Arena adversaries prepare for battle

Warren Smith strapped on headphones and nestled his coffee cup near a microphone at KTKZ news talk radio. Typically a late riser, the River Cats executive was up early Thursday and in the broadcast booth by 7:54 a.m., the start of a long day of politicking for a proposed downtown arena.

Later that same day, arena opponent Dave Tamayo also was preparing for his role in the fast-developing arena debate. After attending his daughter's high school orientation and then a long day at work, Tamayo stopped in at a volunteer phone bank to help organize callers urging voters to say "no" on Nov. 7 to a publicly subsidized arena.

The arena campaigns, pro and con, are mobilizing. These rapidly intensifying efforts will shape public discussion and the ultimate fate of one of the most controversial civic issues to ever come before Sacramento County voters.

"I've worked on hundreds of campaigns, and none of them have so consumed the electorate like this one," said Doug Elmets, communications manager for the "Yes on Q and R" campaign. "It used to be that at dinner parties people would talk about real estate. Now all they want to talk about is the arena."

In less than three months, voters will be asked to decide on Measure Q. The measure says that no more than 50 percent of a proposed sales tax increase -- estimated at $1.2 billion over 15 years -- should go to a sports and entertainment center, and that the remainder be used for transit, law enforcement, fire safety, arts, libraries and after-school programs, for example.

A companion question, Measure R, calls for a  1/4-cent increase in the sales tax. It requires 50 percent plus one vote approval for passage.

In the life of a local campaign, it's still very early in the process. Both the "Yes on Q & R" and "Sacramentans Against the Arena Tax" are putting together core members, mapping out strategies and working to raise money.

Arena supporters figure to win the fund-raising war, targeting millions of dollars for the campaign. Opponents so far have raised less than $1,000.

The Yes campaign is initially focusing on Sacramento County's business community as a key source of financing and endorsements. But as the group's steering committee made up of representatives from a broad base of community interests is formed over the coming weeks, that outreach will broaden, Elmets said.

The Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, the sponsor of the Q and R measures, has taken a large role in the campaign. Campaign members are fanning out to speak to different chamber of commerce groups and other business organizations.

So far, they've gotten endorsements that include the Sacramento Asian Pacific and Rancho Cordova chambers, the Sacramento Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Downtown Sacramento Partnership.

David Butler, senior vice president of the Metro chamber, said building the arena in the Union Pacific railyard will kick-start that area and bring in conventions and events currently not attracted to Sacramento.

"This is an investment in our civic infrastructure," Butler said. "If the overall community prospers, businesses prosper and individuals prosper."

Elmets said the campaign expects to spend "several millions of dollars" including a sizable contribution from the Maloof family, the owners of the Kings. He won't say how much the campaign has raised, and a tally of contributions and expenditures isn't required to be filed with the California secretary of state until October.

Elmets said other spokespeople for the campaign will include Joe and Gavin Maloof; representatives from Maloof Sports and Entertainment; and several elected officials. A large consulting team to coordinate and strategize also has been assembled.

Heading up fund-raising efforts is Smith, executive vice president of the River Cats. Even though his minor-league baseball team is battling to make the playoffs, Smith is volunteering much of his time to the arena efforts. Besides radio appearances, he's pulled out his Rolodex, meeting one-on-one with business contacts, and he even walks through Raley Field stands during games, talking up the project.

Developer David Taylor is among the community leaders who have been tapped to help with downtown business fund-raising efforts. A goal of $250,000 has been set, Taylor said.

Efforts are also being made to spread the word about the arena in direct mail and on billboards. A new Web site is being developed, www.sharethevisionsacramento.org.

In contrast to the Yes campaign, Sacramentans Against the Arena Tax are running a decentralized and bare-bones campaign. Assemblyman Dave Jones, who's leading the effort, said he has 500 volunteers.

"This is a grass-roots campaign of ordinary Sacramento voters throughout the county," Jones said of his team. "They're doing phone banks and walking door-to-door, telling people this is a bad idea."

Jones said the campaign has no hierarchy coordinating its efforts. However, Jones confirmed that Los Angeles political consultant Parke Skelton, who ran his Assembly race, is part of the team. "He is volunteering to help us with the campaign," Jones said.

On Thursday night, Sacramentans Against the Arena Tax volunteers congregated after-hours at a law firm on Capitol Avenue for a phone bank. Volunteer Tamayo, who recruits the callers, said the campaign has had several such events. Using lists gathered from volunteers of like-minded residents, as well as neighbors and friends, they're reaching out for support and for funds.

Right now, Tamayo said they have about a half-dozen core volunteers who turn out for most events. Because they often are calling on community activists, finding volunteers who can tear themselves away from other efforts was initially difficult. But that's changing, Tamayo said.

"They're starting to see how this issue cuts across all issues, draining off resources, diverting income from other purposes," Tamayo said.

