Sonics bill won’t help us

How could any politician support the $400 million gift to the Seattle Sonics? Some would have you believe it’s about more than the Sonics. Don’t believe it. They didn’t bring David Stern to Olympia to lobby for ballet.

If we really need to spend the money then why don’t we fund more important issues like traffic, crime, education, etc.? These concerns affect the entire state, not just Seattle.

The people of Spokane and Eastern Washington need to ask how this proposed bill possibly benefits them. You’ll pay additional sales tax (among other taxes) every time you visit King County, whether you come to a Sonics game or buy a coffee at the airport. So the net effect for you is you get to fund the Seattle Sonics arena, your region gets no economic benefits and there is less money available to fix the issues you find important in Eastern Washington.

It’s easy to procrastinate, but please don’t ignore this vital issue and allow a handful of out-of-touch legislators to unethically donate your tax money to people who need it least. Contact your legislator and demand they vote this down. Otherwise, the rich get richer.

Larry Newman

Shoreline, Wash.