I see no good reason to not have Kobe Bryant pay for the building of a new Sonics arena.

Washington State Representative Mark Hope (R-Lake Stevens) and David Frockt (D-Seattle) are hoping to form a Task Force this summer to develop a plan for funding sports arenas and stadiums.

“I think it’s an economic issue,” said Rep. Mike Hope, R- Lake Stevens. He believes the state should be involved in building an arena to lure a franchise back. He also believes it can be done without using Washington taxpayer money.
 
That’s why he and State Rep. David Frockt, D-Seattle plan to lead a task force this summer to come up with a solution.
“It’s time to revisit the issue,” said Frockt, who also acknowledges there is “no appetite for a public subsidy." Frockt believes the state needs to look at all the financing options on the table.
Hope suggests the state pursue a “Jock Tax” on visiting athletes to partially pay for a new NBA-ready building. It’s a type of tax already in place in several states.
“Right now, you have the Seattle Mariners, Seattle Seahawks going to California to play games, going to Cleveland, Ohio to play games and Cleveland is getting money from our players,” said Hope.
Chris Daniels, Could 'Jock Tax' help bring Sonics back?, KING5 News

This really isn't a new idea, the last time this idea appeared was last year when it was included in a dozen amendments Washington State Senator Rodney Tom sandbagged House Bill HB 2912 with (David Frocht, I sent a link to this amendment to you a few days ago).

2912-S.E2 AMS TOM CARL 101

2ESHB 2912 - S AMD TO  S AMD (S-5336.1) 316
By Senator Tom
    On page 13, after line 28, insert the following:
   
"NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 82.04 RCW to read as follows:
    (1) A rate of tax under this chapter equal to ten percent is imposed on the gross income of a professional athlete derived from Washington sources.
    (2) "Professional athlete" means:
    (a) a resident or nonresident athlete who renders labor or services to a professional athletic team that plays ina sports facility financed with ten percent or more public funds; and
    (b) A resident or nonresident athlete who has a gross annual income that is ten times the first-year base salary of a public school teacher in Washington state."
    Renumber the sections consecutively and correct any internal references accordingly.
2ESHB 2912 - S AMD TO  S AMD (S-5336.1) 316
By Senator Tom
    In the title after "36.100.020;" insert "and adding a new section;"
      
           EFFECT: Applies a 10% B&O tax on professional athletes.
HB 2912, Amendment 316

10% looks a little high, and it is until you consider that Seahawks, Sounders, and Mariners pay California State Income Tax on the wages earned during that game, when they play there. Most of those athletes are in the 11% tax bracket. Still, the point isn't to tax professional athletes just for the fun of it, it's purpose is to fund sports facilities.

A story written in the LA Times back in 2009 does an excellent job of describing the situation, application, and examples.

If opening day is the best day of the year for professional athletes, then April 15 -- tax day -- is probably the worst. Especially now that 20 of the 24 states with franchises in at least one of the four major pro leagues -- the NFL, NBA, NHL and Major League Baseball -- have laws that require visiting athletes to pay state income tax for each game they play there.

Considering that top-level athletes in football, basketball, hockey and baseball now make an annual average salary of $2.9 million, that means big bucks for states such as California. Home to 15 major professional teams, the state raked in $102 million in taxes from visiting athletes in 2006-07, the last year for which records are available.
. . .
Athletes are taxed based on "duty days" they spend in each state. In baseball, there are approximately 181 "duty days," meaning a player earning $1.81 million would make $10,000 each duty day. Therefore, if that player's team had three games in California, he would be responsible for taxes on $30,000 of income.
. . .
At that point, all the tax collectors have left is a math problem to figure out that Ichiro Suzuki, the highest-paid baseball player in Washington, a tax-free state, will have to pay more than $218,000 in California taxes for the 25 games the Mariners will play there this summer.[2009]
. . .
The advent of the jock tax is commonly traced to the 1991 NBA Finals in which the Chicago Bulls beat the Lakers, then received tax bills from California for the three games played in Los Angeles. However, nonresident tax laws have been on the books in the state since the 1950s. . . .
When the Seahawks played the Steelers in the title game three years ago in Detroit, Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck reportedly had to pay about $10,000 in taxes to Michigan, a state with which he has no ties. If that game had been played in Florida, as two of the last three Super Bowls were, he could have kept the money.

