Sacramento Arena Watch - Arco Arena Deal, Downtown?

Comments on Dan's Article: (Below)

2006-08-01T17:46:00.000-07:00

Sacramento Arco Arena Deal. Maloofs Railyard Arena Proposal Downtown Sacramento. November Ballot Arena Vote, Sacramento.

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steve96158 at 8:11 AM PST Tuesday, August 1, 2006 wrote:

Thank you

Thanks, Dan. Adding insult to injury are the County Supervisors who voted for the shady manner in which the ballot is being presented with the sole purpose to lower the approval requirement. It would be a shame if the voters fell for this costly and deceptive sham.

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gldntone at 8:20 AM PST Tuesday, August 1, 2006 wrote:

"It's one thing for the public to build an arena with taxpayer dollars. It's another to build that arena and then hand the keys to a private party to profit from it." That pretty much sums it up! VOTE NO!!!
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gabe2095 at 8:36 AM PST Tuesday, August 1, 2006 wrote:

The proponents

When you ask any proponent of the deal "why should we spend millions to subsidize millionaires and their toys", the only answer you'll get is "it is the price of living in a big city". Things like pollution, traffic, crime, homeless and many other things are the price of living in a big city. Sacramento doesn't need a sports franchise if this is the price that has to be paid. No studies, as of yet, can conclusively prove that a professional sports franchise does anything for the economy. So tell me why we need this...
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Old99 at 9:11 AM PST Tuesday, August 1, 2006 wrote:

Agree With Conclusion of Column

Your comments mirror mine. While I believe that an arena would be a positive addition to Sacramento, the deal as proposed is deserving of a no vote. Unfortunately many chose to ignore the economics of the proposal and think that the public should foot the bill for a new arena and turn over the keys to the vault to the Maloofs to keep the Kings in Sacramento. Most troubling is the lack of candor on the part of the Maloofs leading up to the negotiation of the proposal on the table. It was just hints and rumor that they would move the Kings and tear down ARCO if they didn't get a new arena. Something that was missing from your column was that once a new arena is built, the Maloofs have the ability to sell the ARCO property for an amount in excess of $40 million. Just what city willing to build the Maloofs a new arena, fill the stands with fans night after night, with corporate sponsors willing to pay for the luxury boxes, and will allow them all the profits of the arena?
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robertkerry at 9:24 AM PST Tuesday, August 1, 2006 wrote:

yeah, but....

your opinion presumes that the county could handle running the new area profitably for over 30 years & the odds of that are not very good.
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marte at 9:36 AM PST Tuesday, August 1, 2006 wrote:

Cheaper Alternative

Your article correctly points out some of the problems with the Arena deal and highlights again the true only motive of the arena plan -- putting dollars in the Maloof's pockets to keep the Kings in Sacramento. What about a cheapter alternative? Why not just pay the Maloofs outright to keep the Kings in Sacramento using the currently available Arco Arena which utilizes the wonderful new Arena Blvd. to get thousands in and out of Arco? Why go through all the trouble and expense of building a new arena in an area that will bottleneck the 50/80/5 everytime there is an event? How much would it take, Gavin? $2 million a year? $5 million a year? $10 million? Even if we factor in some repair money for Arco, I think we could cut the bill in half, if not more, to keep the Kings in Sacramento. A crude, politically, and maybe legally unfeasible alternative? Probably. Could we build a park for the generations with the $300 million saved? Think about it....
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JOMICA at 10:18 AM PST Tuesday, August 1, 2006 wrote:

NOT A VOTE ON A NEW ARENA

Good, informative and thought provoking article. Except for your misleading characterization of the Board of Supervisors' vote. They will not ask the residents to vote to raise the sales tax to build an arena. They will ask the residents to vote to raise a general tax which may or may not be used to build an arena. Why do you insist on helping the Board of Supervisors promote their fraudlent ballot issue?

