Posted on 11/20/2010 8:55:16 AM PST by ConservativeStatement
In the past two days, as Republicans have laid out their plans for taking control of the Minnesota Legislature, there is one subject they have, surprisingly, not shied away from: a new stadium for the Minnesota Vikings.
While the new Republican leaders say that balancing the state budget and cutting government are their top priorities come January, they have also talked about the likelihood next year of addressing a new stadium for the team, whose lease expires after the 2011 season. Republican officials acknowledge that the Vikings already have made contact with incoming Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch.
(Excerpt) Read more at startribune.com ...
Here in Seattle, liberals forced 2 down our throats......and they're across the street from each other.
I don't the the government at any level should be involved in the financing, ownership or management of these sports facilities.
If you can afford to pay an uneducated rube $100M to catch a football, you can afford to build your own stadium.
No wonder they can't win a G-d d@mn super bowl!
They are nothing but a bunch of dependents!
Nope, it's unfair.
What if one is a fishing or skydiving enthusiast?
They should have our government support too!
I think you might be in the majority opinion on this one.
So many cities have built new stadiums in recent years, and they are often sold as economic development projects. The results from city after city are very mixed. Some seem to have generated some other urban renewal and redevelopment of blighted areas, but, none that I know of have generated the predicted amounts of increased tax revenues, economic development, etc.
Anecdotal evidence is that a big impact of the new stadiums is to markedly increase the market value of sports franchises. A few owners have sold their teams after a few years of being in a new stadium, and were rewarded handsomely for the investment.
I wonder too if the public may sour on some professional sports. Just anecdotal evidence again, but a number of people I know have soured on the thuggish behavior off the field and off the court of many NBA and NFL players. Which in turn has caused these people to not follow these sports anymore. Which long term, will erode the fan bases of these sports.
And the new stadiums and arenas are geared towards renting skyboxes to the affluent and corporate executives. A key reason they build these places the way they do is to accomodate skyboxes. If those folks decide to spend their money some other way, the sports team owners could take a big financial hit in the future.
What I really object to is using eminent domain to condemn land for these stadia. How is this a public purpose?
On a conservative website, you will not be in the minority. This sort of corporate welfare is alien to conservatism.
I’m against a public bailout for the uber-rich NFL. It goes against everything I believe in.
If the NFL wants a new stadium, let em build it on their own dime and on their own time.
That is worth repeating. And if my memory serves me correctly, didn't the NFL support Democrat candidates in this last election? They've made their bed, now they can lie in it. After all, isn't the Pontiac Silverdome available?
I suspect that the Minnesota DNR and the small airports in the state get some money from the general fund.
I have a lot less problem with this than I have with direct transfer payments.
A new stadium? They should be a lot more concerned with a NEW QUARTERBACK!!!!
(When you’re worried about the Detroit Lions overtaking you in the standings, something needs to be done!)
“I know I’ll probably be in the minority, but these municipal stadium deals are nothing other than millionaire (even billionaire) welfare.
I don’t the the government at any level should be involved in the financing, ownership or management of these sports facilities.
If you can afford to pay an uneducated rube $100M to catch a football, you can afford to build your own stadium.”
—Well put.
I could not agree more. Nothing is "public" if it costs in excess of $60 to participate.
Eminent domain is COMPLETELY out of hand.
I totally agree with you.
Doesn't everything?
A ping pong table in the recreation room of ones house should be government funded too and open to the public who can afford admission.
That way crones can have their homes paid for by the public too.
Soon, private property will be a term of history.
Perhaps they could take Romo.
“I know I’ll probably be in the minority, but these municipal stadium deals are nothing other than millionaire (even billionaire) welfare.”
Why would you be in the minority? There’s no reason that these stadiums need to constantly be rebuilt. If a team can afford to pay its employees $10-million per year, let them pay for their own stadiums. Plenty of businesses operate without this nonsensical need for taxpayer dollars.
Funny how we’ll fork over billions to watch spoiled babies play.
I personally think a stadium is a good investment to the community IF and that’s a big IF: it does some of the following.
Secure at least 3 final fours
Secure a superbowl
Secure a wrestlemania event
Secure a major convention
The whole argument of building stadiums for millionare players and billionre owners smacks of class warfare and shortsightedness. We already build million dollar parks, arenas, school gyms, school parks and community centers for people that can host events in their own private property. Difference is, they don’t generate the revenue or civic pride that an NFL team does.
I like to think of an NFL or MLB stadium as a giant community center for a really big community, which Minneapolis/Saint Paul is (Combined population urban:600K, Metro:3M, CSA 3.1M). A an area this large needs a large community center for events for large communities. Without one, we don’t generate money from people from smaller, surrounding communities.
I’ll expand on this later.
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