What part of "No!" don't you understand?
The Star Tribune has an article on some of the reasons why stadium bills are finally advancing this year after all that time stuck in limbo. For the most part, it sounds like the millions of dollars spent by the Twins and Vikings on lobbyists has won over in a slow, grinding, siege kind of way. Plus, legislators want to cover their asses.
Case in point: Senator Dean Johnson said he senses that even the average Joe and Jane share the legislators' weariness. "The public's tired of the issue and want it resolved and to move on," according to him. That's right, we do want it resolved: we want you to keep saying no, over and over. The reason why there hasn't been the public outrage this year as opposed to earlier is because the public assumes that legislators are not young children in terms of intellect. After saying no tax money for stadiums for ten years, we thought that legislators had actually gotten the picture. I guess not.
For all of those legislators who are listening to high-paid lobbyists instead of the people who actually go out to the polls and cast votes, be warned.
posted by MN Politics Guru @ 11:37
5 Comments:
I believe the majority of citizens in MN support this plan and are glad it is finally moving forward.
Kind of like school districts putting out referendums every six months until they pass
I think you're misreading the situation. I believe there's a majority of people in the state who don't want to pay any tax for stadiums, but on the other hand, don't want the major league teams to leave. After 10 years of putzing around, it seems the Twins are finally going to get their stadium, and the anti-stadium forces are either ineffectual or unmotivated to stop it. Why does some guy in Moorhead care if Hennepin County residents have to pay more in sales tax? He doesn't, especially if it means he still gets to watch the Twins on TV.
I'd say the vast majority of Minnesotans DON'T want to give money to millionaires/billionaires, AND at least HALF of the state taxpayers wouldn't even notice if the teams left town. I'd further wager that as many as 25% of the state taxpayers would PREFER that the whiny, overpaid bastards leave town.
I think the Twin Cities is no better or no worse off if the Twins decide to leave the state. Influxes in economic income from the teams generate benefits only in places geographically close to the dome (Parking, Bars) or to Television coverage providers (who will fill air-time with anything, something, if there is a gap from a leaving team).
Most of those influxes could be easily replaced by putting another productive building on that gigantic piece of downtown real estate everyone seems to think is so outdated.
Furthermore, Professional Sports doesn't seem to be the community-building, role-model providing industry it used to be, if it ever was at all (WTG on the Marlboro advertising all those years).
Hennepin County, although reaping the majority of the economic benefits (which again, outside of the team are not really that large), should not be forced to pay an increase in sales tax while the rest of the state enjoys the stadium.
If you think I don't like the idea of a new stadium, you're right. If you think I hate the idea that Hennepin County alone should foot the bill, you underestimate my sentiment.
If I'm the only one subsidizing the stadium plan, then I'd like to reap the benefits for my cash and exclude the freeloaders. Proof of Residence in Hennepin County should be enough to take 15% of the ticket price for any game or event hosted in the new stadium.
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