With "apparent voter approval" of the Seahawks stadium
plan, the Metropolitan King County Council "started taking
steps toward destruction" of the Kingdome, according to Ed
Penhale of the SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER. The council
began its consideration of a "letter of intent" to carry out
Referendum 48, which allows replacement of the Kingdome with
a $425M football stadium and exhibition hall proposed by
Paul Allen. King County Exec Ron Sims "must sign the letter
before Allen .... will exercise his option" to buy the team.
With "about" 136,000 votes left to be counted, the stadium
measure was leading by 17,850 votes. Stadium opposition
leader Chris Van Dyk conceded a victory for the stadium
measure "was likely" (SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER, 6/19).
THE POWER OF POLITICS? In Seattle, Heath Foster: "Paul
Allen's apparent victory at the polls Tuesday is a testament
to the sway of money in American politics. By shelling out
$5.4 million -- a state record in campaign spending -- Allen
was able to reach out directly to voters with the message
that his football stadium proposal would not bring any
general tax increases." Opponents of the stadium measure
spent $220,000. Foster: "Allen's plan was crushed by as
much as 77 percent outside the heavily populated Central
Puget Sound area, and he won only seven of the state's 39
counties. But they included crucial population centers"
(SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER, 6/19). Columnist Art Thiel
writes that despite plans for MLS and World Cup Soccer,
"this $600 million investment was quickly created and hyper-
aggressively sold for two reasons: For 10 Seahawk games, and
to keep Paul Allen our civic pal" (POST-INTELLIGENCER,
6/19). Angelo Bruscas writes the new stadium, along with a
Mariners ballpark "will give Seattle the most complete
sports complex west of the Mississippi." Max Muhleman,
President of Muhleman Marketing in Charlotte: "It certainly
will transform Seattle from a very good national and
international sports site location to a first-rank, almost
pre-eminent national city" (POST-INTELLIGENCER, 6/19).
NATIONAL REAX: In Boston, Tina Cassidy, on the
approvals of stadiums in Seattle and San Francisco: "Since
both cities consider themselves trendsetters in culture and
technology, the [NFL] hopes successful West Coast measures
can set a precedent for other franchises across the nation
that are also looking to build new facilities with some
taxpayer support. However, the league is not betting on
it." NFL spokesperson Leslie Hammond: "A win is a win. But
at this point, it's hard to look at the long-term
ramifications because all the issues are so complex ...
nationwide" (BOSTON GLOBE, 6/19). In Baltimore, Jon Morgan
wrote only two recent sports facility referendums have
failed over the past two years and alternate funding was
found. Morgan writes stadium supporters "say they are
simply having more luck in getting out the message that
major-league teams are worth a community's investment.
Opponents say the profit potential has grown so high that
stadium backers can afford to 'buy' elections with
sophisticated political campaigns" (Baltimore SUN, 6/19).
