Posted on 04/23/2010 10:35:45 AM PDT by ConservativeStatement
OOOOOOFDA
The ‘LA Vikings’ has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?
Every time a Twins stadium came up for a statewide vote it was defeated. Clearly the people of Minnesota did not want to subsidize the billionaires. So instead the Hennepin County Commissioners decided to build one by raising the sales tax in my county without giving us a chance to vote on it. And since they are all liberal dooooshbags there is not much we can do about it.
The Vikings will prolly end up with a similar deal.
I read on newsmeat.com the campaign contributions of the owner. Hillary and Obama contributor among others.
“”””””””I read on newsmeat.com the campaign contributions of the owner. Hillary and Obama contributor among others”””””””
Maybe obammy will build us a free one with stimulus money.
I’m guessing the meetings are NOT about them paying for the stadium with private dollars.
It looks like if they’re going to build this thing, it’s going to be in the East Metro. Think about it, Hennepin County is still reeling from that tax hike and they’re not about to build another stadium with another tax hike. Even though this is corporate welfare, stadiums and sporting events have proven itself in this area to be an asset to a community. Just the NHL alone revitalized Saint Paul, and that’s just the NHL. Imagine if it was the NFL.
Sometimes, you have to spend money to make money, and right now, STP needs money. They lost 10 thousand people and it’s going to continue losing people. There’s a severe brain drain that’s happening to Saint Paul and it needs to be curtailed.
Other than oggling at early 20th century architecture and going to a hockey game, there’s nothing really to do in DT STP for those who have the most disposable income. There are few night clubs there, the restaurants there close at 9PM and the entire downtown shuts down at around 6 PM. It’s outright almost hostile to tourists who want to do some shopping.
A stadium would probably bring in the 10-12 yearly football games a year that it would bring as well as bringing in events such as the Final Four and mega rock concerts. Heck, if they build one with a retractable roof, they could have the mother of all Winter Classics every 4 years.
The East Metro needs something more to do rather than sit around Rice Park and oggle at the old buildings in DT STP and it needs a better attraction than the NHL and Garrisson Keilor. And a revitalized Saint Paul will be better for the state of Minnesota. It’s our state capitol. It’s kind of embarrassing that when we bring dignitaries to our state capitol and our second biggest city, they’re pretty much treated to a small town with a skyline.
Every time a Twins stadium came up for a statewide vote it was defeated.
Same happened here in Pittsburgh. Funding for Heinz Field and PNC Park went on the ballot. Lost 60-40 here in town, and went down by 3:1, 4:1, even 5:1 margins in surrounding counties. Did not stop the Democrats. They went back to the drawing board and came up with Plan B, which avoided having it on the ballot.
Now we are forever paying for one of the country’s most beautiful ballparks in which to watch the Pirates lose games 20-0.
LA will have the Jags before the Vikes now that Jax failed to get Tebow.
They were banking on his being there in round two so they could sell enough season tix for the hometown QB to save the franchise. Denver flushed those dreams down the tubes. Goodbye Jax - Hello SoCal.
What is the justification for public subsidies for pro sports in the first place? I understand about civic pride and the prestige of having major league sports. But why does the public have to subsidize these? Since every team in the NFL has guaranteed TV money, they are all profitable businesses. Nobody is losing money because their stadium doesn’t have enough skyboxes.
If they want a new stadium, why can’t they just gather investors and build it themselves, if these stadiums are such great investments, and will attract big events such as Super Bowls and rock concerts?
In the private sector, all sorts of projects, from shopping malls to office buildings to condos are built without public subsidy. Why is a sports stadium any different than building an office building?
As is evidenced by how upset people all over Hennepin county are with the new ball park. Forty thousand people are converging on a nightly basis to express their outrage at this travesty, as hundreds of thousands more vent their rage from in front of their televisions state wide. Oh, the humanity!
Thank God the legislature and sane members of the county commission showed some leadership and ignored the whiny little twits that cried and soiled themselves every time the topic came up. Somehow against all odds, the facility got built. People love it. Everybody with a life has forgotten what all the fuss was about. Schools are still open. Roads still get repaired. Life is better all across town, and a gem sits on the skyline that will be enjoyed for decades by a wide swath of people from all around the region, rich and poor alike. What do we call something like that? Oh yea. A public good.
Go Vikes. Get this done and end all this ridiculous debate once and for all.
Did you feel the same way about 0bamacare?
