Vikings stadium: House passes bill; Senate remains last obstacle

pioneer press ^ | 5-10-12 | doug belden

[TurboZamboni]

The Minnesota House passed the conference committee version of the Vikings stadium bill early Thursday, May 10, leaving Senate approval as the last obstacle before the bill would head to Gov. Mark Dayton's desk.

The bill passed 71-60 after about two hours of debate on the floor.

The conference committee bill raises the amount the team would pay by $50 million. The team's contribution is now $477 million, up from $427 million.

That drops the state's contribution from $398 million to $348 million. Minneapolis' contribution remains unchanged at $150 million.

[TurboZamboni]

some other key issues were resolved in the conference committee bill:

-- Vikings retain stadium naming rights. -- St. Paul gets $2.7 million annual payment to offset investment in Minneapolis, likely to help build a new St. Paul Saints ballpark.

-- Construction cost overruns are the responsibility of the builder; operating cost overruns are responsibility of public stadium authority.

-- Minneapolis retains charter exemption language designed to allow it to spend money to renovate Target Center.

-- Sports-themed tipboards survive but are not taxed.

[ZULU]

Tax payer dollars should NOT be used to pay for a stadium that will reap millions for a sports team!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Buckeye McFrog]

likely to help build a new St. Paul Saints ballpark.

awww, sheeesh.....REALLY???

We're talkin' low "A" independent minor leagues here. What next? Will Bemidji hold out for a new curling arena?

[Daveinyork]

Amen. The owners are billionaires and the players are millionaire, and they demand that the taxpayere, most of whom are neither, build them their playpens. Most of those taxpayers will never see the inside of those stadiums, except on TV. This is why I no longer watch spectator sports. I think talk radio hosts need to get their heads on straight about this.

[kingu]

I never blame a business for trying to take advantage of the economic climate it is in. The problem isn't with the team demanding that the state and city finance and pay for their stadium, the problem is that elected officials think so little of the public’s money that they feel able to do this in the first place.

The people of Minnesota should target every supporter of this and kick them out of office.

[dangus]

$100 per ticket per game per fan
60000 fans per game
8 games per season

---

$48,000,000 per season.

Based on that, the ballpark is probably worth $250,000,000 total.

[Fair Paul]

The NFL has a cult like hold on politicians, media and fans alike. It takes on many elements of a deity. If Roger Goodell dictated a policy whereby eye contact with him is forbidden, many would just go along.

[The Great RJ]

Perhaps there should be an incentive amendment that if the Vikes fail to win a minimum number of games in a season or do not make it to the Super Bowl in the next 5 years the players salaries will be docked by half and used to pay back Minnesota taxpayers.

[TurboZamboni]

A better bet for taxpayers would be for every player DUI or assault arrest, Ziggy pays an extra million toward the financing.

[TurboZamboni]

dig deep enough and that’s probably buried in some bonding bill along with $ for puppet theatre.

[TurboZamboni]

yet the unionistas are down at the capitol in their hardhats waving “build it” signs...
taking a day off from protesting the rich “1%” .

hypocrital assclowns.

[wallcrawlr]

Stadium passes Senate.

The “when are we getting a new stadium” news cycle is officially over.

[TurboZamboni]

all the leftist sports writers around here are singing the praises of Gov. Googlyeyes and his couragous arm twisting of his fellow leftist cohorts in the legislature for passing this despite their hatred of evil billionaires and millionaires.