Two new stadiums, plus $150 million in debt on the to-be-demolished Kingdome, plus the costs of demolition, add up to a corporate welfare scam easily topping $1 billion--and that's before further cost overruns, infrastructure costs and interest on the next 20 years' worth of bonds. But the actual problem is much bigger. Welfare for professional sports has quietly become a major national scandal--one blackmailed city or state at a time.

Stadiums aren't an issue of one or another city that faces loss of a team if it doesn't pony up. The real issue is a highly visible and profitable entertainment industry, owned by some of the nation's wealthiest people, that bases its economic structure on profiting from public expenditures. We pay, they take it to the bank.

How bad is it? Here's an incomplete list of 29 cities either building or facing demands to build playpens for 62 teams in one or more of the four major pro men's team sports:

Seattle: Sure, there's the Mariners, the Seahawks, and the Kingdome debt. But don't forget the year-old Key Arena. Seattle Coliseum was rebuilt for the Sonics mostly with private money, but the city donated admissions taxes and other significant low-Key welfare concessions worth millions.

Portland: A task force is drumming up money and support to build a new baseball and/or football stadium to attract a pro franchise, with ownership probably to be headed by Nike CEO and renowned good guy Phil Knight.

San Francisco: After a ten-year succession of failed ballot box attempts to get the public to build a new baseball stadium for the Giants, one is being built with mostly private financing. The 49ers are now proposing a combination football stadium/mall (their owner is a major shopping mall developer) with private and public funding.

Oakland: The Golden State Warriors are rebuilding their basketball arena this year. Oakland A's and Raiders (football and baseball) both want out of Alameda County Coliseum; the Raiders were promised a new stadium as part of their return to Oakland from Los Angeles last year, and the city of Oakland is now losing oodles of money on the deal.

Los Angeles: After both NFL teams bolted town last year, the scramble is on to build a new state-of-the-art, perhaps $1 billion football stadium to attract a new NFL team. Both baseball teams, the Dodgers and Anaheim Angels, want new stadiums as well; the Dodgers are for sale.

San Diego: Expansion of Jack Murphy Stadium (baseball and football) has been derailed for the moment by a threatened citizen initative, which--if not resolved in the next few weeks--could "force" the NFL to relocate next year's Super Bowl.

Phoenix: Is building a new, retractable-roof baseball stadium for an expansion team due to start play next year. The football team, the Arizona Cardinals, wants a new stadium, too. Basketball and hockey got a new arena a couple years ago.

San Antonio: The San Antonio Spurs are threatening to move if a new arena isn't built to replace the Alamodome, which opened about ten years ago.

Houston: The football team (Oilers) is apparently moving after not getting their dream stadium, but voters last fall approved a new stadium to keep the Astros baseball club. The city is also trying to attract an NHL hockey franchise.

Minneapolis: A convoluted deal to sell the state of Minnesota 49% of the Minnesota Twins as part of a new stadium package appears to be unravelling. The football Vikings also want a new stadium; and neighboring St. Paul is promising a new hockey arena to attract an NHL team.

Milwaukee: While the publicly owned Green Bay Packers enjoy the limelight, the Milwaukee Brewers (once the Seattle Pilots, and now owned by baseball commissioner, Bud Selig) have failed in several legislative and ballot attempts so far to get a new park. The city also wants a new hockey team.

Chicago: The Bears are shopping throughout Chicago and Northwest Indiana for a new State-of-the-Avarice football site.

Memphis: Efforts to build a new football stadium to attract an NFL team appear to have died down.

Nashville: A new football stadium is being built to bring the Houston Oilers to town in two years. A new basketball/hockey arena built three years ago has yet to have similar success luring a team.

Atlanta: On the heels of massive public underwriting of 1996 Summer Olympics facilities, a new baseball stadium will open this spring. The football stadium opened a couple years ago.

Tampa Bay: A new baseball stadium awaits an expansion baseball franchise in St. Petersburg. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (football), after threatening to move for years, finally got approval for a new stadium this past fall.

Miami: The Florida Panthers hockey team wants a new arena. Baseball's Florida Marlins want a new stadium. Charlotte: The Beehive, considered state-of-the-art when it was built for basketball's expansion Charlotte Hornets less than ten years ago, now "needs" replacement. Erickson Stadium opened for football's Carolina Panthers this past fall.

Cincinnati: Baseball has a team the city loves and a vile owner. Football has a beloved owner and an horrid team. Both want separate new stadiums.

Columbus: Trying to lure an NHL hockey expansion team with promises of a new arena.

Cleveland: In the highest-profile franchise shift in years, Cleveland lost its football team when it wouldn't match the extravagant offer of the state of Maryland. It's building a new stadium anyway, for a promised expansion team; both the baseball and basketball teams got new city-funded homes in the last five years.

Detroit: Only about 15 years old, the Silverdome (football and basketball) is being torn down as both teams got new homes. Baseball's venerable Tiger Stadium is also being replaced in the next two years.

Toronto: Both the basketball and hockey teams want new arenas; it appears they will be separate new facilities.

Washington DC: Northern Virginia investors want a new suburban stadium to lure baseball. On the Maryland side, after a huge bill to build new baseball and football stadiums in Baltimore in the last five years, state residents are facing yet another bill to pay for the new suburban stadium opening for football's Washington Redskins.

New York City: Baseball's Yankees have been playing a bidding war between NYC and New Jersey to see who will finance a $1 billion plus new stadium.

Long Island: The Islanders want a new hockey arena.

Boston: Fenway Park is the third of the remaining very old ballparks to be headed for rubble. Meanwhile, the New England Patriots are shopping all over Massachusetts and Rhode Island for a willing football site. A hockey and basketball facility, the Fleet Center, opened last year.

Add in payments for existing facilities and all the other public subsidies these games take in each city, plus national breaks like baseball's notorious exemption from federal anti-trust laws. The total bill, nationally, for direct public bankrolling of this immensely profitable private industry comes to many billions each year. Does Paul Allen really need more of our money?