Category "Stadiums"
August 29, 2006
Hold the phone!
Wait a minute here ... I can't believe I missed this before, but I was reading this article about Hennepin County voting to approve funding for a new Twins stadium when I chanced upon these snippets. I am really quite stunned:
"The county levy will go up by 0.15 percent, which works out to an additional 3 cents on a $20 purchase.Though Tuesday's outcome was expected, several protesters were on hand to vent their anger that it was done without a referendum."
What? Did I just read that correctly? There won't be a referendum? And the county is going to tax me 3 cents on every $20 purchase? This is an outrage! How could I have missed this important information for so long? This is taxation without representation! But it gets worse! Check this out:
"In May, the Legislature approved a financing plan for the $522 million stadium project. The sales tax increase will finance three-quarters of the stadium's cost. The Twins will pay $130 million and get all game-day revenue and in-stadium advertising proceeds. The team's annual revenue is estimated to grow by at least $40 million."
The Twins are only paying $130 million of the $522 million cost? Why wasn't I told any of this? Next thing you'll tell me is they're going to build this monstrosity next to a garbage burner!
That's it! I am now officially anti-stadium! If I had known any of this was going to happen I would have fought this long ago. Please write your representatives! And write your senators! We can't let this go forward!
In addition, I just found this great web site, CCARL.com, which is trying to fight against this tyranny! I encourage you to visit this site and sign their petition! Although only a little over 200 people have signed it I think we could make our voices heard here and make a difference!
Who is with me? Is it too late?
Posted by snackeru at 10:32 PM | Comments (13) | Stadiums
Category "Stadiums"
March 21, 2006
Pogemiller and the Senate Taxes Committee
First I must ask you all to forgive me for freaking out concerning the Gophers stadium bill and what I wrote about it last week. While I still think the legislature needs a good tongue lashing, I feel I may have come across as someone who is losing hope. Let me assure you that my hope is already painfully low to begin with. There really isn't much hope to lose. I just wanted to clear that up.
Anyway, this post is about Phil Krinkie's DFL twin, Larry Pogemiller and his Senate Taxes Committee. If you'll recall, Pogemiller threw a wrench in the U's plan to fund a new stadium with student fees and naming rights for TCF Bank. There are a few rumors as to why he would do this:
- The CEO of TCF Bank is Bill Cooper, who is also one of the state's leading conservatives and is also the former chair of the state Republican party. If there is one thing Pogemiller likes to do it is stick it to Republicans.
- There is also a rumor that a lot of legislators are concerned that the $7 million the bill requires from the state is only that high so the Gophers can make $3 million more per year than they do in the Metrodome. The Gophers only average 50,000 fans to begin with (which is the seating capacity of the new stadium) so it is thought that they are trying to make extra money out of general fund dollars. This I don't agree with at all.
- Shooter also reported that:
A notion floating around the state Legislature is that owners Zygi Wilf of the Vikings and Carl Pohlad of the Twins might be inclined to assist funding for a Gophers football stadium if their respective stadium proposals could get approval.
This is an interesting notion. Could Pogemiller be trying to get more money out of Zygi and Pohlad by forcing them to pay for a Gopher's stadium if they want legislative support? That is interesting. It probably wouldn't work, but it is interesting.
- Finally, there is a rumor that Pogemiller just feels that more public money, and less private, should be used to fund a Gopher's stadium given the Gophers are a state entity. I can't say I agree, but it is a rumor.
So, having said all of this, Pogemiller's recent stance on the Gopher's stadium got me to thinking: just where does he stand on a Twins stadium? Unfortunately, Pogemiller hasn't said much about my favorite topic. He did vote in favor of the 2002 Twins stadium bill, and he has gone on record as saying he would like more private funding of the stadium (wouldn't we all), but I am just getting the feeling that he will not vote for the Hennepin County plan. And unfortunately I think this time his reasoning will be politically motivated. Essentially, in an election year I think Larry will do anything to make T-Paw look bad.
What about the rest of the Senate Taxes committee? Well, after a little research this is what I can come up with:
Pogemiller - No
Tomassoni - Yes
Belanger - Yes
Bakk - Yes
Betzold - Yes
Johnson - No
Limmer - No
Marty - No (duh)
McGinn - ?
Moua - Yes (actually she is a pretty strong supporter)
Ortman - Yes (this is an educated guess)
Skoe - Yes
So, on the Senate side, the Taxes committee looks to be 7 - 4 in favor with 1 unknown. This is good news if you are a stadium supporter, but certainly disappointing if you are against mom, baseball, and apple pie. That's all I got for now. Catch ya later!
Posted by snackeru at 08:05 AM | Comments (7) | TrackBack | Stadiums
Category "Stadiums"
March 10, 2006
Confirmation: Greg Davids is a Yes
Thanks to an anonymous reader, we have this tidbit from the Fillmore County Journal in Preston, MN:
You might want to refine your stadium scorecard for Davids(31B)
Journal: There is a lot of talk about stadiums - are any of them viable? All of them [U of M, Twins, Vikings]?Davids: Two of the three are viable. I think the Gopher stadium could go ahead because they have done so much private fundraising. I think the Gopher stadium gets done this year, and I will support that.
If the Twins proposal is as it was in '05, where Pohlad puts in $125 million and then there's a designated sales tax increase in Hennepin County only, I would support that.
On the Twins or the Vikings, I will not use general fund money, because then we are taking money out of education, nursing homes and health care.
The Vikings have a ways to go. They have another proposal out there, it is hard to keep up with the different proposals they come forward with.
My prediction is, one for sure (Gophers); two pretty good chance (Twins); three (Vikings) is not going to happen.
This means that the House Taxes Committee now sits at 13 no, and 16 yes for the Hennepin County Twins stadium bill. This is very, very good news (for some of us). Thanks for sending and keep those updates coming!
And as an aside, for the life I me I don't understand why the Vikings aren't getting more support for their initiative in Anoka County. Check this out from the PiPress from a couple of weeks ago:
Trying to pull even in the stadium race, Vikings lead owner Zygi Wilf says he might back off his request for a politically sensitive state subsidy if lawmakers grant his wish for an Anoka County sales tax.
...If they get permission to impose the tax, Wilf said, they might withdraw the state subsidy request, which would take the form of an unprecedented $115 million tax-increment financing district.
"If a TIF district is not possible, we have to find another way to fund it,'' he said, adding that he already has had meetings with financial consultants on the matter.
Did you catch that? Not only would Zygi sink $1 billion dollars of private investment in the deal, but he would also pay for some of the infrastructure (which is what the bulk of the state contribution would have covered). Aside from Zygi paying for the stadium himself, I don't know how this deal can get any better.
Could someone explain to me why legislators are so reluctant to embrace it? In many ways it is superior to the Twins plan, yet most legislators say they won't go near it. I know they want to handle the Gophers and Twins first. Maybe it is just an issue of priorities and lack of time.
Posted by snackeru at 03:29 PM | Comments (10) | TrackBack | Stadiums
Category "Stadiums"
March 09, 2006
The usual stuff
• Hello all. While it has been difficult around here with the passing of Kirby, life goes on and the battle for justice and the American way continues at the Greet Machine.
