents will decide that there are better uses of their money than trying to keep a sports team. After all, teachers remain underpaid, public transportation for the greater Puget Sound is in need of a significant upgrade and it is in our best interest to continue to support a health care system that has been among the best in the nation. (I mean, have you seen Grey's Anatomy?)
But maybe this situation is being grossly overstated by members of the legislature and 'concerned citizen' groups such as Citizens for More Important Things. After all, we are not talking about tax increases here. The current proposals involve simply extending the taxes that already exist for the previous stadiums for a few extra years. Essentially, the bulk of the proposed money will come from King County residents experiencing no change in their sales tax, a sales tax that is consistent with the rest of the state. This leaves plenty of room for additional school levies and health care bills to be supported. Will this plan then really have the drastic effect on the other more tangible civic needs that the stadium's opponents lament? I say no.
The second point these groups raise is that by supporting this stadium we are supporting only the greed of the Sonics owners and players. While this is a valid commentary on the nature of NBA salaries, it ignores some of the concurrent benefits this project can bring. It will be a great venue for political rallies and concerts, especially as it is in a location easily accessible for all areas of the Puget Sound including both sides of Lake Washington. In fact, this may benefit the Seattle area by bringing in other sports as well. For instance, preliminary talks with the NHL have begun to move a team to the Northwest. (One scenario could even include moving the Pittsburgh Penguins and the next Wayne Gretzky!)
Maybe this is the time King County residents will decide that there are better uses of their money than trying to keep a sports team. After all, teachers remain underpaid, public transportation for the greater Puget Sound is in need of a significant upgrade and it is in our best interest to continue to support a health care system that has been among the best in the nation. (I mean, have you seen Grey's Anatomy?)
But maybe this situation is being grossly overstated by members of the legislature and 'concerned citizen' groups such as Citizens for More Important Things. After all, we are not talking about tax increases here. The current proposals involve simply extending the taxes that already exist for the previous stadiums for a few extra years. Essentially, the bulk of the proposed money will come from King County residents experiencing no change in their sales tax, a sales tax that is consistent with the rest of the state. This leaves plenty of room for additional school levies and health care bills to be supported. Will this plan then really have the drastic effect on the other more tangible civic needs that the stadium's opponents lament? I say no.
The second point these groups raise is that by supporting this stadium we are supporting only the greed of the Sonics owners and players. While this is a valid commentary on the nature of NBA salaries, it ignores some of the concurrent benefits this project can bring. It will be a great venue for political rallies and concerts, especially as it is in a location easily accessible for all areas of the Puget Sound including both sides of Lake Washington. In fact, this may benefit the Seattle area by bringing in other sports as well. For instance, preliminary talks with the NHL have begun to move a team to the Northwest. (One scenario could even include moving the Pittsburgh Penguins and the next Wayne Gretzky!)
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