On Election Day, don’t forget who failed the Sonics

The start of the NBA season is approaching as are the November elections. For Seattle Sonics fans, it’s an opportunity to remember who ushered out a 41-year-old civic institution and then vote accordingly.

I’ve considered myself a democrat for as long as I was able to vote. And I surely do not advocate voting because of a single issue. But when Sonics fans look over their ballots on Nov. 4, the actions, or lack of action, by state democrats and incumbent state legislators last session should be taken into account.

Don’t forget the state democrats’ position on finding solutions on big issues this year. Their approach? Do, or don’t do, whatever possible to get re-elected. House Majority Leader Lynn Kessler, D-Hoquiam is one such knucklehead who will never see a Sonics proposal she likes and evidently thinks doing nothing in general is an appropriate legislative tactic. Here’s what she told the Seattle Times in March:

"If you take too many bold steps, you'll no longer be in the majority," said Kessler. "If we don't have the majority, we can get nothing done."

The Seattle Times article went on to say: “Even before the session started in January, Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown said, ‘This isn't a year of launching new initiatives.’”

Now, I’m not totally naïve. I volunteered for the Democratic Party at the county level. I know what time it is. But this was flat out disturbing to me.

The drumbeat for and against arena funding kicked off again last week. It was the same players now advocating for or against tax funding for a renovated KeyArena with the hopes that Steve Ballmer and his friends could steal a team from another city and bring it to Seattle.

Not surprisingly, it was Kessler out in front again pooh-poohing any idea and letting fans know exactly which side the state democrats will be on the issue in 2009. Here’s a quote that the Seattle P-I ran in an article Oct. 20 in response to the city asking for a resolution by 2009:

"It's not going to work, with these 147 individually elected members of the state Legislature, to threaten them and bully them," House Majority Leader Lynn Kessler, D-Hoquiam, said in July. "God love the fans, but we have a state to run."

Another story appearing in the P-I on Friday outlines the new tax proposal. I won’t go into the details here, you can read it for yourself, but it seems like a reasonable, viable solution that diverts a small portion of existing tax dollars earmarked for the Convention Center. Anyone who strolls through it knows a solution to the KeyArena and Seattle Center needs to be presented. The only barrier to success will be the state legislature in 2009.

It pains me to pick on the democrats, but they’ve shown no creativity and little desire to design a plan. Their base is vocal, very liberal and very against professional sports in Seattle. Those of us who are a little bit right of far left don’t seem to carry the same weight. But you must also remember that there were a host of republicans who at the same time did nothing.

There are many to blame for the gridlock in leadership and Sonics fans will finally have a voice Nov. 4. I hope they use it.