The Schrammie: A fly in the arena ointment
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Some legal razzle-dazzle in an attempt to stifle hope for SODO hoops.
So if Cameron Williams, President of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, would quit trying to direct traffic, I'd like him to come on down.
Cam the man says he doesn't like the way things have been done to bring basketball back to the region.
He says the idea of building an arena in the SODO district is just not feasible.
Further, Cam says his union is going to court to stop the plan from moving forward.
Regurgitating objections raised by Port of Seattle officials, Cam the man cites traffic congestion as the purveyor of doom for the maritime industry.
He also says elected officials violated environmental laws by not putting a study into play as soon as a stadium proposal was evident.
The sad fact is that Cam the man, just like port officials, have little nit to pick.
One traffic study has already shown no significant impact on the SODO district; plans are already being discussed as to how to mitigate long-standing congestion problems in the area, and an environmental study is mandatory before any construction of a new arena can begin.
Maybe Cam just hates basketball.
Maybe Cam is all about making points with the port.
Or maybe Cam should just take a bow for being a fly in the ointment, because this "Schrammie" is for him.
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Have something to say to Ken? Login or signup below to post a comment. Just be sure to read the rules and keep things civil. You can also e-mail him at kenschram@komo4news.com. You can also connect with Ken on Facebook.
So if Cameron Williams, President of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, would quit trying to direct traffic, I'd like him to come on down.
Cam the man says he doesn't like the way things have been done to bring basketball back to the region.
He says the idea of building an arena in the SODO district is just not feasible.
Further, Cam says his union is going to court to stop the plan from moving forward.
Regurgitating objections raised by Port of Seattle officials, Cam the man cites traffic congestion as the purveyor of doom for the maritime industry.
He also says elected officials violated environmental laws by not putting a study into play as soon as a stadium proposal was evident.
The sad fact is that Cam the man, just like port officials, have little nit to pick.
One traffic study has already shown no significant impact on the SODO district; plans are already being discussed as to how to mitigate long-standing congestion problems in the area, and an environmental study is mandatory before any construction of a new arena can begin.
Maybe Cam just hates basketball.
Maybe Cam is all about making points with the port.
Or maybe Cam should just take a bow for being a fly in the ointment, because this "Schrammie" is for him.
---
Have something to say to Ken? Login or signup below to post a comment. Just be sure to read the rules and keep things civil. You can also e-mail him at kenschram@komo4news.com. You can also connect with Ken on Facebook.
Ken, this is just wrong on so many levels. The decision was made months ago, and this so called vote is just a joke. Once again this location is just wrong, but friends of friends in power will let it go ahead. That is how Seattle works (or not). I dislike unions, but this time they have a valid point. You are off base, but that is not unusual.  Â
It's a union, they just want their share of the money. Someone will cough up some bucks and the union wil be all over the arena.
I think the Port is just trying to find someone else to pay for the CITY OWNED infrastructure that THEIR businesses destroy and fail to rebuild on their own. The Port business is very important, but it also important that that business pays for the infrastructure that it uses and wears out.
The roads belong to everyone. Not just the port.
"Maybe Cam just hates basketball".
"Maybe Cam is all about making points with the port."
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Or maybe, just maybe, Cam recognizes his fiduciary duty that all officers and agents of unions are held to under the law and, is simply protecting the welfare of working families and sees something there that dont sit right with working families. Is that possible Ken? If you get time to put that cigarette down, maybe just maybe you could look up the word fiduciary huh?
 @T_BONE_WALKER For being able to brag about using the word "fiduciary," you should have a little better grammar, huh?Â
 @Cooter_Brown Bragging? thats funny was that a brand new word for you, cooter? You feel better now? Good, maybe you could work on that name now. I know your mom must have loved it but cooter? You really dont score much do ya? Tell ma high for us all.
 @T_BONE_WALKER obviously you did.
Cam can suck it. Just another whiner (like, say, the entire front office of the Seattle Mariners) trying to stop the arena from being built. Traffic already sucks in Sodo...like this arena is going to make it any worse.
Yeah Ken, this Schrammie seemed way too obvious. The Longshore union has always been a bunch of jackasses.
