NBA; Bus Service & the IRS.

If you want to highlight contradictions in priorities just follow the money.

If you're a sports fan, you know the NBA nixed the Sacramento Kings moving to Seattle to replace the long-departed Sonics.The NBA owners voted against the move even though Chris Hansen offered more than $406-million for a 65 per cent portion of the Kings. In other words, the Kings would have been worth $625-million - the most ever bid for any NBA team.

Getting nearly non-stop coverage on many radio and TV stations, that NBA story tended to overwhelm another story in the region: 400 people turning out in King County for a public hearing on Metro transit service funding. King County Metro, like transit services in other parts of the state, is faced with declining revenues. So they're considering a 17% cut in service, eliminating 65 routes and reducing dozens of others.You can get full details here. Because of a $60-million shortfall, thousands of people who count on transit service may see the total disappearance of the bus they take to work, or school, or the doctor's office.

Sure, it's apples and oranges.Transit is a public service provided by public dollars.The NBA is a private business funded by private dollars. Private, that is, until you start to think about public funding for a stadium or an arena and all the public services required for such a facility - security, traffic, roads, infrastructure - all supported by tax dollars. Remember when voters said 'no' twice to a new Seattle baseball stadium?

And while it may be an unfair comparison, you could look at these two stories and come to the conclusion that a single investor can come up with more than $400-million for a basketball team, but, as a society, we can't come up with $60-million to avoid dumping 65 important bus routes.

If - or when - Seattle eventually gets an NBA team, any bets on bus service to the new arena being cut?

And speaking of money and tax dollars, who isn't concerned about the IRS apparently targeting certain political groups?  After all, it's all over the cable news. A guest on Fox News even compared the IRS 'scandal' to Nazi Germany.  But what isn't getting nearly as much coverage is why some of those groups were being targeted. They were set up as non-profits, so they pay little or no taxes. But in reality they are spending, in some cases, millions of dollars to support political candidates or political initiatives.

If you pay attention to mainstream news coverage, this week you heard a lot about Seattle not getting an NBA team. You didn't hear nearly so much about thousands of people possibly losing their bus service. If you watch the cable news channels, you hear a lot about the IRS 'scandal.'  But you don't hear much about why those groups and organizations are allowed to function as non-profits.

Fortunately, there are ways for a determined news consumer to get the real story, not just the glitz and scandal coverage that's available so many places..."All Jody Arias, All the Time!" But with declining newspaper staffs and commercial broadcast consolidation, finding alternative voices and important issues can be tougher than landing a new NBA team.