Lawmaker drafts plan to bring NBA, NHL to new Seattle arena | KING5.com Seattle

It will be interesting to see which politicians get out in front and support, which line up to follow, and if any pose genuine opposition. Mike Hope, a Republican, is running for Snohomish County Executive. Don't expect a bunch of Democrats to drop their own campaigns for re-election or support for other candidates to pick up this cause before the November elections are over. I have not seen the draft legislation yet, when I do I will post my thoughts here and/or at the Arena Solution website. To connect with the effort go to arenasolution.org

Representative Mike Hope (R, Lake Stevens) has drafted legislation that will fund a new arena. He believes it will not only bring an NBA team to Seattle, but a professional hockey team as well. . . . Brian Robinson, co-founder of the organization Save our Sonics, is on a task force with Hope aiming to bring the NBA back to Seattle, but in a new venue. "It's affected a lot of people who used to watch these games with their kids," said Robinson. "The fact that we could see politicians actually get something done would bring a lot of excitement to a lot of people." The proposed legislation would require local and visiting professional athletes in the NBA, NFL and MLB to pay a fee for every game they play in Seattle. He says a lot of other cities already have similar laws built into their tax revenue. Hope says it would levy $140 million towards a new sports arena. He's also proposing specialty license plates for Sonics fans, generating another $10 million for bonds. http://www.king5.com/news/local/Lawmaker-drafts-plan-to-bring-NBA-NHL-to-new-Seattle-arena-130898198.html

Michael J. Baker
Seattle, Wa

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