• While I would love it if Kirby's final gift to Twins fans in the upper Midwest was renewed focus from our legislature to finally solve this stadium mess, I would still be surprised if that is how it shakes out. Some of our legislative leaders' hearts may have softened a bit but give it a couple of weeks and we'll be back to the status quo of cold, hard rocks intent on only one thing: getting reelected. Sorry to be so pessimistic, but I'm not Norwegian-Lutheran for nothing. If I'm wrong please convince me otherwise.
As always, I believe the votes are there if a stadium bill ever got to the floor of the House. Getting to the floor though ... that is another story. The Taxes Committee and the Ways and Means Committee are too close to really call right now. The trouble with these committees is that Ron Abrams is on both of them! Curse our luck...
Before I leave this train of thought, Jeff A from the beautiful state of South Dakota has this to say:
I'm obviously not very close to the situation, but I wonder whether the death of Kirby Puckett, sad as it is, will result in people remembering why and how much they love the Twins and result in a new ballpark being built. I don't know how likely that is, but it seems like it might be possible.Kirby has already been credited with saving the franchise once. Wouldn't it be something if, with his death, he wound up saving it again?
Yes, Jeff, that would be wonderful. Is Kirby saying "Jump on my back" one more time? Time will tell.
• Speaking of Ron Abrams, he was recently quoted in the Minnetonka Sun Sailor where he had a few things to say about my favorite topic. When asked about the chances for a stadium bill passing the legislature this session Abrams replied:
It is difficult to predict the outcome of any stadium initiative. The Twins are insisting that any stadium bill not include a referendum requirement. If the Legislature complies, it will call into question a number of other provisions in Minnesota law calling for voter approval. Additionally, some drafts of the Twins proposal call for the bonds issued by Hennepin County be general obligation bonds, meaning that if revenues from a sales tax fall short, Hennepin County property tax owners will be required to pay higer taxes to make up the shortfall.
While his first two points are valid, the last point about general obligation bonds is flat out false. The only option for these bonds are revenue bonds funded by the sales tax. The sales tax alone will be more than enough and will probably retire the debt early as it did in Denver for Coors Field. While this will be a small consolation for people opposed to any tax whatsoever, it does mean that the Hennepin County plan won't touch property taxes at all. I shouldn't be surprised with this piece of disinformation from Abrams given his anti-stadium stance, but I am. Again, though, it probably doesn't really matter to those people who are against apple pie anyway.
That's all I got for now.
Posted by snackeru at 08:30 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack | Stadiums
Category "Stadiums"
March 02, 2006
Interesting Comment
I just received a rather hateful comment from a person that seems to be kind of upset with my entry from almost 2 years ago called Restaurants to Avoid. The post lists out restaurants that voted "no" on a survey concerning whether or not they would be in favor of a 3% tax in St. Paul to build a new Twins stadium. Here is the text of the comment:
Typical old school liberal Minnesotan… always trying to spend my money.If you want the Twins to stay so bad why don't you and your friend’s volunteer a 3% increase in your own income taxes for the next thirty years and while you're at it, leave your entire estate to billionaire Carl Pollad. Excuse me I meant the Twins organization.
Next time you want to put someone on your McCarthy style list why don't you think first? The St. Paul restaurant list-to-avoid you posted sometime ago has several ma & pa restaurants on it that do many great things, but you don't care about that because your form of baseball communism runs over everything just like Mao did.
I won't isolate any one of them on the list. Just know this, many of these restaurants support fire fighters, police and the disadvantaged. To make a claim to boycott them because of one issue is ignorant and says volumes about you.
My question for all of you is did I really overstep my bounds here? What if the reasons for the list were different ... What if I had eaten at all of these restaurants and I found the food to be really bad, or the service to be poor? Is it OK then to list them out as "restaurants to avoid"? Or should I always keep a negative opinion to myself, regardless of the reason? I mean, even if I didn't like the food at the restaurants on this list there would still be "several ma & pa restaurants on it that do many great things."
For me, my reasons for listing them out were the same as if the food was poor. I am essentially giving them a negative review because they are doing something I don't care for (they are against a Twins stadium being built in St. Paul). Is that so bad? Don't restaurants get negative (and positive) reviews all the time? In fact, I've received many comments from people that tell me they are going to support these restaurants because of their stance. I think this is great! Why not? That is what makes democracy and freedom of speech work: having the freedom to make your own decisions for your own reasons.
These restaurants took a stand on an issue they felt strongly about. Good for them. Can I not take a stand myself? I'm really wondering ... please let me know.
Until then, let's just review what this commenter compares me to: A "typical liberal Minnesotan," McCarthy, a communist, Chairman Mao, and seemingly just a flat out ignorant person. Cool! (Not that I think I am like any of this, I am just impressed with the amount of vitriol this person could pack into one comment. Well done sir!)
Ain't freedom of speech wonderful?
Posted by snackeru at 04:11 PM | Comments (16) | TrackBack | Stadiums
Category "Life"
Category "Stadiums"
My thoughts on various topics
• Let's start with the most obvious. I have been doing a lot of updating to the Voter's Guide, the votes in the House Taxes Committee, and the votes in the House Ways and Means Committee. Right now I am pretty confident that I have them correct, and right now they all show that a Twins stadium bill will pass (sometimes barely). I had to switch a bunch of people back to no since I seem to have misunderstood some of the information I have been receiving. If anyone has any insight to these predictions, please drop me a line at snackeru@umn.edu (if you'd like to remain anonymous) or leave a comment below. Things are looking good!
• Speaking of which, thanks to a late night phone call from Cheesehead Craig last night I was able to catch the last half of TPT Almanac on channel 2 (PBS). They were interviewing both Dean Johnson and Steve Sviggum and asking them about various issues that might come up in this legislative session. A lot of time was spent on an amendment to the Minnesota constitution to ban gay marriage (which I find to be a ridiculous waste of time), and then they got into stadiums. Both Sviggum and Johnson said they want to vote on both a Gophers and Twins stadium, and both said they think the Hennepin County plan is a pretty good one. Sviggum said he didn't think they could get to a Vikings stadium this session, but Johnson actually said he hoped they would take care of that one too.
This isn't exactly earth shattering news, but it still puts a little bounce in my step today. Of course, nothing will happen until T-Paw and/or "legislative leadership" asks Hennepin County to begin negotiating with the Twins again, but I will let you know if that is happening as soon as I hear something.
• Last week I also heard that Tony Cornish could be switching his vote from a No for a Twins stadium to a Yes. This was shocking news to me since last year in the Local Government committee Cornish made it quite clear that he would only vote for a Twins stadium if the Twins put up half. So, I wrote him an email asking him if he was now in favor of the Twins stadium, and if he was also in favor of the Vikings stadium in Anoka County since Zygi Wilf is putting up at least half. Here is the response I got:
You were given bad information. I plan to vote no on Twins Stadium.
