Minn. Vikings stadium stalls amid Capitol politics

Yahoo Sports - NFL ^ | May 1, 2012 | By PATRICK CONDON | The Associated Press

[topher]

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) The big push at Minnesota's Capitol to pass a public subsidy for a new Vikings stadium stalled Tuesday, as the proposal got snared in the partisan politics that have defined state government under a Democratic governor and Republican legislative majorities.

The prospect of impending House and Senate floor votes on the $975 million stadium plan appeared to dissolve after Republican legislative leaders unexpectedly debuted a brand-new financing plan that differs significantly from the proposal negotiated by Gov. Mark Dayton's administration, the Vikings and the city of Minneapolis. GOP leaders called for shrinking the proposed $400 million state contribution by an unspecified amount, eliminating the stadium's roof and paying for it with state general bonds rather than tax money from an expansion of legal gambling.

The proposal earned withering scorn from Dayton even before the GOP unveiled it. The Democratic governor called a news conference to blast Republican leaders after hearing third-hand of what he called ''secret meetings'' with the Vikings. He described their proposal as ''fooling around'' and demanded up-or-down House and Senate votes on the original plan.

[BluH2o]

Send a bi-partisan fact finding group to Cincinnati ... I'm sure they'll learn something from the Paul Brown stadium fiasco. The tax payers of Hamilton County took it in the shorts big time.
Mike Brown threatened to leave Cincinnati for greener pastures (LA was rumored) unless he got what he wanted ... a new stadium to replace the old one which hadn't reached the quarter century mark. The city fathers promptly reached over and grabbed their ankles ... the rest is history.

[ops33]

Can you say LA Vikings?

[rigelkentaurus]

taxpayer money for sports stadiums is an abuse of the taxpayer. If a sports team wants a building to play in, they can build one themselves and pay or it. If they cannot afford it, they can just play in an open field or go bankrupt if they are not a viable business. I am sick of taxpayers having their wealth stolen and given to others.

[Waywardson]

Totally agree with you. Glad to see the new GOP standing firm against the mob-rat machine.

[topher]

Update: GOP plan dead and Democratic Governor Dayton's plan will be voted on [unclear if it will pass].

Freerepublic thread [from website Politics in Minnesota]:

[MN] GOP leaders scrap roofless stadium plan, set end-of-session path

[DManA]

I cannot understand how this thing cost a $billion. In constant dollar terms that is 7X more expensive then the Metrodome.