Seattle Times: County May Gain Control Over Locally Generated Tax

Okay, the story had a different title, we all see what we want to see. Buried in the story Huskies May Play 2010 Season in Qwest Field is the meaningful part for KeyArena. 

There is a major push, partly through the efforts of the University of Washington's lobbying efforts for a major remodel of Huskie Stadium, to give the authority to the local government to decide the priority for spending the locally collected tax revenue.

In this case the Seattle Times’ story is talking about King County, and the taxing authority going to the King County Council and not having it reside in the state legislature.

These funds can only be spent on youth athletic facilities, arts, cultural centers, stadiums, just infrastructure, no operating expenditures. They have to build with it, in this case, possibly Husky Stadium. 

Most people think this is just some other general fund budget item that could just as well get spent on anything state-wide. Well, that is not the case. This tax is not collected generally and should not get raided to be spent generally.

Do the people on the other side of the state really think I want to pay 2.8 percent more for french fries so they can take that tax money for a state general obligation in their town? Tax your own businesses if you want the funds, or don't ask for them.

This is becoming the argument, and not the ignorant words about what the money is spent on. If I am dumb enough to tax myself in order to build this stuff I really, really do want the revenue from those taxes to actually build and pay for it, really.

I really thought the Husky Stadium would be the fall guy in trying to get the funds for what they are actually intended for, and not raided and spread all over the state.

But they have proved to be a very, very useful entity in promoting a message that increases the understanding within the Washington State legislature, and possibly the general public, that this is not a general fund tax, that King County business carries the burden to that same locality should benefit and control the fund the tax produces.

Why this matters to KeyArena and Sonics fans:
Seattle is in King County. It has a similar tax as the county does drawn from city hotels. It is also requesting local use of locally generated tax revenues.

If Huskie supporters are successful in this argument there is a very good chance that what is fair for the county is fair for the city, and KeyArena.

At the very least we have a more popular, powerful, and funded lobby educating people and influencing the legislature to make an effort to understand the position from the tax burden/benefit position, rather than the very unpopular and dumb argument about somebody that does not contribute to the tax fund deciding if the county or city deserves a remodeled stadium, or arena, or youth athletic fields.

Even if the argument for Husky Stadium is not successful, the question of tax fairness being advanced helps the KeyArena cause, at the same time somebody other than Sonics fans take the hits for asking the state to follow its own law, and not raid the fund, screwing Seattle and King County in the process.

Go Huskies!

Have a great day,
Mr. Baker
Sent from my iPhone