June 03, 2008

When in doubt, threaten to go to L.A.

Today San Francisco voters go to the polls to vote on a proposition to build a new football stadium for the 49ers (along with an accompanying proposition to require that affordable housing be part of the surrounding development). With the team's other options, Santa Clara and Brisbane, both facing problems of their own, Oakland Tribune writer Bill Soliday decides it's time to pull out the Los Angeles card:

While Northern California lurches forward without decisive results, Ed Roski has boldly moved forward independently to bring pro football back to Los Angeles.

"We will be 100 percent ready to start construction in October,'' said John Semcken, Roski's partner in charge of the project. "We will have completely designed, entitled, bid the building out, finished all the drawings, got the permits, finished all environmental reviews down to being able to finance construction ... but for (the lack) of having a team.''

If Roski and Semcken know how they plan to finance construction, they haven't bothered telling anyone else. But why should anyone let that stand in the way of a good move threat story, particularly on the morning of a referendum vote?