Do you expect a Vikings deal to get done, and should it?
Posted at 5:00 AM on October 18, 2011
by Eric Ringham
(63 Comments)
Filed under: Culture, Politics/Government
Gov. Mark Dayton on has set a Nov. 23 deadline for the Legislature to pass a Vikings stadium plan, but has not yet endorsed a specific proposal. Today's Question: Do you expect a Vikings deal to get done, and should it?
Comments (63)
Saying that the Vikings are a part of "the fabric of our community" or our "culture" has a rather misvalued and hollow ring to it. The Vikings are not part of any fabric or culture. They are an entertainment product which has achieved a sort of pop iconographic status by default.
Those who worry that we'll lose something important if they leave strike me as the foggy musings of someone who just wants everything to always stay the same.
Think about it: A world where the Vikings are no longer a Minnesota team. Is this really so unthinkable? In this possible world, take a look around. I'm guessing nothing in your life would really be any different. Your place of residence and neighborhood would still be there, your family, friends, job, health, happiness, and even that precious smart phone would all still be there. All these things I'm betting are far more important in your life.
I would also guess that the thought process for most of us would be something like: Wow, the Vikings are really gone; imagine that...hey, what's for dinner?
In other words if the Vikings left, life would go on.
No, it shouldn't be done.
Yes, it will get done.
I'm not worried about the Vikings leaving for LA or some other far-away place. Not because I wouldn't miss them, but because we've seen threats from pro sports teams in the past and they're never anything but media tactics.
As for whether building a stadium in Arden Hills will create short-term construction jobs and clean up a polluted site, there's no question - of course it will. I'm all for an effort to clean up an EPA designated Superfund site, but I think that's somewhat immaterial.
I'm actually in favor of creative funding options for a stadium, for example special Vikings license plates, bonding, or tax-increment financing. What I am concerned about is the sales tax increase proposals. These are particularly concerning because there is a major push to pass them without voter approval. As one poster mentioned, we require schools to get voter approval for new levies, why should businesses be exempted?
What does this kind of entitled and excessively empowered attitude from our elected officials say about our political system in general?
We had the same kind of rhetoric from Hennepin County commissioners when the tax increase was passed for the Twins and Gophers stadiums. It's deeply disappointing when people we elected to represent our interests ignore what we tell them and instead decide that they are the only ones who know best what the priorities should be.
I understand that the increase in sales tax only amounts to a small dollar amount over the course of a year for me. It's the fact that while we live in a democracy, I'm told I don't have any say in the matter that I find so depressing.
I used to be in favor of the idea of public financing for pro sports, but not long ago, I attended an event at Target Center and, much to my surprise, I learned that many areas of the arena are OFF LIMITS to the general public. These areas, throughout the middle of the arena, are the hallways, stairways, restrooms, and other areas that service the private luxury boxes. On this particular day, since the event didn't lend itself to using these private boxes, the service areas were locked and closed, which meant that all the people who were present were left to crowd into the remaining open areas. It kind of reminded me of something out of the Middle Ages, where the "lords and ladies" have certain designated areas, while the "peasants" are relegated to the left-over spaces. My understanding is that Target Center is a publically-owned facility, and if so, why would such an arrangement be tolerated? If this is what's in the offing for a proposed Vikings stadium (which would only be open for eight-or-so events per year), I can't imagine the taxpayers would be willing to swallow such an arrangement. In addition, it seems that the VIkings' complaint against the Metrodome is that they can't make enough money.....from the sale of luxury boxes and associated "perks" that are designed to attract the wealthiest fans. I think we should look at the model of the Packers: allow people to buy ownership shares in the team (or let the State itself buy the team) and then THEY PLAY WHERE WE TELL THEM TO PLAY! The very idea of extorting public financing of a billion-dollar facility and then just handing the keys over to a billionaire owner, in order to operate it primarily for the amusement of millionaire fans, while tossing a few crumbs to the restof us, is asinine and insulting. Let the team move to LA if they want to operate that way; and good riddance!
