Horner’s Corporate Welfare
By Mitch Berg
Tom Horner wants to put you on the hook for a new Vikings stadium:
In an attempt to drum up interest, Horner will appear outside the Metrodome Sunday before the kickoff of the Vikings’ first home game of the season to pitch his proposal to fans. Under Horner’s proposal, the team would pay 40 percent of the cost.
Well, good luck with that, Tom. The precedent has long been set; teams will stomp their feet and make noises about moving to Los Angeles if they have to pony up a greasy nickel.
Leaving you, the taxpayer – who will already be paying for two billion in new taxes (in the first biennium) – holding the purple bag:
The state would issue 40-year bonds for about $32 million a year and fans would shoulder part of the burden, most likely through higher ticket prices.
Yay! More debt! To subsidize billionaires!
Of course, Tom Horner’s PR firm has been in bed with the ‘queens for years:
Horner’s former firm has longstanding business connections with the Vikings, although Horner said he has not been personally involved in previous contracts. He did take his plans to the Vikings in a private meeting this summer, but said there is a firewall between him and his old firm.
I’d like to see that “firewall” vetted. Perhaps after Horner’s budget is vetted by the MN Department of Revenue?
No rush or anything, Tom…
September 21st, 2010 at 1:23 pm
If the Vikes want a new stadium, let the vikes build their own damn stadium.
If they think they can do better elsewhere…….bye bye, time to call their bluff, or give them the kiss off if it isn’t a bluff.
September 21st, 2010 at 2:24 pm
If the Vikes want a new stadium, let the vikes build their own damn stadium.
The state (via most outstate legislators) said that exact same thing 9 years in a row for the Twins. It only took 5 people to say “screw you” and now we have Target Field. Of course, if you shop outside Hennepin County, you didn’t have to pay for it. I would not be a bit surprised if they try the same thing with the Vikes. It worked so well once, why not try again?
September 21st, 2010 at 4:19 pm
Let’s be fair here; all three candidates want to subsidize the welfare Viqueens.
September 21st, 2010 at 6:32 pm
It took more than the 5 HennCo commissioners to overrule the will of the people re. stadium taxes. The legislature needed to pass a law allowing the HennCo commissioners to enact the tax without a referendum. And Governor No-new-taxes signed the bill in 2006.
I’m opposed to public financing for stadiums, but how to counter the Vikings’ plea for equal treatment?
How about equal treatment? When the Vikings win two championships, then fine, they get their new stadium.
But they have to wait 16 years from the second championship to the groundbreaking for their new stadium, to which they need to contribute 40% of the costs, the same portion that the Twins ponied up for Target Field.
September 22nd, 2010 at 8:23 am
Oh, DG, how hypocritical you are. But then you are a typical left wing nut.
You continually slam and ridicule Tom Emmer for his stance on minimum wage vs tips, but those same waiters that clean up on game days, don’t matter now, huh? Let’s not even mention all of those poor, illegals that work at the parking lots on those days for a percentage of the “take” from fans.
Just sayin’.
September 22nd, 2010 at 10:35 am
Let’s be fair here; all three candidates want to subsidize the welfare Viqueens.
Agreed and I’m disappointed in Tom Emmer for going along with this. It’s wrong in principle, it’s bad public policy and I think it hurts him politically to take any stance other than to say “no taxpayer funding for sports stadiums” as a candidate for governor who is campaigning on trying to reign in State spending and protecting the interests of Minnesota taxpayers.