A Bee reporter and photographer, who planned to see the volunteers in action, were barred from the building on Jones' orders, according to campaign worker Melanie Ramil. Jones told a reporter earlier in the day that permission from building owners was required, which The Bee obtained, to no effect.

Tamayo explained that campaign officials did not want reporters to see the training inside, or the phone bank's call list.

Supporters of Sacramentans Against the Arena Tax said volunteers, not money, are driving the campaign. Jones said the campaign had $844 in its bank account.

Jon Coupal, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, which opposes the measures, predicts the campaign will be outspent "50 to 1."

His organization signed the ballot argument against Measures Q and R, but will be unable to actively campaign because it is engaged in a battle against a statewide initiative, Coupal said. The Sacramento County Taxpayers League, which also has voted to oppose the arena measures, also won't be active, deciding to "leave it to the taxpayers" to work against the effort, said executive director Joe Sullivan.

Both taxpayer groups say their opposition to the measures stems from their belief that the new tax revenue measure should require two-thirds voter approval, based on state law.

One of Jones' arguments against an arena subsidy is that it will drain funds from programs for the poor and other social groups.

A core group of the local Californians for Disability Rights met Thursday afternoon in a downtown office building to brainstorm on ways to help defeat the measures. They agreed to make calls, and will hold an informational forum on election issues, including the arena, in October.

Several other groups and individuals oppose the measures, including former county Supervisor Grantland Johnson and City Councilman Steve Cohn, but it's unclear what role they will be playing.

Johnson said he's given one presentation and will do whatever Jones suggests. "I give a lot of deference to the folks who are assuming formal roles of leadership on what my role should be," Johnson said.

Sacramentans Against an Arena Tax has set up a Web site: www.stopthearenatax.org. Alex Barrios, a field representative in Jones' district office, is listed as the contact person. Barrios also was coordinating Thursday night's phone bank.

Jones said "two or three" of his employees were working on the campaign but said they are doing so on their own time to conform with state law.

The law doesn't prevent staffers from working on campaign measures off the job, but it bars them from advocating for or against a ballot measure when they are on the state clock.

"This is entirely a volunteer campaign," Jones said. "I don't have the entire political and business establishment and the Maloofs' millions working for me."

TEAM ROSTERS

A look at the two sides in the battle over the two measures on the Nov. 7 ballot for a publicly subsidized arena in downtown Sacramento:

SUPPORTERS

The Yes on Q & R campaign is in the final stages of assembling a large campaign team. The roles of Kings owners Joe and Gavin Maloof are being developed. Public officials continuing to play an active role:

• Sacramento Vice Mayor Rob Fong and Sacramento County Supervisor Roger Dickinson, who helped broker the deal
• Former Assemblyman Darrell Steinberg, an attorney who has represented the Maloofs in the arena negotiations
• Sacramento Mayor Heather Fargo
• Sacramento County Supervisor Susan Peters Strategists include a bipartisan lineup of top consultants:
• Republican consultants: Richard Temple of McNally Temple Associates of Sacramento, who will serve as the campaign manager; local political lawyer Tom Hiltachk, who has worked for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, will provide legal counsel
• Democratic consultants: Gale Kaufman, who'll be doing coalition building and grass-roots organizing; Paul Kinney, a media consultant; Richie Ross, who has represented many local politicians, as well as the Maloofs Members of the steering committee (partial list):
• Acting as the campaign's chairwoman is Sandy Smoley, a former Sacramento supervisor who is now a health care consultant
• Matt Mahood, president and chief executive officer of the Metro chamber
• Pat Fong Kushida of the Sacramento Asian Pacific Chamber
• Art Savage, chief executive of the Sacramento River Cats
• Roger Valine, former chairman of Vision Service Plan

OPPONENTS

Democratic Assemblyman Dave Jones is leading the campaign against Measures Q & R, and Parke Skelton, a political consultant who ran Jones' Assembly campaign, is part of the team. Some organizations that have endorsed the anti-arena campaign on its Web site:

• Sacramento Police Officers Association
• People United for a Better Sacramento
• Sacramento Gray Panthers
• Sacramento League of United Latin American Citizens
• Sacramento La Raza Network
• Sacramento Homeless Organizing Committee
• Sacramento ACORN
• Sacramento Ridership for the Masses
• Unite Now, Local 75
• International Longshore and Warehouse Union, Local 17
• Sacramento City Taxpayer Rights League
• Union Civica Primero de Mayo
• Gary Miller, president, Association of Federal State County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 146
• Keith Weber, president, Antelope/Highlands Chamber of Commerce
• Sacramento Coalition to Save Public Education
• Richard Greene, president, Stockton Boulevard Business Partnership
• Sacramento Older Women's League
• Marcie Launey, president, Sacramento City Teachers Association

About the writer:

• The Bee's Terri Hardy can be reached at (916) 321-1073 or thardy@sacbee.com.