I am all for paying for part of the stadium with "new revenue" thus the gambling idea. We need the Vikings here in MN and not in CA. I don't want the money coming from current dollars as we struggle to pay for our rural schools. Also the stadium itself should have taxes on purchases there on everything: parking, food and Vikings products. The gambling issue should be expanded to help pay for many things in MN - look at IA and how they have paid for things with gambling dollars. Don't let the reservations be the only moneymakers on gambling. I live 16 miles away from one and they aren't using that money for things for the community around it so we shouldn't be afraid to tap into it.
The idea that public subsidy of a stadium benefits the public has been shown to be false time and time again. Do some reading about the situation in Atlanta with the Falcons for a fairly current example.
Zygi didn't get to be rich by being stupid. Part of his attraction to Arden Hills is the lack of surrounding existing development; fans attending games will be spending their money at his stadium complex.
OK maybe some gas station owners would benefit given the lack of public transportation to the site.
Kurt, you are completely clueless about my motives. Your amateur psychoanalysis is completely wrong. I agree with what you say about "winning against a worthy opponent," etc. I just don't think American football is a good way to teach those lessons to kids, and the NFL is particularly dubious. There are plenty of sports that don't glorify violence the way football does.
There's a difference between what is and what should be. I'm fully aware that football is popular, but not convinced that the state should be facilitating it.
Steve,
You really need to get out more. Football is part of the entertainment industry-as are the productions at the Guthrie. You clearly have some deep-seated contempt for the world of sport-perhaps you were cut from your junior high-school team, I don't know. Had you been on a team, you might have appreciated the bond that develops between teamates working toward a common goal, the discipline it requires, the joy of winning against a worthy opponent, over-coming obstacles, learning how to deal with defeat, etc, etc.
I'll bet there have even been a few plays at the Guthrie exploring these very aspects of sports.
Do you find no joy in watching a great athlete?
In addition to your cynacism, you seem rather bitter.
Returning to the stadium: sometimes none of the options one has are particularly appealing. Such is the case here. I don't really want to pay for a stadium, but to paraphrase an ancient sportswriter-without professional sports (or theatre) we are just a cold Omaha.
In another 12 months it won't matter what MN subsidizes unless the election results make Obama a one termer. All the stadiums in the country won't undo the growing unemployment rate and the dismal GDP with a deficit now grown 4 times from what he started with.
MN should be asking less on a stadium deal and more on educating themselves to fully learn the difference between candidates and Obama or Hillary if she runs.
e.g.,
Question of the Day:
" How are the GOP candidates positions different from Obama's stance as far as affecting your life after 2012 in MN?"
or... " to Poll MN MPR listeners with;
" How informed are you about President Obama's connections with any special interest groups and does that affect your 2012 vote?"
That would at least help the Democrats fine tune their campaign strategy. :)
Jennifer-
\\\People talk about a stadium deal as "corporate welfare". What do you call:
- the Radisson Blu hotel...
- the funding of the building of the Mall of America...
- the funding of the Xcel Energy Center...
- the funding of Target Field...
*Yes, I would call those corporate welfare.
\\\- TCF Bank Stadium ...
*This I consider a prime example of an 'education' system being used as a free minor league sports franchise system. Absurd.
\\\- all of the billions in infrastructure support, road improvements, and eminent domain...
*Those are actual functions of government. Building the buildings where these corporations do their business would be corporate welfare.
The profits here will be largely made by Mr. WIlf and the NFL. The money going in should be provided by Mr. Wilf and the NFL. Taxes paid are the cost of doing business in a community. Besides, the vast majority of the tax money you cite would go right back into paying for the stadium.
Thanks for those examples of corporate welfare, Jennifer. You've given me some more things to gripe about. If you're trying to say that building a new Vikings stadium is just as worthwhile as funding a temple to consumerism (the MOA), that's hardly a ringing endorsement, in my opinion.
"As to the issue of what football teaches our children-I guess Hamlet would be pretty bad then by that line of thinking."
What a great idea, Kurt! Let's use football as a thought-provoking learning opportunity, the same as a dramatic tragedy. Kids could learn things like these:
-- If you play rough, you may wind up paying for short-term gains with permanent injuries.