Well, at least he isn't wishy washy about it. He also avoided my question on the Vikings stadium which I take to mean he would also vote no on that. Bummer.
Why am I telling you all of this? Please, I am begging you ... write your legislators and let me know what they say. They will write you back (most of the time) and sometimes their responses are very insightful. Plus, by writing your legislators we can put extra pressure on them to finally get this job done.
• Finally, as most of you know I recently purchased an iPod Video as a gift to myself for everything I do for me. I know, how thoughtful of myself. Anyway, for the past three nights I have been pulling my hair out trying to figure out how to get a full length DVD onto it. Specifically, I've been trying to put The Matrix onto it. Well, don't you worry your pretty little head about it. Behold, my triumph:
Yes, I finally got it to work. My main problems were 1) I was using free software and sometimes that can be unreliable and 2) I couldn't get the audio and video to sync up. After trying a whole bunch of different settings on the software it finally went through. If you are interested in my process and/or settings, please let me know.
So, do you understand what this means? It means that I can now watch The Matrix on the 2.5 inch screen of my iPod! Aren't you jealous? I mean, you still have to watch The Matrix on your big screen TV with your surround sound system! I'm sorry, but that is truly pathetic! Get with the times, man.
Posted by snackeru at 08:24 AM | Comments (7) | TrackBack | Life | Stadiums
Category "Stadiums"
February 28, 2006
The first hurdle has been passed
Hennepin County is ready to play ball with the Twins. The vote went down 5-2 with Steele and Koblick voting against the measure. While Dorfman voted in favor, she is probably only voting in favor of the process, not the resulting plan. At least she isn't wasting everyone's time like some other commissioners. The text:
WHEREAS, the Minnesota Legislature convenes on March 1, 2006 for the second year of the biennium and will conduct its business in a short session with compressed deadlines for committee action; andWHEREAS, Governor Tim Pawlenty has convened several meetings with Minnesota Twins officials, Hennepin County Commissioners, state legislative leaders from both political parties in the House of Representatives and Senate to consider a new initiative to build a ballpark in Hennepin County; and
WHEREAS, the adopted 2006 Hennepin County Board calendar has no scheduled meetings of the County Board in the month of March; and
WHEREAS, Governor Tim Pawlenty or legislative leadership may request that Hennepin County and Minnesota Twins officials renew negotiations on a new ballpark agreement in the near term and may request that a revised agreement be presented to the Governor’s office and the Minnesota Legislature
during the 2006 session;THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that in the event Governor Pawlenty or legislative leadership request that Hennepin County and the Minnesota Twins conduct negotiations on a new ballpark agreement to be considered during the 2006 session, that County Administrator Vargas and County staff are authorized to work with the Board Chair and staff to comply with this request; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that in the event a revised ballpark agreement is acceptable to both County negotiators and the Minnesota Twins officials, that the Chair shall schedule a special meeting of the Board to consider the proposal for Board approval as soon as practical.
What I find interesting about this text is that the onus is clearly on T-Paw, or the legislative leadership, to get the ball rolling. It will be by their request that the Twins and Hennepin County start negotiating again. This looks like a shrewd move by the county. In essence they are forcing Pawlenty or Sviggum to play a stronger role ... they are actually forcing them to lead on this issue. Well, you can bring a horse to water, but you can't make him drink.
We'll see what T-Paw does. I for one am excited to see what happens in the next couple of weeks.
Posted by snackeru at 05:35 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack | Stadiums
Category "Stadiums"
A flurry of activity
• What a magical time of year. Stadium season is upon us and is in full swing. I've made some more changes to the Voter's Guide and the totals are now:
Pro-American (Pro-stadium) legislators: 78
Anti-American (Anti-stadium) legislators: 49
Unknown: 7
Can you believe it? Could this be the year? Truth be told, I would be stunned. I know people are feeling more optimistic than ever, but if a stadium bill ever passed I would be absolutely amazed. I don't want to bum you out, but it would just plain be amazing to the point of almost being impossible. Let me put it this way: when this stadium bill passes the House Taxes committee, that is when I will start feeling optimistic. Not before.
Recent changes to the Voter's Guide include Zellers, Erhardt, Mullery, Walker, and Vandeveer all now in the YES column. Of course, I can't confirm any of this (this is all a guess on my part) but I am hearing a lot which leads me to believe the votes are there. Can it get to the floor of the House? We'll see.
Also, I changed Otremba back to a No. I just don't believe she will vote Yes. Curt in Grand Forks is checking that for me.
• Secondly, today should be an interesting day for Mike Opat. According to the PiPress, Opat will seek a HC board resolution authorizing him to renegotiate a contract with the Twins to build a stadium in Hennepin County. As per usual, I'm sure my good friend Linda Koblick will have all her ducks in a row and give Opat all that he can handle. Please, Linda, please go easy on him. As you know there are a lot of people in Hennepin County that want this to happen, myself included, of course.
According to the article, the added $30 million to the overall stadium price tag will be the biggest sticking point in any future negotiations. I really have no idea where this will go, but I hope Pohlad doesn't ruin what seems to be some stadium good will out there by throwing it back in the County's face. Unfortunately, I think we can all see the writing on the wall on this one: the Twins will expect the County to pay. This, in my opinion, will be a huge mistake and may change some votes back to the No column.
• Finally, I got an interesting email from Jim in St. Paul yesterday that went a little like this:
I was tempted to throw this out last year but maybe this is the year. If our esteemed legislators can finally see the light and pass a Twins ballpark bill this session I would like to extend an invite to all loyal Greet Machiners to come down some Saturday afternoon to my place of business, Summit Brewery, for a tour and celebration. I may even go through my archives and get out for display all my St. Paul related ballpark campaign items (I have a bunch). Like I said, hopefully this is the year and some celebration would definitely be in order.
How about that! A celebration at the Summit Brewery in St. Paul would be awesome. Thanks for the offer Jim! And of course, all "Greet Machiners" would be welcome (even you anti-stadium bums). And I must say, if Jim in St. Paul is feeling optimistic ... that really gives me pause. I dare say Jim knows more about this issue than me! Thanks for the day brightener Jim! I will be there!
Posted by snackeru at 08:30 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack | Stadiums
Category "Life"
Category "Stadiums"
February 27, 2006
Weekend update
• So, as we gear up for the upcoming legislative session, I've been getting some notes from people concerning my Voter's Guide and changes that should be made to it. Here is what I've heard so far:
Maxine Penas (1A): changed from a No to a Yes.
Pete Nelson (17B): changed from a No to a Yes.
Scott Newman (18A): changed from an Unknown to a No.
Greg Davids (31B): changed from a No to a Yes.
Tom Emmer (19B): changed from an Unknown to a No.
Dan Larson (63B): changed from an Unknown to a Yes.
This brings the grand total so far to:
Pro-American (Pro-stadium) legislators: 75
Anti-American (Anti-stadium) legislators: 52
Unknown: 7
I have also been told that Tony Cornish (24B) should be changed to a Yes. This is surprising to me since last year in the Governmental Operations committee he made it quite clear that he wanted the Twins to put up at least half before he would approve. In fact, I was going to write him to ask him if he was therefore in favor of the Viking stadium bill since Zygi is putting up half. I may have to contact him and ask him what is up. Not that he'll get back to me. As David has said, I think legislators are avoiding me now.
