Pittsburgh Magazine: "The NFL is Running a Billion-Dollar Con"

[SomeGuyInEagan]

Sadly, we are front-and-center.

One of the sadder paragraphs to read:

"The state of Minnesota is on the hook for $348 million, while the city of Minneapolis kick in $150 million via the highest downtown sales tax in the country (hope you like $9 Coors Lights). This comes at a time when more than half of Minneapolis public schools are facing budget cuts."

http://www.pittsburghmagazine.com/Best-of-the-Burgh-Blogs/Pulling-No-Punches/October-2013/The-NFL-is-Running-a-Billion-Dollar-Con/

[wilt the stilt]

1. no kidding

happening in Atlanta too. this is just nuts.

[question everything]

2. No one can point to a single place where tax payers built stadium

has helped the economy of the state/county/city as promised. In most cases, like St. Louis, taxpayers have to continue pour more money into such money pits.

And meanwhile we let our world renown orchestra go to the dogs.

Minnesota used to be so much more civilized 35 years ago when we first moved here.

[progree]

3. If someone paid $9 for Coors, they are in a top-of-the-line strip club at peak times

Last edited Thu Oct 17, 2013, 02:35 PM - Edit history (2)

http://www.revenue.state.mn.us/businesses/sut/factsheets/FS164M.pdf

Pages 3-5. This says the total sales tax, including everything (state 6.875%, state liquor tax 2.5%, transit improvement tax 0.25%, hennepin co sales tax 0.15%, Minneapolis general sales tax 0.5%, and dt on-sale Minneapolis liquor tax 3%, and Mpls live entertainment tax 3%) comes to 16.275%. I'm not clear about the dt Mpls "restaurant tax" of 3.0% if that is additional to all of the above, but assuming it is (for ordering a Coors in a restaurant), that would bring the total to 19.275%.

Yes, it is absurd. But it doesn't bring a can of Coors anywhere to $9. e.g. a pint glass or can of Coors that say might have to be sold for $4.00 to cover the wholesale cost of the beer and all of the overheads and staff and all that of a downtown restaurant / bar -- before adding in the sales tax -- would have to be sold for 4.00 * 1.19275 = 4.77 to cover the sales tax. That's a 77 cent tax. (If the 3% dt restaurant tax is not additional to the dt liquor tax, that tax would be 65 cents instead of 77 cents).

I realize you are quoting from the article. Just offends me to see such poor "journalism".

I was/am opposed to taxpayer funding of the stadium, at least to the level that we are, FWIW.