The taxing life of a pro athlete: It's one of life's certainties: Athletes have to pay for income earned on the road., Kevin Baxter, LA Times (2009)

Please, read the entire story.

Understand this, our professional athletes are paying taxes in other states. As I write this, the Seattle Mariners are just about to start playing a game against the San Diego Padres, in California, and pay income tax. When the A's, Padres, Angels play in Seattle they do not pay an income tax, B&O tax.

I see no good reason to not have Kobe Bryant pay for the building of a new Sonics arena.

The only question I have is how much?

A whole list of new laws: HB 2753, Creation of Workforce Housing

The Capital Record, from TVW.org, posts the list of bills that the governor has signed into law on a given day.

Among today's bills was HB 2753.

Engrossed Substitute House Bill No. 2753, relating to the creation of a workforce housing program.
http://www.tvw.org/capitalrecord

The bill that provides the funding source for HB 2753 is bill HB 2912.
Modifying local excise taxes in counties that have pledged lodging tax revenues for the payment of bonds prior to June 26, 1975.
It is unfortunate that Washington State Senator Rodney Tom chose this bill to mess with by piling on a dozen amendments.

The options here are limited:
try to pass HB 2912 on the floor with all those amendments (possible);
amend and pass SB 6051 that was regular session (possible);
or amend SB 6116 (yes, it still lives).
Have a great day,
Mike Baker

Sent from my iPhone
Visit me here:
http://ManyWordsForRain.blogspot.com

Re: Help the State help King County, HB 2912, HB 2753

Dear Mr. Baker:

Thank you for your email regarding the passage of HB 2912 and SB 6051.
The Executive has asked me to respond on his behalf.  

As you may know, Olympia is still currently in special session.  Now, any bill that did not pass in the regular short session can be considered for passage.  Both HB 2912 and SB 6051 are still alive.  King County has been working in support of the passage of these bills.

You also mentioned HB 2753.  This bill has passed the state Legislature and is now waiting to be signed by the Governor.  

Thank you,

Michelle Gregoire
Communications Specialist
King County Executive Dow Constantine

-----Original Message-----
From: Mr Baker [mailto:communicate.with.mike@
< at > gmail.com]
Sent: Saturday, February 20, 2010 11:19 AM
To: kcexec < at > kingcounty.gov
Subject: Help the State help King County, HB 2912, HB 2753

Executive Constantine,

As I am sure you are aware, the state legislature is working on some bills that could help King County. The bills that allow local use of  
excise taxes would be helpful to all counties. Bills like HB 2912, and SB 6051, would be very helpful to King County. Both bills made it out of their respective houses. HB 2912 is overly prescriptive, and has strayed away from the original intent of the underlying laws. The House is choosing for King County the tourism and infrastructure the revenue must support. This is inconsistant with the excise tax bills that both transfer the responsibility and control to the local jurisdiction.

As you may know, Seattle is beginning its journey to remodel the Seattle Center. The Century21 plan touches on all aspects of the 72 acre site, except anything to do with KeyArena. I am not sure how much participation the city could solicite in public/private partnerships for the entire site while the arena treads water for the forseeable future.

What happens with the arena in Kent in the future?

Memorial Stadium is going to change hands from the school district to the city. Will the city be allowed to use any of these funds for this  
capital improvement? It is a stadium, youth is involve, and a school district may use the stadium.

The hairsplitting by the House was not acceptable last year to the Senate. I am sure you remember being the first to testify in favor of SB 6116.
Last year, as this year, there is an attempt to provide revenue for workforce housing from HB 2912. HB 2912, page 6, line 6, references HB  
2753. Both bills were referred to the Senate Ways and Means Committee. It is unlikely that the Senate will pass HB 2912 in its current form.  
If the House says "no" to the changes then that puts workforce housing support for the county, and make revitalizing a regional cultural center in my city more challenging than it needs to be.