Also, I was stunned to hear that Mary Ellen Otremba is now in the Yes column. Stunned. Curt, isn't this your former district? Can you contact Otremba and ask if this is true?
Finally, I know pro-stadium people are feeling optimistic, but let's take a moment for a little reality check here. The session starts on Wednesday and that is when the partisan politics will begin. Both sides will say, "We can't deal with stadiums until we get all our other business taken care of." Two months later they will still be arguing, the session will end with the stadium bill never reaching the floor, and we'll begin the long summer of "should we call a special session?" I'm not saying I am giving up, no no no... I am just steeling myself for this inevitability.
• And on a completely different note, awhile back I alluded to the possibility that the Greet Machine would soon cease to exist and that changes in my life could be coming. Well, you'll be happy (maybe not?) to know that neither will be happening. In November I applied for a new position at the University of St. Thomas. I had an interview at the beginning of February, but in the interview I think we could both tell that it just wasn't the right fit. I found out last Friday that I didn't get the job.
This process was both painful and exiciting. After the interview, I was pretty confident that I might get offered the job. So, at that point I had to make a choice of telling my boss and his boss that I might be leaving. This was a hard decision because, obivously, I didn't know how they would react. Fortunately, they were happy for me. They understood that I wanted to take a step up in my career. But what made me even more surprised, and actually touched, is that they said they would make me a retention offer.
So, even though I didn't get the new job offer, or the retention offer, it still felt good that my work is appreciated here at the U. In fact, this whole process has really showed me how much I enjoy working here.
However, back to the fact that I got nothing for my troubles. This kind of bothered me, so I bought myself a 30GB iPod Video. Sure, I slept on the couch that night, and yes, I really can't afford it. But I justify it based on all the pain I went through, and because, quite frankly, I deserve something nice every once in a while.
Talk to you later!
Posted by snackeru at 08:27 AM | Comments (6) | TrackBack | Life | Stadiums
Category "Stadiums"
February 24, 2006
Spycake was right!
You know, it is not often that I am wrong, but I'd like to think that I am man enough to admit when I am. Two nights ago I wrote a piece that suggested Matt Entenza was playing partisan politics in witholding the results of a survey to gauge support for the Hennepin County ballpark plan. Spycake chastised my carefully crafted work of genius with these words:
But it seems like right now, there's nothing more to these accusations of "political gain" than Steve Sviggum's fear and Shane's lack of information. There's still plenty of time to discuss the stadium reasonably and get Estenza's honest opinion -- the session hasn't even started yet! Let's not rush to conclusions and label people (and whole parties!) political opportunists ...
Ha! I thought. While Spycake might make more sense than he usually he does, his words of wisdom would fall on deaf ears yet again, I decided. "Let's not rush to conclusions ..." Bah! Rushing to conclusions is what I am best at! It is something I take pride in! You can't take that away from me! Then, I read this in today's Shooter column:
Within the past 24 hours, the Twins have heard from the four major political caucus leaders who have reported a positive vote count for a new ballpark in downtown Minneapolis without a referendum, as the plan was constructed a year ago. The next step for the Twins is to re-engage with Gov. Tim Pawlenty in the near future. A state legislative vote on a ballpark isn't expected until late April or May.
Although Shooter doesn't spell it out in great detail, I would wager that the four major political caucus leaders would be Sviggum, Dean Johnson, Dick Day, and ... Matt Entenza.
Taking it a step further means that yes: Spycake was right! Oh the humanity! Does this mean that David Wintheiser is sometimes right? No, I don't think we can jump to that conclusion, but my world today has been turned upside down! It is like I am Superman in Bizzaro world! Nothing is as it should be. I should have never got out of bed.
What else could Spycake be right about? Nothing much I would wager ... but I've been proven wrong before.
• And now I would like to explain something to all of my new readers. You aren't going to change my mind. We can debate about things in a civil manner, hopefully, but if you are here just to blather about how much the Twins suck, or the Hennepin County ballpark plan sucks, then you have come to the wrong place. I won't listen to you. In fact, I might even lose respect for you which is sad because I don't even know you. This is not to say that I don't respect anti-ballpark types. If you write something to me in a coherent manner with good reasoning and well crafted sentences I will read what you say and ponder it for a while. Take my good buddy David Wintheiser, for example. For as much pain and suffeiring that he brings me I actually am quite fond of the guy. I wish I had half the writing skills as he does, and I dare say if we ever met we would probably have a good time discussing various topics over a pint of ale. The fact that he is anti-stadium doesn't matter. I welcome his opinion. So, in other words, treat me with respect and I will do the same for you (sometimes).
Also, I thought it might be handy for all the newcomers to read a little bit of where I am coming from. So, without futher ado, here is a list of some of the things I believe:
- I believe the Hennepin County ballpark plan is a good plan.
- I believe the Rapid Park site for the ballpark is a good site.
- I believe Pohlad should be giving more money.
- I belive a referendum is NOT required by law.
- I believe Nick Coleman and Gollum have a lot in common.
- I believe that a new stadium will have a positive economic impact on our community.
- I believe losing the Twins will only mean trying to get another MLB team here 10 years later for 10 times as much money (anybody remember the North Stars?).
- I believe people in Minnesota should get over their hatred of rich people and start thinking about how great it would be to watch the Twins in an outdoor ballpark.
- I believe that if you don't like watching baseball you should be happy that your neighbor who does like watching baseball will continue to have an opportunity to do so thanks to a new ballpark. This concept is called "community."
- I believe that when a new ballpark is built people in Minnesota will just love it. We will forget all about our precious pennies and just be thankful that we have such a beautiful facility. People in St. Paul sure don't seem to mind paying a half-cent sales tax for the X.
So, there you have it. Those are just some of the things I believe. You may think I'm wrong, but difference of opinion makes the world go round.
Thanks for stopping by!
Posted by snackeru at 08:50 AM | Comments (12) | TrackBack | Stadiums
Category "Stadiums"
February 22, 2006
The DFL is playing games
Sigh. Well, sorry for the delay, but I've been trying to get a hold of Matt Entenza today, the House Minority Leader, in order to ask him about the DFL response to the survey sent out by the governor concerning support for a Twins stadium bill this session. A little birdy tells me that the DFL has yet to turn in their responses, and that Entenza may be holding things up. Could this be for political gain? Could the DFL be looking for something to pin on T-Paw as another example of his failure as governor to get things done?
Aron Kahn had a another great article today discussing this issue:
For example, Sviggum, a ballpark supporter from Kenyon, said there are 41 Republican House members who'll vote for the measure, but "I'm not sure I want the number to rise higher than 41.''In other words, with 68 votes needed for passage, Sviggum wants DFLers to make up the rest of the winning tally. "There has to be Democrats because it could be used (against Republicans) in a partisan, emotional election,'' he said.
