lmao they’re just putting up 50million and getting a 1 billion arena. Straight up fleece.
TrumpedBigly
They’ll pay for a stadium, but not teachers (38th nationally in teacher pay). Typical Oklahoma.
TechnoDriv3
Good for OKC to be able to keep their team. I just don’t understand this sentiment of a city bowing down to BILLIONAIRE owners instead of using that money elsewhere.
CortezAllenAMA
typical piece of shit billionaire
clonicle
Reject this shit. You’re just giving billionaires more money and assets. Sales tax is such a ‘screw you’. As a percentage of income, sales tax hurts working class & middle class people more than it does the billionaires. Ownership if fucking the fanbase over again.
Fraussie16
Absolutely shameless! Fund your own arena
fatgirlpooter
Keep stealing from the peasants
Mobile-Entertainer60
The city will own the arena, not the Thunder. The Thunder are not getting a $1B facility for $50M, they are paying $50M+annual lease to play in the new building. The city of OKC owns Paycom Center already and nobody is picketing against the current arrangement.
There are no new taxes at stake in the vote. OKC has had a 1% sales tax called MAPS in place since the mid 1990’s. The vote is specifically whether the MAPS tax would be put toward the new arena. This tax is OKC (not state) specific and can only be directed for OKC development, so everybody saying “pay the teachers!” is just showing their total ignorance of the subject because the money cannot be used that way.
The simple truth is that a “no” vote means the Thunder may leave OKC after their lease is up, while a “yes” vote means they stay for the next 25+ years. The current ownership are all Oklahomans, which is a big reason they maneuvered the Thunder out of Seattle to OKC in the first place. I think they enjoy owning the local team and wouldn’t be inclined to move if they don’t have to. However, Clay Bennett has not had the best health, and if he dies I suspect his family will sell the majority share to an outsider (I don’t think any of the minority owners have enough cash to buy out Bennett’s shares at fair market value) who would not have any loyalty to keep the team in OKC.
digitalmaven3
The dichotomy between this project and others like the Clippers new stadium is pretty wild. If the stadium is going to “print money” why wouldn’t the billionaire owners want to actually own it? haha Then again, Oklahoma is 48th in education so using a regressive sales tax to fund a stadium probably makes sense there. haha
coacoanutbenjamn
Sales tax is regressive and should be lowered, not raised
SteveWondersForsight
Do they even need a new arena? What’s wrong with the current one? It has a basketball court and seats right?
animajunky
26th in attendance with a great team they don’t need a new arena
RedFan47
We call that a stupid tax
tapk69
Privatize profit and socialize costs. Fucking genius.
Crafty-Document-3340
Meanwhile people are struggling, but taxes gotta go to a arena.
blockyboi13
What’s the alternative to this tax, would they just lose their team altogether? If the team just moves again, I’d say the tax is worth it to keep the team, granted the value of having a local sports franchise is subjective. I personally don’t think the attitude of “I like my team. I don’t want them to move, so I’m fine with paying a little more in taxes” is particularly idiotic. But rather it’s just reflective of a somewhat subjective value system
Lot of people that benefit from publicly funded stadiums and far more expensive entertainment options acting like Oklahoma should throw away what little we have in some symbolic fight against billionaires that we will never win is funny to me. This is the same tax the built the first stadium, the AAA ballpark, all of our new major parks and many other things. It’s the same tax we’ve voted on 4 times and I’d imagine is the same one will we vote to continue my entire life. It’s been good for OKC and I’d rather stay a city on a positive trajectory for literally the same thing we’ve been paying since I was 13.
Would it be great if billionaires would invest in OKC, yes. Do I want to pay a tax that benefits billionaires, no. Will billionaires start investing all of the sudden in okc, lol no. Does Oklahoma give far more in tax cuts and kick back to billionaires than this yes.
I’d rather continue down the path we’ve been on where this city has gotten better than pretend if we hold out anything but losing the team will happen.
OKC owning its own stadium worked fine in the past we when had no tenet and no hopes for one, I don’t see what’s changed.
WaltJay
Obligatory: why do they need a new arena?
Call555JackChop
If tax payers foot the bill than tax payers should get a part of the sales of all merch and concessions sold at the venue
ElPlywood
If taxpayers pay for the stadium, taxpayers should get a cut of the profits – concessions, tickets sales, etc. until the city is paid back
Anything else is an obscene handout to the ultra rich
And if there is no ironclad agreement to never move the team, then the owners can fuck off
LoveIslandFansRawk
Get the public to pay for the arena, then overcharge the public for tickets to watch the team (especially now that they are gonna be a great team going forwards)! HAHAAAA!
ToraLoco
so the taxpayers pitch in so billionaires can make more money?
wtf is wrong with this world?
unless taxpayers profit off this… why would they do it?
Kevin_Jim
As a European, I will never understand this shit.
If a team like Barcelona even thinks of something like this, they’d burn the stadium to the ground.
Mdgt_Pope
There should be provisions to these deals that the city received its investment in the arena before any profits are distributed to the team or ownership group. The city should at least get a return of its investment.
Sunkenflower
Or maybe just maybe the owners should have to pay for their stadiums.
808zAndThunder
It’s obvious nobody here is actually from OKC. This is not something new it’s a part of their MAPS program. You can directly credit the Thunder for the improved infrastructure of the city. The 1% sales tax isn’t going to kill the local economy for regular people. They’ve been paying this exact tax for like 30yrs to help rejuvenate their city. Tbh this is a great deal for the residents of Oklahoma because it’s the States only Professional sports team. They use those arenas for events as well. Adam Sandler just performed their 2 days ago. I guarantee OKC folks who understand the proposals are all for it since they don’t have much to their city already. Seattle voted no for themselves and lost their team, let’s see what OKC does now 👀
hux002
Can you imagine if this money was allocated to the public schools? How much good could be done with that? I hope they reject it.
