The National Basketball Association's Seattle Supersonics is the latest professional team looking for a handout — $300 million or more — from taxpayers for a new stadium. Times, however, are tough and there are not enough dollars to go around. Seattle taxpayers and their state representatives feel there are so many more pressing problems taxpayer money can fund such as healthcare, schools and affordable housing. A new stadium seems totally unnecessary. Sonic's owner Clay Bennett, who purchased the team from a group led by Starbucks chairman Howard Schultz, however, is undeterred. He's plugged on requesting at least $300 million for a new arena from Washington state legislators. But the response to the appeal has been cool.
"They're going to need a champion down here (in the legislature), and so far I haven't seen one," said
Ross
Hunter, D-Medina in a recent Seattle Times' article. The city of Seattle in November voted a measure known as Initiative 91 that restricts taxpayer money for professional sports teams. The move has forced Bennett to look for state funding in the outer suburbs of Seattle or possibly just move the team to another city. Experts speculate that Oklahoma City, where Bennett is from and a new arena named Ford Center is located, may be one option. — Gerald Magpily
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