Why call for a new study of an old study?

It seems that a leading proponent and backer of the original study to create the existing stadium district now wants another study as to the feasibility of the proposed new arena location [“Council members answer questions on arena proposal,” NWWednesday, July 11]?

The City Council, along with the county, spent thousands of public dollars to study the existing area where the stadium district was created. The purpose was to create an area for sports venues to be located. The study was led by the person who now has called for another study to be done by the Port of Seattle. This person has now been retained by the Port at $175 an hour to create this study of a study; perhaps his consultant fee speaks loudly as to his motives? More public dollars to be spent on redundant study? I guess it’s OK as long as there is personal gain involved.

This same wordsmith uses phrases like “the full faith and credit of the public offer” to insinuate that somehow there are real public dollars or taxes being used to pay the city’s portion of the cost. In fact the revenue stream to fund the bonds will only come from the users and no public tax money or dollars will be spent toward the arena cost. Additionally, any and all shortfall of the bond payments and city profit required by Initiative 91 will be made up by a guaranteed reimbursement by the ownership group.

It is disingenuous at best that someone who originally backed both the stadium-district creation and Initiative 91 would now call for a new study of an old study.

Perhaps a study of the studier is in order?

— M.R. Jon Stewartt, Federal Way

Political leaders with a no-growth agenda

In 1961, I watched the Space Needle being built from my houseboat off Eastlake Avenue. Currently, KTCS television is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Seattle World’s Fair and honors City Councilman Al Rochester and civic leaders Joe Gandy, Edward Carlson and Ewen Dingwall. They created the World’s Fair and turned it into the cultural and civic showpiece that is now Seattle Center. Now Seattle is pondering whether to assist building an arena to house NBA and NHL teams to complete a sports complex.

It is such a contrast between the visionary political leaders who built the World’s Fair versus the current political leaders with a no-growth agenda who are unable to see beyond their re-election. Seattle government must participate as a financial partner rather than a political regulator.

If these folks were in charge during the World’s Fair planning, we would not have the Space Needle and the Seattle Center with the Pacific Science Center, fountain, opera house and live theater.

Will there be a TV story in 2062 about the vision of Seattle politicians and the sports-complex issue?

— Ardean A. Anvik, Elma