[topher]

Governor Dayton's plan (Democratic Governor) is to expand gambling and use tax money from that expansion to fund this [aka, the MOB and the Democratic Party in bed with each other].

The GOP, on the other hand, is proposing cutting back on the state's contribution to the new stadium, and make it an NFL stadium without a roof [AKA, like Green Bay's home field advantage]. They would float bonds to fund this.

Clearly, the GOP is doing the right thing by the taxpayers of Minnesota. In my opinion, expanding gambling is a bad thing. Floating bonds is not a good thing, but the NFL is a multi-billion dollar industry, so keeping the Vikings in Minnesota IS A SOUND FINANCIAL INVESTMENT!

[Perdogg]

One of the ways they want to cut cost is to eliminate the roof.

[KarlInOhio]

so keeping the Vikings in Minnesota IS A SOUND FINANCIAL INVESTMENT!

Upwards of a billion dollars for 8 games a year for around 25-30 years of useful life? If you assume $1 billion for 240 games and 60,000 people per game that comes to $70 per ticket. Yikes.

It would be nice if our current fiscal problems force local governments across the country to jointly say "NO!" to these playgrounds. Some teams may move trying to find the last cities willing to screw their taxpayers to pay for the stadiums, but hopefully the game of musical chairs will end when fewer than 32 cities are willing to pay for them. Let the owners, advertisers and ticket buyers pay for them and leave our tax bills out of it.

[BerniesFriend]

I love pro football..but if I were in the legislature..I would tell the vikes to pound sand..the NFL is a multi-billion dollar enterprise..build your own damn stadium..that way the Vikes get to keep all of the money themselves and don’t have to hit up cash-strapped states..my two cents..

[Night Hides Not]

Time to put the NFL on the spot: as a condition for public funding, guarantee that two Super Bowls will be played at the new stadium (over the next 10-12 years).

[starlifter]

Footbal stadiums are welfare for rich people.

Let them pay them themselves.

[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.

[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