Entenza's lack of response concerning stadium issues and the infamous survey I mentioned above demonstrates, at least to me, that the DFL may be contemplating using either the passage, or defeat, of a stadium bill against the Republicans in the upcoming election. If Sviggum got more than 41 votes, it would look like the Republicans in the House were the driving force behind its passage. Obviously, this could come back to haunt them.
However, if a stadium bill doesn't pass, again the DFL can blame the governor for his lack of leadership. It is definitely a sticky wicket for T-Paw.
The fact of the matter is I am excited with any headline that says "Twins stadium bill has might." I am also excited that Sviggum claims to have 41 Republican votes. That is three more than I count.
So, for the next few weeks I will be watching the comments of both Entenza and Dean Johnson very carefully. When they start breaking out the partisan rhetoric I will be very, very let down. I know I shouldn't be so naive, but to sacrifice the Twins for their own political gain will be disheartening to say the least.
One more thing, Steve Sviggum is the leader of the Republican party in Minnesota, plain and simple. T-Paw doesn't have half the leadership skills of our friend from Kenyon. I know actions speak louder than words, but I have a feeling Sviggum is going to step out on a limb this session in a way that would make T-Paw wet himself.
Ain't "stadium season" a fun time of year?
Posted by snackeru at 06:37 PM | Comments (10) | TrackBack | Stadiums
Category "Stadiums"
I'm working on it
I'm working on some stuff based on what I've read in this article. Sviggum says he's got 41 votes, but the DFL seems to be remaining silent. Who says Entenza won't be important?
Posted by snackeru at 08:41 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack | Stadiums
Category "Stadiums"
February 15, 2006
OK OK OK ...
OK everyone. You've got to understand something. I've been writing about this Twins stadium mess for 3 years now. And I've been thinking about it for probably more than 10. Words cannot express both how much I want a new Twins stadium and how tired I am of thinking about it.
So, I'm not sure I can totally stop writing about this issue. I have too much invested in this at this point in time. I also believe that this might be the last year. I have learned not to make any predictions, so I won't do that, but I think there may just be one more big push for a new home for the Twins. And then that is it. We'll have what we have.
In other words, now is not the time to say I will be stopping. No, I'm all talk. The Greet Machine will live. However, I've been encouraged to start thinking about something different for a little while. At least until the legislature starts their predictable bickering, partisan politics, and do-nothing ways.
I need to refresh my thinking. So, I will be writing about some other stuff for a while. Family, maybe some politics, maybe some religion. Who is the better singer: Jessica or Ashlee. You know, important stuff. Whatever strikes me as interesting.
So there you have it. Hope springs eternal and all that jazz.
Posted by snackeru at 03:32 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack | Stadiums
Category "Stadiums"
February 12, 2006
Is a referendum really required by law?
So, I finally read Nick Coleman's recent piece of crap concerning the Twins and their never ending quest for a new stadium. As far as Coleman columns go it was exceptionally weak. I know, this in iteself is shocking, but stay with me for a second. Nick wants the people to vote whether or not we should build a new stadium. Yes, the same people that vote down school referendums. Yes, the same people that were NOT given the chance to vote for the Xcel Energy Center, the Mall of America infrastructure, the Guthrie, the Minneapolis Convention Center, and the Metrodome itself. Would any of these things have been built if it was given to the people to vote on? No, absolutely not. Is Minnesota a better place because of these amenities? Yes, it absolutely is.
But I'm not writing today to flip out on the genius that is Nick Coleman. I'm here to look at the actual Minnesota law that supposedly requires a referendum.. We've all heard John Knight (where has he gone to? it seems he can't stand the heat in the spotlight) and Laura Lehman from Citizens for a Stadium Tax Referendum moan and groan about the requirement for a referendum. Let's take a look at what the Minnesota legislature actually says about this.
From a document entitled "Local Sales Taxes in Minnesota" from the House of Representatives comes this snippet:
Summary of the Local Sales Tax Provisions in Minn. Stat. § 297A.99Local Taxes Subject to the Statutory Provisions
The statutory provisions apply to all local sales taxes authorized after June 2, 1997, unless the enabling legislation specifically exempts the local authority from these rules by reference.
Hennepin County isn't proposing to circumvent the law, as they have been accused of. The referendum requirement on local sales taxes was just added in 1997--and it includes a specific provision ALLOWING a local sales tax to be enacted without a referendum. Just like recent sales taxes enacted in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Bloomington, and Rochester, all of which were imposed by local ordinance.
Let's break it down even further. According to a 2004 report from the Minnesota Department of Revenue (page 21):
[T]he uses to which local sales tax can be put should be limited to large projects that would otherwise not be able to be funded by other means. These projects should have broad benefit and encourage multi-jurisdictional cooperation. Projects that cross boundaries or will be utilized by surrounding communities are examples of proposals that meet this criteria. While this may sound like another name for "regional benefit," the focus here should be on the scope of the project and the inability to fund it from other sources.
According to the Department of Revenue, what Hennepin County is proposing to do is completely within the boundaries of the local sales tax statute. On page 23 of this same report there is this little tidbit:
The local sales tax is best used as a mechanism for financing large, special, multi-jurisdictional capital projects.
In addition, the Governor's bipartisan 2004 Stadium Screening Committee determined a local sales tax was an appropriate mechanism to fund the local share of a stadium project. And speaking of governor created committees, after extensive debate the Stadium Screening Committee voted 18-1 that local taxes should fund stadiums and that they should NOT be subject to a referendum requirement.
To me, the law and the legislature are clear. Local sales taxes are an appropriate funding mechanism for the Twins stadium, and a referendum, while certainly encouraged, is NOT required. So, I wish anti-stadium folk would quit saying it is.
Finally, a local sales tax, such as Hennepin County is proposing, is a dependable and predictable revenue stream that allows the County to issue tax-exempt debt (thereby saving the public money). In addition, because the money is predictable, the interest rate on the loan should be lower thereby saving taxpayers even more money. In the Denver area, they used a .1 percent sales tax to finance Coors Field and they were able to retire 20-year bonds in less than 10 years. How soon will Hennepin County be able to retire the debt on a new Twins stadium? That is unknown, of course, but I doubt it will take 30 years.
And to wrap this up, when a new Twins stadium is built people will be giddy. Who in their right mind will wish that we hadn't built it? It will be the jewel of downtown Minneapolis and people will flock to it. How do I know? No one wishes we didn't build the Xcel Energy Center, no one wishes we didn't build the Metrodome. And these were both built with taxpayer money. I don't see Nick Coleman complaining about the Xcel Energy Center and the half-cent sales tax that pays for it. Why? Because it has been proven to be a good idea.