Ken,
You obviously spend little time in SODO. Any time there is the slightest kerfuffle of our delicate road system sends 1st Ave. S, 4th Ave. S, 6th and even Airport Way into gridlock. Complicate traffic with our new, "improved" Highway 99 with one lane less in each direction, nothing moves.Â
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SPD closes lanes down there on Mariner and Seahawk game days. Gee, let's add another forty or fifty game days / evenings in the mix and we may as well all move to Snohomish County. There is no net positive economic effect from nabbing an NBA and / or an NHL team. A couple of dozen highly paid athletes who do not even have permanent residence here don't contribute much to our economy.Â
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Trucks going in and out of the Port contribute significantly. Those of us who live in the city and work in places like West Seattle, South Park and SODO pay gas tax, sales tax and probably real estate tax. We spend money in the neighborhood they work in at restaurants, bars and local stores. Some of my favorite stores are in SODO. But if it is made too difficult to get to them, I have plenty of options right outside the City of Seattle. McShwinn and Dow don't need to give me too many more excuses to bail out of Seattle!
 @Chicagochuck When there is a problem (SoDo has longstanding traffic issues) use your resources to become part of the solution. Have you thought at all about that? If the Mariners kicked in proportionately to the Pot Hansen started- $80 million as their stadium is 2 x bigger (40,000 seat stadium) causing 2x the traffic congestion, and the SeaHawks and Sounders kicked in $120 million (60,000 seat stadium) and the port with its "thousands who will lose jobs"  recognizes the need to fix (rather than whine about the problem)  just  pays into the transportation pot, one year of tax subsidies $71+ million this could be used to leverage transportation $$$$ from the State and Feds.... We could complete both the Lander overpass and many other fly bys and pedestrian overpasses to make the area vibrant, safe and traffic flowing smoothly all year long. Â
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BUT the Mariners, Port, MIC and Longshoremen- ILWU have decided instead to use their resources to buy media time, newspaper Ads, hire lobbyists, lawyers, environmentalists etc.  to oppose not only the arena project but as a result deny their brother/sister unionists -  construction trades, carpenter, stagehands, musicians etc jobs in the near future. As one trade unionist put it to her longshoreman brother at a public hearing, "Why do you think your jobs are more important than ours? For the past 6 years you have experienced full employment while we have had 35% employment. Many of us are losing our homes. Why do you think your families are more important than ours? "  Not one of the many longshoremen attending the hearing answered her. Why? Because it is all about them. They are not interested in what is best for their fellow unions or the City as a whole. Not once have they come to the table to problem solve..... just yell put it somewhere else. As part of the SEPA process BOTH SoDo and alternate sites will be looked at.... there are traffic issues with EVERY SITE that had been previously proposed as well as other serious issues. Why wouldn't the Longshoremen wait till after SEPA.... because the strategy designed by lobbyist Peter Steinbruck  (Port) and PVR (Mariners) is "Implement Delay tactics and make Hansen lay out so much money that he will give-up) . Well that is just not gonna happen.Â
So thank you Ken... you hit the nail on the head.... not only do the Longshoremen not have a case (just reading the MOU would tell them that),  but  our public leaders were smart enough to see through their exaggerated claims - they were never able to come up with any convincing data to support their claims- so if they want to waste their money in court... let em!Â
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 @Chicagochuck Ask the retail businesses in SODO if there isn't significant revenue being generated from the sports areanas. Not to mention hundreds of new jobs. The Port and the Longshoremans Union sit and piss and moan yet offer no solution. The traffic is too bad for you? Like you said, then move to Snohomish county.
 @Joe Blow "Like you said, then move to Snohomish county."
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We don't want them here.
I think Cam and his union should go occupy the road ways in SODO in a little game called Frogger.
A lot of bluster from Ken as usual with very little substance, as usual.Â
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The lawsuit hasn't even been filed. Nobody has read it. All of these massive projects go through numerous legal battles. This is par for the course.Â
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It amazes me that you can't understand or appreciate the fact that there are always competing interests in civic life, and people are allowed to fight for their side, right or wrong.Â
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And ultimately, you've only succeeded here in furthering the simplistic idea that all unions are bad. The people are eating it up. Congrats.Â
 @caphillkid Maybe because its blatantly obvious this is politically motivated and Goldberg the attorney is only using the ILWU as a vehicle for the lawsuit for their so-called infrastructure demands and his political aspirations. Congrats!
