Everyone should help close Washington’s budget deficit, including our sports teams | Opinion

Sports teams should help close deficit

Now is a good time to let our professional sports teams help us out by collecting Washington State sales taxes from foreign corporations.

T-Mobile is a subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom.

As you may know, we currently face a budget deficit of about $15 billion.

The Stadium Rebate Tax Bill taxes Major League Professional Sports clubs that sell or rent naming rights (T-Mobile Park and Lumen Field) and then returns the tax revenue to municipal and state governments.

A little extra in sales tax revenue from foreign corporations would be helpful to Washington State citizens.

I encourage you to review the Stadium Rebate Bill and contact your State of Washington representative soon.

John E. Martin, Mountlake Terrace

Positive stories help in dark times

These are dark times. Just scan the headlines. I have friends who have quit reading the news because it is too depressing. Yet during our daily routine, one is much more likely to experience caring than animosity.

To counter this I would like The News Tribune to begin featuring more stories of decent folk showing kindness. Simple stories about ordinary people doing good things — a daily dose of goodness, if you will.

Your story of the teacher’s finding and returning a man’s high school diploma is an uplifting read which we need more of. Two weeks ago the New York Times did a well-written story of a strange fellow who wandered the region in a leather suit. The person known as the Leatherman was welcomed and fed by the townsfolk. It’s a wonderful story, and I felt good all day after reading it.

I believe the Tribune could reach out to the community and find hundreds of stories that show that we common folk are caring people — despite our politics. Short stories of simple acts of kindness would do wonders to uplift our community’s spirits.

David P. Olson, Tacoma

Woodards’ Israel visit

I was appalled to learn that Mayor Victoria Woodards had recently accepted an all-expense paid trip to Israel from the American Jewish Committee. The mayor’s alleged reasoning — that the trip would help her understand the conflict in Gaza and allow her to satisfy her desire as a Christian to see the land of the Bible — are spurious justifications.

The bulk of the evidence addressed in the international press strongly suggests Israel’s campaign against Gaza constitutes genocide and, at the very least, violates international humanitarian law (and is, largely, simply a repetition of Israel’s historical treatment of the Palestinians). Woodard’s tone-deaf acceptance of the gift of the trip makes a mockery of the Palestinians’ plight, as well as the Tacoma City Council’s resolution calling for a ceasefire.

I feel Woodard’s trip, in the midst of Israel’s renewal of its assault on Gaza and the needless deaths of more civilians, constitutes an unacceptable endorsement of Israel’s conduct. I want her to know she does not act in my name.

John P. Saunders, Tacoma

Sabbatical pay needed

State Sen. Chris Gildon has proposed no cost of living increase for Washington state government employees, instead proposing a $5,000 bonus. As yearly employee engagement surveys show, state government workers are a body of public servants ready to be challenged and given the opportunity to do more. Yet, if employees want to take a sabbatical for additional training, they must do so without pay. Amid budget negotiations, now is the time to build on Gildon’s proposal by providing at least 50% pay, continuation of benefits and no impact on seniority date for state employees taking sabbatical leave. As Washington state faces economic uncertainty, it is important that state government employees are supported in preparing for these challenges.

Chris Eberhardt, Tacoma