Minneapolis Democrats fine with big money give-away to billionaire NFL owner

[MNBrewer]

http://www.startribune.com/politics/statelocal/144306795.html

In this day of "do more with less" we're finding ways to subsidize a billionaire in building a play pen for his NFL team. Disgusting. What's even MORE disgusting is that they don't want a pubic vote on it. What's even MMMOOOORRRREEE disgusting is that I'm reduced to hoping that the awful Republicans in the State Legislature will somehow block it.

When it comes right down to it, it seems that both parties really ARE for the 1%. The Democrats sugar coat it with talk about "jobs", etc. The Republicans don't.

[INdemo]

1. deleted post

[Rambis]

2. Vikings move and jobs go with them

I am not saying do a big give away but there are thousands of people who depend on the vikings for their jobs. Bars, eateries, vendors ticket takers, security and the hotels. It is not as simple as let them go to LA it would hurt the city.

[hifiguy]

3. Agreed

and many well-paying construction jobs will be created if a stadium is built. No, they don't last forever - construction jobs don't - but they will be very meaningful to the men and women who have them for the duration.

[MNBrewer]

5. THere are not THOUSANDS of people whose jobs depend on the Vikings

That's a ridiculous statement to make.

[hifiguy]

6. I didn't say thousands.

[MNBrewer]

7. Replied to wrong message

It's still the truth though.

[think]

4. For what it's worth it looks like a much better deal than Target Field was

as this will be a multi use stadium like the Metro dome is. (discussed in article linked below)

I lived in Aberdeen South Dakota a large part of my life and remember well many road trips to the Twin cities for Vikings games, Pink Floyd, U2, the Dead, and Tom Petty concerts, and other venues at the Metro Dome. And of course driving that far for these venues we would stay at a hotel and usually go to the bars and restaurants too topped off with some shopping at the Mall of America since we were in town.

I saw my first Vikings game at the old Metropolitan stadium as a tike in 74 when the Vikes beat the Cardinals in the playoffs on a cold December day. Stayed at the grand old Curtis Hotel. It was one of the most thrilling moments of my youth.

Hopefully this will ease some of the sting you are feeling knowing that building a new stadium should help to continue to bring those of us living in no man's land to the big city and spending our coins. There are many like myself that will journey to Minneapolis for fun and entertainment.

As this article states the Vikings will only be using the facility 10 days out of the year and comes up with $427 million of the $975 billion total.

~snip~
Mondale said another consideration was that the new $975 million Vikings stadium, unlike Target Field, would be a multi-use facility that the Vikings would pay $427 million toward but use as little as 10 days a year. Hundreds of other events would be held at the new stadium, he added. "How many public events a year are the Pohlads subsidizing at Target Field? Zero, right?" said Mondale. "Here, we got 325. So [it's] completely different."..

Full article:
http://www.startribune.com/politics/statelocal/143587106.html

I remember the fights over funding the first dome were pretty fierce and can respect that not everyone desires a new place for football, concerts, and other big tent entertainment enough to have the city involved in the financing of a new stadium. But I as a fan I'm glad the Vikings will be staying in Minnesota and there will be a modern sports and entertainment complex to see them and the many other venues at when I am in the region.

Hopefully this will work out for the better for the city and the people of there.

Peace