I have yet to know a fly that got stuck in any ointment unless forced in it. Â And arenas don't use ointment as a building material.
 @AdAckbar I like that. Fly in the ointment makes as much sense as "good Samaritans" did whatever. The Samaritans were/are a tiny religious sect in the middle east.
 @Furd  @AdAckbar Good Samaritan comes from the bible, a slightly well-known book. And by doing a little research I learned that "fly in the ointment" is also a biblical reference to the King James Bible.So basically neither make sense since they both come from the same source.
Unions were started by Satan.
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Discuss.
 @the Only because some employers thought they were God.
 @the No.Â
 @the Let's start by YOU telling us why you "think" labor unions were started by Satan.
 @Furd Satan and the labor Unions..... Wow, that's a new one. yikes. I wouldn't waste your time Furd getting in that debate... koo, koo for coco puffs.....
 @Furd Nah, instead let's start by you telling us why you don't understand sarcasm.
 @the Also the republican party, discuss this!
 @Larry*X*K hey let's not get off topic here =P
@the That's hilarious! Thanks for the comic relief!
 @lgconservative NP. People seem to be a little over-worked about this whole situation. ;)
All of SODO should be bulldozed. What a dump. Pretty sad to have visitors to games come here and then they have to look at one of the scummiest areas of Seattle. Having said that its time to put an end to these ridiculous sports arenas that are only there to serve the rich.
 @Blindman I can agree with you concerning bulldozing much of the SoDo area but I think you are totally wrong regarding the sports venues.
Ken, you must not drive down in sodo much these days, you are flat wrong.
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The sad truth is that Seattle was promised several traffic upgrades when Safeco and Quest were built, and now we're suffering because of it. This will make it even worse.
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Maybe you don't care right NOW about the economic harm that deadlocking traffic will do down there...
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...but when it all shakes out and jobs are lost, then local businesses suffer too and there will be no more listeners/readers for your screeds, then just maybe Komo will give you the pink slip. MAYBE then you'll finally get it, but I doubt it.
 @NorthwestEconomist Since traffic is already is a problem, why not see this as an opportunity to fix it rather than putting a protective fence around it and prevent solutions from coming forward. Rather than telling Hansen to go somewhere else... use his $40 million to leverage more funds from other players and solve the problem?
 @NorthwestEconomist And why should Chris Hansen and company be screwed because your elected officials failed to do their duty and keep up the infrastructure?  It's not his fault Seattleites keep voting in idiots to run the joint.Â
 @stamperzann I'm glad we can agree that only idiots would have approved the arena deal, call up those councilmen and the mayor and let them know!
 @path_tech That's not enough, this arena should be stopped until ALL of the previously promised traffic upgrades are implemented.Â
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As for the elected officials, of course those greedy idiots only care about public perception in the short-term, they don't care about long-term economic health.
@NorthwestEconomist  Well, the city is getting $40 million from Hansen personally to address those ignored traffic issues. I personally think Hansen should have told them to pack sand but he's determined to bring back basketball to Seattle and I'm determined to start supporting a team when they show up.
Hey Cam, if you don't like it so much why don't you take your Union and move.
Heck Seattle doesn't need a Port anyhow, I am sure the sports franchises around here are bring in much more revenue to the city of Seattle and the State than some silly old Port. Why don't they just move all the Port operations to Tacoma, I am sure they would be happy to have it... O wait they almost have it all now...
 @meatpuppet Uhhh, I think something like a third of Seattle's economic activity is trade-related. How much of it do you think is Sports-related?
The International Longshore and Warehouse Union have been screwing over business and the public for far too long.
How? Specifically? Please share.
Hilarious... The Union always shows their true colors.... (pathetic) Even if these nit wits were awarded a contract they would still demand more! I suggest anyone that comes into contact with this particular Union to ignore them and no longer do business with them in anyway....
 @Funky-Munky I wish that all the "union haters" would try to understand that there is NO overarching "Union" that is in control of anything. In fact, there are hundreds of individual labor unions and the average person is as likely to have an adverse connection to most similar to their chance of being hit by lightning. Most labor unions do a necessary job for their membership and the general public never even knows of their existence.
 @Furd Unions in America no longer represent the people that work for them... It's all about more Union dues, protecting individuals that should be fired and claiming victim when things don't go their way. Whatever happened to a fair days work for a fair days pay etc.?
