The Sonics did not get what they wanted from Olympia this year but the backroom maneuvering will continue because there seems to be an everlasting desire of our political leaders to build stadiums for multimillionaires even when the people oppose the idea.

We find little support for extending the taxpayer's pocket to replace or upgrade a facility that was upgraded a mere decade and a year ago.

When the Seattle School District says it needs more money, we hear legislators mumble about the district getting its act together, even though the state constitution requires education be a primary business of the state.

We had to restrain all-out laughter when the politicians in Olympia and the mayor and City Council said, with very serious faces, that the taxpayers would make the final decision on whatever package was eventually put together. Just like the decision on the shrine to millionaire baseball players and owners? We voted No, but the political leaders said we were not seeing the big picture and so they substituted our decision with their own.

The result is we are paying for four sports palaces even though one was blown up a few years ago.

Developers manage to finance new skyscrapers, malls and condominiums without our help, so what about the millionaires owning the Sonics figuring out their own plan without our help.

People enjoy the great playing of the women of the Storm and might even enjoy the Sonics if they had a worthy team, but enough is enough.

Let's fix our schools, our decrepit roads, highways and bridges and maybe even a skateboard park or two for our youth.

After that is done, maybe we will look again at a gold-leaf playpen for the rich.