-- If you let fame go to your head, you're likely to get caught doing dumb stuff that you'll regret.
-- Fame is fickle and fleeting, so don't set your hopes on it.
-- Using your head as a weapon is a bad idea.
Those are good things for kids to learn, but is it worth building a football stadium for?
People talk about a stadium deal as "corporate welfare". What do you call:
- the Radisson Blu hotel being built at MOA by Carlson Companies with $40.3 million from the 2009 stimulus package?
- the funding of the building of the Mall of America - which benefited Triple Five Group, Simon, Teachers’ Insurance and Annuity Association?
- the funding of the Xcel Energy Center, which benefits the Minnesota Wild hockey franchise and Xcel Energy (naming rights)?
- the funding of Target Field, which benefits Target (naming rights) and the Twins?
- TCF Bank Stadium - again, benefiting TCF Banks (naming rights) and the U?
- all of the billions in infrastructure support, road improvements, and eminent domain MN and its political subdivisions have done for Medtronic, Best Buy, 3M, Carlson Companies, Northwest Airlines, etc, over the years?
Those things are all done in the interest of economic development. The activity of building those things creates jobs. The businesses themselves create jobs. And there are restaurants, hotels, stores, housing companies, and utilities that support these companies and their employees and visitors. That's economic impact.
Net economic impact from a SINGLE Mn Vikings playoff game is about $9M (http://prod.static.vikings.clubs.nfl.com/assets/docs/econ-impact-playoff-example-021511.pdf). That doesn't count the fact that the game is televised worldwide, which generates MORE interest in our state that precipitates MORE commerce. No one has studied what THAT economic impact is, but I bet it's huge! I can guarantee you that if we have a Super Bowl here, we'll get a lot more than $9 million in economic impact from that event. And that's NOT counting the sales taxes, user fees, and luxury taxes that get paid to state and local governments by attendees and participants!
Don't forget, too, that in many of the examples cited above, the benefits were realized by companies that spread the spoils of those benefits outside of our state simply by virtue of being worldwide concerns. Revenue from Vikings games that are played in MN stays in MN than does an economic impact of most of those companies mentioned above. The restaurants, bus lines, taxis, hotels, shops, and the like all generate revenue for taxing districts, as well as employing hundreds of thousands of people. And the games aren't the only way the Vikings generate revenue in our state - they do business in a number of ways beyond games, and they generate revenue, too,
It takes money to make money. All portfolios need to start with something. We know that the business of football is lucrative, even in lousy times. The alternative - saying "no" - means that this business will disappear, and along with it, any secondary and tertiary industries supported by that business, and the ability to use this business' connection to the rest of the world to promote our state and its treasures. Surely that's larger than what our investment in a stadium would be!
The benefits to be realized from a stadium outweigh our initial investment, and guarantee that we'll see a steady and considerable stream of economic impact for decades to come. That sounds like a sure thing to me, and I don't think we can afford to say no to it.
Now that I think about it again, maybe the Vikings and NFL don't have such a flawed business model. If extortion is legal and it works I suppose it is a good way to make money. It just stinks to be the victims of the shakedown. Of course this shakedown only works if our elected officials let it happen.
Isn't Adrian Peterson the highest paid running back in the NFL? he's loaded; ask him to pay down the new stadium and raise his team up to par.
Steve, JR, et al.
The point is that things like the Guthrie and ,yes, the Vikings distinguish our city from others much to our benefit. How is that a red herring? I respect the fact that you may find one eminently more appealing than the other, but surely you would not judge someone based soley on their preference be it different from your own.
As to the issue of what football teaches our children-I guess Hamlet would be pretty bad then by that line of thinking.
As to education, I imagine an individual so physically gifted might not see the point of getting a B.A. degree. The same might be said for an opera singer, someone who could play a guitar just like ringing a bell, or any other artist. (The Viking QB has a master's by the way).
And salary. Some actors, like athletes, command incredible salaries for their talents. The fact that one earns more than another is moot. That will always be the case. They will make what the market will bear.
