Why don't they just come out and announce, once and for all, that they don't care about fans out west?
It's not necessarily a matter of them not liking the fans out west, I don't think that was ever really their consideration back when the league had money. They had to find places where they could get a decent crowd and the ownership in that city actually wanted to take on the responsibility associated with hosting the game.
When the financial crisis hit it changed the considerations. Their options right now are: not have one at all or have it in a place where it can be subsidized and where the costs to the league and the television company airing the game will be less.
On a related note...
I saw I think a couple of weeks ago in Jayda Evans' blog that part of the concessions made last year, when the league and the players' assn were negotiating to lop off the two spots on the IL, they also had agreed to lop $52,000 off this year's salary cap. A figure I believe constitutes a mid-level veteran. This move, like the IL reduction, is being done to level the playing field for the teams around the league.
This gives me the impression that (along with a few others) that a west-coast site for the ASG is not at the top of their list in the near term.