Are the Vikings & Twins stadiums doomed now?

[size=18px]Metro-wide tax, Vikings, and transportation projects now part of Twins bill[/size]

May 2, 2006

Senate DFL leaders have decided to remove a Twins stadium plan from the Senate Taxes Committee, where it's been bogged down in partisan politics. The powerful Senate Rules Committee sent the measure to the Senate floor for a vote, but not before significantly changing the bill approved by the House, possibly killing the stadium efforts.

St. Paul, Minn. — On a 13-to-11 vote last Tuesday afternoon, the Rules Committee removed a Hennepin County sales tax from the proposal and replaced it with a half-cent sales tax in the entire seven-county metro area. The new tax would fund a Twins stadium, a Vikings stadium and also transit projects in the metropolitan area.

The Rules Committee took the unusual action of pulling the bill from the Senate Taxes Committee. Over the past five days, the Taxes Committee has been caught in a partisan showdown. Republicans wanted to vote on the Hennepin County sales tax that would help fund a Twins ballpark -- that proposal has already passed the Minnesota House -- and Senate DFLers have been pushing for the metro-wide tax because it would fund both stadiums and transit projects.

Under the new plan, the seven-county, metro-wide sales tax would require voter approval.

The bill now will move to the Senate floor where the chief author says he has the votes to get it passed. After that, the Senate would have to resolve their bill's differences with the House bill that would implement a Hennepin County sales tax without a voter referendum.

House Speaker Steve Sviggum says the House will not support the Senate plan. It's also unlikely that the governor will support the plan because it's a broad sales tax. The Twins also won't embrace the Senate bill because they oppose a referendum.

The bill's bleak outlook has led some to question if Senate DFLers are sincere in getting a ballpark built, or if they want to kill the legislation this year

Chief Senate author Steve Kelley says he wants to get a Twins and Vikings stadium built and believes this is the best way to finance it.

But it appears Senate DFLers are also interested in putting Gov. Pawlenty in a corner on the Hennepin County sales tax. The governor has been non-committal on the proposal, saying he supports the plan with a voter referendum, but wouldn't veto the bill if it didn't include one.

That frustrates some Senate DFLers who argue that he's riding the fence on the proposal. Hennepin County Commissioner Mike Opat has been calling on the governor to take a stronger role in the stadium negotiations, but his office has been relatively silent over the past two days on this.

Metro-wide tax, Vikings, and transportation projects now part of Twins bill

DUMB BASSES!!!!! Do they not know the history of the Stars and the Lakers leaving? Or how they got the Twins in the first place? What a bunch of IDIOTS!!!!

I'm confused.

Isn't this a good thing?

A 1/2 cent sales tax increase with voter approval? A friggin' 1/2 cent!

If the people of Minnesota don't approve this . . . then maybe Minnesota deserves to lose another Pro Team (Hopefully not the Vikes though).

Wake up people. Call your Congressman and let them know how you feel on this subject. They'll listen if the numbers are strong!

Whew. I'm stepping off the soapbox now.

a half cent? whoever votes against that should kill themselves instantly..no matter what you say, you are not a sports fan in any way on earth if you do not agree to pay a half cent, and you deserve to rot in H*LL

This sucks. I feel bad for the organization. It will be a sad day when the Vikes move to LA in 2011...

The voters who vote against this should not be allowed to complain if either team moves. What's 1/2 cent? absolutley nothing.

This better get done!! If we lose the Vikes or the Twins theres gonna be riots! :evil:

"sleepagent" wrote:

Quote:

---

I'm confused.

Isn't this a good thing?

A 1/2 cent sales tax increase with voter approval? A friggin' 1/2 cent!

If the people of Minnesota don't approve this . . . then maybe Minnesota deserves to lose another Pro Team (Hopefully not the Vikes though).

Wake up people. Call your Congressman and let them know how you feel on this subject. They'll listen if the numbers are strong!

Whew. I'm stepping off the soapbox now.

---

The deal is, in this scenario the voters get to vote on the increase. In Minnesota, any increase will more than likely be shot down by the voters.

The media will exploit the public & try & convince them that with the increase, most families will not be able to feed or cloth their children. Even though food & clothing aren't taxed as it is.

With gas prices climbing, very few will vote on any tax increase.

"olson_10" wrote:

Quote:

---

a half cent? whoever votes against that should kill themselves instantly..no matter what you say, you are not a sports fan in any way on earth if you do not agree to pay a half cent, and you deserve to rot in H*LL

---

:shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:
Down killer!

Doesn't look to good..