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April 13, 2008
Sonics owners bankrolled OKC arena campaign
This should surprise exactly no one who's followed stadium campaigns in the slightest: The owners of the Seattle Sonics turn out to have funded nearly half of the campaign in favor of a sales tax hike to renovate the Ford Center for the franchise. Of the $843,007 spent by the pro-tax forces, $385,000 came from the Sonics owners; another $268,000 came from the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce.
The real question now is how much money the anti forces spent, and whether this referendum conforms to the rule that you have to outspend the opposition by at least 30-to-1 to win a sports subsidy vote. The Oklahoman doesn't say; if any FoS readers know where to find the campaign donation records, drop a line.
Anti-Forces spent less $1800 total. 18 cents a vote for a no votes, they spent over $18 a vote for a yes vote. Chamber of Commerce money was probably funneled from some of the Sonic Owners contributions. I tracked everything at my www.reverserobinhood.com website. Mainly set up for the legislators subsidy give a way after the other vote.
Posted by David Glover on May 4, 2008 10:41 PM
Thanks for the update, David. So for those scoring at home, that means the pro forces outspent the anti side 468-to-1. It's possible there have been more lopsided spending margins in a sports tax campaign, but if so I can't recall them.
Posted by Neil on May 5, 2008 09:31 AM