Choosing Arena Debate for Term Paper

[rhythmless]

Hi all,

I'm in my final year of college, and for one of my classes (urban studies and planning), a term paper is due. this term paper is open ended, requiring only that you choose a city, and apply some of the models/topics provided in the course to analyze a situation.

Since I am from Sacramento, I am choosing to do a paper on the Arena debate. Specifically, focusing on growth machines, and effectiveness of an arena as an economic facilitator. Secondly, I will also look at the failed and ongoing processes of the city as how government, business elites, special interest(thats you kings fans), and the general public interact in accordance with the Arena.

I am not really trying to stir up more debates, because those end up long winded and everyone comes away a little more mad than before. What I am asking for are links to materials that may prove prudent to my research; articles, books, links, interviews, etc.

Thanks everyone!

 

[Warhawk]

I'd start by going through a google search and looking at past Sacramento Bee articles. There's probably enough there to keep you going for a while.

Maybe be a little more specific on exactly what you need? How many sources are you looking for? Half dozen? Two hundred?

 

[rhythmless]

for one, im looking for more than sacbee. i know they cover a lot, but i cant write everything just on sacbee.

im looking for soruces from both sides. im looking for economic reports, with concrete evidence. really though, anything will help. im looking right now, and just thought id come to kf, since i know its a very vocal place concerning the arena issue, and most have argued objectively on both sides.

 

[kennadog]

You will likely want to go to the city council's website and locate the consultant reports they had done, staff reports and/or the public meeting minutes. They are a bit cumbersome to locate, but I've done it before.

 

[rhythmless]

Thanks, off to it right now.

 

[kennadog]

I believe you might be able to find some stuff on the website for the Sac Chamber of Commerce or contact them directly. Supporting a new arena was on thier 2007 Business Agenda.

http://www.metrochamber.org/cwt/external/publicpolicy/index.aspx

and also look online for articles in the Business Journal.

http://sacramento.bizjournals.com/sacramento/

And I'd look through the threads on the arena, because there have been many links to info posted, including by me.

 

[Arena Skeptic]

Something else to consider

First of all, I'll warn you about me... I'm one of the people who doesn't think a publicly-funded arena will pencil in in Sacramento.

That being said, you may want to consider looking at one of the cities that has gone all the way through the process, such as Memphis, Dallas, Oakland, Charlotte, San Antonio, etc. Of all these, I think San Antonio is the most interesting because they're currently in the process of asking for additional tax revenues to fund improvements.

There are a number of phases in a project such as this, starting with public debate, and including location, funding, building, cost overruns, operations, and so forth, and so far we've never gotten past the public debate stage in Sacramento. I'm just saying you'll have more to write about if you consider, say, Memphis.

Consider also the websites:

www.fieldofschemes.com

http://thesportseconomist.com

Like I say, not trying to stir up a debate; I just think there are more interesting cases than Sacramento.

And good luck to you.

 

[kupman]

www.fieldofschemes.com

LOL...I had never heard of that site before. I think I will read some of it..probably will not agree with much of it - but interesting reading nonetheless.

 

[kennadog]

Maybe I'll try and find an article I read awhile back that was very interesting, as it was a newer approach to researching the value of arenas/stadia to cities. Most of the studies have focussed on tangible economic benefits. There is more research being done to try and place a value on the intangible benefits and add those to the tangible benefits. I found some articles, but you have to subscribe.

 

[JB_kings]

Just remember, government isn't a business. It doesn't exist to only turn a profit on every deal it gets involved with. It's quite interesting that there is so much interest in the arena debate. Yet the city is running around now trying to fund the railyard infrastructure costing hundreds of millions and you would be hard pressed to find anyone who cares.

 

[kennadog]

Just remember, government isn't a business. It doesn't exist to only turn a profit on every deal it gets involved with. It's quite interesting that there is so much interest in the arena debate. Yet the city is running around now trying to fund the railyard infrastructure costing hundreds of millions and you would be hard pressed to find anyone who cares.

Yep, $1 billion for the infrastructure, 100% pure public subsidy to a private developer. Where are all those morally outraged people now, who don't want to give government money to wealthy businesses?

I've said all along that government subsidizes private developers and private businesses all the time. I've worked in a type of government funding for 20 years, now, so I've seen it.

It's nothing new and there's not necessarily anything wrong with it. Some things are worth public investment, because of the tangible and intangible benefits to the citizens. Some things would never happen without public investment, because there's no profit to be made by the business, unless there is a subsidy. Or they can't get private investment (loans) without the public subsidy, because almost no private investors/lenders will take on 100% risk.

 

[Emma]

use your school's remote access research databases to search for university studies on economic impact involving sports arenas. My favorite one is Proquest. And they should have a national newspaper database as well.

Go to your school's library for more info.

 

[CruzDude]

The other issue to consider is the demographics of the economic engine that feeds an arena. The arena is in Sacramento City and County but the majority of paying fans are collectively in Placer, Yolo and El Dorado counties. Heck when I was a season ticket holder I lived in Nevada County but that minority is less than 10 of 17,310 possibilities.

So multi-county taxation is likely impossible and Sacramento is a political town, state, county and city filled with politicians who need votes and the way they get votes is to cow-tau to special interests who are not Kings fans.

One point that doesn't get much press is what goes on in the arena for the other 306-316 dates each year not used by the Kings? The revenue from those events and the demographics they represent however, may be very similar to that for the Kings (except for tractor pulls which gets far more Placer and Nevada County folk....).

And finally a comparison of Cal Expo vs. downtown at the rail yards would seem an essential part of such a paper. There, it seems personalities are more the problem than politics and business.

Good luck and be sure to let us all see your final paper.