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DavidPalmer at 10:28 AM PST Tuesday, August 1, 2006 wrote:

Arena

Is anyone else getting tired of the same old arguments against the arena by so many Bee columnists? Some of us are agreeable to spending a few dollars a month to have a new downtown. The old arena is broken down, so that argument doesn't fly. The NBA has guidelines that must be met for a team to be in a city. ARCO no longer meets these guidelines. And what makes anyone think all those people who spoke in favor of the Arena at last week's meeting didn't have validity in their words? What The Bee (who in an editorial said they were against building a new arena) is doing is reminding all of us in creative columns is that this is a bad idea. We know what you are doing--we have our own opinions and you will not change this. We would really like to hear and read both pros and cons about this issue. You know--fair reporting. Since this is not our first request, this apparently going to happen with The Bee. Thanks for listening.
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mooreport at 10:39 AM PST Tuesday, August 1, 2006 wrote:

Other cost to consider

Dan, you forgot a few other expenses in this deal. First, the Kings are required to pay the city of Sacramento a $71M lump sum amount for their existing loan. Second, the Kings must demo the existing arena, parking, etc in order to sell their 85 acre ARCO arena site. Third, the city of Sacramento must sell it's 100 acre site next to ARCO in order to buy the downtown UP Railyards site for the new arena. In other words, city residents get to pay the sales tax and also pay for the UP land. The $60M or so the city gets for it's 100 acres could be spent in many other ways rather than to support the Kings. The new arena land costs should be factored into the total arena cost to be paid by the sales tax, and not be borne by the city residents alone.
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A Profit Center for Maloofs?

2006-08-01T17:44:00.000-07:00

I am no expert on all of this and barely understand all of the facts surrounding the financial angles at play on the new Kings Arena proposed for Sacramento's November ballot, BUT...amazing article in The Sacramento Bee by Dan Weintraub..."Let The King's Play for Free" really pissed me off.

I wish the politicians involved would talk to the voters this way. We need to understand how the money REALLY plays out in this deal.

Thank you Dan for telling us the detail that has been buried under so much governmental BS.

http://www.sacbee.com/content/opinion/story/14284054p-15091637c.html

Sacramento Arena Deal Updates: July 25, 2006

2006-07-25T15:06:00.000-07:00

Sacramento Supervisors Hear Quarter-Cent Tax Increase Proposal
KXTV - Sacramento,CA,USA
... Assemblyman Dave Jones, D-Sacramento opposes the proposal to have taxpayers fund a new sports arena. He told the gathering there ...
See all stories on this topic

Big Rig Tips On I-5 Connector
KCRA.com - Sacramento,CA,USA
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Firefighters were ... shut down. A second accident was also reported along southbound I-5 near Arena Boulevard.
See all stories on this topic

Lynx-Sting Preview
USA Today - USA
... in the start of a home-and-home series at Charlotte Bobcats Arena on Tuesday ... winningest coach in team history, but the Lynx lost 86-59 to Sacramento on Saturday ...

Sacramento Should Reject Kings Arena Deal and Set an Example for ...
California Progress Report - Oakland,California,USA
... County Board of Supervisors will today consider whether to ask the voters to enact a quarter-cent sales tax to fund a new arena for the Sacramento Kings. ...

Supervisors To Meet On Arena Plan
KCRA.com - Sacramento,CA,USA
... take place today before the Board of Supervisors on a proposal to increase Sacramento County's sale tax to help pay for a new entertainment and sports arena. ...

Sacramento Arco Arena Deal. Maloofs Railyard Arena Proposal Downtown Sacramento. November Ballot Arena Vote, Sacramento.

Sacramento Arena Deal Updates: July 22, 2006

2006-07-24T09:45:00.000-07:00

Assemblymember Jones Joins Community Organizations in Opposing ...
Bay Area Indymedia - San Francisco,CA,USA
... local officials, Assemblymember Dave Jones (D-Sacramento) will join community organizations in opposing public financing of a new sports arena in Sacramento. ...
See all stories on this topic

Public Editor: Gripes of wrath: Readers find fault with The Bee
Sacramento Bee - CA, USA
... of the arena proposal is still open for comment at www.sacbee.com/forums. The Public Editor deals with complaints and concerns about The Sacramento Bee's ...