Posted by snackeru at 10:52 AM | Comments (9) | TrackBack | Stadiums
Category "Stadiums"
February 10, 2006
All editorials point to Hennepin County
• Wow! Now this is a surprise! The Pioneer Press has reversed its stance and now favors a Twins ballpark in Hennepin County. Plus, this editorial also calls on Zygi Wilf to privately finance a new Vikings stadium. Check this out:
So what to do to ensure Minnesotans can continue to enjoy baseball and pro football? Here's our advice on Minnesota's stadium conundrum: Wilf should build the Anoka complex after lining up financing, which is his specialty as a real estate mogul. He could then build a Vikings stadium as he wants it, reaping all the benefits — and profits.By doing this, Wilf would free up the Legislature to focus first on the Twins, who are the greatest threat to pack up and leave. The Legislature should then give Hennepin County the exemption on the 0.15 percent sales tax. That would avoid the costly referendum — which quite possibly could fail. At the very least, it would keep the price from going up another $30 million.
In short: Problem solved.
Problem solved indeed. I wish it were that easy. Again, though, what is interesting about this is the shift of the Pioneer Press editorial staff to now favor the Hennepin County plan. This could be because the PiPress has a new editor, or it could be because they realize that Chris Coleman doesn't have a plan or the desire to create one. I, for one, welcome this shift in their stance, but I expect Jim in St. Paul is weeping in his Summit right now.
• Today I received confirmation that the Greet Machine Voter's Guide has indeed been placed in the hands of Speaker of the House Steve Sviggum. I can't express to you enough what a thrill this is, although in looking what I have written for Mr. Sviggum himself it appears I have a little updating to do. I'm still confident in the votes I have predicted, but my pithy commentary is a little stale. I'm going to try to work on it this weekend.
And speaking of Sviggum, I have heard that he spoke at a breakfast this morning with Senate Majority Leader Dean Johnson, and he said that the Twins and Gophers have stadium priority over the Vikings. I know, this is stunning news, but I thought I would just mention that Sviggum does appear to have the Twins on his mind. I'll take that as a positive, no matter how small it is.
• The more I think about this stadium mess, and how T-Paw screwed the pooch by not getting this bill done last year, the more ticked off I become. Because of this delay, the stadium will cost at least $30 million more? Ouch, ouch, ouch. I can't help but think this will be brought up over and over and over again as we battle through the legislature this year. $30 million. Who is going to pay for it? Probably the County, and for that reason this will be a really sticky issue. Thanks a lot T-Paw.
• More later. I've got some interesting news on the state law that supposedly requires a referendum. It seems there is room for interpretation (as always). Until next time...
Posted by snackeru at 12:52 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack | Stadiums
Category "Stadiums"
February 09, 2006
Ways and Means Committee
UPDATE 2/28/06: I've been informed that Vandeveer and Walker will now vote Yes on the Hennepin County plan. Add that to Dan Larson's yes vote and that brings the total to 22 for and 16 against. Yep, that would do it!
Ouch. Once the stadium bill gets past the Taxes committee (ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!! that is a good one!) it would have to be passed by the Ways and Means Committee. From what I can tell, this will be another huge battle. It is also where the Pawlenty/Sviggum stadium bill was killed two years ago. Here is the breakdown:
19-19 and one unknown. Actually, a couple of unknowns. Again, this is all an educated guess on my part. And I'd like to know how and why after we get done with Krinkie, Abrams, and Knoblach in the Taxes committee we have to see these turkeys again in the Ways and Means Committee! That bums me out.
I'd also be surprised if the stadium bill got out of either committee without a referendum attached. I'm not sure that is a bad thing either. We need to get this bill to the floor of the House. Once it is there I think there would be enough votes to strip off a referendum. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see this bill fly through without any referendum attached, but every single committe will try to attach one, and then there will be multiple attempts on the floor. It will be fun (?) to watch.
If anyone has any insight on this committee please let me know.
• Secondly, Charley Walters reported yesterday:Gov. Tim Pawlenty, some legislative leaders, and Hennepin County and Twins officials are expected to meet again next week to continue dialogue about a new ballpark in downtown Minneapolis.
And the beat goes on. Another year, another round of talks. Let's see if anything happens this time.
Posted by snackeru at 09:03 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack | Stadiums
Category "Stadiums"
February 08, 2006
More drivel
• You all probably already saw this, but according to the Pioneer Press:
House Speaker Steve Sviggum, R-Kenyon, said the 2005 bill had the support of 69 House members, enough to guarantee passage if it came to a vote. The DFL-led Senate has been more receptive to stadium bills.
I wonder if some of this calculation is based on the Voter's Guide. I would like to think it is. And speaking of the Voter's Guide, I've been told that it was given to Erik Paulsen, House Majority Leader, at a GOP fundraiser last Friday night as proof that the votes are there to pass a stadium bill in the House. Of course, Erik Paulsen is the main reason there was no special session last summer to deal with this issue. His lobbying against a special session will cost taxpayers millions of extra dollars in increased stadium costs if not for a Twins stadium then certainly for a Gophers stadium.
Thanks Erik! You are a genius!
And speaking of Erik Paulsen, check out this website that he and some other state senators put together for our edification. I pray when the Twins are gone that Mr. Paulsen takes some extreme heat for his stance on this issue.
• You probably already also saw this article concerning Bruce Lambrecht and Rich Pogin of Twinsville fame by Mark Kaszuba of the Star Tribune. I truly can't believe how stupid this article is. First of all, if Lambrecht and Pogin had T-Paw wrapped around their little fingers as the article claims, we would already have a new Twins stadium! For goodness sake, I wish Lambrecht had T-Paw in his pocket!! I wouldn't have to worry about this anymore! Where is the logic in this article?
Secondly, God forbid anyone make money or use their connections in this state. I can't believe how anti-capitalism we are in the great state of Minnesota. What? You mean someone might actually make money? Someone might actually better their life at my expense? No! I won't let this happen! Me, me, me, me me!!!
People make money. People have friends in high places. Neither of these two things are inherently evil! So get over it!
Posted by snackeru at 08:38 AM | Comments (6) | TrackBack | Stadiums
Category "Stadiums"
February 07, 2006
I am still not optimistic
UPDATE (2/28/06): I have been informed that Zellers, Erhardt, and Mullery are now going to vote YES on the Hennepin County plan. That brings the vote total to 18 for and 11 against. That would be amazing. Can you imagine if a Twins stadium bill got out of Krinkie's Tax committee unscathed?
I have heard from a connected anonymous source that Hennepin County was not encouraged by the governor's words yesterday.
And while I personally am encouraged that Entenza at least kept the door open giving the stadium plan at least the tepid support of the 4 caucus leaders, there is one thing that needs to be made clear:
T-Paw has to lead!!!!
There is no getting around this. In order for a stadium bill to go through normal legislative protocol, T-Paw is going to have to give it a great deal of support. Normal legislative protocol has a stadium bill going through at least 3 committees before it gets to the floor, and in the case of any stadium bill that means a stop in Krinkie's Taxes Committee. Last year I do not believe the stadium bill would have gotten out of that committee.
You may also be wondering why a bill can't just be pushed onto the floor for a vote. In order for that to happen the legislature would have to vote to suspend normal legislative protocol for that bill and it would take a 2/3 majority. I believe the stadium bill has enough votes to pass, but I don't think it has a 2/3 majority.
