Conservative taxpayers group, liberal grass-roots organization call for a stop to negotiations.
Published 12:01 am PDT Wednesday, July 19, 2006
http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/story/14279461p-15088069c.html
As arena negotiators continue to work on a last-minute deal to build a new Sacramento Kings sports complex, an unusual political alliance has emerged to oppose the effort.
The conservative Sacramento County Taxpayers League and People United for a Better Sacramento, a liberal grass-roots organization, convened an impromptu press conference Tuesday to urge a halt to arena talks.
Dave Tamayo, president of People United, denounced closed-door arena negotiations that include a countywide quarter-cent sales tax increase -- on top of the county's current 7.75 percent tax -- to help pay for the new facility. Tamayo said the region has a host of more pressing needs, including building new schools, repairing levees and combating violent crime.
"It's time to take a step back and think about (the community's) real priorities," Tamayo said.
What looks to be the most serious effort yet to broker an arena deal has sent opponents scrambling to organize. Tamayo said he was surprised that talks, which collapsed weeks ago, were suddenly revived at a Las Vegas summit last week.
"I thought, wow, this is really getting serious," Tamayo said.
Arena negotiators said a deal must be completed by Thursday if they are to meet deadlines necessary to put the sales tax question on the November ballot.
If there is a deal, Sacramento County Supervisor Roger Dickinson predicted it won't be reached until Thursday. "This issue really tends to use up every bit of sand in the hourglass," Dickinson said.
Joining Tamayo were People United members representing several organizations: Sacramento's Gray Panthers, the Sacramento Homeless Organizing Committee, Sacramento Mutual Housing and the Sacramento Chicano Consortium.
At Tamayo's side during the press conference was Joe Sullivan, executive director of the Taxpayers League.
In a previous interview, Sullivan said his organization does not oppose the concept of an arena, even one funded with public money.
However, his group believes a plan by city and county officials to place the quarter-cent issue on the November ballot as a general tax is illegal.
By law, a sales tax increase for general purposes requires only a simple majority of votes for passage. But if the tax is to be used for a specific purpose, it requires a harder-to-achieve two-thirds vote.
"Our legal staff will be watching this very closely," Sullivan said at the press conference.
Dickinson, part of the arena negotiating team, said those protesting outside the county building Tuesday were acting prematurely.
"I think people would be well advised to wait and see first of all if there is a deal, and then once there is, to examine the terms and the entirety of the proposal," he said. "People simply ought not, and need not, rush to judgment."
It was clear from Tuesday's press conference that public sentiment over the emotionally charged issue is being closely watched.
At the back of the press conference viewing the proceedings were several well-dressed observers, some taking notes on the media organizations attending as well as participant comments. One identified himself as a representative from the office Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Sacramento; others refused to give their names or said they were simply there as individuals, not in any official capacity.
Also closely watching was Warren Smith, executive vice president of the Sacramento River Cats. He and Art Savage, chief executive of the River Cats baseball team, are on the arena negotiating team and have been charged with funding a poll gauging residents' opinions about a publicly funded sports facility.
Smith said polling was not complete and that he hoped to provide results to the Board of Supervisors before the vote on the ballot language Aug. 2.
People United was formed in 2004 by many of the same activists who worked to elect Assemblyman Dave Jones, D-Sacramento. As its first issue in 2004, it denounced the use of public funds for a downtown arena. That effort, headed up by Mayor Heather Fargo, eventually broke down.
Jones for a time headed People United but has since attended monthly meetings less frequently, said Jones' chief of staff, Chris Shultz.
Shultz said Jones is camping with his family this week and was not involved in the organization of Tuesday's press conference. Nonetheless, the assemblyman is likely to come out against the arena deal, he said.
"Until we see the final details, we can't be sure, but in general, he's skeptical of using taxpayer dollars to finance sports arenas," Shultz said.
Jones isn't worried about opposing a deal put together in part by former Assemblyman Darrell Steinberg, Shultz said. Steinberg is likely headed to the state Senate after the November election and formerly headed the powerful Assembly Appropriations Committee.
In the arena talks, Steinberg is representing the Maloof family, the owners of the Sacramento Kings.
"I think politicians often end up on slightly different sides from each other, but it's a long-term game," Shultz said. "It's not a big deal."
The Bee's Terri Hardy can be reached at (916) 321-1073 or thardy@sacbee.com.