"...making a speech that mocks the Republican's intelligence..."
Of course, Republicans never mock the Democrats' intelligence, right? Are you the pot or the kettle, KimMN?
I dont care if it bankrupts the liberals who are trashing our government for handouts to the poor, the Vikings are an institution and they need to be kept no matter what the cost.
WIthout the Vikings, there is NO minnesota.
We squander tons of money on social services and the vikings brings in tourist money and creates many jobs.
We should fund a stadium in full and do whatever is necesary to keep the vikes on top and keep minnesotans employed!
SKOL!
Will the new stadium happen? Unfortunately, Yes. Will Ramsey County residents have an opportunity to voice their opinions via a referendum? No We need to mount a petition to force true public input..
Once again, taxpayers pay for a play ground for millionaires while the number of people losing their jobs and homes increase. If the Vikings want a new stadium, let them pay for it!!
Will it get done? Unfortunately yes
Should it? No!
It is not the fault of taxpayers that the NFL business model of paying a small group of their employees obscene salaries does not allow them to remain profitable while paying the full cost of their place of business. I wonder what my employer could afford to pay me if they didn't need to pay the full cost of our place of business. The Vikings and NFL should be allowed to fail, as should other businesses with such deeply flawed business plans.
derp...
Since the Obama admin. has spent 9.8 billion a day in the 2011 fiscal year, and they wasted how many billions? making bad loans to a non existent industry called solar energy.(Solyndra and Sun Power to name a few) and that Obama has been the largest benefactor of Wall Street donations of all presidents to date, should we wonder how the Dems such as Dayton will help push this next tax payer subsidy to a monopoly called NFL?
The sad thing is that the longitudinal studies over a ten year span show communities actually pay more for the stadium infrastructure and cost of upkeep then they get in any revenue.
Maybe Dayton will pull a Saul Alinski Handbook for Radical play_as Obama did today, making a speech that mocks the Republican's intelligence; e.g. " Maybe the bill was too big for them. We will break my Jobs bill down into smaller parts so they can understand it." Ridicule and demean while ignoring viewpoints that don't align _ that is the radical way. So will Dayton try that approach to push the stadium through?
@Kathy
"Minnesota is better that this."
Is it?
No no no
We need to deal with real concerns like
food, shelter and jobs for those in need.
How can we justify a new stadium when we can't even fund a message center for homeless children trying to get jobs. Minnesota is better that this.
Will a deal get done; Yes. Should It ; that depends on the financing mechanism set up by our current cabal of the majority legislator.
The 1% need their sky boxes; of course they will get their socialized stadium at which they will privatize the profits from the investment of the 99% of us.
I really should consider legalizing Cannabis/hemp for every good purpose before dicking around with frivolous issues such as a fricking football stadium. The revenue in a year's time would be more than enough to pay for a stadium and so much more of what the people really need. Besides, we really need to face the truth about hemp, and the criminality and insanity of its prohibition.
It amazes me that this topic is even being discussed in light of the the fact that the State of Minnesota is essentially broke. Let the private sector pay for a new stadium.
I'm afraid that the stadium bill will pass. The rich need a playground and the poor will pay in higher taxes throughout the state. I know I can't afford to travel to the metro and pay for a ticket. Then again, why would I want to see a loosing team or any pro team.
If Ziggy threatens to leave then call his bluff. Then maybe some of us can take a couple of days off from our jobs to help them pack and drive them to the state border.
If children have to sell cookies and magazines and candy and christmas gift wrap door to door, and parents and students have to work at fund raising breakfasts and spaghetti suppers in order to keep schools open -- well then Ziggy and his overpaid players and coaches can do the same to raise money for their playground. Part of a college student's tuition is used to pay for their student unions, so why can't a portion of the players and coaches and the owners salary and profits be used to pay toward the new staduim. Or maybe the big corporations could sponser stadium sections and then put their advertising logos on all the seats, etc. The more visible a section to the TV cameras the higher price for that section.
we already have a stadium for public events. If some privately owned business wants to stamp their feet for a new one then they can build it themselves or leave.