AceO235
Just move back to seattle im sure some rich tech guy will just pay for it
29 Comments
lmao they’re just putting up 50million and getting a 1 billion arena. Straight up fleece.
They’ll pay for a stadium, but not teachers (38th nationally in teacher pay). Typical Oklahoma.
Good for OKC to be able to keep their team. I just don’t understand this sentiment of a city bowing down to BILLIONAIRE owners instead of using that money elsewhere.
typical piece of shit billionaire
Reject this shit. You’re just giving billionaires more money and assets. Sales tax is such a ‘screw you’. As a percentage of income, sales tax hurts working class & middle class people more than it does the billionaires. Ownership if fucking the fanbase over again.
Absolutely shameless! Fund your own arena
Keep stealing from the peasants
The city will own the arena, not the Thunder. The Thunder are not getting a $1B facility for $50M, they are paying $50M+annual lease to play in the new building. The city of OKC owns Paycom Center already and nobody is picketing against the current arrangement.
There are no new taxes at stake in the vote. OKC has had a 1% sales tax called MAPS in place since the mid 1990’s. The vote is specifically whether the MAPS tax would be put toward the new arena. This tax is OKC (not state) specific and can only be directed for OKC development, so everybody saying “pay the teachers!” is just showing their total ignorance of the subject because the money cannot be used that way.
The simple truth is that a “no” vote means the Thunder may leave OKC after their lease is up, while a “yes” vote means they stay for the next 25+ years. The current ownership are all Oklahomans, which is a big reason they maneuvered the Thunder out of Seattle to OKC in the first place. I think they enjoy owning the local team and wouldn’t be inclined to move if they don’t have to. However, Clay Bennett has not had the best health, and if he dies I suspect his family will sell the majority share to an outsider (I don’t think any of the minority owners have enough cash to buy out Bennett’s shares at fair market value) who would not have any loyalty to keep the team in OKC.
The dichotomy between this project and others like the Clippers new stadium is pretty wild. If the stadium is going to “print money” why wouldn’t the billionaire owners want to actually own it? haha Then again, Oklahoma is 48th in education so using a regressive sales tax to fund a stadium probably makes sense there. haha
Sales tax is regressive and should be lowered, not raised
Do they even need a new arena? What’s wrong with the current one? It has a basketball court and seats right?
26th in attendance with a great team they don’t need a new arena
We call that a stupid tax
Privatize profit and socialize costs. Fucking genius.
Meanwhile people are struggling, but taxes gotta go to a arena.
What’s the alternative to this tax, would they just lose their team altogether? If the team just moves again, I’d say the tax is worth it to keep the team, granted the value of having a local sports franchise is subjective. I personally don’t think the attitude of “I like my team. I don’t want them to move, so I’m fine with paying a little more in taxes” is particularly idiotic. But rather it’s just reflective of a somewhat subjective value system
[for anyone who may be interested in why okc does it this way](https://www.okc.gov/government/maps-3/maps-history)
Lot of people that benefit from publicly funded stadiums and far more expensive entertainment options acting like Oklahoma should throw away what little we have in some symbolic fight against billionaires that we will never win is funny to me. This is the same tax the built the first stadium, the AAA ballpark, all of our new major parks and many other things. It’s the same tax we’ve voted on 4 times and I’d imagine is the same one will we vote to continue my entire life. It’s been good for OKC and I’d rather stay a city on a positive trajectory for literally the same thing we’ve been paying since I was 13.
Would it be great if billionaires would invest in OKC, yes. Do I want to pay a tax that benefits billionaires, no. Will billionaires start investing all of the sudden in okc, lol no. Does Oklahoma give far more in tax cuts and kick back to billionaires than this yes.
I’d rather continue down the path we’ve been on where this city has gotten better than pretend if we hold out anything but losing the team will happen.
OKC owning its own stadium worked fine in the past we when had no tenet and no hopes for one, I don’t see what’s changed.
Obligatory: why do they need a new arena?
If tax payers foot the bill than tax payers should get a part of the sales of all merch and concessions sold at the venue
If taxpayers pay for the stadium, taxpayers should get a cut of the profits – concessions, tickets sales, etc. until the city is paid back
Anything else is an obscene handout to the ultra rich
And if there is no ironclad agreement to never move the team, then the owners can fuck off
Get the public to pay for the arena, then overcharge the public for tickets to watch the team (especially now that they are gonna be a great team going forwards)! HAHAAAA!
so the taxpayers pitch in so billionaires can make more money?
wtf is wrong with this world?
unless taxpayers profit off this… why would they do it?
As a European, I will never understand this shit.
If a team like Barcelona even thinks of something like this, they’d burn the stadium to the ground.
There should be provisions to these deals that the city received its investment in the arena before any profits are distributed to the team or ownership group. The city should at least get a return of its investment.
Or maybe just maybe the owners should have to pay for their stadiums.
It’s obvious nobody here is actually from OKC. This is not something new it’s a part of their MAPS program. You can directly credit the Thunder for the improved infrastructure of the city. The 1% sales tax isn’t going to kill the local economy for regular people. They’ve been paying this exact tax for like 30yrs to help rejuvenate their city. Tbh this is a great deal for the residents of Oklahoma because it’s the States only Professional sports team. They use those arenas for events as well. Adam Sandler just performed their 2 days ago. I guarantee OKC folks who understand the proposals are all for it since they don’t have much to their city already. Seattle voted no for themselves and lost their team, let’s see what OKC does now 👀
Can you imagine if this money was allocated to the public schools? How much good could be done with that? I hope they reject it.
Just move back to seattle im sure some rich tech guy will just pay for it