Arena Tax Supporters Miss Self-imposed October 6 Deadline to Release MOU to voters

Neighborhood & community leaders from across Sacramento joined together at a press conference in Oak Park to remind the Maloofs & the City & County of Sacramento that they missed their self-imposed deadline of October 6th to release an Arena MOU to voters. Arena Tax supporters imposed the October 6th deadline on themselves for releasing the MOU to give voters an opportunity to analyze the deal before they began voting this week.

“The Maloofs, the developers and the City and County of Sacramento have left the voters in a terrible position by not meeting their self-imposed deadline to release a signed Arena MOU to the voters", stated Dave Tamayo with People United for a Better Sacramento. “Voters do not have the information that they need without knowing the truth about the deal. The only thing we know for certain is the fact taxpayers will foot the bill for a nearly half billion dollar bill tax and get nothing in return.”

The diverse group of neighborhood & community leaders from across Sacramento attended the press release highlighting the many issues in their community that are more in need of scarce tax dollars including: Chris Jones, Oak Park; Tom Reavey, Natomas; Karen Jacques, Midtown; Betsy Weiland, Carmichael; Lisa Nelson, Alkali Flat; Susan Hopkins, Del Paso Heights; Mark Dempsey, Orangevale; Tim Boyd, Oak Park; Gil Ramirez, Gardenland; Reverend Ashiye Odeye, Oak Park; Ed Harris; and Richard Seyman.

Measures Q & R (The Arena Tax) will increase the sales tax in Sacramento County to raise $562 million to build a sports and entertainment facility. The public pays nearly 100% of the cost of the new arena, and does not receive any of the revenues from naming rights, parking, concessions, or tickets for concerts or sporting events. If approved, none of the additional sales tax dollars will be available for desperately-needed community projects for at least 7 years after construction of the arena has been completed. Community leaders and elected officials from all over Sacramento County agree that public dollars should not be used to subsidize billionaire sports team owners when basic community needs such as flood control, public safety, education, housing and healthcare must be addressed first.

“Measures Q & R are a bad deal for Sacramento because there are more important problems that need to be addressed in our community,” stated Tamayo. “Important issues like healthcare, increasing funding for schools, making our streets safer, increasing levee protection must all be addressed before we give away hundreds of millions of tax dollars to out of town developers and billionaire sports team owners.”

Sacramentans Against the Arena Tax is a campaign to oppose Measures Q & R in Sacramento County. The campaign is being led by a strong coalition of community leaders, organizations and individuals that have come together to stop the Arena Tax.

Visit http://www.Stopthearenatax.org for more information or call Dave Tamayo at 916 390-4076 or
Shawnda Westly at (916) 201-8582.