I really don't care for football anyways.
No more Viking raids on the state treasury!
I'm resigned to accepting that it will happen, but I don't believe it should. If we're going to invest public funds, in the short term we could create the same number of construction jobs by investing those funds in roads, bridges, rail, etc. rather than in a stadium, and it would benefit the state's economy far more in the long term. The entertainment dollars people spend on Vikings games would simply be spent on another type of entertainment else if the Vikings go away. And if the "no new state taxes" rule results in existing state services or local goverment funding being cut to come up with the state's contribution to the stadium, it would be unconscionable.
I really hope a stadium deal does not get done, especially in Arden Hills. Let Zygi try to work it out in Los Angeles.
Remember the actions of the Ramsey County Board at election time, particularly Tony Bennett whose district includes Arden Hills. The taxpayers have fed this guy his entire adult life and in exchange he wants to impose new taxes to benefit the wealthy without giving the people a vote - even though a referendum is required. This is exactly what is wrong with so many of our elected officials today; they do not represent our interests.
It's not a jobs issue. It's not an environmental issue. It's a bailout for the rich. Just - stop it. You're hurting us.
As a descendant of the real Vikings, I say if this state continues to prohibit the world's most useful and versatile plant, Cannabis/hemp, screw football and this asinine stadium plan.
The Vikings are not a local corporation, the players live elsewhere, the owner lives elsewhere, they spend their salaries and profits elsewhere. We do not subsidize movie theaters to the benefit of L.A. actors and studio owners just so we can keep the popcorn selling jobs, and we should not subsidize the stadium.
I think that our sleazebag politicians will manage to get something jammed down out throats without a vote. Its sad that the taxpayers/voters continue to have no voice in this matter. I wonder how much money is going to be passed under the table for this one.
Football sucks - make it go away.
I don't think a deal will get done. The Republicans won't consider it. I do think it should get done. The Vikings are a large corporation, and just on a business level, we should not let them leave the state. That would be a loss of jobs and taxes that we can't afford. It's not just about the players and owners. We need to think big picture on this issue and not get caught up in the hype about the team's salaries.
Yes, I expect a new football stadium will be built in Minnesota with public money. The people who stand to gain lots of $ will persist beyond the transitory anger of the general public.
No, I don't think it is a valuable investment of public funds.
We shouldn't be surprised by the governor's support (more like leading the charge). He said he would do this when he was campaigning for the office. Politicians like to use our money to build monuments for their own legacy.
The Vikings are a part of our culture, but to compare them to the Guthrie is disingenuous. Do you know how much Guthrie actors make? The highest rate I could find on the actor's union site was $882 weekly, or about $46,000 annually for principal actors (assuming the actor is working every week, which doesn't always happen between shows). Check it out: Link The columns for SM and ASM are stage managers and assistant stage managers, with top weekly rates of $1,279 and $1,073 respectively. Need I point out that Vikings players make many times more than this? And the state contribution to the Guthrie was what, $5 million? The proposed state contribution to the Vikings stadium is 60 times that amount, not to mention the proposed Ramsey county contribution of 70 times that amount for a total public contribution toward the Vikings 130 times the amount contributed toward the Guthrie. Hardly comparable.
Second, Zigi Wilf has said he wants a comparable deal to the Twins, yet he is asking for a sales tax in Ramsey county over three times higher than the tax in Hennepin county (.5% instead of .15%). What gives, Zigi?
Third, we require schools to hold a vote to raise local taxes, but we don't require this for a pro football stadium? That's messed up.
Finally, if this is such a lucrative investment, where are the private investors lining up to get a piece? There are pro stadiums that have been built exclusively with private dollars, and there's the Green Bay model that many have mentioned that sells shares of the team to the public. We should demand a similar deal.
Dear NFL: If one team can be publicly owned, why can't the rest? Public ownership seems to be an advantage because the one publicly owned team is the defending super bowl champion. For the sake of fair competition, the Green Bay model should be allowed across the league.
