Silverdale Chamber Backs NASCAR Speedway
Steven Gardner

Add the Silverdale Chamber of Commerce to the list of business
groups supporting a plan to build a speedway in Kitsap County.

The chamber issued a written endorsement Tuesday speculating
that race fans would spend a lot of money locally, that the proposed
financing package would not cost local taxpayers additional funds
and that the facility could be used for other purposes.

"We see the potential for use by the Scouts, youth groups, car
clubs, camping groups, equestrians and more," Chamber board
president Gene Straw said in a press release. "It will bring people
into our area from all interest groups and allow us to showcase the
best aspects of life in the Northwest."

International Speedway Corp., through its wholly owned subsidiary
Great Western Sports, proposes a $345 million NASCAR-style
speedway on 950 acres near Bremerton National Airport.

The Silverdale chamber's announcement continues a trend of
business organizations that are offering support for the plan.

The Bremerton, Port Orchard and Shelton chambers, the Kitsap
Peninsula Visitor & Convention Bureau and the Kitsap Economic
Development Council all offered earlier endorsements.

On the other side is a grass-roots effort to get ISC turned down.
Ray McGovern, chairman of the Coalition for Healthy Economic
Choices in Kitsap, said local business groups are being shortsighted
in their support.

"If I have a tourist-related business, you have money coming in the
door, but you don't see the tax dollars going out the door," he
said.

His main contention is that tax dollars shouldn't be used for the
track.

Great Western's proposal calls for $166 million to be financed by
sales tax bonds, though the company specifies that money will
come from funds spent by out-of-state race visitors.

Any public financing would have to be approved by the Legislature,
but legislators as a group have primarily straddled the fence on the
question, saying it may be too late for the session that begins in
January.

http://www.kitsapsun.com/bsun/local/article/0,2403,BSUN_19088_4331346,00.html

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