This was his response durring a Reader Q and A session hosted by the Seattle Times Newspaper today.
Andrew from Seattle asked: Would you support bringing professional basketball back to Seattle?
Joe Mallahan answered: The SuperSonics were and are a big part of our culture, and professional sports are critical to a vibrant economy. Over 20,000 jobs were tied to the Sonics, and their loss had a major impact on Lower Queen Anne. The NBA won't consider Seattle unless we are committed to providing an appropriate facility. I will work hard with the City Council, the State, and the business community to come to an investment plan that can get that accomplished, and not solely on the backs of Seattle Taxpayers.
A snap of the Sonics sweatband to Brian Robinson at SonicsCentral for the find.
To this point both candidates for mayor, Joe Mallahan and Mike McGinn, have said that they support a levy for Seattle Center in 2010 or 2011. Both have said they would look at the issue of what to do to revive KeyArena, but Joe Mallahan is the only one to articulate an understanding of the situation and his support to solving it.
I have no idea how Mike McGinn can claim to intend to work hard with all levels of government he intends to fight to force his surface solution onto as the replacement of Seattle's Alaskan Way Viaduct.
In a close race, as soon-to-be former Mayor Greg Nickels found out in the primary, every vote counts.
Can Joe Mallahan count on the Save Our Sonics faithful?
Endorsements? SOS?
I made mine yesterday.
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8 comments:
Let's go Joe! In the words of Chris Berman---"C'mon Seattle!" Get this guy elected.
Well it's been pretty quiet since the debut of the most execellent "Sonicsgate", but I know that the deadline will pass with no legislative action. I'm secretly hoping that US cities with populations over half million (which Seattle would fall in) get some more stimulus funds to specifically create jobs in their respective municipalities. Wouldn't that be awesome? Yeah, dream on dreamer.
I mentioned back in January that there is no way that there would be just one stimulus package, that there would have to be a second smaller one in the Fall.
Here we are. There is a bottom, but there is not really a recovery.
The state economist predicted this trough, so here comes a second stimulus.
As for the KeyArena, I think there is a very good chance that if a package does come together with the legislature, Joe Mallahan, that something will get done.
Both mayoral candidates said they would support a Seattle Center levy.
There is also a strange low level push to celebrate the World's Fair. When this was first was flaoted at Crosscut I voiced my concern that we might be celebrating urban blight. Since then there has been a larger push to ge tsomething going.
That is 2 years away. I think there are more positive indications in the media.
Well the Portland Trailblazers continue to trailblaze there product our market:
http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlesports/archives/183077.asp
Sorry I'll pass for now.
Small cities in western Washington State are putting a proposal together to present to the Governor to do something about the lack of flood insurance.
Oh ya, they are proposing a Special Session in December.
Q13 news at 9, on channel 10.
There ya go, not a rumor, but a report of an effort, for a really good reason.
The draft proposal for flooding is being drafted through the Insurance Commissioners office, if, big if there is a special session.
Hearing anything about a special session? Seems to be a dead issue.
Nothing.
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