Posted by Katy Grimes at 9:08 pm on Jan 08, 2014 Comments Off on Arena derangement syndrome afflicts Sacramento
Call it “arena derangement syndrome,” or ADS. It afflicts cities
trying to use taxpayer money for new sports arenas or stadiums.
It’s now threatening thevalidation of 35,000 ballot
initiative petition signatures that would halt the proposed subsidy
of a new arena for Sacramento’s Kings basketball team.
The ADS gripping Sacramento has infiltrated most of city
government, and made it all the way to the city’s top ranking
officials. ADS started in the office of Sacramento Mayor Kevin
Johnson, himself a former NBA star, then spread like a communicable
disease through the Sacramento City Council, senior city management
and city hospitality and convention agents. ADS thrives in a host
of labor unions and crony capitalist business owners that would
benefit from constructing the arena — and, of course, in the super
fans.
ADS has divided friends and neighbors, even caused riffs in
families.
In December, after the Sacramento City Clerk’s Office is done
counting the petition signatures, Sacramento county elections
officials said a validation process would take weeks.
The anti-public subsidy group… Read More