So, back to T-Paw. If he wants this bill to at the very least get to the floor he is going to have to put pressure on not only the legislature in general, but also specifically the Taxes committee. Here is the current breakdown for where I see the votes falling in that committee:
As you can probably tell, no other issue in all of the legislature is as non-partisan as stadium politics. Thanks to some reworking of where I think the votes will fall it appears that the vote in this committee is 15 for and 14 against. However, it is all a guess on my part. If T-Paw can convince a couple of other Republicans it would be a done deal.
And thanks to the Twins recent court victory, I think the pressure is more acute than ever before for our do-nothing governor. Will this be the year? Only if it can get to the floor of the House.
Posted by snackeru at 08:34 AM | Comments (7) | TrackBack | Stadiums
Category "Life"
Category "Stadiums"
February 03, 2006
A couple of things
This will be completely stream of consciousness ... please forgive me.
• A little birdy tells me that the meeting that was supposed to happen a couple of weeks ago will actually happen this Monday (2/6). The same people are rumored to attend: Opat, Bell, T-Paw, Day, Sviggum, Johnson, and Entenza. And like I said before, my focus will be on Entenza. He is the only one of these people that I still would consider anti-stadium. If he comes out of this meeting even remotely favorable towards a new Twins stadium I will consider it a victory. For example, if he comes out of this meeting and says, "The plan doesn't suck as much as I thought it would," I will take that as a positive.
• Speaking of Entenza, I heard that he was on WCCO radio today talking about the stadium. According to my sources he said that he wanted to study any new plan in detail before making any judgements. A step in the right direction, I think.
Again, if T-Paw can get Entenza on board that would mean he would have the Speaker of the House, the Minority Leader of the House, the Majority Leader of the Senate, and the Minority Leader of the Senate all in favor of the Hennepin County plan. That would be a nice little coalition. Right now T-Paw has 3 out of 4.
• T-Paw was on WCCO radio last week again touting St. Paul as a better location for a new Twins ballpark. I have no problem with St. Paul being the new home of the Twins, but Governor ... they have no plan. And any plan they do promote will have to include state money. The 3% stadium tax Kelly promoted would not be able to raise the same amount of money a .01% tax would be able to raise in Hennepin County.
Is Coleman even that gung ho about a new stadium in St. Paul? My impression is no. Jim in St. Paul, if you are reading this, help me out with this. Would you take a stadium in Hennepin County right now over the possibilty of the Twins giving up and packing it in? Or do you prefer waiting for another chance for St. Paul?
• Unfortunately, however, as we all know any chance we have relies on T-Paw taking a stand. In fact, it would probably come down to T-Paw playing the bonding bill card ala Arne Carlson and saying, "I won't sign until a Twins stadium bill is approved." How likely is that? Not very.
I was talking with another stadium expert today when I asked him, "What chances do we really have this year? Less than 50?" And he looked at me and said, "The chances are better in 2006 than 2007." What he means by this is that the Hennepin County plan, the Twins desire to try again, the governor's even tepid support ... none of these will probably be the same in 2007.
• However, it seems we do have some reason for optimism. I have heard that stadium supporters might be happy with the outcome of Monday's meeting, for whatever reason. We'll see.
• And I can't believe I didn't write about this before, but last week was our Cub Scout Pack's Pinewood Derby. As you can see below, my son came in second out of about 40 cars! We both were thrilled, especially my son, but I was really happy too because I worked really hard on that car! It was a nice way for my son to end his Cub Scout career. He gets the Arrow of Light later this month.
Posted by snackeru at 08:02 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack | Life | Stadiums
Category "Stadiums"
February 02, 2006
I choose anger!
Someone just sent me a picture of this huge sign that sits on the outskirts of the Rapid Park ballpark stadium site in downtown Minneapolis.
I have a number of emotions when looking at this picture. Hope. Sadness. Hapiness ... and anger. I choose anger!
Anger is a good emotion for me today. It is better than "woe is me" depression. Why? Because I can blame other people for my problems! Anti-stadium people! Bah! A pox on all your houses!
There, I feel better now. Hope again springs eternal. I'm sorry you had to witness that.
Posted by snackeru at 02:38 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack | Stadiums
Category "Life"
Category "Stadiums"
January 30, 2006
Now that is an interesting plan
• I'll cut right to the chase, someone tell me how this isn't a good plan:
Published estimates are that Pohlad has a net worth of $2.8 billion. Assume conservatively that only half that amount would be subject to the estate tax. If he remained a Minnesota resident, the state would collect 16 percent, or about $224 million. But there would be no such windfall if he moved.The state, the Twins, and its owner should consider an arrangement whereby the owner would agree to remain a Minnesota resident and expose his estate to a tax of at least the amount of the state contribution to the cost of a new Twins ballpark. The state would then lend that amount to the Hennepin County project. Along with the $125 million the Twins have already pledged, and the expected infrastructure contribution of local government, the state loan would get the job done. The state loan would be fully secured by the expected Pohlad estate tax, from which the loan would be repaid.
Did you understand that? Pohlad will be paying an estate tax anyway when he dies. This gentleman, William Brody, estimates that it will be $224 million. Assuming that Pohlad dies while a Minnesota resident, why don't we take that money and use it to build a new Twins stadium? How does this plan not work? Someone please inform me because I think it is a fantastic plan (if not a little morbid). Combine that $224 million with Pohlad's already agreed contribution of $125 million, and you've got $349 million: the cost of the ballpark itself. That way, much like the Mall of America, the county would only have to pay for infrastructure around the faciltiy.
Any lawyers in the house? Any reason why this wouldn't work? Under this plan you've suddenly got Pohlad paying for well over half of the total cost, which is something a lot of representatives and senators want.
OK. Now for reality. As much as I'd love this plan to work, I would be very surprised if it went anywhere. Why? We are governed by morons, plain and simple. So, I'll let you know if anything comes of this. I will certainly be monitoring the situation.
• Lastly, if you have multiple children like me, you know how sibling rivalries can develop. Well, my family's most outrageous sibling rivalry is between my middle son and my youngest child, my daughter. I say outrageous because it seems that no matter what my daughter says, my son has got to disagree with her. My daughter will say anything, and my son will point out where she is wrong. For example, my daughter will say, "This peanut butter is crunchy," and my son will say, "No, this peanut butter has peanuts in it which makes it less smooth." Or my daughter will say, "The sky is blue," and my son will say, "No, the sky is blue." Do you see what I mean? It drives me nuts.
So, yesterday while going to church, my kids started to talk about the topic of frogs. My daughter, who is only 5, chimes in and says, "Frogs eat bugs with their tongues." And my son says, "No, that is actually a myth that frogs eat bugs with their tongues. Actually, frogs tackle bugs and then eat them." Can you believe this guy? Of course, my wife and I had to correct him, but where does he come up with this stuff? And all so he can disagree with his sister. It is amazing to me.
Posted by snackeru at 10:32 AM | Comments (14) | TrackBack | Life | Stadiums
Category "Books"
Category "Stadiums"
January 26, 2006
Nothing coherent, just more "dashed off tripe"
• I was watching the T-Wolves a little bit last night and I was just blown away by how bad they are. I mean YIKES! It is definitely "panic time" at the Target Center. KG must be beside himself with anger. McHale has seriously built a sub-.500 team.
