Longshore union files appeal to block new Seattle arena
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SEATTLE (AP) - Longshoremen are still standing in the path of investor Chris Hansen and supporters who want to build an arena for NBA basketball near the Seattle waterfront.
Officials with International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 19 held a news conference Tuesday to announce an appeal of a Feb. 22 King County Superior Court decision that went against the union. The union believes the court failed to recognize that a memorandum of understanding between Hansen and the city and King County violates state environmental law.
The union representatives and candidate for Seattle mayor Peter Steinbrueck said congestion from basketball and hockey games would interfere with container shipping and related businesses nearby, killing jobs. The opponents want to halt the process for further study of other possible locations for an arena.
Officials with International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 19 held a news conference Tuesday to announce an appeal of a Feb. 22 King County Superior Court decision that went against the union. The union believes the court failed to recognize that a memorandum of understanding between Hansen and the city and King County violates state environmental law.
The union representatives and candidate for Seattle mayor Peter Steinbrueck said congestion from basketball and hockey games would interfere with container shipping and related businesses nearby, killing jobs. The opponents want to halt the process for further study of other possible locations for an arena.
Why not build it in the 'burbs, where most of the fans are?
we should build it on mars. not oan the convergence of two major national hwys. .
Didn't the Sonics leave because we didn't reconstruct the Key Arena to suit the team? Why do we want to buy a 2nd rate team like the Kings? Are we really wanting to build another stadium with hosting the Olympics in 2025, in mind? Cutting buses, libraries, taxing anything they can, toll roads, extra license fees, is our top priority really a sports arena that most citizens can't afford to go to, at the top of the list? We're funding a tunnel, a cracked pontoon bridge, Denny regrade, and eventually a new seawall, enough for the taxpayers to bear?
@FodyShark @rachid116460 just sayin....I don't want to get in an argument with two UW students haha I would lose for sure
@NobleLarson @rachid116460 haha it's true that there's hella traffic, but hopefully they'll figure somethin out
@FodyShark @rachid116460 yeah for sure I would love to see a team here I just don't know about that location ya know.
@FodyShark @rachid116460 You have to admit that they are trying to add an arena in an already heavy traffic area.
@NobleLarson  Nothing to admit.  Most games start at 7:30.  Based upon my observations from attending Seahawks and Mariner games, the vast majority of fans show up within an hour before the start of a game.  I have to believe that Sonics games will be the same.  Unless the port does a huge portion of their driving 6:30-7:30 in the evening, this is a non issue. Â
Finally, if the port is bent out of shape about an 18,000 seat arena, they should have really screamed when soccer arrived in Seattle. Â How many fans show up to those games? Â Over 30,000? Â
@NobleLarson Traffic getting in and out of SODO would still be 10x better than getting in and out of Seattle Center. It's called Mercer Mess for a reason. I loved going to games at the Seattel Center but the hour plus just to get to I-5 after a game was terrible.
what did someone forget to change the diapers on the longshoremen
Since when did the longshoremen become concerned about the environment? Â Heck, if they though they could make a buck dumping the waste from Hanford into Elliot Bay, they wouldn't even blink an eye. Â Using their logic, they should have sued Paul Allen when he put the Sounders into the stadium. Â They bring twice the crowd that Sonics will ever bring in.
I can see it now...... Longshoreman, PETAÂ & the Tree Huggers, holding hands, shipping down the street......
My mistake,   SKIPPING down the street
They're whipping a dead horse here.
Good luck with that one. The first trip got thrown out for a reason.
Someone needs to inform these "Unions" that the days of unchallenged public support are LONG GONE!! Between these smug, obstructionist Longshoremen and the unbelievably arrogant SPEEA thugs threatening ,yet ANOTHER, strike, it's no wonder that unions are now viewed as " the probem" rather than the "solution". I just don't understand how the unions view the increases in traffic for the new Arena somehow threatens their livlihood and excuse the ongoing damage to OUR use of public roads by THEIR largely unregulated, unsafe, and TERRIBLY POLLUTING fleet of questionably "legal" trucks and vehicles. Now they want to play the "victim" card....how funny..
....one day, for these unions, the words of Waters will com to fruition:Â
And it's too late to loose the weight you used to need to throw around
So have a good drown, as you go down, all alone
Dragged down by the stone.
...I'll be waiting.
I am not a fan of unions by any stretch of the imagination. I feel that this Union Local is spot on. But then again go ahead and build it there are other port cities that want the work.
@Exiled_Patriot The only thing affecting the Port of Seattle is their own mismanagement. Tacoma is taking their business.
@Hachee_Bungwhy @Exiled_Patriot well first off sports are a waste of time! Over payed troubled youth who never would amount to a bucket of warm spit! Is all they are. Cities need to focus on the important things like roads and such, not paying for people like you to live vicariously on the tax payers dime.
