Huskies Want To Steal From The Poor

Amazing! Truly amazing. 

The University of Washington athletic program has been in a slump for the past few years.  Once an athletic darling/powerhouse of the Evergreen State, Husky fans have been forced to endure their team sports dominated by universities from all across the nation. 

Tremendous pain to Husky fans has been applied in mass quantity from its cross-state rival, the Washington State Cougars.

How does the UW administration seek to right their athletic program?

In a thinly veiled scheme to placate those who are major financial donors to the University of Washington, school administration is quietly trying to steal from the poor to court the rich.

No, this isn't some mean spirited attack by a life-long Cougar.  Perhaps shining light on this egregious scheme to bilk hard working Washingtonians out of their precious few earnings may be rationalized by some who might attempt to cover up scandalous and shameful motivations.

Here's the scheme.

The "leadership" (a term used quite loosely in the context of this scheme) at the UW would love to upgrade their football stadium to a facility more luxurious than any college football stadium in the nation.

Then again, what university wouldn't want the very best for their donors?  Such a strategy is one way to keep cash flowing into the university coffers.  Wine and dine.  That's what it takes to encourage donors to contribute mass quantities of cash.  Virtually every institution of higher learning employs that very strategy to some extent.

There are degrees of upgrading facilities.  "Leadership" at the UW has bounded beyond reason with their expectations. 

When they present an upgrade package, the price tag accompanying it is world class.  Try this price tag on for size.  Let me spell it out.  Three hundred and fifty million dollars.

$350 MILLION!!!!!

Haven't seen that level of chutzpa since Ross Perot claimed to be running for president to represent working Americans.  Okay, Steve Forbes running for president was almost as brazen, but he didn't even pretend to rub elbows with the rest of us, did he?

"Leadership" of the UW would like every hard working taxpayer in the state of Washington to contribute the "modest" sum of $150 million to build Club seats, Sky boxes, Loges, Suites and fancy private concessionaires restaurant facilities for elite Husky donors.  Heck, the people being asked to foot the bill for this proposed stadium upgrade won't even be allowed in!  There will be security measures to assure that only the elite will be rubbing elbows at Husky football games in the proposed upgrade. 

In return for bilking the taxpayers of Washington out of $150 million in hard earned cash, elite donors to the University of Washington will be expected to contribute another $200 million for the stadium upgrade.  Possibly we should all be humbled by such generosity.

This is where you are supposed to pause and sympathize with the burden being placed on elite donors to the UW.

That's enough commiserating. 

"Leadership" at the UW must be proud of themselves.  In the world of back room politics, they probably are quite proud of lifting the wallets from their fellow state taxpayers who may have ties (misguided and misplaced in their narrow view) to other state schools such as Western Washington, Central Washington, Eastern Washington and yes, cross-state rival Washington State.

If you can't beat 'em on the playing field, exact a tax on 'em until you can.

Though it is risky stuff, trust that the state legislature won't enact tax law to support such nefarious schemes by UW "leadership". 

Or will the state legislature do the right thing?

When did college athletics become so important they should be financed beyond fiscal reason by state taxpayers?

By the way, fall football practice begins Tuesday...