Thanks for posting this. When I first heard this preposterous idea I cringed.  I believe it's unconstitutional according to the MN Legacy Amendment decided by voters.  But, hey I thought that corporations buying elections was unconstitutional, too.  Despite being a Vikings fan, this is a move I will fight.  Disgusting.

Sucks.

Between the random cuts to people on disability, the outright attacks on folks who are gay and wanting to raid the Legacy funding to pay for a monopolistic, financially closed, limited benefit enterprise such as a sports stadium, this legislative session has my fists itching like none other. 

If they want the funding so bad without the courage of their convictions to raise taxes to do so and face the music for it, let them do what the legacy folks did and propose a statewide referendum, we'll see just how beloved the 1-5 Vikings are. 

Do people seriously think it is a good climate for a sports team to go begging to other cities to pay for stadiums? I think the team is bluffing and if not ... eh. Rules need to change so teams can be community owned, much like, *gasp* Green Bay. That small market team has been more successful than most of its big market competitors.

Fuck the bastards who want to do this, fuck them sideways, and fuck the horse they rode in on ... seriously.

I like your idea Edgeways - Statewide referendum.  And I'd almost certainly vote for it, too.  But they need to keep their paws off the legacy dollars.

Jessige, I am not a huge football fan, but am given to understand that the NFL now has a rule that essentially no one else can do what Green Bay has done.

Anybody want to guess which legislators are proposing this? (r v. D)

Regardless of what one thinks about NFL football, siphoning off Legacy Amendment funds to build Ziggy Wylf a stadium would set an amazingly terrible constitutional precedent.

Jadiaz, a fair reading of the referendum, I guess (although by that standard, Target could be argued to be part of Minnesota cultural heritage, as could Northwest Airlines).

But the actual program is more narrow, I think.  See below.

Now, since the Vikings are outdoors, if the Hunters want to give up their percentage of the Legacy fund...  No, I wouldn't support that either.


The current general sales and use tax rate is 6.5%. Sales tax revenue is deposited in the state General Fund. The amendment will increase the general sales and use tax rate by three-eighths of one percentage point (0.375%) to 6.875% and dedicate the additional proceeds as follows:
- 33% to a newly created Outdoor Heritage Fund to be spent only to restore, protect, and enhance wetlands, prairies, forests, and habitat for game, fish, and wildlife (approximately $80 million in FY 2010 and $91 million in FY 2011);
- 33% to a newly-created Clean Water Fund to be spent only to protect, enhance, and restore water quality in lakes, rivers, streams, and groundwater, with at least 5% of the fund spent to protect drinking water sources (approximately $80 million in FY 2010 and $91 million in FY 2011);
- 14.25% to a newly created Parks and Trails Fund to be spent only to support parks and trails of regional or statewide significance (approximately $35 million in FY 2010 and $39 million in FY 2011);
- 19.75% to a newly created Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund to be spent only for arts, arts education, and arts access, and to preserve Minnesota's history and cultural heritage (approximately $48 million in FY 2010 and $54.5 million in FY 2011).

Despite how we all feel about tax dollars going to pay for this stadium, we all need to realize that it will cost us more if we do not do it now.

Labor, building and property costs will only go higher as time lapses. If we don't build the stadium now, we will be buying an expansion franchise 10 years down the road just like we did with the Lakers and the North Stars.

If we wait until that point, not only will we be paying some other richie-rich to help him build a stadium who will be less likely to reinvest in the area, which the Wilfs obviously are trying to do with their proposed Arden Hills site. We will also be paying almost a 1 billion dollar franchise fee for the new team along with the stadium.

The Vikings stadium will easily pay for itself over the course of the next 25 years in the form of tax revenue from ticket sales, merchandise, food and beverage and travel; not to mention all the money we get from the fans in the Dakotas and Iowa.

I just wish they where as focused and creative about paying for QOL issues that affect more people. Cut Health and Human services multiple years in a row, less funding for higher education ... and yet a special session to figure out how to pay to build a stadium for people who could afford it in the first place? I get people like the professional sports, that's cool. Cheering on your favorite team is a great way to waste some time. But, seriously? Here and now? Priorities. This is nothing but corporate welfare, in an age where people are screaming about fiscal responsibility. 

Saying that pro sports teams pay for themselves is not a clear cut truth. There is the assumption that dollars spent on sports tickets would not be spent elsewhere, which is highly dubious. What about fans from outside the area who will surely stay overnight in a hotel? Well that accounts for about 20% and "outside the area" has traditionally included folks who live 30 miles away ... they aren't staying in a hotel.

I'm not dissing pro sports. I, frankly, am not a huge sports consumer, but I understand the attraction and a lot of people enjoy it. But, we have to regularly have ballot questions to help with school funding, we have a ballot question next month to see if we can pay for our libraries and parks for goodness sake. They are things that are open to everyone. But, the Minnesota legislature seems poised to either raid a separate fund, or to raise taxes in some county or city to hand over gobs of cash for a private, monopolistic, secretive venture.

Pro sports, yeah, great, fantastic. Public financing of the same? Christ, give me a break.

Indeed. "Why Do Mayors Love Sports Stadiums?"

A stadium for NFL games is really the place where highly paid people make their living.  Why is it our job to pay for their work place?  We don't usually pay to build plants or retail centers; the businesses who will profit from those facilities pay for them.  Statistics show that pro sports stadiums do not increase business in the neighborhoods they locate.  On the contrary, they suck up all the money and restaurants and other businesses located in the area generally suffer.

American Football sucks ass. Jus sayin. 

It's actually a joke all around the world. Padding and whinging injured wankers - who what? 'Try' to 'play' a 'sport' for a few months for a living?  And how long do they actually play/work for their over-inflated salaries? 

And do people really care about the bi-queens anymore?
If so, I can surely imagine their mentality: vikings, football, tv, food, remote control, cavemen sorts. fuckthatshit/noise.

The Arts deserve way more than the arm-chair-sports droolers could ever understand/comprehend. Legislators... they're just as Fuck-tarded**, as we've seen over and over again.

 **A mentally disabled person is born that way, whereas, a Fucktard makes a choice.

Make the right choice.

Why is it OK to take tax dollars for UMD to build Amsoil up here, but not the Vikings?

I wasn't entirely comfortable with that either, however, there is one glaring difference. Amsoil wasn't built for private ownership, predominately single team use. Also a hell of a lot cheaper.

By threatening to move unless they get a large chunk of tax money I think it is form of extortion. What I am saying is that like the Legacy folks, let the issue of a tax raise go to a referendum. I may not be pleased with the results, but at least I could accept it a lot easier.

Why is it all gimmie gimmie gimmie? Why can't they get a loan? Or pay back the people who pay for their stadium?