What benefit does a new stadium bring? To the Vikings ownership, it increases the market value of the team and captures the revenue from the luxury suites (which currently goes to Mike Lynn from the last stadium deal). It won't mean more ticket sales - they already sell out every game. If located where proposed, it offers a terrific "insider" land development deal for Ziggy.
For the community, a new stadium offers another opportunity squandered by devoting resources for a marginal return.
Itr is obscene to build stadiums while there is no fund for other vital needs of the State. This situation is upsidedown from the very beginning and I supported Gov. Dayton(!). I hope the so-called deal will fall down and th eprivate sector will finally finance itself!!!
With all the emergencies we face, I can't believe this is the issue that merits a special session. The real emergency is our economy and our reduced investments in higher education, mass transit, and health care. But our leaders appear to have the wrong priorities, so they probably will strike a deal.
No and no.
Time for the Vikings Organization to be entrepreneurial and creative, fund raise private monies, without help from the State.
Consider the majority of folks still employed and those retired who have not had cost of living increases for years, but have experienced increased property taxes, and skyrocketing housing, health care, food, and transportation costs, et al. Consider the unemployed who won't benefit from fantasized stadium-related jobs.
Posted by Liz.
Don't listen to the prophets of Footbaal! It's bad enough we have a new temple to Basebaal, we don't need a new Footbaal temple, too. Quit sacrificing our young men to Footbaal!
I think a stadium deal will get done, but they are currently asking too much monetary support from the public who will not reap any of the profits. The vast majority of funding should come from the private sector. The Vikings need a new stadium and it will cost us far more in the end if we lose the team and eventually rebuild a new one as we have already experienced in the past with the Lakers and the North Stars.
Yes a deal will get done and yes they should do it. In order to compete and be taken seriously as a major American city we need a variety of things such as a strong economy, an educated workforce, a great nightlife, and all four of the major sports (NBA, MLB, NHL, and yes the NFL). The major sports teams help to give our little Midwest community a presence on the world stage. Without things like the NFL we are just flyover territory.
"...the team is part of the fabric of this community..."
So that's why it's unraveling!
"The Vikings are every bit a part of our culture as say the Guthrie."
Sad but true!
Yes, I expect a deal to get done, and no, it shouldn't.
But let's keep things in perspective. Dayton says he won't support a deal that uses public funds, and I take him at his word. The most likely deal will involve funding it with bonds that will be paid back with proceeds from the stadium. There's some risk that the state will be on the hook if the revenue doesn't come, but the plan is that the stadium would pay for itself. As boondoggle go, a stadium is less bad than, say, a bridge to nowhere.
But one of the real issues is what it says about our priorities. The satirist and poet Juvenal criticized the Roman Empire for appeasing the populace with "bread and circuses." Given the ever widening wealth gap in our society, building a stadium without addressing social injustice would amount to circuses but not bread.
Then there's the issue of the dubious value to society of football. Do we really want to be teaching our kids that if someone is standing between you and your goal, the correct thing to do is knock them down and run over them? Do we really want to teach them that if they're good at sports they can get by with academic underachievement and get away with extracurricular misbehavior? Equating the Vikings to the Guthrie is a red herring.
The idea that we would fund a stadium with tax payer dollars while we are stealing from our children's education is appalling. This will not create long term jobs, or help us compete globally. Its not like the Vikings are good anyway.
In general, I am opposed to the idea of using public funds to build a stadium for a wealthy owner so he can increase his profits. However, if a stadium must be built, build it in Minneapolis. Building a stadium in Arden Hills is a BAD idea. The site is polluted and infrastructure is required. Minneapolis already has the infrastructure and is centrally located. Also, I want to know what collateral the state will get for providing funding?
As regards the two questions: Yes, and absolutely yes!
I'm not much of a football fan--never been to an NFL game much less the Vikings.
But I do think the team is part of the fabric of this community and important to many folks I know. I say this as an outsider -- someone who has only lived here since 2000.
Looks to me like an opportunity to fix something old and build something new. Constructing is a positive thing. Many will benefit from the jobs and others -- the excitement of the coming stadium.