The “leadership” demonstrated by our “representatives” in knowing what was better for the rest of the nation and ignoring the “whiny little twits who were crying and soiling themselves”.
Just curious.
Through the entire history of the NFL, MLB, NHL, and NBA, somewhere around 120 teams over the course of a century have played almost exclusively in publicly funded stadiums. Public contributions to the construction of new facilities for local teams is a 100 year long tradition and as American as apple pie. There's nothing at all new or radical about it. It's no different than building parks, libraries, and schools.
The Minneapolis Auditorium was built with public money long long ago. Met stadium was built with public money. Met center was built with public money. The St. Paul Civic Center was built with public money. The Metrodome was built with public money. Target Center was built with public money. Excel Energy center was built with public money. Now Target Field has been built with public money. Hopefully, a new Viking stadium will join the long list of prudent, and somewhat trivial, public investments with a long and storied tradition.
Public goods are built with public money because they are, well, public; unlike food stamps grandma's hip replacement. No sector of the economy is taken over in the process. Society wasn't reordered when the Twins came to town, was it? Did the emergence of pro sports in the 20th century mark a major departure from a long and fabulous tradition of self reliance in this country and an assualt on the limited powers of the federal government, as Obamacare has? Didn't think so.
Legislative leaders, he said, are telling him "this is something they want to get done." Wilf also said Friday that officials from the National Football League, at some point, would likely help testify at legislative hearings. "They're very supportive, and they'll be out here," he said. He also left open the possibility Friday that proposals for a new St. Paul Saints baseball stadium and a practice facility for the National Hockey League's Minnesota Wild in downtown St. Paul -- both project being pushed by city officials -- could become part of the Vikings stadium plan. "We're open minded to whatever solution that the legislative body feels appropriate," said Wilf.
http://www.startribune.com/sports/vikings/91933594.html?elr=KArksD:aDyaEP:kD:aU1ccmiUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aU7DYaGEP7vDEh7P:DiUs
“”””””learly the people of Minnesota did not want to subsidize the billionaires.
As is evidenced by how upset people all over Hennepin county are with the new ball park. Forty thousand people are converging on a nightly basis to express their outrage at this travesty, as hundreds of thousands more vent their rage from in front of their televisions state wide. Oh, the humanity!
Thank God the legislature and sane members of the county commission showed some leadership and ignored the whiny little twits that cried and soiled themselves every time the topic came up. Somehow against all odds, the facility got built. People love it. Everybody with a life has forgotten what all the fuss was about. Schools are still open. Roads still get repaired. Life is better all across town, and a gem sits on the skyline that will be enjoyed for decades by a wide swath of people from all around the region, rich and poor alike. What do we call something like that? Oh yea. A public good.
Go Vikes. Get this done and end all this ridiculous debate once and for all. “”””””””
Apparently you are not a resident of Hennepin County and you obviously don’t care about the people having a voice in what the government does. How are things over at DU?
But please enjoy the free stuff that us Hennepin Conty residents have to pay for even though we had no say in the matter.
@#$% the Twins and #%%# the Pohlads.
I can almost see the park from my house, and I'm more than happy to part with a few pennies for such an obviously good thing. Minnesota has been a better place for 50 years then it would have been without the Twins and the Vikings. When push comes to shove, the vast majority of residents agree with that sentiment. The idea that a few nutcase feminist freaks on the county board, or people answering loaded poll questions about subsidizing billionaires represent represents "people having a voice" is absurd. The proposed referendums were equally rigged.
Let's take a poll now on whether the the ball park was a good idea. You suppose the results would be a bit different than before?
The DU comment is ridiculous. This is a local issue, with local monies going to what is quite obviously a public good, unless you think public libraries are a socialistic idea. And please refrain from any Twins water cooler talk, if you don't mind. That's just for us left wing parasites, you know.
So you don’t care about taxation without representation I take it.
Maybe this weekend hussein can sign an executive order implementing the VAT tax. Afterall it’s for the good of the country so who cares what the little people think.
The stadium is swell and all but once the novelty wears off and people get tired of spending 500 bucks to see a baseball game it will be back to the same three thousand fans that usually “filled” the Metrodome.
WELCOME TO FREE REPUBLIC’S MINNESOTA PING LIST!
134 MEMBERS AND GROWING...!
FREEPMAIL ME IF YOU WANT ON OR OFF THIS LIST!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.