Volunteers Pass the Hat to Help Build Arena

Sacramento – Today CALPIRG, the statewide public interest advocacy organization, announced their opposition to Sacramento County Measures Q and R, the measures to increase the sales tax to pay for a new Kings arena. While CALPIRG explained why the measures are a bad deal for Sacramento, local citizens opposed to the arena tax stood in a downtown Sacramento intersection, “passing a hat” around to morning commuters. They jokingly asked commuters to donate to a “Relief Fund for Billionaires and Out of Town Developers.”

“Measures Q and R require Sacramento County taxpayers’ to shoulder much more than their fair share of the costs for a new arena for the Kings,” said Emily Rusch, CALPIRG Advocate. “Sacramento taxpayers should not have to pay for more than 90% of the costs of an arena while the Kings’ owners receive all of the profits.”

CALPIRG expressed concerns that if Measures Q and R passed, taxpayers would be asked to fund almost all of the construction costs, as well as any cost overruns of a new arena. Meanwhile, the Maloofs would lease the arena for only $4 million a year, less than what they would pay in property taxes if they owned the arena property outright. At the same time, the Maloofs would receive all of the profits from ticket sales, parking, naming rights, and concession stand sales (even from non-Kings events). Columnist Daniel Weintraub calculates that the percentage of the costs that taxpayers are being asked to shoulder to build the arena “would set a new standard” for sports arena development around the country (The Sacramento Bee, August 8, 2006).

“We’re disappointed that negotiations between local officials, the developers, and the Maloofs give away so much in taxpayer dollars while local residents receive so little benefits in return,” continued Rusch.

The volunteers with the No on Measures Q and R campaign were dressed in business suits and passing a top hat around to morning commuters in a spoof on legitimate “pass the hat” campaigns to raise funds for important causes. Armed with signs, they playfully highlighted the over-the-top nature of the demands of the Kings owners and the proposed developer of the arena that taxpayers shoulder the costs and financial risks of a new arena.

“Measures Q and R are the wrong deal for Sacramento,” concluded Rusch. “Sacramento needs to make smart choices about how to invest in our community wisely and efficiently, but Measures Q and R sell taxpayers short.”