Opinion: Let’s unite and build an arena for the community

As a former Sacramento Kings ballboy (’88-92) and a Sacramentan of Indian decent, I am very proud of the efforts of the community to save our own major league team. I live in the Pocket area (District 7) and I maintain my law practice in midtown (District 4). I am the also the president of the largest community group in District 7, the Greenhaven Soccer Club as well as a board member of the Library Friends at the Robbie Waters branch.

From my community involvement in the Pocket area, the neighborhood is very much energized to support the new arena. Councilmember Darrell Fong’s opposition to the new arena is not reflective of his district. Councilmember Fong has failed to even engage the community to ascertain its desire. His one “public forum” on the arena was the last 15 minutes of a discussion in 2012 regarding water & sewer issues. I have emailed him many times on the arena proposal and he has not once responded to me in any substance. Fong has previously voted to spend precious city dollars on a search for a new city manager and also to put the failed Measure M on the ballot, so he can’t claim to be a financial stalwart. What are his true intentions?

I grew up in a rented duplex as the son of blue collar parents. The connections that I made during my Kings tenure as a teenager have allowed me to be successful in my hometown. Without college educated mentors, my experience as a ballboy was critical. Former players Anthony Bonner and Lionel Simmons helped me with my college entrance essays. Former Sacramento Bee sports journalist R.E. Graswich was very influential in helping me to decide to enroll at Cal-Berkeley. I was even able to parlay my Kings position to a scholarship head team manager on the men’s basketball team at Cal. What about 1000s of people associated with and helped by the Kings every day on a very a personal level like myself? Image all that have been inspired by the team.

Being Indian and with a fairly large community right here in the Sacramento region, we are looking forward to the globalization of the Kings. Being a speaker of Hindi, I am also excited to hear Kings telecasts in that language. Imagine the free public relations, goodwill, etc. by the mere mention of “Sacramento” to the very large democracy of India?

Investors such as Burkle are successful because they fully analyze all financial opportunities. They only get involved if there is a good chance of success. If Burkle and the other investors believe in Sacramento, how come councilmembers Fong and McCarty don’t?

It is also very telling that McCarty and Fong are being nay-says in order bolster their own credentials for potential Assembly runs. They need to show more passion and dedication for Sacramento’s future, rather than political self-interests.

With the closures of the areas military bases, reduction in state payroll, Campbell Soup, Comcast, Coca-Cola, etc. – do we really want to shutter this part of our city too? What about the small business that are ancillary to the big employers?

Let’s do this for Sacramento.