by Jakarta Alchura

Created on: February 27, 2007   Last Updated: April 19, 2007

The Seattle Supersonics & the Seattle Storm {as a franchise} are riding down the river and heading straight toward the creek without a paddle. The question that rides along the river with them is an important one about our future; will our children be on that boat with them? Are we teaching them how to navigate those rivers or are we teaching them how to throw their paddles away long before they need them?

The Basketball Club of Seattle has sold its NBA Franchise Seattle Supersonics and the WNBA Franchise Seattle Storm, and the new owners are requesting that a new arena be built for them. The owners also request that the citizens help with the bill. However, as politics often work, the state government will not just hand over the money but instead put a stipulation on the issue that the voters must first agree to their share. This issue has been ongoing for quite some time now and it doesn't look as if it is going to be resolved any time soon. There are deadlines and committee meetings and propositions and proposed legislation. There are press conferences and lobbyists, and constituents and corporate players. This is after all "Big Business" at its finest; "Corporate America" doing what it does so well. As such, with politics leading the way in this issue it's vital that all voices be heard before major decisions are made. I will provide some background data on the issue but urge all who are interested to research on their own as well; not only to be well informed but to help make a difference by learning how to get your voice heard.

The Building Blocks
Normally, when a professional athletic franchise begins the process for building a new stadium or arena they go through a "red-tape" special; a bureaucratic bottleneck of policies and procedures that can muddy water quicker than any politician can sling said substance. When the franchises {Seattle Supersonics & Seattle Storm} were sold in July of 2006 to an investment group from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma the mood around the state was mixed. The reactions ranged from elation to disappointment to not losing any sleep over the ordeal. Voters were blasted with information from the media and overwhelmed with news of the sale.
The issue of whether to fund a new arena is a complex issue that must be heavily scrutinized and all of its options weighed. It is a multi-layered venture that affects every citizen in the state, from young to old. From the owners of the teams, the players and its front office staff, to the greater

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