New Vikings Stadium on Da Move Forward (Part 9).

[harvey lee]

I would pay whatever my share would be to still enjoy the Vikes. I spend money on fishing and hunting and I like the Vikes as much.

I realize that a special tax from the public is not wanted.

I do believe we will have a new stadium in the next 2 years and as stated above and the decision will not include us as the tax payers.

[Scott K]

I know, why not make it a users fee, tax the price of the tickets and merchandise, along with taxing TV revenues. Let the people that go to, and watch them on tv, actually pay for it. Also have a state lottery ticket, that all proceeds go towards the new stadium, then if you dont want to pay anything, because you dont watch them anyway, you dont, and if you do go to them, watch them, or want to help contribute above that, buy some stadiuk lottery tickets.

[LMITOUT]

What's wrong with the Dome?

[Scott K]

What's wrong with the Dome?

It is aged, and the Vikings dont get much of the revenue from it. But I agree, for a couple hundred million, they could make the Dome into a great place!

[CJH]

I know, why not make it a users fee, tax the price of the tickets and merchandise, along with taxing TV revenues. Let the people that go to, and watch them on tv, actually pay for it. Also have a state lottery ticket, that all proceeds go towards the new stadium, then if you dont want to pay anything, because you dont watch them anyway, you dont, and if you do go to them, watch them, or want to help contribute above that, buy some stadiuk lottery tickets.

I don't have a problem with that option either! Again, let the public have a choice.

[toughguy]

If they build it they should put it on the state fair grounds. Lots of parking and it would be a great atmosphere. They could open some of the food vendors before the games and events too. The area would get more use than just the 4 or 5 weeks it gets used now. The concerts at the fair would be way cool!! The place would be a zoo (in a good way). Downtown just spreads everone out too much.

[LMITOUT]

It is aged, and the Vikings dont get much of the revenue from it.

Ohhhh, I see. The taxpayers should buy Zygi a new play pen so he can get more revenue from luxury boxes and such.

Come on people. Wake up.

[james_walleye]

You got it LMIT. You left out concessions and parking. As Harvey said i pay how much $$ on fishing and hunting, i'll pay some $$ for the 3rd form of entertainment i enjoy.

[LMITOUT]

Mail the check.

[james_walleye]

im not going to respond any differently now that you've said that for the 6th time to me....or do you really forget who you are talking to??

[LMITOUT]

Garden Commercial Properties

820 Morris Turnpike

Short Hills, NJ 07078

Attention: Viking Stadium Fund

[CJH]

Garden Commercial Properties

820 Morris Turnpike

Short Hills, NJ 07078

Attention: Viking Stadium Fund

Nothing like spending state tax dollars on a billionaire from OUT OF STATE!!!!

[Mearnsquail]

The cheapest ticket for a Vikes game should be about $ 300.00 and go up from there. That way all these true fans who don't mind spending money can pay for it themselves. Problem solved.

[james_walleye]

So no one in the state of MN, particularly the metro would benefit from a new stadium? Or maybe put it this way....no one would be hurt by the vikings not getting a stadium and leaving town in the future??

Go ahead and charge $300 for a ticket. The people who care will buy them, and then you can make it where the game is blacked out to anyone who doesnt buy a viking ticket for a game during the season. Let the people who pay for the new product be the only people who get to enjoy the product. By your stance that shouldnt be a problem with you right?

LMIT im done with you on this, you know i'll send a check in tomorrow if it guarantees a stadium.

[PurpleFloyd]

At this point I don't see how the state can realistically put together any package that uses tax dollars to pay for a stadium for the Vikings.The Deficit is a huge problem and I just don't see how the legislature is going to go for raising taxes for a stadium while it is faced with cutting aid to cities and counties as well as schools, law enforcement etc.

That being said I do think it can be built. I have said for years, even long before the racino idea that the stadium needs to be tied to a casino. My feeling is putting it in a place like Shakopee and having a state run casino in it would be the way to go. And I am not talking about having sports type gambling in there but rather slot machines. In fact IMHO they should build the stadium with a video slot screen in every seat with the proceeds going to retire the debt of the stadium.

I am also not a fan at all of putting a roof on it. IMHO the roof is a waste of dollars and it takes away from the game. Leave it an open stadium, forget about hosting 1 super bowl in 40 years and save 1/3 the cost of the project.

GB and Chicago both did major renovations in the past 5 or so years and neither one of them put a roof on. You didn't hear anything about hosting events, SB's etc. Yes, it gets cold once in a while and that is good. It makes the visiting teams adapt to our climate and that is an advantage to the teams.

[harvey lee]

Lmitout

The stadium will be built and it will include public funding.