• And speaking of KG, I don't know how many of you saw this, but a couple of weeks ago KG was asked about his time with Stephon Marbury when he started to talk about his own childhood. He had this to say:
"I was a gym rat, man," he said. "I loved hoops, and when I'm done with this game, I'm gonna hoop. You're going to catch me at the Minnetonka YMCA busting some of those old guys' butts. You think I'm [kidding], but I can't wait to get back on the blacktop."
That is why I love KG: honesty, loyalty, and the Minnetonka YMCA is the one I frequent! Man, I would love to get dunked on by KG! And if I ever scored on him ... wow, I would launch some serious trash talking. I hope KG sticks around.
• In case you missed this, Sen. Don Betzold, Senate author of the Vikings stadium bill in the illustrious Minnesota legislature, wrote an interesting piece discussing the problems with a referendum. His argument is that only allowing Anoka County residents, or Hennepin County residents, to vote on the fate of our favorite sports teams would be "too narrow to be fair." Betzold writes:
The referendum issue raises a basic question: Who should get to vote on it? It would seem that if it is a local sales tax, then the local citizens should vote. But that means that nearby citizens, also affected by the sales tax, cannot vote. Some of my constituents live in suburban Anoka County, and some live next door in suburban Ramsey County. In fact, the city of Spring Lake Park is in both counties, so the Anoka County Spring Lake Park voters could vote on a referendum but the Ramsey County Spring Lake Park voters could not.It is true that a state law requires a referendum approving a local sales tax to fund a local project, such as a city convention center. However, referendums have not been required for projects that have broad regional or statewide significance, such as the Minneapolis Convention Center and the Metrodome.
It is an argument I happen to agree with. The Metrodome and the Convention Center were built without referendum and I don't think anyone would ever say that they were a mistake. They have proven to be cost effective and important pieces of our metropolitan infrastructure. Betzold also writes:
That raises other questions: Should the voters of one county decide the future of a statewide asset? Do the Twins fans who live in Anoka County want the Hennepin County voters to decide if their team stays in Minnesota? Will the legislators who represent the other 87 counties want only Anoka County voters to decide the future of the Vikings? If Anoka County were to drop its plan and a new Vikings stadium proposal were to be proposed in, say, Dakota County, would Vikings fans in Anoka County want the voters in the southern suburbs to decide this issue? Should the students at the university vote on the possible tuition increases to pay for a new Gophers stadium?The Legislature can't send tough questions like these to the voters. We have to figure them out ourselves.
This raises two important points: 1) since these are statewide assets, it is a shame that only one county will pay for these stadiums in the first place, and 2) the legislature should definitely figure these issues out themselves. The more salient point is point number two. Do your jobs senators and representatives! We elected you to make informed decisions on controversial topics, not put your head in the sand and pass these decisions back to us. What are you good for then? If you don't want to do your jobs then I want to vote on everything. Referendums are a cop-out and an example of weak-minded legislators doing whatever it takes to keep their jobs.
Grow a backbone and make a decision, up or down. But don't pass it back to me.
• You'll note over on the right side a new section listing out all the books I've read so far in 2006. It is only three right now, but I hope to grow this list as the year progresses. That way, at the end of the year I won't have to wrack my brain trying to remember what books I've read in the last 12 months.
And just to let you know, Empire Falls was excellent. The Planets was a quick read, but not as good as I thought it would be. Camouflage was very good. It had not one, but two aliens in it and I am a sucker for alien books. The book is about two almost immortal aliens who live on Earth and interact with life here for thousands of years. One alien spends most of its time with humans and becomes quite a nasty fellow, while the other alien spends most of its time in the ocean, and only begins spending time with humans during the 20th Century. Meanwhile, in the not so distant future, a strange metallic artifact is found in a Pacific trench and scientists from all over try to figure out what it is. Could it have something to do with one of our aliens? Read Camouflage to find out. I enjoyed it.
• That's it for now. I'm back to liking clapping again. Yesterday it seemed kind of stupid, though. Sort of stupid like hitting a small white ball with a stick and racing around a diamond shaped playing field. Who came up with that?
Posted by snackeru at 08:28 AM | Comments (9) | TrackBack | Books | Stadiums
Category "Stadiums"
January 24, 2006
I guess there was no meeting
UPDATE: I just heard that the meeting did not take place yesterday as planned, and that a make-up meeting has not been scheduled. Bummer. I bet it was that anti-stadium Matt Entenza screwing everything up. Blast him and his hatred of the Twins!
• Well, I guess there wasn't a Twins stadium related meeting with the governor yesterday. This kind of ticks me off since stadium news to me is like heroin to an addict. I need my fix. Maybe they are meeting today? Why hasn't anyone reported this yet? This is very upsetting. Although, I should learn to accept that I will never get my way when it comes to stadiums in Minnesota. This is just yet another example of that fact.
• Jim in St. Paul wrote in a comment last night about a recent editorial that appeared in the St. Paul Pioneer Press entitled: Why we still support a Twins stadium in St. Paul. I wonder if their new managing editor wrote this. It is very good. First it lays out some of the economic realities of Major League Baseball and why a stadium is important for the Twins' long term future. Then it zeros in on St. Paul. Among the editorial's more salient points:
A St. Paul ballpark would be a significant driver of economic development in the capital city. As we've said before, spending the same $300 million in public money to move the stadium a few blocks up the street in Minneapolis would be less transformative than if it were spent to build a new ballpark in downtown St. Paul.
That may be true. I think the Twins leaving Minneapolis for St. Paul would also have an economic impact on Minneapolis, though, only in a negative sense. Anyway, I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I don't care if they build a stadium in Bemidji, just build the stupid thing so we can assure the Twins will stay around. As John Lennon said:
You say you've got a real solution
Well, you know
We'd all love to see the plan
Show me the money!
• And speaking of money, Shooter recently reported (and sorry, I can't find the link) that if St. Paul were to get into the stadium game again, there is no way they could put a plan together without state money. I would think this requirement would immediately put them at a disadvantage. Besides, how gung ho is Coleman about trying to bring the Twins to St. Paul? My impression is that his attitude towards this possibility is tepid at best.
• If anyone has any news about the meeting that was supposed to happen, please let me know! Has it been rescheduled? Shelved indefinitely? What is the deal?
Posted by snackeru at 08:32 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack | Stadiums
Category "Life"
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January 20, 2006
Random musings, odds, and ends
I don't have anything coherent to say today, so I'm just going to write and write until I have nothing to write about anymore.
• A few days ago, Tim M. asked me what kinds of story lines I would like to see in a Serenity sequel. I think the story of Book is a given. He was a mysterious character, and we definitely didn't get the truth about him. I would also love to see more about the bounty hunter "Jubal" that showed up in the last Firefly episode. He was a very interesting dude. But more than anything, I would like to know more about the Independence movement and the Browncoats. What were they really