Some Lawmakers Question Football Lobbyists’ Tactics Some ‘Supporters’ Of Vote On Stadium Claim They Really Don’t Favor The Idea

Lawmakers are being showered with postcards, letters and telephone calls supporting a statewide vote on a new Seattle Seahawks football stadium.

But some legislators are questioning the grass-roots campaign, which was organized by a lobbying group that’s pushing the stadium in Olympia.

Pro Hawks Northwest has been calling voters and asking them if they want their views conveyed to legislators in the form of letters and postcards.

The group also hired a telemarketing firm to call thousands of voters statewide and transfer the calls that reach stadium supporters to legislative offices.

In the past three weeks, the effort has generated about 40,000 calls, letters and cards to Olympia, organizers said.

Legislative aides said the callers being transferred to the Capitol often are confused, embarrassed and don’t know what to say.

And some people whose names appear on the cards and letters say they actually don’t support a public vote on the stadium.

A postcard received by Rep. Larry Crouse, R-Spokane Valley, says Bill McDermott of Veradale supports the stadium vote proposal.

But McDermott, who received a phone call from Pro Hawks Northwest, said Tuesday he actually opposes putting the issue on the ballot.

“I didn’t sign anything, and I didn’t receive anything in the mail,” he said. “I don’t even remember giving my opinion.”

Wendy Frobe of Spokane received a similar call for her husband, Chris, who was unavailable. Though she said she didn’t know what her husband’s opinion was, a card appeared in the office of Rep. Brad Benson, R-Spokane, offering Chris Frobe’s support for putting the issue to the voters.

“There may be some confusion out there,” said Sue Tupper, strategist and manager of Pro Hawks Northwest. “If there were mistakes made, we would want to get to the bottom of that.”

The Senate passed a bill last week calling for a public vote on a financing package for the stadium. The issue is before the House for consideration.

Football Northwest, the lobbying group for prospective Seahawks owner Paul Allen, wants the public to vote on a plan to build a $425 million stadium.

About $325 million would come from a tax on sports logo-bearing apparel, new lottery games and stadium ticket and parking taxes. Allen would pay the rest.

The organization has spent more than $500,000 to develop support through its grass-roots branch, Pro Hawks Northwest.

Sen. Eugene Prince, R-Thornton, said he voted in favor of the stadium proposal at least in part because of the 100 letters and calls of support from constituents.

But Prince said he didn’t know that many of the letters were identical, unsigned and mailed from Olympia.

“That would have had quite an effect,” Prince said Tuesday. “If I had known what Football Northwest was doing, I don’t know how I would’ve voted. I’m not a person who believes in that kind of democracy.”

Prince received about 10 signed letters from voters in his district, all of whom oppose the stadium bill. Most of those who left messages for him on the legislative hotline also opposed the bill.

Rep. Jeff Gombosky, D-Spokane, said he hopes other lawmakers can weed out what he says is manufactured support. Others say such support shouldn’t be weighed as heavily.

“I just discount it,” said Sen. Lisa Brown, D-Spokane, the only Eastern Washington lawmaker to vote against the stadium proposal in the Senate. “There’s a level of significance as far as personal contact goes and that is at the bottom.”

Tupper said she is surprised some lawmakers are critical of the lobbying effort. The football group is just trying to make sure lawmakers hear from constituents supporting the stadium vote, she said.

“The excuse today is it’s too organized,” Tupper said. “The argument three weeks ago was there was nothing organized.”

, DataTimes