I was perplexed by the states change in policy by reclaiming the sales tax credit. I hope that is either put back into the legislation, or is  
consistently applied in the future (including Lisa Brown's arena in Spokane, in 5 years).

I need your help solving this issue for all of us.

Have a great day,
Mike Baker

Sent from my iPhone
Visit me here:
http://ManyWordsForRain.blogspot.com

Time to Breakup the King County "Stadium" Taxes

Last Wednesday, March 10th, David Brewster wrote a story lamenting the failure of the state legislature to pass a bill for arts funding taxes that currently fund the arts and stadiums, and are set to expire.
His story at Crosscut.com, Olympia about to renege again on funding King County arts groups, expresses frustration with failure of the current process.

4Culture, the nonprofit successor to the old King County Arts Commission, has long received some of this hotel-motel sales-tax, so it has a good place in line for its continuation. They've played ball with the Sonics in some years, letting arts give a high-minded cover for the sports barons. Speaker Frank Chopp holds the key to these fund, and he wants to pledge about $10 million a year of that money for low-income housing. (Chopp's demand is a political problem, since it is a serious stretch of the nexus established between taxing hotel visitors and providing benefits, like stadiums and arts, that bring more visitors.) Others like the UW, wanting a different pot of visitor money, the 0.5 percent tax on restaurants, for a remodeled Husky Stadium, further muddying the waters.

Speaker Chopp likes to keep all the supplicants waiting to the last minute, so he can then cut the deal. Last year he set a new record in cleverness by giving 4Culture a promise of the funds — expiring in a year. And he reportedly assured the arts groups that he would definitely come through this year, so long as he also got, dollar-for-dollar, his low-income housing. Now it appears he has stepped on a Senate version of the bill that gives him the money he wants but not until 2020.

Seattle Times Newspaper: Stadium & arts tax bill dies for sixth time

This is where it is at:

"We feel like arts and heritage are being held hostage to stadiums," said Jim Kelly, executive director of 4Culture, King County's arts and culture agency.

Most legislators don't seem to have a problem with funding for the arts. But Kelly said their funding has remained tied down by its connection to the stadium fights.

"With stadiums you're damned if you do or damned if you don't," he said. "Some people, if you take the stadiums out, they won't support the bill. Other people won't vote for it if you leave the stadiums in."

Murray said he's still working the proposal to see if it can be revived in the last couple days of the session, or during the special session lawmakers now say they'll need to finish the state budget.

Story posted by Jim Brunner, at the Seattle Times

I am glad this story was reported. Poor Yakama was not even mentioned.
The motivations of Rodney Tom were communicated to me as possibly being something else. It may be both a list of every conflict connected with those taxes, and a weight holding it down.

Kelley is right though, he could not get just an arts and heritage bill passed. I think half of those amendments could be pulled back, leave out husky stadium, and I think you could find enough votes.
The fact of the matter is that if the taxes are extended then there are enough votes to ensure that the "public investment" that is Safeco Field has to be part of it. The House side stripped that stuff out.



Have a great day,
Mike Baker

Sent from my iPhone
Visit me here:
http://ManyWordsForRain.blogspot.com

The 12 Amendments of HB 2912 my legislature gave to me

House Bill 2912 has a new and improved striker amendment on the Floor that puts back in the language that was changed coming out in the House Finance Committee, House Floor, and Senate Ways and Means Committee.

12 more amendments were added to make it passible. These amendments have not yet been voted on. Some of them look like the opportunity for somebody to state an opinion for the record, even if their amendments were to fail.

Here the amendments are, and what they do:

Is Washington State Senator Rodney Tom Trying to Kill the Arts Bill?

I look at the 12 Floor Amendments he piled on House Bill 2912 and that is the effect, isn't it?
If you have contacted Sen. Rodney Tom
By Phone
Olympia Office: (360) 786-7694
Or by E-mail:
tom.rodney@leg.wa.gov

Did he say he wanted to kill this bill, does he have a reason for trying to kill it?
[edited to add an answer from somebody else]
That's a "No", the bill is turning into a bit of a Christmas Tree. Rodney Tom is playing Secret Santa.

