Letters To The Editor

Owners should pay own ways

Apparently a strange sense of priorities is needed to understand the demands of the professional sports teams upon the cities in which they have franchises.

Yet many politicians, including Senator Gorton, Governor Locke, state legislators and city officials, have become embroiled in the task to make taxpayers pick up the tabs that are normally the responsibility of the team owners of the various sports involved.

No longer are owners concerned with the number of patrons coming through the turnstiles, in order to pay the rent, the upkeep, the employees or just to keep the doors open.

Now they expect and demand, large stadium complexes, extravagant parking facilities, the best sites in the area, tax breaks, etc. - and at little or no cost to themselves.

It’s absolutely ridiculous to expect all of the state’s taxpayers to pick up the tab for any franchise, especially when so distant from most areas as the Seattle Seahawks and Mariners.

Why should taxpayers build very expensive facilities that are used only one day a week, for only 10 to 12 weeks each year that provide only temporary, minimum-wage jobs, such as hot dog vendors, ushers, ticket takers. It’s a rare case where any have proven to be a good investment or ever repaid.

The dollar estimates, being tossed around, vary from $100 million to $300 million dollars to be invested and if owners do get their demands, what happens when a better offer comes along, what’s to stop him from leaving town? All it takes is a smart lawyer to break any contract.

Imagine how grand a university, a modern manufacturing facility or an assembly plant for electronics, aeronautical or other technical equipment could be built and employ hundreds with highly paid jobs (52 weeks a year), with an investment of $300 million that would guarantee the taxpayers a payback on their investment.

Rather than demanding more funds from the taxpayers, the time is long past for those professional team owners to be reimbursing the state educational systems (that have been supplying them trained athletes at taxpayer expense). It’s time for those owners to be reimbursing the schools at about $100,000 per athlete signed to a contract, rather than having the taxpayers further subsidize them.

I feel that we should derail that “gravy train” that those sports moguls have been riding for so long. If they can afford those multi-million dollar salaries, they can afford to build their own stadiums and help pay for the cost of training those athletes so vital to their sports empire. Andy Kelly Spokane

Give AAU its due

It is a shame that The Spokesman-Review chooses to ignore the accomplishments of one of our area’s finest sports organizations: The Amateur Athletic Union.

If the homework is done, by the Review, on how many of our top athletes now (and previously) in high school and college varsity sports are former AAU players, maybe the recognition would be greater. Without the contributions from AAU players and coaches, the GSL and other area league coaches would not have the excellent, talented players to choose from here.

These kids (fifth grade through high school) work hard and excel in AAU athletics, but no mention is ever made of the championship teams and players in this city. When we travel around the state to AAU basketball tournaments, the local papers publish all of the game results and stats. The kids look forward to having their teams and names - whether they win or lose - published in the papers.

Spokane will host an AAU basketball tournament very soon this year. Will it also go unrecognized? Too bad our athletes have to leave town to be acknowledged. Personally, I’d rather see this then the pistol shooting results. Lindy Inderrieden Spokane