Not just a fair-weather project
I generally read politicians’ comments with bemusement and Jim Brunner’s article about House Bill 2912 was no exception [“Husky Stadium, Safeco Field cut out of tax plan for now,” NWWednesday, Feb. 10]. Despite politicians being willing to throw money at virtually any project imaginable — in the misguided name of “stimulus” — they are reluctant to fund a renovation of Husky Stadium at a time when labor is relatively cheap.
The reason given by Rep. Bob Hasegawa, D-Seattle, for this selective act of fiscal responsibility is that it “sends the wrong message that we’re willing to fund a stadium.”
But what message does it send when representatives are unwilling to keep a government-owned structure safe for the public to use — stadium or otherwise? Upkeep isn’t sexy, politically speaking, but it is their responsibility, like it or not. The only alternative — which I favor and which will never, ever happen — is to privatize those things that government is too irresponsible or simply unable to keep up properly.
It is notoriously hard to keep public infrastructure in good condition in even the best of times. Roads and bridges fall apart even as politicians drool over brand new projects — like unnecessary rail lines and a multibillionaire’s pro-football stadium. Upkeep is even more difficult to fund in hard times, but it is no less necessary.
Hasegawa doesn’t think that tax dollars should go to sports stadiums in a bad economy. I don’t think the public should be forced to fund anything coercively, regardless of the state of the economy. So I propose that politicians do something that goes against their nature: be consistent.
To save the taxpayers money, the Legislature should immediately strip funding for any and all sports-related spending whatsoever — and for arts too. Somehow, I really doubt that will happen.
— Scott Frost, Kenmore