Think you’re done paying for football?
Hah. Dream on, peasant ripe-sucks.
Helga Braid Nation is doing cartwheels that “we” will be hosting a Super Bowl in 2018 at “our” stadium.
And Mark Dayton is going to soak up whatever sunlight the event gives him among the “Happy To Have Someone Else Pay For My Bread And Circuses” set:
Dayton and members of the city’s bid committee held a news conference Wednesday to celebrate landing the Super Bowl. The NFL chose Minneapolis largely because of its new stadium.
Oh, yeah – even though none of us will be able to afford to attend this particular circus, we’ll all be subsidizing it:
The governor says the state has made no commitments for tax breaks to the NFL apart from a sales tax exemption for Super Bowl tickets that remains on the books from when Minnesota hosted it in 1992.
But Michele Kelm-Helgen, chair of the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority, says organizers may ask for sales tax exemptions for some of the other festivities.
Here’s a note to Minnesota’s Republicans; here would be a great time to draw the line on the whole “limited government” thing. Also the “subsidizing billionaires” thing.
So the next time you find yourselves surrounded by The Walking Meat all dressed up in purple and pounding the Idiot Drums, think to yourselves; in 2012, Mitt Romney and a whole bunch of Minnesota Republicans lost, not because independents didn’t vote GOP – they did – but because conservatives, angry about serial betrayals on the whole “limited government” thing (Vikings stadia, caving in on budget hikes in 2011 before the negotiations even began, etc), stayed home in droves.
(If the Bears aren’t playing, I don’t care. And if the Vikings are playing, I’ll bring Scarlett Johannson as my date).
Here’s my back-of-the-envelope calculation/suggestion:
The state is supposedly on the hook for about $350,000,000 of the cost of construction for the stadium, although it will be more that, of course.
Shockingly, e-pulltab revenue has fallen a little short of that figure.
The new Vaseline Dome supposedly will hold 73,000 people for a Super Bowl.
In exchange for the other tax breaks, we should require all Super Bowl LII ticket holders to play approximately 959 e-pulltabs, denominated at $5 apiece.
Problem solved.
My complaint is the NFL now says they can try to control state laws that have nothing to do with football.
Arizona’s religous liberty law. NFL said they opposed it and may mess with Arizona’s super bowl if it would have passed.
I concur with Mr. D. It is my understanding that another state, NJ, I think, assesses each player at their stadium some type of extra income tax. As a tax everything state, aren’t we obligated to initiate some type of extra tax, if for no other reason than to keep our reputation intact?
My son found out about sporting favoritism during the MN Wild’s play-offs. He hoped to snag a couple tickets for a home game. He realized that they’re hard to get. However, he was told that season ticket-holders get the first shot at any open seats and bought them up. My knowledge of sports is negligible and I apologize if this is incorrect. I guess there’s some comfort in the fact that we aren’t on the hook for the Excel Stadium.
Organizers promise a net benefit to THEMSELVES.
Welfare Sports Fans are some pretty inconsiderate folks.
When we hosted the SB in the 90’s we were told we would all experience a bonanza of cash flowing into our streets. I guess I missed that.
Joe – We did pay for the Xcel Center. That was the shining accomplishment of pseudo-Republican Norm Coleman after Bob Naegele Jr. moved to Florida to avoid paying MN income tax on the sale of Rollerblade. Believe me, when the time comes that the Wild want the place remodeled, they will come with their hand out again.