Whatever it takes, I guess.

HB 2912, Refered to Senate Ways and Means Committee

HB 2912 a bill for "Modifying local excise taxes in counties that have pledged lodging tax revenues for the payment of bonds prior to June 26, 1975." passed the House side of the Washington State Legislature on February 16, 2010.
On February 18, 2010, the bill was referred in the Senate to the Way and Means Committee.

Here is the message I sent yesterday to Washington State Senator Ed Murray:

Worlds Collide: Two King County Hotel Tax Bills Passed

On Monday the Washington State Senate passed SB 6051

The Senate passed a pretty vague bill.

The House Bill, HB 2912, passed the House today.

There has been some progress. The Senate went first, the House went second. Does either side want to tinker with the other side's bill? They kind of have to agree. The Senate bill is missing Workforce Housing.

Let's see where this goes.

This has gone pretty far, I am ok with the House bill so far.

Washington State Senate Retry SB 6116?

As the Washington State Legislature churns through the shorter 100-day session I find something to follow that interests me. This session, as with last session, I follow arts, heritage, community culture infrastructure funding. These things find a variety of sources, including general funds from King County, and the City of Seattle. Those funds are drying up, with the money going away from society wants and on to needs. So, finding appropriate sources to support these other things is always difficult to find.

I am hoping, expecting, that funding for Seattle Center's KeyArena would come from part of that hotel tax collected in Seattle, so that facility would take the big step in revitilization of Seattle Center, and the Century21 Master Plan.

Last year I followed HB 2252 through the House Finance Committee, through the House Floor vote, over to the Senate Ways and Means Committee where it was substituted by SB 6116. Another version of SB 6116 that made it pretty far, but without much attention was SB 6051. SB 6051 did not get as far as SB 6116, neither passed the Senate Floor.

SB 6116 was the closest, still on the Floor near the end of the evening on the last day of the session last year. There was a lot of pressure put on State Senator Ed Murray (sorry about that). Mr. Murray worked very hard on this bill, but he ran out of time.

This year is not unlike last year. HB 2912 has passed the House Finance Committee, it is currently waiting for House Floor vote. On the Senate side there was SB 6661 that was referred to the Senate Ways and Means Committee, but it has not been accepted. Although that bill is stuck in limbo a bill from last year, SB 6051 was held and the re-introduced to the Senate Floor. For the most part I have been expecting both HB 2912 and SB 6051 to pass, and then reconciled.

Tonight I look at the Senate Floor Report and see SB 6116 listed again. What!!!

I was wondering in my last thread (see the comments) if we could just cut to the chase and have SB 6116 go to the floor. Well, great minds, lucky guess, whatever, there it is.

What does that mean?
I don't know.

You have my full support Ed Murray.

Today in Television for Insomniacs

At 8 am this morning the Washington State House Committee on Finance had a meeting to take testimony and vote on bills, including HB 2912 and HB 3027.

The meeting was early enough for Rep. Ross Hunter, the Committee Chair, to quip that the online broadcast was more suited for "insomniacs".
It is also possible that by me watching the online TVW.org broadcast the number of viewers increased by 1/3.

Part 1:


Part 2:


OK, it is a bit sleep inducing.

HB 2912 is: Modifying local excise taxes in counties that have pledged lodging tax revenues for the payment of bonds prior to June 26, 1975.

Those are King County stadium taxes, a mix of stadium parking, hotel, and car rental, taxes. Yakima also applies one of the many taxes involved. Amendments to the original bill cut out funding for stadiums, arenas, Safeco Field upkeep, and tagged an extra dollar on each ticket sold at a professional football, baseball, or soccer game (welcome to big-league sports, Sounders).
That is not going to survive the senate.

HB 3027 is: Regarding the governance and financing of the Washington state convention and trade center.

This is a hotel tax applied in Seattle, on top of all the other taxes. The intent of this tax is to fund the Washington State Convention Center. The hoteliers benefit from having a convention center, the convention center benefits from the taxes on the hotels, and both benefit by being in Seattle. That last point is sometimes lost in the discussion.
There is 2% state sales tax credit, the total tax revenue is 7%.

