Well, since Houstonians soundly rejected a rather modest 'tax' proposal, I seriously doubt another proposed tax will get the job done in round 2. I like the Enron 'rumor' posted on the main page. Private funding is certainly an option if Les and the rest of Houston can convince a corporation to suck it up and bankroll the job. It was done where I live, where Pacific Bell financed the entire construction of the new baseball stadium for the San Francisco Giants. Houston's got enough fat corporations to prey upon for this kind of thing. Why doesn't Compaq do more than just buy the name of a decrepit, aging existing arena? How about those oil/gas companies like Exxon/Mobil? How about less conventional big business like Sysco (foods)? I'm sure this is something Les has already looked into as a viable option, but milking a couple hundered mil out of company isn't the easiest thing to do. Decent tax write-off, to be sure, but a couple hundered million is still a couple hundred million. I'd say this is the next step, if the majority of Houstonians are prone to voting down another similar propsal? Does anyone else have any ideas?
I voted in favor of the last arena proposal (as did 48% of the rest of the voters), and I will most definitely vote in favor of ANY proposed future arena deal to keep the Rockets in town! In no way shape or form do I have any "Moral High Horse" mentality about corporate welfare when it comes to my love for the HOUSTON ROCKETS. Les Alexander has, IMO, been the best sports franchise owner this city has ever seen. Les opened the checkbook and has for years signed the players that could contend. Rudy T and Hakeem delivered the championship title to us and I waited an eternity for the Oilers or Astros to do it. The startup scrub football team, and our crappy (can't hit in the post season and won't pay to keep last years good players) baseball team got CORPORATE WELFARE. Why shouldn't the WORLD CHAMPION HOUSTON ROCKETS GET THE SAME? At least the Rocket's delivered hits in the clutch! The irony is that I don't give a flip about the pathetic Astros or the new court house or the improvements to the Port of Houston which all passed. I mean it makes perfect sense to me that we should PASS CORPORATE WELFARE FOR THE PATHETIC PENNY PENCHING ASTROS, PROVIDE A NICER WORKPLACE FOR OUR LIBERAL JUDGES TO SET CRIMINALS FREE IN, AND BUILD BETTER DOCKS FOR ALL THE TEAMSTERS TO WORK AT, but by God come Hell or high water let's take the higher moral ground when it comes to the best sports franchise in town!!! Congratulations to everyone who voted against the arena referendum, it is a given that taxes will be levied on hotels and car rentals anyway, the only thing your vote did was ensure we wouldn't keep the Rockets in the process. Any time a government can pass a tax that isn't born by its voters, you can be assured that tax will sprial upwards. Which federal tax has the highest rate? The federal estate tax tops out well over 50%!! Why? Because DEAD PEOPLE DON'T VOTE! Let me be the first one to tell you, the hotel and car rental taxes will increase regardless of the fact that your "MORAL FORTITUDE" has cost us the Rockets. Why because the hotel and car rental taxes aren't largely born by the voters in this city. Hence they are going to continually spiral upwards just like the federal estate tax!!! The only thing your vote against the arena does is cost us years of future enjoyment of the ROCKETS. Houston is the 4TH LARGEST city in the U.S. and now has the SMALLEST ARENA IN EXISTENCE IN THE NBA. [This message has been edited by Swami (edited January 22, 2000).]
