State sports funding should cross a ballot

We should be flattered, I guess, that so many rich folks want us to be their partners. Silent partners, to be sure, but partners nonetheless in the exciting world of professional sports.

When NASCAR and the NBA come courting, my word, they pull out the stops. Big stars like Richard Petty, Darrell Waltrip and Greg Biffle come to Olympia seeking legislative support for a new track. The NBA’s winningest coach, Lenny Wilkens, who coached the Sonics to their only championship – ask your parents when – rejoins the club to help new owner Clay Bennett ask for money.

It’s clear. We’re important. Without us, pro sports cannot survive here.

Such flattery has rarely worked on Washington voters, though our politicians seem a bit more susceptible. In 1995, King County voters, whose heads are easily turned, looked past the glitter and declined to build the Mariners a new field. The Legislature gave it to them anyway. After a heavy lobbying blitz to get a special election, Paul Allen spent a bundle to convince 51 percent of statewide voters to approve taxes for a new Seahawks stadium.

But showing that old “quitters never win” (or, “old winners never quit”) mindset, stadium pitchmen don’t hear naysayers. Full-court press and pedal to the metal, persistent lobbying may yet pay off.

The Sonics have the edge because they’re here. Losing a pro franchise carries different political risks than failing to land a new one.

Being here, though, may not mean much. Last November, Seattle voters gave 3 to 1 support to an initiative limiting public funding for the Sonics, sending them to Renton. Similar margins showed up in the February Elway Poll. The numbers help explain owners’ reluctance to have the Legislature hang any promised tax support on a public vote. Voters aren’t interested: 79 percent opposed taxpayer support for a NASCAR track and 77 percent opposed it for a basketball arena. Even minor league baseball or local rodeo facilities were rejected 2 to 1.

Among other things, that consistency ought to put to rest the notion that NASCAR has been the target of Northwest disdain for a Southern sport. This has more to do with greenbacks than rednecks.

The main events are pricey. The Sonics want a $500 million stadium, with $300 million from holding on to current state-authorized King County taxes. About half of that money would otherwise go to the state general fund when the existing bonds for Qwest Field, Safeco Field and the Kingdome are paid off. The $200 million balance reportedly would be split between Renton and team owners. Gov. Chris Gregoire, a Seattle Storm fan (the WNBA Storm has the same ownership as the Sonics) would like to see the teams stay.

NASCAR wants $188 million toward a $368 million speedway in Kitsap County. The money would come from bonds to be paid off with sales and ticket taxes. Gregoire says the track would be a better fit in Lewis County, which lost 600 jobs when a Centralia coal mine shut down.

Arguments for taxpayer support of these things generally come down to intangibles, because the tangible benefits are sketchy. Adam M. Zaretsky, an economist with the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, like most economists, concludes: “The weight of economic evidence … shows that taxpayers spend a lot of money and ultimately don’t get much back. And when this paltry return is compared with other potential uses of the funds, the investment, almost always, seems unwise.”

If the object were making money for the taxpayers, there are better investments, with benefits more widely distributed around the state. Transportation, education, scientific research and incentives for business development all provide greater assurance of long-term value.

So we turn to the intangibles. How good do we feel when our teams win? (What about how bad we feel when they’re lousy?) Arenas are spun as community centers, with additional money pledged to help arts and cultural groups. “Civic pride” gets a workout.

All this attention may yet quicken the Legislative pulse and lead folks where they shouldn’t go. They may need backup. And the taxpayers are there to provide it. Any commitment of public funds must be ratified by a public vote.