Although this is not in the least bit surprising given the ineptitude of our local/state government, it’s pretty much a done deal that Senate Bill 6116, which would have been the last chance to provide funding to help expand KeyArena, (among other things) is not going to make it out of session.

Essentially, this means that Clay Bennett, the weaselly rat-bastard who, in cahoots with NBA Commissioner David Stern, hijacked the Seattle SuperSonics, will get to keep the $30 million he agreed to pay to the city as part of the fleecing settlement reached in the botched trial to keep the Sonics in Seattle.

The legislature had to pass funding by the end of the 2009 session and then the NBA would have to bypass Seattle for five years in order for Bennett to fork over the dough, but our government couldn’t even be enticed by easy money, failing even to get to step one.

So, don’t hold your breath for the NBA’s return anytime soon, or the relocation of an NHL team for that matter. KeyArena is so small, and in need of real work, that no owner in his right mind would take on the chore of fixing it up. Forget the fanciful notion that owners should buy and build their own arenas – the pro sports model rarely works that way – it’s up to local and state government to make their cities more vibrant and healthy, and ours apparently doesn’t care.

So for all the folks who say “Hooray!” to this news, I hope you’re happy watching Seattle Center slowly rot away. Ghostly KeyArena, decaying Memorial Stadium, failing Experience Music Project, deserted “Fun Center”, broken-down monorail – boy, that sounds like a fun place to be!

And somewhere, perhaps with a fresh pair of cowboy boots propped up on his desk, Clay Bennett is cackling like a maniac. The hick fleeced us big-city folks again.