 @Funky-Munky Thank you for the clarification. It was once said that only one other union had the gall of the Teamster's...the Soviet Union.
 @Furd I understand your thoughts completely.... I am not a Union buster.... rather calling some on BS!
 @Funky-Munky While that MAY be true of a very few unions, I know it is NOT true of thousands of labor unions that DO work for the betterment of their individual members.
How about taking care of infrastructure issues, and others, before we build another arena for grown men to play a game in... Prioritze responsibilities to the public well being, rather than promote private sports teams.
 @ButtercupSprinkles Well, let's see...Mayor McSchwinn is called that for a reason.  I'm pretty sure he's ignoring all the road issues in hopes that everyone will start riding their bike.  Even if that's not the plan, the guy is an idiot that's Seattleites voted for so now they get to deal with the fallout.
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 @ButtercupSprinkles It's not being built with public money. It's being built with private money, therefore it doesn't take any public programs.
 @Dan Sherman Actaully there is a clause in the agreement for the city to purchase the land back from private investor. Probably at a great profit to the private investor because the property will be vastly improved by the addition of a sports arena. So yes it will end up being paid for by public money.
 @Gino  @Dan Sherman You might want to read the MOU.
I didn't say it was being built with public money. I didn't say anything about money. What I'm saying is, priorities are screwed up. Look at the amount of time being wasted by the city government worrying about this. McGinn is always on the news, or they are having meetings. That time could be spent better sorting out other, important city problems. Who gives a dook about grown men playing games when we have traffic problems, crime problems, budget problems, etc.
 @Furd Butter cup has eaten too many peanut butter cups and all reason has left the building... I can see the wrappers everywhere from where I am at... not a pretty picture... Ha!
 @Andrew Webster If they bring in an NHL team, I can promise several hundreds of dollars each season of my money will be spent there.
Buttercup, you are so wrong, I don't even know where to begin. It is obvious from your posts that you are most definitely not a sports fan of any kind. If you were, or if you had even paid attention to the details with this arena, you would realize several things. First, each game in this arena (not to mention concerts, shows, etc) would attract thousands of people. Those thousands of people spend money to get into said arena, for said event. That creates tax revenue, which in turn is paying for the arena. Second, there is $40 million of Chris Hansen's money that is going directly to address traffic problems in the area. Further, the jobs created by the arena help our economy, tourism in the Seattle area (ever notice how many Japanese came here to see Ichiro play?), and increases tax revenues for the city.
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Simply because you don't like something, doesn't mean its not worthwhile. Once all the paperwork is in place for this arena, the next step will be to obtain a NBA or NHL team. The arena will not be built until that happens.
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The simple fact is, this deal is the best deal for an arena that any city has ever gotten. To not take advantage of it would be ludicrous, and the respective councils would be highly criticized for not doing so.
Well, I guess we are all entitled to our own opinions. I happen to think mine is valid.
You are very short sighted in your thinking Buttercup. Most of the work has been done by Chris Hanson, on his dime. The REALITY is, pro sports teams generate jobs and millions in local revenue which can be used to address other issues in the area. Oh and one more thing, I am not a rabid sports fan as I've attended one Seahawks game, two Mariners games over the years. I'm just intelligent enough to see past my nose to realize the benefits of Chris Hanson's proposal.
@ButtercupSprinkles Here's the reality. This arena will bring in tons of money, all of which will be taxed which will help pay for all of those problems you are worrying about.
I didn't say that, either. They are not being ignored, but, every milli-second spent dealing with this arena silliness is time taken away from important issues.  There isn't even an NBA team in Seattle. Building an NBA arena is about as smart as putting a screen door on a submarine. But, I don't expect any of the rabid sports fans to see reason and reality.
@ButtercupSprinkes So until they solve those other issues everything else is suppose to be put on hold? Those problems you mention have been around for a long time and are continuously being worked on. This is a new issue that the city has to deal with, along with those you mention, regardless of whether or not it's a sports stadium, new building, manufacturing plant, etc.
 @ButtercupSprinkles Do you honestly think that all the other problems facing the city are being ignored while this plays out?
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While YOU may think that "grown men playing games" is silly the TRUTH is that professional sports are a multi-billion dollar industry. Don't you think that it would be nice to have a bit bigger slice of that pie in the greater Seattle area?