Sound Politics: Would you trust Ron Sims with a blank check?

February 23, 2006

Would you trust Ron Sims with a blank check?

Today's Seattle Times reports that "County could get free hand to spend under KeyArena bill "

In striving to broaden political support for a taxpayer-funded KeyArena expansion, the Sonics have sent a bill to state lawmakers that would hand King County government tens of millions of dollars each year to spend on — well, nobody knows for sure.
...
The reason for the bill's open-ended language is King County Executive Ron Sims, who says he helped rewrite the Sonics plan because he wants a steady funding source to pay for arenas, theaters and other cultural gathering places.

Hey, why not? If you believe E.J. Dionne, Ron will only "help create wealth more efficiently".

Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at February 23, 2006 10:06 AM | Email This

Comments

1. No

Posted by: Eric on February 23, 2006 11:05 AM

2. We've already given him lots of blank checks, and look what he's done. Very little. We've got enormously expensive and mostly useless Mass Transit, an election department that has not regained the public trust, a lot of support for Nickels' Disneyland like waterfront boondoggle a very large library (air volume wise) that is used for surfing porn, abuses in sex offender facilities, and housing for drunks that rivals Sims' plans for even his own grandiose office at the top of the Columbia Tower.

Sims and an unfortunately large and vocal group of Moonbats ( I mean Seattlites) believe that government is the solution to our problems. They really believe that government will do a better job despite centuries of human history that prove otherwise.

Giving a blank check to Sims is like giving alcohol and car keys to teenage boys.

Posted by: Jeff B. on February 23, 2006 11:10 AM

3. And I love how they portray these taxes as "tourist taxes" so they can appeal to people who think it's someone else's problem who doesn't live here. Ever go out to eat? Ever rent a car for a vacation? Then you're paying for this (whatever it is).

Posted by: Palouse on February 23, 2006 11:15 AM

4. I would give him a blank check, along with a bunch of my credit cards. That is what we already do. We are forced to give him money now, and forced to allow him to take out loans that we will have to pay back later.

I want to have a credit card that someone else pays on.

If he builds wealth more efficiently, why isn't he on wall street? I want Jim Cramer from Mad money to be the KC executive. He would really build wealth more efficiently.

Posted by: Jason Woodruff on February 23, 2006 11:28 AM

5. The people of King County shouldn't trust Ron Sims with a cap pistol. No, make that a cap pistol without any caps! He's too inept for even that!

Posted by: Libertarian on February 23, 2006 11:39 AM

6. The mystery of King County government is not how Don Ron Sims King works...

BUT HOW TO MAKE THE STUPID SON-OF-A-BITCH STOP!!!!

Posted by: Mr. Cynical on February 23, 2006 12:32 PM

7. P.J. O'Rourke must have been thinking about His MEdiocrity, the Right Reverend Jesse Wannabe Sims when he said:
"Feeling good about government is like looking on the bright side of any catastrophe. When you quit looking on the bright side, the catastrophe is still there."

"Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys."

Reading PJ O'Rourke is the key to surviving the LEFTIST PINHEADED INFESTATION known as Seattle (aka The Anal Canal of the Universe)!!

Posted by: Mr. Cynical on February 23, 2006 12:38 PM

8. Other than Deanron, the CAO, Deanron, unSound Transit, Deanron, the Washington Dinner Train and Deanron, yeah I would.

After all, if you can't count ballots and stop voting from improper locations how can you be trust an administration w/ a blank check?

Posted by: A Watchdog on February 23, 2006 12:44 PM

9. Unfortunately, knowing who runs state government now, they'd find a way to waste the money anyway. At least we'll know who gets the money in the case of Key Arena.

Posted by: m on February 23, 2006 12:52 PM

10. Anyone who does trust King Sims with a blank check also probably trusts the word of Osama Bin Laden, Sadaam Hussein or Bagdad Bob or also Bagdad Jim (McDermott) - sure signs of a mental imbalance or disorder.

As Mr. Cynical sez - PJ O'Rourke has it right.

Posted by: KS on February 23, 2006 01:16 PM

11. Big time ripoff. No to hotel/tourist taxes; no to money for "civic amenities" with no limits and no to giving any more money to Ron Sims, Greg Nickels or any future elected officials.

