Landlord pays for building upgrades for tenant.

Lester 'whitest dude ever' Black’s man-bun gets in a twist.

How about the entire $135 million back to renters and the Mariners pay their own rent and maintenance? That would truly be nice.

"Mariners pay their own rent and maintenance? "

The Mariners do pay rent. Over their 25 year lease (signed in 2018) the Mariners will contribute some $650 million dollars to the PFD and the ballpark. So King County is will net $515 million.

And are you suggesting rants be in charge of maintenance of their buildings in Seattle?

Hey! Isn't this Nathalie's issue to cry leftist tears over? Get back in your corner, Man Bun.

Remember kids: Socialism is only for billionaires.

A drop in the bucket. Literally.

@3: Try doing something other than trolling. Lester's point is that the Mariners' contribution to the PFD and SafeCo Field ballpark, in their signed 25-year lease agreement, and in order for the King County budget to pass for a net of $515 million-- $135 million of that approved funding that was initially meant for affordable housing ended up going to corporate interests instead.

"$135 million of that approved funding that was initially meant for affordable housing ended up going to corporate interests instead."

Yep, and it's turning an amazing return over 25 years. $650 million total pumped into the local economy by the Mariner's investments.

If you think you can get that kind of return from the junkies under I5 let me suggest you take your life spendings and prove us wrong.

Great Headline.

When you frame it like that, it puts the transaction into proper perspective -- maybe not from a Chamber of Commerce POV, but from a taxpaying Citizen's. Thank you, Mr. Black!

@10

So true.

Here’s another headline: My brother spent $85,000 on a BMW this year therefore depriving me of money to pay for my holiday in Italy.

It's the kind of logic you develop as a college sophomore.

@11

Gosh -- if only I'd gotten through high school!
Thanks!

@6 YOU GOT IT RIGHT.

The rest of us are tough out of luck.
We aren’t getting help with housing or our non housing but numerous former frat boys are getting help with their hobbies.
Seattle -a playground for the rich-. Its out in the open the rest of us are being played and many cannot even afford to go to the games. Once again class war!

@11 -- oh, wait -- is your beef with me or with the Writer, Mr. Black?

And how does your Headline relate to Handouts, Professor?

(I get it, your brother hates you, but have you tried Educating him?)
(I've learned tonnes, already!)

"The rest of us are tough out of luck. "

Really? No billionaire here but 401Ks and Roth IRAs are doing great, looks like we'll have nice retirement, hopefully somewhere sunny.

The kids' 529 plans are well on their way to paying for at least 2/3 of their college expenses, the rest we may pull from the house since we have so much equity, but only if rates are still low. So much money in our HSA I'm almost seeking out medical care to spend it on.

Our home in Seattle? Well, you all know about that one. See above.

The wife got a 20% raise and sweet bonus (which we blew on a ski vacation he hell, ya gotta live right?). She's no billionaire but looks set to retire by 60.

So tell me again how it's only billionaires doing well? Because me and the wife are not but certainly don't sound like the losers you are.

Oh, and I got some sweet ass seats to see The Rolling Stones at that other stadium.

@9: A lot of homeless could benefit from affordable housing, the junkie subset under I5 however couldn't care less.

15

First, they came for the Unions.
Meaning, they'll get to you, eventually.

But, it sounds like you (and yours!) are really making a Killing!
Cheers! (More cake?) Say 'Howdy' to the Kochs, Addledsons
and maybe even The Bannon™ for me, wouldja?

Ready for Fire Season?

@17 I’m assuming you don’t have a Roth then?

@18

Think the Planet'll be around, long enough for you to Spend yours?

(boy oh boy! you sure do pop up [then disappear!] a Lot!)

[who's next? 'Got My Cake & Am Eating Yours Too'?]
[I dare ya!]

Trust me, I’m spending plenty now.

Happy spending!
Oh & mind the Unexploded Ordnance:
Just say NO to clusterbombs.

(Ah, what's to worry, right? You can probably get wonderful replacement parts there
for about 1/6 the cost) (and 'Donors,' a dime/a dozen?)

If only we could all be as prudent and disciplined as the guy that spends all of his time trolling The Stranger's blog under a million different sock puppet accounts, we'd live in a veritable utopia! Poverty would end! How foolish we've all been.

@22 Well, at a minimum you wouldn't fall for the "only the 1% are surviving" meme and you'd enjoy some nice vacations and Christmas presents.

Plus you'd have time to come giggle at the green haired baristas with infected lip rings on Slog wondering why can't afford to eat at Canlis once in a while.

@6: ProfessorHistory: Spot on for the win! Why didn't I catch your comment earlier?
@9 scruffy the hashtag troll: I'm not a junkie under age 15. Read my comment again, provided you're literate.
@13 Ivy R. Nightscales and @19 kristofarian: I know, right?

"Well, at a minimum you wouldn't fall for the "only the 1% are surviving" meme." --Prolific Sock Puppy

Yes. How on Earth could anyone fall for THAT tired ole meme?!

Here's Chris Hedges on the "sustainabilty" of our wonderful Capitalism: "Europeans and Americans have spent five centuries conquering, plundering, exploiting and polluting the earth in the name of human progress. They used their technological superiority to create the most efficient killing machines on the planet, directed against anyone and anything, especially indigenous cultures, that stood in their way. They stole and hoarded the planet’s wealth and resources. They believed that this orgy of blood and gold would never end, and they still believe it. They do not understand that the dark ethic of ceaseless capitalist and imperialist expansion is dooming the exploiters as well as the exploited."

There's LOTS more: https://www.truthdig.com/articles/reign-of-idiots/

One more taste: "When capitalism thrives, we are assured, we thrive. The merging of the self with the capitalist collective has robbed us of our agency, creativity, capacity for self-reflection and moral autonomy. We define our worth not by our independence or our character but by the material standards set by capitalism—personal wealth, brands, status and career advancement. We are molded into a compliant and repressed collective.

This mass conformity is characteristic of totalitarian and authoritarian states. It is the Disneyfication of America, the land of eternally happy thoughts and positive attitudes. And when magical thinking does not work, we are told, and often accept, that we are the problem. We must have more faith. We must envision what we want. We must try harder. The system is never to blame. We failed it. It did not fail us."

Trolls making assertions without evidence may be ignored without prejudice, but it's much more fun to point and laugh.

I would be a little worried about this person's multiple-personality disorder, though, but since it appears to be self-inflicted, nah. Fug em.

"Because me and the wife are not but certainly don't sound like the losers you are."

Money can't cure everything... "Me and the wife," indeed.