Thursday, February 12, 2009

USAToday.com Unknowingly gives fans hope

In the February 12th USAToday.com story No buzz about NBA returning to Seattle AP Reporter Tim Booth unknowingly passes along the missing piece in the arena puzzle to KeyArena rebuild hopefuls like me.
Booth says, "[Washington State] House Finance Committee Chairman Ross Hunter, D-Madina, said Thursday, he was working with House Speaker Frank Chopp, D-Seattle, on a plan for stadium funding that everetbody can live with, but wasn't willing to disclose any details."

Mr. Booth, that is the buzz. At no point in the past 3 years could you find the name Frank Chopp in connection with a stadium unless it was in reference to opposition. I had heard rumors that somebody had something drafted, but none of it had a connection to Hunter actually working on anything, and nobody has mentioned that Mr. Hunter was working with Mr. Chopp, until your report.

Hope springs eternal in the human breast;

Have a great day,
Mr Baker
Sent from my iPhone

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is intriguing and encouraging news. Aside from that, USA Today sucks. But seriously, how is it that you responded to my correspondence to the Mayor regarding the Key and Seattle Center? Just curious.

Mr Baker said...

I corrisponded with the mayor's office too, and I sent you the reply I got. Look at it, it has my name on it.

The usaToday story was bad on the top 1/3, for an AP story that's not good because newspapers trim to fit their holes in the paper from the bottom up. The good bits are actually at the middle and end. Oh well, at least I found it, at least Booth got Hunter to tell him that he was working with Chopp. That is a good sign, like no other.

Anonymous said...

What exactly is Ross Hunter's plan now? I understand that the convention center surplus is out. The car rental and restaurant tax is out. So what is left from what I read is the city's ability to utilize funds generated from taxes created within the city limits? What source are these taxes coming from? And from what I read as well it has something to do with a pet project that Frank Chopp is intimately involved with---housing for the poor. So as things progress I'm sure more information will be brought to the light but right now---its head scratching time.