This bill, in its current form, would have the state take back the 2% sales tax credit that the convention center uses in its current funding structure. That taking back, un-sharing, could result in the hoteliers taking the State to court. That tax was created for a particular reason, and the state constitution is pretty clear about creating special funds with specific taxes and not allowing the state to raid them (again).

I am sure a deal can be worked out to get the tax credit back to the state, and allow the hoteliers to keep taxing themselves to pay for a convention center expantion. I do remember, I think, Ross Hunter saying last year that there was not enough money to slice off 1% to pay for a KeyArena remodel AND allow the state to take back 1% of the state sales tax credit.

Sooooooo, you, Ross Hunter, may have provided evidence for the hoteliers that they could use against the state in a court of law.
Just sayin'.

Anyway, I am sure things will all work out in the end, or on the House Floor, or in the Senate Ways and Means Committee (maybe Mr. Hunter can testify in favor of the substitute senate bill again), or maybe it can be fixed on the Senate floor.

This does appear unusually difficult right now, but at least the bills have been passed out of the House Committee.

Why were these bills passed with these amendments Mr. Hunter?

From: "Hunter, Rep. Ross"
Date: February 9, 2010 5:13:51 PM PST
To: Mr Baker
Subject: RE: HB 2912 & HB 3027

The amendments were required to have the votes to move the bill out of committee. Without the amendments the bill would have died. I did not have the votes to hold the clause.

Rep. Ross Hunter
Finance Committee Chairman
Hunter.ross@leg.wa.gov

Bellevue Office: (425) 453-3064 (until January)
Olympia Office: (360) 786-7936 (January - May)

Well hopefully this will get straightened out on the Senate side.

And thanks to all of you legislators for putting up with people like me, doing what you have to do when moving the ball forward.

Have an excellent day,
Mike Baker
Insomniac

Tuesday Morning at 8 O'clock There Will Be Some Action

[edited 2/6/2010 - SB 6684 is the companion to HB 3027]
Tuesday morning the House Finance Committee will have two bills of interest to vote on in Executive Session. The Safeco Stadium taxes, and the Seattle Hotel tax bills will get a vote, same day, same committee meeting.

These bills would then have to go to the floor for a full House vote.
If the House hotel tax is the same substitute bill, SB 6684 [ed], in the Senate Ways and Means Commttee then there is a dual path, and this house bill will not have to go through the Senate.
The same could be said for HB 2912, though it's partner SB 6661 was referred to the Senate Ways and Means Committed. The bill has yet to show up in it's Electronic Bill Book.

Many of these taxes push control to the local level. A few give shortterm taxing authority and the local control of extending longer.

Finance* -  02/09/10  8:00 am
Full Committee
House Hearing Rm C
John L. O'Brien Building
Olympia, WA
REVISED 2/5/2010 4:05 PM
Public Hearing:  
HB 2756 - Allowing medicare supplement insurance premiums to be deducted from the calculation of disposable income for the purpose of qualifying for senior property tax programs.
HB 2903 - Concerning benefit charges for regional fire protection service authorities. (If measure is referred to committee.)
HB 2990 - Addressing alternative city assumption and tax authority provisions pertaining to water-sewer districts.
HB 3172 - Concerning the taxation of lodging.
HB 3179 - Revising local excise tax provisions for counties and cities. (If measure is referred to committee.)
Executive Session:  
HB 2402 - Concerning a property tax exemption for property owned by a nonprofit organization and used for the purpose of a farmers market.
HB 2439 - Exempting church property used by a nonprofit organization conducting activities related to a farmers market from property taxation.
HB 2472 - Regarding the sea urchin and sea cucumber license limitation programs.
HB 2537 - Concerning incentives for solar energy systems.
HB 2567 - Concerning the excise taxation of publicly owned facilities accredited by the association of zoos and aquariums.
HB 2672 - Concerning tax relief for aluminum smelters.
HB 2756 - Allowing medicare supplement insurance premiums to be deducted from the calculation of disposable income for the purpose of qualifying for senior property tax programs.
HB 2903 - Concerning benefit charges for regional fire protection service authorities. (If measure is referred to committee.)
HB 2912 - Modifying local excise taxes in counties that have pledged lodging tax revenues for the payment of bonds prior to June 26, 1975.
HB 2933 - Modifying sales and use tax provisions for the local infrastructure financing tool program.
HB 2984 - Concerning a sales and use tax deferral for performing arts centers.
HB 2990 - Addressing alternative city assumption and tax authority provisions pertaining to water-sewer districts.
HB 3027 - Regarding the governance and financing of the Washington state convention and trade center.
HB 3092 - Allowing the department of revenue to issue a notice of lien to secure payment of delinquent excise taxes in lieu of a warrant.
HB 3172 - Concerning the taxation of lodging.
HB 3179 - Revising local excise tax provisions for counties and cities. (If measure is referred to committee.)
HB 3127 - Concerning the business and occupation taxation of newspaper-labeled supplements.
HB 3147 - Concerning sales and use tax exemptions for certain equipment and infrastructure contained in data centers.

