The Bee is reporting that an arena deal was reached right about noon today. Apparently the Maloofs agreed to pay between 25-30% of the cost and the sales tax would bank about $1.2 million (does that mean it’s for 20 years?).
As previously assumed, the city and county would co-own the arena and Maloof S&E would sign a 30 year lease. It would presumably take a pretty massive batch of cookies to get out of a lease that size. Perhaps something on the order of a pair of Kings tickets? As John (Uneasy Rhetoric) points out, the fact that it will definitely be going down in the Railyard was stated only in accompanying photo caption.
For more info, read other websites for cryin eye. I’m sick of thinking about having to pay a few extra bucks a month for an arena I’ll see the inside of once every 4 years.
The Sac Rag 
Here’s a snarky comment: I’ll be the Maloofs will have an escape hatch from the 30 year lease. To use it, all they have to do is sell the team.
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I already pay my taxes and use those things. Is it really that unheard of to be against a tax increase? Why not raise it by 20 cents and build a giant dome?
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Part of the deal also gives 50% of the revenue raised from the 1/4 cent sales tax back to the jurisdictions within Sac County to do whatever they please — improve parks, libraries, transportation, etc. So, DMZ, you might just benefit in some way from all of this, even if you’re not an arena attendee.
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Our county tax is already astronomical! What gives?
Idea for Arco Arena?
Two words… Natomas Dancehall…
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Even if you only go to ARCO once every four years, how many times to you get to watch the Kings on TV? Without an arena, that number will go down to roughly less than a half-dozen a year. (Unless you get the League Pass, which of course costs more than a year of the quarter-of-a-cent tax increase will.) Also, imagine how much time you’ll waste trying to explain to those you run across when you’re on vacation what the hell a “Sacramento” is.
It’s pretty simple when you look at it like “An extra 1/4-cent per dollar spent in the county for the next 15 years to keep the Kings, major entertainment acts, and at least some positive national notoriety in town.” Worth it, in my book.
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Of course you’d say that, “Tom.” You can afford that quarter cent tax after starting that whole Myspace thing.
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I never used to mind explaining to people that we were about 2 hours east of San francisco, and no it’s not near disneyland. I don’t like to watch basketball on TV. I’ve never attended a game. What do I get out of the arena deal except higher taxes and horrible zoning decisions.
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I’ll tell you what I’d do, Tom… give more attention to my first basketball love, the Golden State Warriors. What up Run TMC!!!
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OK, OK. I think it’s time to stop the “What has the arena done for me lately” argument. This is hardly the only proposal ever made to use tax dollars for something that doesn’t benefit every single citizen equally. I don’t have kids, but I don’t bitch that my money goes towards public schools. Hell, even when I went to school, they weren’t public schools. I’m not sick, but I know that my tax dollars go towards publicly funded hospitals and clinics. Nothing that I’ve ever owned has ever gone up in flames, but my tax dollars pay for fire trucks, fire houses and dalmation food.
I don’t bitch because I see that there is, to varying degree, a civic advantage in each one of these expenses. So can we stop with the “I don’t watch basketball, so I should be exempt. It’s tyranny of the sports-loving majority, blah blah blah.” Vote for the measure or don’t vote for it because you can or cannot see a civic benefit in the expenditure. But I don’t want you all up in arms because this is the only measure you’ve ever seen that funds a program or project or institution from which you may not personally derive benefit.
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Exactly so! I am happy to pay for all kinds of shared civic amenities I use and don’t use (or hope I don’t use, as with your note of the fire department). I’m happy to pay for education, even though I don’t have kids. I haven’t been to but a fraction of the parks in the county, but I’m glad for them all!
I’m even in generally in favor of a downtown sports complex, after seeing Denver, San Diego, etc. BUT … I don’t think this sweetheart deal pencils out for anyone bu the Maloofs. Show me the benefit to Sacramento besides “keeping the Kings” or I can’t vote it down quickly enough.
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I agree that the kings add to our sense of civic pride and that we all pay taxes for things we don’t use. The difference is public schools, the fire department and other institutions aren’t making an enormous private profit. As for trash pickup the city offers 3 different sizes for trash bins with different prices. So runnergirl, if the family of 4 across the street is using the same size as you, maybe you’re producing the same amount of trash.
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Keeping the Kings is not enough reason for me to support the new arena. At any rate, I’m not even convinced that the new arena will keep the Kings in Sacramento. The “Oakland” Raiders got a beautifully renovated stadium in Los Angeles about a minute before they left. My mind isn’t made up on the issue but I’ll need to see a lot more about economic redevelopment before I lean in favor of the arena. So far the case hasn’t been made at all.
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Zeeboo is right. This is different than taxes supporting utilities and public services. I can only wonder how the debate would be going if a tax to support building a new WalMart was proposed. On the other hand a WalMart staffed by pro basketball players would be rad.
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RIGHT ON, sac eats! You are totally correct. As a longtime homeowner within the City limits, I’ve watched my water & garbage bill go up and up and up, yet I pay the same amount as the family of four across the street, and I know they produce a lot more trash and use a lot more water than I do. My annual contribution of thousands of dollars worth of property tax go toward all kinds of things that I personally do not use, but I recognize the value of these things to other people. Shouldn’t I have the choice whether or not I pay the streetlight part of my bill just because I use headlights in my car and use a flashlight when I go running?
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Except when you decide to fill your trash can all the way you don’t have to pay an extra ticket charge and parking and concession fees. You can’t seriously compare an entertainment arena that will generate millions in private profit to vital utilities and services like trash pickup and streetlights.
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Zeebo, you bring up a good point about the trash cans & the different sizes. The City offers different sizes for different prices. I’ve always had the large one, but I rarely fill it up. However, I pay the extra $3 or whatever it is per month for the large can for when I have a party or clean out the garage and need that extra space — kind of like I’m willing to pay a little extra each month to have a sports/entertainment facility that I’ll use only occasionally.
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Maybe YOU think trash pickup is vital — kidding. Until this whole issue cools down a bit, I’m keeping my mouth shut/comment-typing hands idle since we can all interpret things how we wish, and the opposition can poke holes in whatever we say.
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