Our reps do understand just how much money they bring in, in one form or another.

It will happen and soon.

[LMITOUT]

Our reps do understand just how much money they bring in, in one form or another.

If it were that simple it'd be done already.

[harvey lee]

When the economy picks up and the sales tax revenues pick up to normal, it will be that easy.

[james_walleye]

Lmitout

The stadium will be built and it will include public funding.

Our reps do understand just how much money they bring in, in one form or another.

It will happen and soon.

I agree Harvey. Its not a matter of if...its a matter of when it gets done.

[james_walleye]

What is the impact of the area if a team leaves? Not saying it will happen without the stadium.....just sayin......

[PurpleFloyd]

What is the impact of the area if a team leaves? Not saying it will happen without the stadium.....just sayin......

I guess you would have to qualify that statement. As it stands we have a team, the money has been invested in the old stadium and we have a sector of the economy that evolves around it.

Now, if we pull out the vikings from the equation then there will certainly be an impact on that sector which has been built around the team being here. There is no debating that at all. What can be debated, though, is how much of that revenue will actually be lost and how much will just be reallocated to another sector of the economy which is where the reference to the opportunity cost comes in. The opportunity cost of publicly financing the stadium is all of the other things that the state could do with that money such as reducing taxes so people had more disposable income to spend on other things,investing in infrastructure such as light rail or building high tech industrial parks that would bring in high paying jobs, investment in alternative energy to reduce our dependence on volatile fossil fuels, investment in education which generally leads to an increase in per capita incomes ...

if you say that none of the revenue lost by the Vikings would be recaptured by investing in alternatives or by reducing taxes then obviously building the stadium is the right way to go. If you feel that you could invest that money differently and see similar or better results then the economics of it are much less appealing and you are then looking at the pride factor as the reason to keep them.

i will however ask you this: The owners are all shrewd businessmen for the most part. Now, if those stadiums are such a good investment and pay themselves off so well, then why are they not building them themselves and reaping all of the rewards? Because they really don't.

Look at it this way:

The dome was built in the early 80's for about 50 million dollars. It was the home for the Vikings, Gophers and twins as well as the Wolves for a short period and even then with sharing the mortgage cost the professional teams were not able to be as profitable as they wanted to be and if you look at the dome as it stands, it was not able to sustain itself even though it was paid off and supported by the three teams.

Now instead we have the twins and their 250 million dollar stadium, the Gophers at a similar level and the Vikings wanting a 950 million dollar stadium and somehow with all of that additional debt load they are supposed to generate MORE revenue? Being the Mayor of my humble community and also being a Commissioner for Region 9 the past 4 years I have had a chance to talk to people in the legislature and also in the government about this topic and not one person has been able to draw up an economic model that demonstrated how 3 stadiums with a 1.5 billion dollar mortgage, 3 independent maintenance programs and 3 sets of infrastructure were at a financial advantage over one paid for facility supported by 3 major teams. When someone produces one i will back it.

[Shack]

I hope the legislators can come up with a creative way to keep them here having as little impact as possible on the paying public but bottom line I hope they stay.

Originally Posted By: LMITOUT

Racino.

Is it just "me" or does it seem voting & proposing a state owned & operated Racino as a form to offset spending & "to save the day" is being stretched just a little too far? It could honestly just be me.

These Racino's must generate some huge amounts of money to be the answer to everything & all our spending/money troubles.

Besides the above groups I found on a quick Google image search , I know of (around 4-5) some other local groups using "Vote Racino" as their slogan for supporting their cause. The Vikings have to get in line for the Racino buffet or miss out.

[LMITOUT]

These Racino's must generate some huge amounts of money to be the answer to everything & all our spending/money troubles.

[MinnesnowtaWild]

Oh please, Vikings don't need a new stadium. We already had the Xcel Energy Center in the late 90's, TCF Stadium, and Target field in the last 10 years.

Let the Vikings move or else suck it up and stay in the Metrodome.

[Mudcutter]

and without 2 of the 3,, MN would likely only have Vikes left. A cold Omaha. The economy has nothing to do with it. People pay 50 to 100 bucks a month to watch sports on TV and this has increased in the recession. I would never pay a single dime to watch a team on TV, but I would have taxes to keep a team in town. Down here in Iowa, the Hawkeye football team used to be on free TV on the local FOX station every week without a break, unless on ABC. When the BIG 10 network came around,, all the HAWK fans had to step up to the plate for Big 10 network to watch the games, or listen to games on the radio, or goto the bar or watch PBS programming on FOX when it used to be Big 10 football. Cali has allready taken one great team from MN in the Lakers,, and one of the greatest sports names ever; not including the North Stars,, I'd hate to see the LA VIkings.