There are 5 bills that they will take testimony on, and 18 they will vote on in Executive Session. 23 "actions" will be taken in this one meeting (one bill has testimony and a vote). These meetings are often 2 hours long.

It will be like an auction.

In the words of boxing referee Mills Lane, "let's get in on".

[edit 2/6/2010 - in Testimony to the Senate Ways & Means Committee representitives of the hoteliers said, testifying against SB 6118, that the state taking back the 2% salestax credit and then allowing Seattle the authority to add the 2% sales tax on top of the 6+% currently charged would put the fund that maintains the Convention Center at risk, and add more cost on top of very high sales taxes. They urged the committee to not pass SB 6118, as there were negotiations going on with the state to resolve the issue. Hopefully the state will not end up in court.]

This could be a little better

The following message was sent to Representative Ross Hunter (D) of the 48th district.
TO:   Representative Ross Hunter
 
FROM:   Mr. Michael Baker
 
STREET ADDRESS:   [edit]
 
EMAIL:   [edit]
 
PHONE:   [edit]
 
BILL:   2912 (For)
 
SUBJECT:   This could be a little better
 
MESSAGE:   Mr. Hunter,
I am pleased to see this bill taking another run at this problem. Last year's HB 2252 was too "prescriptive", and died in the form of SB6116. This year we have HB 2912 / SB 6661 that look very much like SB6116.

One thing missing from this year's effort is language that isolates the rest of King County from Seattle, or provides some formula that prevents Seattle from taking or giving up too much. I am also worried that the money kept out of Seattle will not get spread around to fund infrastructure in smaller communities because the wording in Section 8 leaves so much of what the funds could be spent on up to cash strapped King County.
I guess I am back to some kind of formula.

Will there be an amendment to the bill to tighten up the language to address the responsibility, authrority, and equity, in allocating the revenue?
Thank you for your time, and effort,

Mike Baker
Seattle
http://manywordsforrain.blogspot.com/
 
RESPONSE:   Mr. Baker has requested a response to this message.

Where does the rest of the money go? ...and the remainder of the revenues must be deposited in the affordable housing account

Thursday, January 28th, 2010, 8 am, in the Washington State House Finance Committee HB 2912 is scheduled for public hearing. The current bill title, Modifying local excise taxes in counties that have pledged lodging tax revenues for the payment of bonds prior to June 26, 1975., doesn't really say what is gong on with this bill.

What do the taxes fund now?

Safeco Field, the forgotten rubble that was the King Dome, bits of Qwest Field.

Where do the taxes come from?

You, you dope. Well, mostly King County wide hotel tax, parking taxes at Safeco Field, with a little bit of car rental taxes mixed in.

Why now?

These taxes could start to expire and close at the end of this year or possible during the next legislative session next year. An existing tax can be redirected by majority vote of both legislative houses. If they were to allow those taxes to close then you are looking at the possibility of a 60% majority needed for a new tax. Even if that 60% is knocked back down to 50% (+1), the chances of creating a new tax anytime soon is very unlikely.

