Sound Off: Should Taxpayer Money Be Used To Renovate Husky Stadium?

The rivalry between the University of Washington and Washington State University is now center stage in Olympia. Despite a 5.2 billion dollar deficit and struggling economy, UW is asking state legislators for $150 million to renovate Husky Stadium. WSU boosters say giving money to UW and not WSU would give the Huskies an unfair recruiting advantage. What do you think? Should the state give UW $150 million dollars to renovate Husky Stadium? Should WSU also get cash? Email us:soundoff@old.kxly.com

INSANE!! The state is talking about cutting K-12 education $$ when we already don’t fund adequately fund basic education and a 30%+ drop out rate in this state, There is NO WAY the state should consider funding the renovations. Huskies want work done, let them raise the money themselves. EDUCATION FIRST, not sports! –Shelley

Good grief, no. Where is all this money coming from? They just keep printing more and more. –Yvonne

Give me a break!!! If state legislators have nothing better to do with our money, give it back to us, the taxpayers, to help ease our economy woes. With Christmas right around the corner, all of us (I’m sure) could use the extra money! -Nanny

No way at all should we pay for that we pay too much already. -Aaron

Only if they can do the same for ALL the state collages and universities. Let’s be fair for a change. -Christine

I am outraged at the request for money to renovate UW Sports Arena. Although Sound Off is a great way to express our view points I believe for actual change we should all be sending our thoughts about this right to Margarita Prentice. I have posted my views expressed to her on this site and would hope that many more of you will do the same. -Marcy(Clarkston)

They take in money for their games. What do they do with it….give themselves raises. If they do this, then give the taxpayers money to renovate. -Michael

The last time I checked there were five university’s in the state of Washington. Washington State University, Central Washington University, Western Washington University, Eastern Washington University, and University of Washington. Central Washington University has continued to outperform the WSU and UW in their (football) conference, not to mention CWU is one of the oldest university’s in the state. Why are we supporting UW or WSU solely? Have you seen the stadiums at the other university’s? –Suzanne(Sandpoint)

Why should taxpayer money fund a new Husky stadium? They need to do the same thing we have to if we want something better – *PAY FOR IT YOURSELF!* -Phyllis(Clarkston)

Not on your life. With their respective win records this year, both the Huskies and the Cougars should be playing touch tag in somebody’s back yard. -Ken(Clarkston)

Everyone is having to make do with what they have. UW should just patch it up and deal with it until the funds are there. To me it is repulsive that they would even consider asking for money when money is being cut from programs like children’s health care. -Emily(Deer Park)

Ludicrous! Absolutely not. Martin Stadium? Even more ludicrous. Who in the world is at the helm? U of W Alumni. -Michael

It is wrong for them to receive money from the tax payers for their building renovations!? EWU gets its buildings renovated and had the new rec center built from money given by donors and from fees added to students’ tuition.? By the way, Gregoire and her cronies should get a pay cut to help the state budget. -Lisa

If the state gives UW the money for the stadium then the state should pay for my education plus do the same for WSU’s stadium. They shouldn’t even give UW the money do to the deficit. –Marlee

No I don’t think either universities should benefit from taxpayers money for renovations on their stadiums. With the way the economy is and jobs being at a all time low the money should be used to help the poor and needy rather then to impress the select few that use these stadiums for just recreational sports. -EW

There is no way tax payers should have to pay for the University of Washington’s stadium, when nothing was giving to the Cougars, and if they are so worried about their safety then they need to take it into their own hands like the cougars had to do. -Brandon

Simply…no. Our infrastructure and fiscal problems trump our need for a stadium renovation for the Dawgs or the Cougs. This sounds like a task for the alumni. -Randy(Kirkland)

I think that either one should get state money, if they need to repair the buildings on campus they need to either raise tuition or cut salaries or seek donations from the alumni, in these trying economic times with the budget shortfall the way it is, and unemployment, I cant afford to send my kids to either one of them schools, but I’m supposed to make it nice for the kids that can with my tax dollars? -Ed(Spokane)

I say yes. We have, in this great state, opened a University. My understanding is that this is a State University. If it is a State University, why would we decide to stop supporting it? Are we anti-learning? Oh wait, it is a stadium and everyone knows you don’t learn anything playing sports. Oh wait, yes you do. You learn cooperation and teamwork, that might be important. How many people have complained in the last six months that they are not getting the cooperation or teamwork they need to do their job? I know this is a prevalent problem in the workplace. Should WSU get money too? That question is fueled by the opposite of what sports brings to a young person’s education. If WSU needs money for safety renovation, absolutely, they should get it. But let’s not carry the rivalry of these two State Universities into the realm of our children’s safety. Is that really where we want to go? -Wayne(Spokane)

