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2006 Seattle Elections General Elections Voters' Guide Initiative 91 - Below Value Leases to Sports Teams - Statement Against and Rebuttal Statement Against Seattle Initiative 91 Imagine Seattle without the Seahawks, Sonics, Storm or Mariners. This initiative would forever change the future of sports in Seattle, and maybe even lead to a future without professional sports. It would change the way Seattle could attract, retain, or negotiate sport contracts and dramatically restrict the city’s ability to keep economically viable teams in Seattle. But it doesn’t stop there. Because of flawed language, this initiative could reach beyond professional franchises and affect any organization that has “professional” athletes. This could potentially include athletes like race car drivers or even hydroplane racers. Any potential sporting event hosted in Seattle that involves professional athletes could be impacted. Professional sports are a unique form of community that many of us experience every Sunday with the Seahawks, and weekdays with the Mariners, Sonics, and Storm. They generate hundreds of millions in economic benefits and jobs for Seattle, give us priceless national and international visibility and create a better quality of life for all. Don’t handcuff our future decisions with this ill conceived initiative. Vote no on Initiative 91 to keep professional sports alive in Seattle! STATEMENT SUBMITTED BY: Ralph Morton, Executive Director of the Seattle Sports Commission Rebuttal of Statement Against Yes on I-91 will change the way pro-sports are played in Seattle, back to the way they used to be played. Remember when Barry Ackerley owned the Sonics, and paid ‘fair value’ rent, at KeyArena? Yes on I-91 simply means pro-sports teams must once again pay ‘fair value’ rent, pay their own ‘fair value’ share of costs. Yes on I-91 says elected officials can’t negotiate away the store, chasing phony ‘economic impact’ dollars. National economists have long since shown that money spent on entertainment does not boost local economies. Rather, it just transfers economic activity from one part of our community to another. Yes on I 91 stops pro-sports tax subsidies. Yes on I-91 means pro-sports teams pay real cash dollars, ‘fair value’ dollars, into the economy. That is very good for the future of hard-working Seattle taxpayers. REBUTTAL SUBMITTED BY: Mark Baerwaldt & Chris Van Dyk, Co-Chairs, Citizens for More Important Things For more information contact: |
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