The League of Women Voters, the Stranger, the King
County Democrats, 43rd and 36th District
Democrats and SEIU
Local 775, the 38,000 member long term care worker's union, all endorsed Yes
on I-91!
The result was a 75% favorable
vote on I-91. Now, certain legislators like State
Senator Margarita Prentice
say the majority does not matter, they will subsidize pro-sports no matter what the
voters say, they will apply taxes to Seattle, that Seattle voted against, to
subsidize an arena in Bellevue or Renton. So our work is not
finished.
IF
YOU WOULD LIKE TO HELP GET THE WORD OUT TO VOTERS, TO DEMAND THAT THEIR LEGISLATORS
RESPECT SEATTLE'S VOTE ON THIS ISSUE, WE HAVE
LITERATURE AND BUMPERSTRIPS TO DISTRIBUTE. LETTERS & EMAILS TO WRITE.
CLICK HERE TO HELP!
Respect for voters starts
here, now!
Yes on I-91
stopped tax
subsidies for pro-sports stadiums. Now,
it is up to the legislature to listen to the people.
Yes on I-91
is about
setting priorities, about spending tax dollars on the things
that matter most, about the Sonics paying their own way, about the legislature listening
to the voters.
To help
with the Yes on I-91 "Respect the Vote" campaign, click here.
With professional basketball now pitting sports tax
boosters against the people's pocketbooks, Citizens for More Important
Things is
leading another fight for
fiscal sanity in stadium funding. The existence of Initiative 91 has already significantly
impacted negotiations between the Sonics
and the City. After Initiative 91 passes, there will be no
more giveaways, period.
For conservatives, not
being able to say no to the extravagance of professional sports means government
will never say no to anybody for anything. Moderates wonder at the
gullibility of elected officials when doused with the snake oil of pro-sports as a
tool for economic development. Liberals are angry at a government that chronically
underfunds education and social services
but has a blank
checkbook for rich boys with big toys.
These are difficult battles. They are
happening all across America, and most are won by the pro-sports moguls.
At least in Washington
State, because of the efforts of thousands of Citizens For More Important Things
contributors and volunteers, the moguls have not
been able to run roughshod over sane public policy and the taxpayer's
pocketbooks.
Citizens for More Important Things
has a single agenda--focus on what matters most, on more important things, and leave sports entertainment to the private sector. We cross partisan
boundaries, and bring together normally opposing
voices. We simply question the reasonableness of any government that would subsidize
private entities whose average player salaries are in the millions of dollars per year.
Teachers should be so lucky. The
supporters of publicly subsidized sports franchises argue that pro-sports bring
people together as communities, to see and enjoy the art of sport. No
doubt. But there are many things in public life that are great for any
city. At some point, we have to weigh the
cost, and set priorities, in light of the fairness of the subsidy to these very
well funded private enterprises. This is what Initiative 91 does. It
makes pro-sports teams pay their own way, and fairly share the cost.
Stadiums and professional sports are
powerful symbols. Voters, the public, sports fans, the media all pay close
attention to these debates. Because the outcome not only changes skylines when sports promoters win,
the shadow of the debates falls across public hearings and discussions of
public spending for schools, highways, and many other more important things. The
obvious, unanswered question is nagging and
simple: If they can pay for stadiums, why can't
they pay for what we need?
Formed in 1995, Citizens for More Important Things has long been a voice
of reason in the debate over spending tax money for professional sports
subsidies in Washington State. We are thankful to all who have helped us, and
who are helping this year.
Call, email, write. Send money. We need your
assistance. Without it, consider your tax dollars will likely be stuffed
somewhere, through someone else's golden hoop, and most likely, that
professional basketball player will already have earned millions, long before he
got to yours.
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