Sonics Blog
Follow the Sonics off and on the court with reporters Percy Allen and Jayda Evans.
SubscribeAbout comments: Help us maintain civil and mature comment threads by reporting inappropriate posts. Record the name of the commenter and the time and date of the offending comment and . Thanks. Changes are coming in the months ahead to our comment functionality that will allow us to better-control the content.
April 11, 2008 6:35 PM
Gorton blasts Gregoire, Bennett
Posted by Percy Allen
Slade Gorton, the lead litigator in the city of Seattle's case against the Sonics, responds angrily to the inaction in Olympia after Steve Ballmer and his group's offer to pay for half of the $300 million in KeyArena renovations was allowed to expire on Thursday.
Here's the release ...
Statement from Slade Gorton Regarding Funding of KeyArena:
For more than a year it has been obvious that the only way in which to save NBA basketball for Seattle in the long term was a major remodel of KeyArena to make it acceptable to the NBA and to any prospective owner. Not a single suggestion as to how that could be accomplished has ever come from the governor's office or from the leaders of our legislature.
The KeyArena solution is by far the least costly, strengthens the Seattle Center, and requires the public to pay only for those improvements that are necessary for its viability even in the absence of professional basketball.
Clay Bennett, however, was never willing to consider this alternative.
Two months ago, four civic-minded citizens offered not only to purchase the Sonics but to contribute $150m to the city, half of the cost of the KeyArena remodel. I know of no more generous private offer for a public facility anywhere. Mayor Nickels and the city promptly pledged $75m, half of the remainder. The city then asked the governor and the legislature to authorize it to raise the rest. Its latest proposal was to use 1 percent of the existing 7 percent hotel/motel tax collected inside of the city. The consistent answer from Olympia has been that any timely answer is impossible.
While many of us will continue to try to find a way to save NBA basketball for Seattle, by far the best chance of doing so is to have a specific proposition to put in front of the NBA next week that includes the KeyArena remodel. That will require an unequivocal state commitment to authorize Seattle to raise the final $75m, strong enough for the city literally to take to the bank.
There is not much time, but this is the only plan that will work.
Digg
Newsvine
UPDATE - 8:30 AM
Recently listed
Popular searches
Jul 9, 08 - 01:01 PM
Stern tries to block Schultz's lawsuit
Jul 7, 08 - 03:55 PM
Photos of new OKC team
Jul 2, 08 - 05:25 PM
They're gone
Jul 2, 08 - 11:49 AM
City and the Sonics discussing settlement?
Jul 1, 08 - 06:09 PM
Summer league roster released
general classifieds
Garage & estate salesFurniture & home furnishings
Electronics
just listed
More listings
POST A FREE LISTING
- Mayor: Kings deal about 'not letting somebody take something that isn't theirs'
- Pot rules taking shape; public gets a taste of what’s ahead
- Man survives bear attack after wife cracks it on head
- Boston bombing suspect’s note explains motive, officials say
- Seahawks' Bruce Irvin suspended for four games
- Mariners beat Yankees again, near .500
- David Stern's Seattle sucker punch shows we must stop being a pawn in NBA's game | Jerry Brewer
- Drugs, guns, pipe bomb found after 6 arrested in Shoreline
- North Bend intruder had job, was father of five
- Sex-with-animals advocate told to stay off Internet
- Kings moving closer to sale to Sacramento group
347 - Game thread: Mariners try to contain high-octane Indians 296
- House committee to grill ousted IRS chief 275
- Hood River, Ore., bakery won’t make cake for lesbians 261
- SI report --- Hansen offered deposit back, declines to take it 128
- Another new Husky? Blakley gives commitment to UW 119
- Why is any political group exempt from paying taxes? 91
- Mariners have been here before, but this feels different 79
- Background checks are a reasonable way to curb gun violence 27
- Bruce Irvin suspended four games for violating NFL policy on performance enhancing substances 26
- Pot rules taking shape; public gets a taste of what’s ahead
- Columbia Hills State Park is a Gorge wonder
- Marine, dog partner reunited in surprise ceremony
- LGBT students get $600,000 in scholarships from 2 groups
- Sex-with-animals advocate told to stay off Internet
- Why is any political group exempt from taxes?
- Contractor at Wade’s gun range cited for lead exposure
- Helping high-school students navigate the next step | Lynne K. Varner / Times editorial columnist
- Tableau Software shares soar 64% in trading debut
- Italy on the plate by way of Ballard | Taste
February
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |