Author: CoolDMZ

"X-ray vision to see in between / Where's my kimono and my time machine?"

Rah Rah Hall!!

In researching the below “beat the heat” post, I came across info about the city swim league and it brought back a wave of nostalgia for my days as a Glenn Hall River Rat. There seems to have been some contraction in the City’s recreational swim league since those days. Apparently now there are only 6 teams–Glenn Hall, Clunie, Oki/Sim, and then 3 conglomerates of Cabrillo/Mangan/Meadowview/Kennedy, Tahoe/McClatchy/Johnson/Southside and Doyle/Johnston/Natomas.

I do remember a Cabrillo/Mangan/Sim combo team, but I also distinctly remember teams existing at Southside, Doyle, Oki, and Tahoe. (Of course, since almost all of the older pool facilities look identical I might be misremembering.)
Continue reading “Rah Rah Hall!!”

How do you beat the heat?

Let’s not beat around the bush here, Sacramento: it’s hot. But life goes on. If you aren’t a shut-in, chances are you can’t spend 24/7 laying on your kitchen floor or in an ice bath. So let’s hear it; how are you beating the heat, Sacramento? Here are some of our favorites, but we’d love to hear more. Read on.
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The Maloofs’ share of construction costs: Zero

As blogged by the irreplaceable Argus, an important detail as yet unspecified by the politicos has come out of the nuts and bolts of the arena deal: The “26-30%” figure cited as the Maloofs share of building the arena is actually the calculated cost of their rent payments over the 30 year loan (half of which would be paid after the tax is phased out) plus the other stuff they promised to pay, like the campaign fund, the capital costs and the loan they already have on the books with the city. You have to look closely to realize that they will not pay a cent for the concrete and steel to build the building. What they will pay is “a figure equalling 26-30% of the construction costs of the arena.” The JPA will be building the arena with tax money.

“Half* the money* goes to parks*”

*Results not typical.

Just two tidbits about the details of the arena deal reached yesterday:

  1. None of the promised “half” of the revenue from the sales tax hike will go to local governments for “about seven years.” Until then every red cent will go to the arena. I assume this means that after that, still only half of every dollar will go to local governments. The way the numbers line up, I assume they still intend for half of the overall take to go to non-arena spending. But clearly the door is open for that seven year … window to become 8 years, or 10. This is one more confusing point that will probably lead to a defeat for the tax increase in the fall.

    2. Continue reading ““Half* the money* goes to parks*””

Arena deal reached

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.

Today is the day

The draft language for the countywide ballot measure, which is still being worked on by county counsel Bob Ryan, is discussed in today’s Bee. Oh, did I say measure? Make that measures, because the county is planning to circumvent (cf. GOB Bluth) the, you know, law, by keeping the tax and the use of the tax money as separate ballot items. (If the tax being voted on is for a specific purpose it requires a two-thirds majority.) This is the stupidest thing since No I don’t want to recall Gray Davis and Yes I want to replace him with Gallagher. (Definitely not how I voted on that.)

I’m no legal expert, but I really don’t see how that doesn’t still add up to two ballot measures that require a supermajority. How is the 2nd proposition worded in such a way as to not reference the aforementioned tax measure? I smell a rat here. I suppose it’s just politics (baby) but that doesn’t mean we have to just play along, despite what Roger Dickinson thinks.
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Nanny Dickinson scolds the unscrubbed masses

Yesterday Roger Dickinson just seemed like a misguided local politician trying to justify being in bed with the NBA. But this morning I’m starting to feel like the pressure must be getting to him. From the Bee:

“I think people would be well advised to wait and see first of all if there is a deal, and then once there is, to examine the terms and the entirety of the proposal,” he said. “People simply ought not, and need not, rush to judgment.”

“Would be well advised”? Are we the British prime minister now?
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It’s a free country…

KCRA has the recap of today’s news conference by People United, the grassroots group that is promising to oppose a publicly funded arena. Choice quote by the county’s man on the negotiation table, Roger Dickinson:

“Do we want the finest facilities to allow us to enjoy the great artists, the great sports of the world, or not? And that’s a choice people can make.”

I mean, feel free to disagree, but I think we should try to make Sacramento the greatest city since Rome. If you feel like we should live in mud huts and eat our own poo, then that’s your opinion and you’re entitled to it.

Arena deal a pack of lies?

Marcus Bretón thinks it is. It seems like the Bee might be bowing to public pressure and trying to tell a less one-sided tale about the arena deal. However, for all Bretón’s throwing around of the “L” word, it’s not really clear what lies he believes are being told. Has anyone on the negotiation table ever said they don’t care if the arena deal goes through? Bretón sees the fact that the NBA is now sending their lawyer, Harvey Benjamin, to the negotiation table as a sign that the NBA “badly wants Sacramento and the Kings to cut an arena deal.” I say, that’s not big news–I don’t think the NBA has ever put out a vibe to the contrary.
Continue reading “Arena deal a pack of lies?”

Sad day for the music scene

If you’re a local musician then you probably knew Erik Kleven, who died Saturday morning in a car accident. He was sort of a family friend–he taught my brother to play the bass–and I’m sure even some of my fellow Sac Raggers might have known the guy. A generous fellow, a real one of a kind.

In a very odd coincidence, while my wife and I were out on Friday night celebrating our aforementioned anniversary, we saw Erik playing with a little jazz combo at the Sheraton Grand. He died the following afternoon. I think it’s a testament to him that when we noticed musicians I instinctively looked at who was on bass, figuring it was 80% likely to be Erik Kleven. RIP