Daniel Weintraub: Arena deal exaggerates payments by Kings
Sacramento Bee - CA, USA
Sacramento's civic leaders were giddy last week with news they had brokered a deal with the NBA's Sacramento Kings to build a downtown arena that would keep ...

Extreme Challenge
TheDay (subscription) - New London,CT,USA
... a defensive presence and has been required to score more than she did in Sacramento. ... city and state a year to either renovate KeyArena or build a new arena. ...

Campaign for arena tax begins
Sacramento Bee - CA, USA
By Terri Hardy -- Bee Staff Writer. Sacramento's arena pact took months of excruciating on-again, off-again, and then on-again negotiations. ...

Sacramento Arco Arena Deal. Maloofs Railyard Arena Proposal Downtown Sacramento. November Ballot Arena Vote, Sacramento.

I Am Against Public Funding of a New Arena For The Sacramento Kings

2006-07-22T09:25:00.000-07:00

18 hours ago by "Darren" - Sacramento Arena Opinion Blogger.
Today's major Sacramento newspaper has announced that the City and County of Sacramento ... It's not that I'm against keeping the Kings in Sacramento. ... Arco Arena would be demolished. The Maloofs would sell the 85-acre parcel ... Full Story: Right on the Left Coast: Views... - http://rightontheleftcoast.blogspot.com

Sacramento Arco Arena Deal. Maloofs Railyard Arena Proposal Downtown Sacramento. November Ballot Arena Vote, Sacramento.

Channel 10 Sacramento. Arco Arena, Railyard Press conference with Maloofs and Roger Dickinson

2006-07-22T08:33:00.000-07:00

Click banner to start Windows Media Player Stream. Note: If you are using any sort of Pop-up blocker, you may experience difficulties.

A mixed bag of politician-speak and public sales job on the rosy side of the proposed 30-year Arco Arena Railyard project mutually proposed by the Maloof family and local politicians. This layman is concerned with the devil living in the details; 30 years? Long time for any one arena. Usually arena's don't last that long. Will Sacramento tax payers find themselves digging deeper 12 years from now for what may be another 1/4 cent sales tax increase? Also, seems wrong to hit the entire community when Arco Arena events cater to such a narrow segment of the population. What of the additional impact on already strained Sacramento city resources (police, especially 911 dispatch operators, ambulance, fire, EMTs) who foots the bill for these services?

Note: I am not an expert on ANY of these topics, but I am interested in hearing answers from those who are. Please post comments and help us all understand the details with greater clarity.

Sacramento Arco Arena Deal. Maloofs Railyard Arena Proposal Downtown Sacramento. November Ballot Arena Vote, Sacramento.

The arena numbers crunch

2006-07-22T08:17:00.000-07:00

Sacramento Bee, USA - 7 hours ago
... years ago. The city and county of Sacramento say it will cost at least $470 million to erect a comparable arena here. In bigger ...
Full Story: The arena numbers crunch
Arena backers celebrate deal to replace Arco Bizjournals.com
Sacramento: Kings Arena deal 'worse than we expected' Bay Area Indymedia
Ailene Voisin: Now it's Maloofs' turn to shoot Sacramento Bee
KCRA.com - CBS 13 - all 151 related »

Maloofs Confident In Arena Campaign Approval

2006-07-22T08:15:00.000-07:00

CBS 13, CA - 14 hours ago
The New Sacramento Arena Campaign Has Officially Kicked Off, With High Hopes For Kings Owners. (CBS 13) They love the kings and ...
Full Story:Maloofs Confident In Arena Campaign Approval

Whittier Daily News
all 3 related »Sacramento to vote on sales-tax hike for Kings arena
Field of Schemes, NY - 20 hours ago
The Bee doesn't say how much the arena would cost, though it does give hints: The tax would generate $1.2 billion "over a period of years" (gee, thanks), with ...
Full Story: Taxes for new arenas are like welfare for the wealthy

Kings to get new arena

2006-07-22T08:13:00.000-07:00

Rotoworld.com - 23 hours ago
Negotiators for the city and county of Sacramento, and for the Kings, announced Thursday that they had struck a deal to build an 18,000-seat arena with an ...
Full SAtory: Kings to get new arena