There is an oddity in that Safeco Field will not need the taxes it is using right now when the bonds are paid off, but in about 5 years the stadium will turn 20 (I know, feels like yesterday) and the lease with the Mariners will end. I distinctly remember Joe Zarelli saying something about a year ago about not having the Mariners in a "Sonics" type situation in a couple of years. The public has an investment and we need to maintain it.

So, aren't there more important things we should be spending this non-general fund money on between now and the end of the Mariner's lease?

Well, yes, but let's not forget that there are businesses that carry this tax on top of there prices that could put them at a competitive disadvantage, so, there should be a little secondary benefit somewhere along the way.

First let's look at a significant want, and a real need:

On and after the date the debt on the stadium is retired, and through December 31, 2015, one-half of the revenues under this section in a county of one million five hundred thousand or more must be deposited in the arts and cultural account under (d)(i) of this subsection, and the remainder of the revenues must be deposited in the affordable housing account under (d)(ii) of this subsection.

Arts and Cultural accounts are, as you may have guessed, not getting much from the state, county, or city, general funds. Maybe they shouldn't, and maybe this makes more sense as art of a longer term solution.

The affordable housing part is a obvious need. Seattle voters approved an "affordable housing" levy last Fall. Trying to get the rest of King County to step up to that right now is a near impossible task. So, specifically, here is the what is meant by affordable housing.

(ii) At least thirty-seven and one-half percent of the revenues shall be deposited in an affordable housing account for the purposes of distributions to nonprofit organizations or public housing authorities for affordable workforce housing near or at transit stations. For the purposes of this section, "affordable workforce housing" means housing for a single person, family, or unrelated persons living together whose income is at or below one hundred twenty percent of the median income, adjusted for household size, for the county where the housing is located.
(iii) The balance of the revenues must be deposited in a special purposes account under section 8 of this act.

Affordable housing, you can't be serious. . . unless you're Speaker of the House, Frank Chopp.

In addition, LaBorde said, TCC may take advantage of the fact that House Speaker Frank Chopp (D-43) has expressed support for allowing local governments to use their hotel/motel taxes for housing. King County’s hotel/motel tax is currently paying off bonds on Seattle’s downtown stadiums; that money will become available for other purposes in 2016. LaBorde suggested that TCC might support spending some of that money on affordable housing near transit stations—one of the major goals of last year’s transit-oriented communities bill, which would have increased density around light rail stops.
Erica C. Barnett, at Publicola.net, Things Don’t Look Good for Transit Next Year, 12/04/2009.

Section 8 of the bill is a laundry list of things, such as the eventual repairs to Safeco Field:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 8. A new section is added to chapter 67.28 RCW to read as follows:
(1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, money deposited in a special purposes account under this section may be used only for one or more of the following purposes within the county:
(a) Funding nonprofit organizations providing public health services;
(b) Funding nonprofit organizations providing human service programs;
(c) Funding tourism promotion as defined in RCW 67.28.080;
(d) Funding youth or amateur sports activities or facilities; (e) Funding regional centers; (f) Funding performing arts centers;
(g) Maintaining or improving publicly owned stadiums or arenas as long as improvements can be made without economic harm to existing tenants of those stadiums or arenas; or
(h) Funding community preservation and development authorities created in chapter 43.167 RCW.
(2) Beginning in calendar year 2013, funding must be provided annually in an amount necessary to maintain a stadium constructed by a public facilities district under the authority of RCW 36.100.035.

This legislation lived and died last session as HB 2252, and SB 6116. This time around it has a heavy "affordable housing" element that should provide broader support. The bill ten sponsors appear to provide a united front, Sponsors: Representatives Quall, Carlyle, O'Brien, Ericks, Dunshee, Sullivan, Blake, Jacks, Hunter, Maxwell

Many hands make light work.

Best of luck to you Ross Hunter.

Have a great day,
Mike Baker

Sent from my iPhone
Visit me here:
http://ManyWordsForRain.blogspot.com