The fund will become like a private money source for elected officials to spread around to their supporters, their buddies in political parties, and their contributors.

NO - NO - NO under any circumstances.

Let the Sonics, the Mariners and the Seahawks either pay for their own "amenities" or let them leave. Studies done to support the economic benefits of pro sports can't find any or very few. It's all smoke and mirrors. I don't support them now, why would I want to support them in the future?

There are far more important items that need tax money other than sports teams, like unfunded retirement and health programs that have already been promised, more highways, increased public health and safety programs, security from terrorism, etc.

Posted by: Clean House on February 23, 2006 03:22 PM

12. I've always wondered why a ticket tax is not imposed to pay for all of these "civic amenities". You have 65k+ people in Qwest each week in the fall, charge them an extra $5 a ticket to help pay for that place. Same with baseball. And the Key Arena for Sonics and all concerts that are there. Theater. Opera. Whatever.

Judging by what scalpers charge for many of these events, there is no shortage of demand for tickets at much higher costs. Then it becomes a usage tax.

Posted by: Palouse on February 23, 2006 03:37 PM

13. Hotel taxes are wonderful. I love the idea of taxing people who don't live here and can't vote. This whining about taxation and representation thingie is way out of control.

King George

Posted by: Huey on February 23, 2006 04:11 PM

14. Would I trust Ron Sims? I along with others trusted Ron Sims once to make good on a promise to fight the corruption in DOT. Not only did Sims fail to be worthy of that trust, but he worked with DOT to cover-up the wrongdoing and perpetuate the continuing "arbitrary and capricious" actions by that agency.

Would I trust Ron Sims with a blank check? Only if I was a special interest and I wanted a piece of it.

Posted by: MJC on February 23, 2006 04:23 PM

15. Um, King George, you really think the tourist tax only affects hotel costs?

That's not the case. I think the dems would like for voters to think that's the case, but it's not.

Posted by: johnny on February 23, 2006 04:40 PM

16. And, King George, although Seattleites would like to think otherwise, Seattle is not exactly a tourist "destination". Hardly registers on a realilstic tourism scale. Tourist tax is a significant revenue when you have visitors in the millions per year, such as in New York, D.C., Paris, London, Rome, etc. Seattle is a big deal only in the minds of those who live there, as far as tourism is concerned.

Posted by: katomar on February 23, 2006 05:08 PM

17. My email to the writer

You have to be kidding. Ron Sims is government. Obviously you have no idea about what you are talking about. You are praising redistribution to the max in a state which can't compete with free market forces. Rather than discuss eco 101. Think about what you are praising on a different level. Remember when you were in college. Now supposed the teacher suggested that their were students that were disadvantage and because of their circumstance you well donate some grade points to enable those students to graduate. Let's say you were an A student. After donating your points your standing is reduced to a C student. Would you do it? Think about the trade offs you are bargaining for your readers. You are praising Sims in his efforts to pick the pockets of your readers. Perhaps you may have been a C student and you don't understand. In that case let's keep it simple, "the road to hell is paved with good intentions."

Snuffy

Posted by: Snuffy on February 23, 2006 10:48 PM

18. If Starbucks would take a .05 increase worldwide on a cup of "JOE"...it would take four weeks to pay for the $200,000,000 improvments.

Posted by: tacoma phlash on February 24, 2006 12:03 AM

19. Seems the hotels and car rental companies have some sense...but I doubt the legislature will listen to them.

Thursday's hearing was not a complete love-in for the Sonics. Restaurants and car-rental associations testified in opposition to continuing taxes on their customers in King County to pay for a revamped KeyArena. They proposed a 10 percent tax on sporting goods and a tax on tickets to sports events instead.

Posted by: Palouse on February 24, 2006 08:31 AM

20. Katomar and Johnny...

The comment that I signed "King George" was a direct comment about one of the causes of the revoloution in this country. Remember "No taxaton without representation"?

Being as your sarcasm detectors are set to low, I will also advise you that I am not really King George. I just used his name.

Posted by: Huey on February 24, 2006 11:00 AM

21. HECK NO!! NUFF SAID!

Posted by: Laurie on February 24, 2006 12:48 PM