Stadium Special Session

The Vikings Stadium debate has now been raging for nearly a decade. The Minnesota State Legislature itself promised resolution during the 2006 Legislative Session after the Vikings graciously stepped aside so that stadium issues for the Twins & Gophers could be resolved. Our Governor Mark Dayton at the start of the 2011 session promised the issue would be addressed once and for all.

All the Vikings and their fans are asking for is the same treatment & respect every other team in this market has been given. Hear the stadium bill and vote on its merits. Vote it up or down but vote on it, this has dragged on long enough, and #mnleg you are out of excuses. It is now time to be accountable to your constituents as an elected official. It is not the peoples job to vote on issues, it is those representatives who were duly elected whose DUTY and RESPONSIBILITY it is to act on behalf of the voters they are sworn to represent. The citizenry does not have the option of demanding referendums on hand picked issues. It is your job to act on the long term interests of the state of Minnesota. Number one question is does it benefit Minnesota, with both the simple and complex answers being yes.

This bill creates new jobs & revenue streams, as well as saves those already existing. A new Vikings stadium would likely lead to annual revenue going INTO the state general fund in excess of $25-30 million annually. Leaders how would you propose replacing that lost revenue when you can not cope with existing shortfalls? The Metrodome, an ill conceived venue has led to over $340 million pouring into state coffers since 1982 of which over $180+ million is a direct result of the Vikings. This is after a $55 million bonding bill and again no state general fund dollars, which was paid off in around 1/2 the mandated time. Failure to act or nonfeasance would result in the loss of existing revenue & jobs, prevent the creation of new ones and likely to lead to residual job losses and business failures, which once again would lead to more lost revenue. Minnesota has made its money off the Vikings, now it is time to show our appreciation once and for all, giving them their first permanent home like every other state asset. Show them they are WELCOME and are Minnesota!

This bill is about more than just numbers though, it is also about people, culture, diversity of activities, national competitiveness and exposure. It is about attracting new residents and new businesses. It is about players and staff that give back to the community and create hope and pride through the Vikings Childrens Fund or the numerous other individual charities they operate and/or support.

It is about the former residents of Minny scattered nationwide who still yearn to call Minnesota home and to have that sliver of home and hometown pride. It is about the residents of Western Wisconsin, of Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming and yes even from Canada who support the Vikings and travel here once, or more, per year to support their favorite team.

Minnesota is not great because of the Vikings, we are great because we value the: Vikings, Twins, Wild, (cough,cough) Timberwolves, Lynx, Gophers, Valleyfair, State Fair, Renaissance Festival, Ordway Theatre, The Orpheum, The Science Museum, The Walker Art Center, etc.....It is because we value the interests and beliefs of all and choose to create a diverse community and not cater to one class or belief. Yes, football is a blue collar sport but we are still a blue collar hard working community and the Vikings reflect those beliefs and efforts.

The majority of people opposing this bill do not even know what they are opposing and/or refuse to look for solutions that benefit us all as a state and that is not the way of Minnesota. There are solutions with little to minimal to no impact on the budget of the average Minnesotan unless they choose to be involved. The biggest is user fees which is a section of the bill as currently constituted. These fees and/or taxes are only paid if you CHOOSE to support, IE...sports memorabilia tax, ticket tax, parking tax, captured and dedicated Vikings Taxes(if they are gone so are these, put them to work), venue only tax, stadium district tax on businesses benefitting from new venue, etc...There is also Racino, time to stop caving to special interests and use this incredible job and revenue producing source. What about the Legacy Fund, it is already being used for the arts, this is art and entertainment and majority of those funds are from people more likely to support Vikings than the Arts.

Is is time to act in the bests interests of Minnesota both now and in the future, because as other cities (Baltimore, Cleveland, Houston, L.A, St. Louis) have shown us once you lose your NFL team you immediately realize the loss and begin the process of replacement. How has that worked for Minnesota in the past? The Minnesota North Stars could have been retained in 1993 for $20 million in renovations to Met Center instead we paid over $300 million to replace them with the Wild. We can now keep the Vikings for the cost of $1.057 billion to build a new stadium of which the Vikings are paying $407+ million, and $300 million of USER fees not state general fund dollars, these funds do not exist without this deal. The remaining portion is from an eager local partner that sees the long term growth potential and revenue streams it creates. All this can be adjusted but you have to sit down and do what you promised! The time is now! Call a special session or this deal goes up $50 million per year, it has already increased by around $250-$300 million due to excuses of the legislature. Due the math, $1.057 billion now or $2.2 billion later WHEN we want a new team and IF they give us one!

#skolvikes