Guess I'm saying 'Skoal Vikings!' -- sort of.
Simply put, such economic subsidies are economically inefficient, are horrible economic development tools, and they fail to produce the returns on investment to the public that they tout. Overall, studies are conclusive in terms of their bad economic value compared to other investments that governments can make.
Since when are we supposed to subsidize businesses, especially ones that are profitable? What part of this do politicians not understand?
No it shouldn't get done and I expect the legislators to vote as we the people want them to.
Let Ziggy buy his own stadium. I don't see the MN Gov't buying me the new home I want.
Absolutely no public funding should be used for this, and I will boycott any increased tax for this purpose.
This is a private enterprise. Let them fund it privately, or enjoy LA.
No and I hope not. If we can generate money in any way it should be for essential and human services purposes, not for a stadium or to enhance some already wealthy people.
Yes I expect the deal to be completed and the staium will be built against the wishes of the majority of the public. The NFL generates enough revenue to build their own stadiums around the country but once one public entity subsidizes the building of a stadium, the other franchises complain that they are at a competitive disadvantage if their community does not subsidize a stadium. Since the Vikings are a corporate giant, they have the ability to hire the best lobbyists in the state to work with legislative leaders to finalize a deal that will keep the team here. It would be so refreshing if one community would stand firm against the selfish interests of professional sports and state that we enjoy having you as a part of our community but we will not use public funds to help build a stadium but I am afraid that this is not that community.
Money for billionaires ahead of highways, schools, and heath care? What statement are we making when we say money for sports is more important than K-12 education?
It's kind of ridiculous the NFL can hold a city hostage and demand it pays for its infrastructure, especially when they only play what 10 home games a year? It's not like it creates any significant jobs.
How about this, if the city or state contribute to building their stadium, it comes with a guaranty that the vikings at least GET to a superbowl within 5 years of the stadiums completion, and win one within 10 years. If not then they have to pay back every cent of public money with interest. It's not like I've ever seen the vikings in a superbowl in my lifetime. As far as I care I hope they enjoy LA.
I've changed my mind on the Viking thing. I figure if we have money to rip up perfectly good sidewalks so that we can install new ones with poems in them, and that even MPR can get a share of the Legacy money, than the Vikings are at least as worthy of public funding. The Vikings are every bit a part of our culture as say the Guthrie.
It probably will, but I don't think it is good for us as a city or a state. We need to focus on our crumbling infrastructure and the problems of poverty, unemployment and failing education system. The Vikings are a distraction from dealing with those realities and will divert resources from those realities.
It depends on what's attached to it. I have no problem, for example, if along with the Vikings deal, there is a serious pay down of the education shift.
| October 2011 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
| 1 | ||||||
| 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
| 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
| 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 |
| 30 | 31 | |||||
Master Archive
Recent Entries
- Have changes to the airline passenger experience affected your willingness to fly?
- Should marijuana be available for medical use in Minnesota?
- Do the struggles of Minnesota's business icons signal trouble for the state's economy?
- Do you know whether insurance would cover your losses in a major storm?
- What kind of recycling program would you be likely to use the most?
- Would you support paying people for organ or tissue donations?
- Have personal relationships in the workplace ever presented a problem for you?
- Do you think Facebook is a passing fad?
- Will you be less likely to visit the Minnesota Zoo without its dolphins?
- Should authorities in the Twin Cities change the way they warn people about tornadoes?
Public Insight Network
The Public Insight Network draws upon your experiences to help shape our coverage.More
Categories
Services
In The Spotlight
-
Sound Learning
Looking for ways to ensure your students are doing quality research from credible sources? Sound Learning is a launching point to Minnesota Public Radio's content on the Web. -
The Current Music Blog
Your daily note for good music, news and pop culture. With attempted jokes.
- Become a Member
- Member Connect Accounts
- Leadership Circle
- Sustaining Members
- Member Discounts
- Become a Sponsor
- Tax Information
- Planned Giving
- Vehicle Donation
- Donate Stock