Twin Cities Daily Planet (https://www.tcdailyplanet.net/tag/vikings-stadium/page/6/)
As Vikings fans wearing purple and construction workers wearing orange looked on, the Minneapolis City Council Friday voted 7-6 in the final vote of approval needed for a new Minnesota Vikings foot
It is a sad day for democracy and for Longfellow.
Under pressure from vested interests, our mayor and city council abandoned whatever integrity they had and voted for public funding of a football stadium.
They chose to transfer sales taxes created for convention center maintenance to the pockets of the Vikings and local developers.
Stop, don’t go away! I know you’re sick of stadium stuff, but my intent is not to continue the stadium debate, really. This is about the debate, not an engagement in it. You know how sick you are of stadium stuff? So is everybody else, and it’s like it became the whole session. That’s the point.
Minnesota Vikings owner Zygi Wilf couldn’t stop smiling while standing in the Capitol Rotunda.“This is a great day for Minnesota, a great day for the Vikings fans throughout the entire country,” he said moments after Gov. Mark Dayton signed a law that would help build a new home for the NFL team.At an event that felt more like a pep rally, Dayton signed HF2958 that calls for a $975 million, 65,000-seat roofed state-owned “People’s Stadium” to be built primarily on the Metrodome site on the eastern edge of downtown Minneapolis. The team will cover $477 million of construction costs; the state $348 million; and Minneapolis $150 million.Although signed off on by the state, the project still needs final approval from the Minneapolis City Council. That vote is expected to occur May 25.Wilf spoke as though that vote is a formality.“The hard work begins now. To build this stadium will take everyone’s efforts; this will be a team effort as it was to get it approved. I look forward to working with every one of you to making this a truly great stadium for all the fans and for everybody in Minnesota.”Other speakers, including Rep. Morrie Lanning (R-Moorhead) and Sen. Julie Rosen (R-Fairmont), sponsors of the law, thanked Vikings’ fans for their overwhelming support.“When you start thinking about what’s in the best interest of the state we did it,” Rosen said. Continue Reading
Bachmann is a Swiss Miss
In 2009 23% of the population did not believe Obama was a U.S. citizen. In 2011 Fox News poll, still a quarter of the population held this view with fully 40% thinking there is “cause to wonder” about his citizenship. Birthers remain unconvinced that Obama is an American citizen. Yet th ere is no debate–Michele Bachmann is a Swiss citizen.
After a dreadful 3-13 record on the field in 2011, the Minnesota Vikings received some good off-field news well before the 2012 team begins to practice.The House voted 73-58 to support a $975 million stadium plan that would provide a new facility to house the team. Forty DFL members and 33 Republicans voted yes. Thirty-seven Republicans and 21 DFLers voted against the bill.Sponsored by Rep. Morrie Lanning (R-Moorhead), HF1485 now goes to the Senate, where Sen. Julie Rosen (R-Fairmont) is the sponsor. If approved as is by the Senate, the bill would go to the governor. However, it is more likely a conference committee would be needed to work out the difference between the House and Senate bills.Gov. Mark Dayton expressed joy at the outcome, but noted three more positive votes must happen before he can sign a bill. Continue Reading
Union members swarmed the Minnesota Capitol in a last-ditch effort to drum up support among lawmakers for two bills that, together, would create tens of thousands of jobs for union members in the struggling construction trades.The bills – one to build and repair the state’s infrastructure and another to finance construction of a new Vikings stadium downtown Minneapolis – are scheduled to receive votes on the House floor Monday, according to House Speaker Kurt Zellers.Until those votes take place, union leaders said, the full-court press at the Capitol will continue.“The message to our members is to call your legislators and tell them they need to do what’s right for Minnesota and put some people back to work,” said Harry Melander, president of the Minnesota Building and Construction Trades Council.More than 100 union members, many wearing hard hats and fluorescent safety vests, gathered outside the House chambers Thursday. They chanted “Build it!” as lawmakers walked in and out of the room.Meanwhile, union lobbyists were busy scheduling one-on-one meetings between workers and their representatives to discuss the importance of passing a construction-jobs package before the session ends.