@Exiled_Patriot Really? How exactly am I living vicariously on the tax payers dime? Do you plan on attending any events at the arena? Since you think sports are a waste of time I will go with no so in that case you won't be paying a dime. I'd love to see your facts to back up your claims that all professional athletes are over payed troubled youth who would never amount amount to a bucket of spit. God some of you people love to crap on everyone elses enjoyment. What do you enjoy? I probably find it to be a giant waste of time.
Aside from the fact this arena WILL be the nail in the coffin of the Port of Seattle and all the tax-addicted liberals will be sad when their revenue base is gone and more businesses that keep funding their bike lanes leave the city, this thing will be a traffic nightmare for the average person who isn't a turtle-neck wearing bike hippie.
DID ANYONE HERE SEE THE NEW ELWAY POLL?Â
http://blogs.seattletimes.com/politicsnorthwest/2013/03/04/new-poll-shows-voter-opposition-to-transportation-tax-package/
What happens when the vast majority of voters are opposed to new taxes, and when the vast majority only want more roads and better road maintenance and don't care at all about mass transit or alternative transportation? Then what happens when the government ignores the people and does the exact opposite of what they want? 2014 is not far away....
@NW-Economist  Assuming you are a Seattle/King county resident, please provide proof that you will be taxed for this new arena.  Safeco & the Clink got paid off from taxes on rental cars, hotels, and restaurants.  If you went out to eat frequently in the past, I guess you paid for the previous two stadiums.  The arena is being paid off SOLELY from revenue generated from sales generated inside the building.
WHERE ARE THESE NEW TAXES YOU KEEP TALKING ABOUT!
You keep muttering the same drivel every time and you have nothing to back your statements up. Â Â
@path_tech @NW-EconomistActually I was just trying to make the point that a majority of WA residents were concerned about taxes being used to fix traffic congestion on major roads and that that is what they care about. Since this makes congestion even worse than it is now, people won't want it.
But since you brought up taxes it's easy to tell you, from your own admission, that the money for these projects is always fronted by the tax payers. It doesn't matter if that gets "paid back" later, that money could have been invested better to improve the lives of taxpayers for things needed more urgently: roads, schools, hospitals, etc.Â
@NW-Economist That's a rhetorical question right?Â
@komonews I heard the ground is nicer @ SeaCtr anyway.. What will everyone do for news soon??
They are hogging the blogs in Vancouver, WA now. Seems someone within couldn't resist damaging equipment. One for all, all for one. Attention whores.
And they wonder why the Sonics left town...
Morons.....yeah, go ahead and alienate the general public even further. What you should really be doing is lobbying for a dedicated truck road or truck freeway into the port, like some cities on the East Coast have which would prevent many of the car vs semi accidents we have near Seattle. This is the perfect opportunity to move forward. But everything about the Longshoremen screams, living in the past.
Knock it off Local 19, you will never, ever get any of my support EVER. How about if we filed an appeal to cut your members wages; oh by the way, have you asked your membership about your juvenile court activities? I encourage all Longshoremen who are against this to speak to your representatives. I worked at the docks in 1979 and earned $142.00 per shift driving cars off a boat and unloading grain, I suspect the wages were much higher for tenured members, and I suspect they are much higher now. Since when does the union consider "environmental law"? if they did, they would shut down all their operations as they impact the environment a hell of a lot more than some traffic.
@The Truth well maybe they will strike at the port till they get their way?
@The Truth If you worked at the docks you'd know that while you earned 142 for the day it was a long time before you worked again. There is value to a shipping line to having guys waiting under the bridge for the next job because when a ship pulls in, it needs to pull out fast. The alternative would be to have a steady workforce, on the clock, standing around waiting for a ship to arrive. This would cost much more then paying guys 30 bucks an hour for a shift every three weeks.
So take a minute and be truthful will ya. You got any idea how long those tenured employees waited around for work and food? Maybe if you averaged it out you'd see that maybe they made $0.80 pr hour for their time.
Look into a name change will ya?
"made $0.80 pr hour for their time." Does that include time spent on strike?????
If that's REALLY the case (which NOONE believes) Maybe you should get e REAL job.
@T_BONE_WALKER @The Truth Actually, I worked almost every time I showed up, but it may have been different times plus I had another job and went to school. Out of curiosity (assuming you are a dock worker) how much do you make now? If you want my support, then your leaders will have to work WITH the community, not against them....typical union attitude "me, me, me"
@The Truth I am retired from another trade but I know the cost of having guys stand around waiting for ships to come in is a lot more then a longshoreman costs.
I dont want or need your support I made my way myself and now I am done and just waitin my turn to die.
Union attitude is to protect the welfare of each others families. Non union folks are the me, me, me pity party.Â
I don't believe in tying up the legal system or anything like that but will someone please go investigate the long longshoreman's work environment and practices and drag them into court every time the don't stop completely at a stop sign, yield to a pedestrian, litter or oil drops out of their equipment near Puget Sound.
Why don't the Longshoremen take a long trip off one of their short peirs.