Capitol View: March 14, 2012 Archive

Dayton lobbies Legislature as stadium hearing starts

Posted at 2:12 PM on March 14, 2012 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature, Mark Dayton, Vikings stadium

Gov. Dayton sent a letter to members of the Senate Local Government and Elections Committee urging them to approve a Vikings stadium bill. The committee is the first stop for the bill and it isn't certain whether the bill will make it through committee. Dayton reminded lawmakers that the financing from the electronic pull-tab is solid despite reports otherwise.

"I believe it is sound, reliable and sufficient to finance the state's share of this project," Dayton wrote. "Anyone who says otherwise is speaking without my authorization and is seriously misrepresenting my position. Futhermore, everyone trying to dismantle this proposal, without offering a better one, is clearly trying to defeat this bill"

Sen. Julie Rosen, R-Fairmont, Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission Chair Ted Mondale and Vikings lobbyist Lester Bagley urged the committee to pass the bill. He said the Metrodome has outlived its usefulness.

"It's the smallest stadium in the league," Bagley said. "It will no longer sustain an NFL team. We're at the bottom of the NFL in stadium revenues and fan experience."

Several business and labor leaders also signaled their support for the bill.

Mondale told the committee that state's $398 million contribution will be returned by taxes from player salaries, Vikings employees, other teams and sales taxes from the games.

"The state payback in gross dollars over a 33 year period of time would be $450 million more that the state would get back than the state would put in on this particular project."

But several members expressed skepticism about those numbers. Sen. Roger Chamberlain cited studies that said sports stadiums don't generate the expected return on investment.

"I want a stadium, I want you guys to stay here but I think the impact and the return to the state has proven to be zero."

Other critics, including a lobbyist for the Minnesota Family Council, said expanding electronic gambling is bad public policy.

"We're going to build a stadium to a significant degrees on the backs of problem gamblers," Prichard said. "In fact, the state will have a vested interst in having more people become addicted to and spend more money gambling over a 30 year period in order to pay off the bonds."

It isn't certain whether the committee will approve the bill. Bipartisan supporters of the stadium were busy working legislators before the committee started.

Here's Dayton's letter:

3 14 12 GMD Local Gov Elections Commee (2)

AFP says it hasn't endorsed Byberg

Posted at 4:00 PM on March 14, 2012 by Catharine Richert
Filed under: Campaign 2012

The non-profit group Americans for Prosperity wants to make this clear: it has not endorsed Lee Byberg for Congress.

Byberg, who is seeking the Republican endorsement to run against 7th District DFL Rep. Collin Peterson, includes Americans for Prosperity under the "Endorsements" section of his website. If you clink on the link, however, it takes you to an empty page.

The national organization, which has an arm in Minnesota, hasn't endorsed Byberg and doesn't make a practice of endorsing any candidates.

Here's what AFP said in a press release:

"Americans for Prosperity does not support or oppose any candidate for public office. Americans for Prosperity educates citizens about economic policy on the state and national level and empowers citizens to be advocates in that process.

Despite multiple attempts by AFP's attorney over several days to contact Byberg's campaign to correct Byberg's claim of endorsement, AFP has received no response."

The press release concludes:

"Americans for Prosperity calls on Mr. Byberg to immediately cease any current or future representations of an AFP endorsement. No candidate should claim an endorsement that has not been given."

Back in 2010, when Byberg was running against Peterson, AFP applauded Byberg for signing the group's "No Climate Tax Pledge," a promise that Byberg would oppose federal climate change legislation if elected to office.

But the group made clear at the end of the press release that it does not endorse candidates.

Byberg's website lists other groups he says have endorsed his candidacy, including the 7th District Republicans and Concerned Women Political Action Committee. But both those endorsements are from his 2010 race.

Calls to Byberg were not returned

Update:

Byberg spokesman David Strom e-mailed to say that the endorsement listing is in error, and that the only endorsement the campaign is currently seeking is that of the 7th District Republicans.