“This isn’t about getting into anyone’s face today,” Melander told union members in a brief rally on the Capitol steps. “But we are going to talk to our legislators, and we are going to tell them that this is the time when they need to start taking care of the people’s business. And one of those items of business is putting people back to work on the tens of thousands of jobs they can create.”Gov. Mark Dayton has pledged support for both the infrastructure-jobs bill and the new Vikings stadium, but Zellers and Republican leaders in the Senate said it would be up to the governor to round up the majorities necessary to get the bills to his desk.Zellers said he would support the infrastructure-jobs bill, but would not push for the stadium package because Dayton had not compromised with Republicans on their priorities, including tax cuts for corporations.“At every turn, our priorities have either been disrespected … or dismissed,” Zellers said. Continue Reading
A decision is about to be rendered on an issue that has hung over the legislative session like a purple cloud.House Speaker Kurt Zellers (R-Maple Grove) announced that a vote on a stadium to house the Minnesota Vikings is scheduled to occur Monday.“It’s only fair to members and fair to everyone to vote on this,” said House Majority Leader Matt Dean (R-Dellwood).Earlier this week House and Senate Republicans put forth a proposal that would include stadium funding in this year’s bonding bill. It would reduce the state’s contribution to a yet-unspecified amount and would call for an open-air, “roof-ready” facility.Dean said the Vikings and Minneapolis officials were not happy about the proposal, and that staff from Minnesota Management & Budget indicated it would be difficult to use general obligation bonds to fund the stadium.“We do not want to move something forward that is not going to stand the test of scrutiny with MMB,” Dean said.The plan up for a vote calls for a $975 million fixed-roof stadium to be built primarily on the Metrodome site on the eastern edge of downtown Minneapolis. The team would cover $427 million of construction costs; the state $398 million; and Minneapolis $150 million.Money from electronic pull tabs, electronic bingo and tipboard games would be used to pay the state’s share of the stadium cost. Supporters noted that charities would get tax relief and more gambling proceeds while the state also would get more revenue. Rep. Morrie Lanning (R-Moorhead), the sponsor of the original stadium bill HF2810, said $42 million per year would be needed to pay debt service on the bonds. Continue Reading
Republican leaders unveiled an alternative financing plan for a new Minnesota Vikings stadium, but DFLers and Gov. Mark Dayton said it puts the prospects for a stadium deal in jeopardy.The new plan proposed by House and Senate Republicans would include stadium funding in this year’s bonding bill, thereby combining two of the session’s three major pieces of legislation. It would reduce the state’s contribution to a yet-unspecified amount and would call for an open-air, “roof-ready” facility.House Majority Leader Matt Dean (R-Dellwood) said the new plan would remove any concerns about expanding gambling and rely instead on general obligation bonds. He said there is broad consensus among Republicans that this new plan represents “the path forward” for the stadium.“We’re not looking to negotiate at this point,” he said.Their announcement came shortly after the House passed an omnibus tax bill that Dayton has said would increase the state’s long-term deficit, and that House Minority Leader Paul Thissen (DFL-Mpls) said will likely be met with a veto.At a press conference, Dayton said Republicans are turning their back on eight months’ worth of stadium negotiations in favor of a plan that was “formulated in secret” and that he said is likely intended to fail.“It’s hard to take this seriously when we haven’t been told anything about it,” Dayton said.Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk (DFL-Cook) said the Republicans’ new plan reneges on agreements that were made early on in negotiations, including it shouldn’t rely on General Fund money and would have a roof so it could be a year-round, multi-use facility.Lester Bagley, the team’s vice president of public affairs and stadium development, said he prefers the plan negotiated with state and local leaders. Continue Reading
The Vikings Stadium bill is moving along in the state legislature, and morphing too often and too quickly to keep up with on this blog. But one key provision that our mayor and seven council members have turned their back on is the fact that the Minneapolis city charter specifically calls for a citywide referendum on any stadium funding greater than $10 million. Continue Reading