Immediately following your words about the Governor’s plan to cut school funding and health care, is the question about our tax dollars going to support the sport facilities at 2 universities. Yea, sure, let’s not help schools and health issues, they certainly are not as important as attending a sporting event! What is wrong with this picture?? -Barb

Do lawmakers and school officials JUST NOT “GET IT”? We are CUTTING expenses, not looking for more places to spend money. If we are cutting millions from education funding, WHY ON EARTH would we spend ten bucks on a sports stadium? Teams used to play without stadiums at all. By the way, what do they do with the millions of dollars they collect for tickets each year? –Rick(Clarkston)

If the state gives my tax money to pay for the husky stadium, does that give me the right to attend UW for free? -John

Ha Ha Ha ha Ha Ha ha! Um….NO! Seriously though… I betcha not a single supporter of government funding for Husky Stadium, has a government job that is on the chopping block! –Eric(Spokane)

Use taxpayer dollars to renovate Husky stadium? Not just no, but HELL NO! It’s time we stopped subsidizing the latest pet project on the west side with our tax dollars, especially in view of the worsening economy. If WSU can fund their own renovations, so can UW. -Steve

Let the alumni pay for it. Time to stop favoring one part of society to the detriment of the rest. In this case, how much money does the state spend on tennis, swimming, bowling, lawn bowls, tiddly-winks, and other stadium? Nothing by comparison! -Jim(Thompson Falls)

I don’t think taxpayer money should be used to renovate Husky Stadium. Even though the UW is a state funded university, WA state is in a BIG hole financially and can’t afford such a thing right now. IF the state decides to be so foolish as to give the UW the funding they are asking for, then I think it is only fair to offer WSU the same amount to use as they see fit. -Roxanne(Colville)

Absolutely no way in Hades should taxpayer money be used for a private sports stadium.. If they want it so bad they use their own money. When we citizens of Washington state are having a hard time making ends meet as it is—-they can also learn to live on a budget. -Pat

The University of Washington is a state supported school not a private University. Therefore our state funding is needed. Football is big business and generates a lot of cash flow. Maybe we should use a money giving formula based on winning or losing in the Apple Cup. What about all these other State Schools? Do we hear them whining? Go Huskies! -Jim (Newman Lake)

I think with the way the economy is couldn’t we use the money on something to better serve the community? -Danielle(Athol)

Take the money out of the salaries of the football coaches and the presidents of the schools, what are the universities for? Training centers for the pro leagues? Let them save it up. -Nancy(Spokane)

The one thing the State should be doing is supporting the expansion and growth of the facilities at both WSU and UW! I am tired of our students taking a back-seat to the massive bureaucratic “pork-barrel” spending over in Olympia! Eliminate the “pork” and waste in Olympia and there will be plenty of money for Martin Stadium and Husky Stadium expansions! -Harold(Pullman)

Hell No, Let them go to Congress and get put on the list for bail out. Tax dollars can better be utilized than building a new kennel for the Huskies. Let the TYEE Club pay for it. -Brad(Electric City)

NO! How about renovating Martin Center. –Nancy

Simply stated…ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!!!!! WSU found a way to fund theirs, U of W should do the same or go without. With the economy in the state it is right now, as a taxpayer, I will be furious if my money has to go toward something like this. -Jennifer

NO, taxpayers should not foot the bill for the U of W stadium.  What idiot really thinks that taxpayers should ever underwrite such a project that benefits so few?  As we are already in a recession, there should be a moratorium on all non critical spending.  -Lynda(Spokane)

How can we possibly justify spending $150 million on a sports facility ANYWHERE when we, as a state, have a projected $5 Billion shortfall. How about a little “fiscal responsibility” here? -Mike

WE HAVE ALOT MORE IMPRORTANT THINGS TO SPEND TAX PAYERS MONEY ON THAN A STADIUM,WE HAVE ALOT OF NEEDY PEOPLE TODAY.GET REAL,WE HAVE ALL PLAYED ENOUGH,START PAYING ATTENTION AT LEAST!!!! -RB(Newman Lake)

Ah, shucks, why not get on the mooching bandwagon? UW is supposed to be the richest University in the state, owning and leasing out almost every square inch of downtown Seattle. Why don’t they sell off some of their land holdings to pay for their own stadium. That’s not, nor should it be a taxpayer expense. –MJ

NO NO NO !!!!!!! Even though SPORTS are a large business for the SCHOOLS There Maine and should be only job should be education not play time. If the sports programs can not be self sustaining they should be dropped We the tax payers should not be burdened with the play time of our higher education system. -Ken

It won’t matter if we want to pay or not. As in the case of Qwest field and the Seahawks stadium, if the politics are right then anything the politicians want will be done and be damned what the people of the state want. -Keith

In two simple letters NO! The state is so broke that Gregoire is considering cutting over a BILLION dollars from the K-12 education system. Let both UW and WSU go to the end of the line. Get rid of the WASL and fix the mess Bergeson crafted. -Josee