Bumped. This is important. Send your letters if you have not already. — TZ

We showed the world why Sacramento deserves to keep our Kings. Now let's show the City Council how important this is to us outside the arena.

Below the jump we have a sample letter that we are encouraging everyone to send to the members of the Sacramento City Council, four of whom voted this week to essentially kill the progress, and all of whom will be making critical votes on critical components in the coming weeks. Staff will soon be recommending negotiations with parking operators, and hopefully, a term sheet with one bidder. We need 'yes' votes. That 5-4 vote this week? Way, way too close for comfort. That was damn near the Horry Shot. We need a Bibby Shot to get back, and we need to hit our free throws. (I'm stretching, right? I'm tired.)

Whether you live in Sacramento or Timbuktu, you are here because you are a Sacramento Kings fan. Please help this push to let the Council know that this is important. The sample letter — which you should absolutely feel free to personalize — and the email addresses are below the jump.

Let's get loud again.

Dear Councilmember,

I am writing to urge you to support the city staff's recommendation on the proposal to lease parking facilities in order to generate capital needed to construct a new entertainment and sports complex in downtown Sacramento.

Boosting the Sacramento economy should be our No. 1 priority right now. A new entertainment complex at the Railyards would generate an estimate $157 million in regional revenue annually, $100 million of that just in downtown. The local tax base will be increased by an estimated $6.7 million per year. That's money that can help pay the police officers and firefighters our community needs long-term.

We'll begin seeing those returns immediately, as the development of the project could create up to 4,000 sorely needed construction jobs downtown, and development of additional area parcels currently sitting idle could add thousands more to that tally. Building a new entertainment complex also keeps the thousands of jobs tied to arena operation in Sacramento. We can't afford to lose those jobs. The proposed developers of the project have entered an agreement with regional labor groups to keep those jobs local.

This proposal has unprecedented support from labor, from business and from the hundreds of thousands of residents who enjoy first-class entertainment options like NBA basketball, the music industry's top acts and so much more. This is a historic opportunity to help secure Sacramento's economic future, and it's one we can't afford to pass up.

Please join me in supporting the staff proposal on funding a new downtown entertainment and sports complex.

Sincerely,

[YOUR NAME]

***

Here are the email addresses to use.

aashby@cityofsacramento.org
jschenirer@cityofsacramento.org
ssheedy@cityofsacramento.org
scohn@cityofsacramento.org
rkfong@cityofsacramento.org
kmccarty@cityofsacramento.org
bpannell@cityofsacramento.org
dfong@cityofsacramento.org