Published 12:01 am PDT Wednesday, July 19, 2006
http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/story/14279461p-15088069c.html
As arena negotiators continue to work on a last-minute deal to build a new Sacramento Kings sports complex, an unusual political alliance has emerged to oppose the effort.
The conservative Sacramento County Taxpayers League and People United for a Better Sacramento, a liberal grass-roots organization, convened an impromptu press conference Tuesday to urge a halt to arena talks.
Dave Tamayo, president of People United, denounced closed-door arena negotiations that include a countywide quarter-cent sales tax increase -- on top of the county's current 7.75 percent tax -- to help pay for the new facility. Tamayo said the region has a host of more pressing needs, including building new schools, repairing levees and combating violent crime.
"It's time to take a step back and think about (the community's) real priorities," Tamayo said.
What looks to be the most serious effort yet to broker an arena deal has sent opponents scrambling to organize. Tamayo said he was surprised that talks, which collapsed weeks ago, were suddenly revived at a Las Vegas summit last week.
"I thought, wow, this is really getting serious," Tamayo said.
Arena negotiators said a deal must be completed by Thursday if they are to meet deadlines necessary to put the sales tax question on the November ballot.
If there is a deal, Sacramento County Supervisor Roger Dickinson predicted it won't be reached until Thursday. "This issue really tends to use up every bit of sand in the hourglass," Dickinson said.
Joining Tamayo were People United members representing several organizations: Sacramento's Gray Panthers, the Sacramento Homeless Organizing Committee, Sacramento Mutual Housing and the Sacramento Chicano Consortium.
At Tamayo's side during the press conference was Joe Sullivan, executive director of the Taxpayers League.
In a previous interview, Sullivan said his organization does not oppose the concept of an arena, even one funded with public money.
However, his group believes a plan by city and county officials to place the quarter-cent issue on the November ballot as a general tax is illegal.
By law, a sales tax increase for general purposes requires only a simple majority of votes for passage. But if the tax is to be used for a specific purpose, it requires a harder-to-achieve two-thirds vote.
"Our legal staff will be watching this very closely," Sullivan said at the press conference.
Dickinson, part of the arena negotiating team, said those protesting outside the county building Tuesday were acting prematurely.
"I think people would be well advised to wait and see first of all if there is a deal, and then once there is, to examine the terms and the entirety of the proposal," he said. "People simply ought not, and need not, rush to judgment."
It was clear from Tuesday's press conference that public sentiment over the emotionally charged issue is being closely watched.
At the back of the press conference viewing the proceedings were several well-dressed observers, some taking notes on the media organizations attending as well as participant comments. One identified himself as a representative from the office Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Sacramento; others refused to give their names or said they were simply there as individuals, not in any official capacity.
Also closely watching was Warren Smith, executive vice president of the Sacramento River Cats. He and Art Savage, chief executive of the River Cats baseball team, are on the arena negotiating team and have been charged with funding a poll gauging residents' opinions about a publicly funded sports facility.
Smith said polling was not complete and that he hoped to provide results to the Board of Supervisors before the vote on the ballot language Aug. 2.
People United was formed in 2004 by many of the same activists who worked to elect Assemblyman Dave Jones, D-Sacramento. As its first issue in 2004, it denounced the use of public funds for a downtown arena. That effort, headed up by Mayor Heather Fargo, eventually broke down.
Jones for a time headed People United but has since attended monthly meetings less frequently, said Jones' chief of staff, Chris Shultz.
Shultz said Jones is camping with his family this week and was not involved in the organization of Tuesday's press conference. Nonetheless, the assemblyman is likely to come out against the arena deal, he said.
"Until we see the final details, we can't be sure, but in general, he's skeptical of using taxpayer dollars to finance sports arenas," Shultz said.
Jones isn't worried about opposing a deal put together in part by former Assemblyman Darrell Steinberg, Shultz said. Steinberg is likely headed to the state Senate after the November election and formerly headed the powerful Assembly Appropriations Committee.
In the arena talks, Steinberg is representing the Maloof family, the owners of the Sacramento Kings.
"I think politicians often end up on slightly different sides from each other, but it's a long-term game," Shultz said. "It's not a big deal."
The Bee's Terri Hardy can be reached at (916) 321-1073 or thardy@sacbee.com.
