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Stadium Bill Dies

The stadium bill for all intents and purposes is dead which means the University of washington is going to be forced to unveil Plan B in the not too distant future to get the job done. What it all comes down to is legislators can't decide how to spend the estimated $50 million dollar per year surplus the painless tax will generate once Safeco Field is paid off.

The reality of this whole thing is that there is enough money for Husky Stadium, Key Arena, The Arts, and future maintenance of Safeco field if it is structured right and the legislators actually started using their heads. The problem is none of them are viewing the issue correctly and unfortunately they don't want King County having a say in how the oney will be used in the future even thought he revenue is generated in King County.

This link to the latest article on the mess in the Seattle Times shows you just how flawed some of these people are in their thinking.

We feel like arts and heritage are being held hostage to stadiums," said Jim Kelly, executive director of 4Culture, King County's arts and culture agency.

Most legislators don't seem to have a problem with funding for the arts. But Kelly said their funding has remained tied down by its connection to the stadium fights.

"With stadiums you're damned if you do or damned if you don't," he said. "Some people, if you take the stadiums out, they won't support the bill. Other people won't vote for it if you leave the stadiums in."

Senator Murray is still working on reviving the bill in the last days of the session but chances are this bill is dead.