Governor Tinkering With Plan For Stadium
Faced with mounting opposition from the sports industry, Gov. Gary Locke is tinkering with his plan to finance a $402 million stadium for the Seattle Seahawks.
In a letter this week to lawmakers, Locke offered to alter his controversial tax on sports products, drop a tax increase on rental cars in King County and eliminate grants for youth ball fields and school computers.
Locke’s chief lobbyist, Marty Brown, described the plan as a “skinnied-down version” that raises $21 million a year instead of $31 million. But opponents still aren’t buying it.
A group of retailers, manufacturers and sports organizations have joined to form the Coalition Against Unfair Stadium Taxes, or CAUST, in effort to halt the plan.
Locke is pushing the plan at the behest of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, who was asked by civic leaders to buy the team from California developer Ken Behring. Allen has said he won’t buy the team unless the public shares the cost of tearing down the Kingdome and building a new, open-air stadium and exhibition center in its place.
He’s given lawmakers until April 3 to approve an acceptable financing plan that he can take to the state’s voters in a special election June 3.
Hostetler visits Redskins
Oakland Raiders quarterback Jeff Hostetler paid a visit to the Washington Redskins on Friday.
Hostetler, the Raiders’ starter since 1993, has been looking for a new job since Oakland signed Jeff George.
White denial
Green Bay Packers defensive end Reggie White says he never claimed that police were “out to get” black youth.
White also said he never said some things reported by a newspaper, and that some of his other comments were taken out of context.
White told Milwaukee Journal Sentinel columnist Eugene Kane that the things he said in recent appearances in Knoxville, Tenn., are the same things he has said in Green Bay and a lot of other cities.
White said many of the comments reported in The Knoxville News-Sentinel were taken out of context and contained outright inaccuracies.
Players’ fund
The NFL Players Association established a $50 million contingency fund Friday in case labor problems crop up again when the present agreement with the NFL expires.
Seventy-four players, representing the league’s board of player representatives, also agreed to give the executive board the power to decide whether to extend the contract through the year 2001. The NFLPA and the owners have until Dec. 1 to decide whether they want to extend the labor agreement.
Signings
The Denver Broncos have signed free-agent wide receiver Willie Green away from the Carolina Panthers, Broncos coach Mike Shanahan announced.
Harry Boatswain, a free agent offensive lineman who spent last season with the New York Jets, returned to the Philadelphia Eagles, signing a two-year contract.