Vikings Stadium Bill Introduced, Already Shredded by Governor
by Christopher Gates on May 3, 2010 7:34 PM CDT
in Minnesota Vikings
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PrintToday, a bill was introduced to the Minnesota legislature that would provide two-thirds of the funding that would be necessary for a new, $791 million Vikings stadium. The site has not been finalized by this particular bill, as it would allow various communities to compete for the right to have the stadium built in their town. To my understanding, this would be done through the raising of local taxes, similar to what was taking place with the project out in Blaine a few years ago that wound up falling through.
There are provisions within the bill to raise money by other means as well.
The biggest part of the public money would come from a nearly 7 percent tax on jerseys, trading cards and other sports memorabilia, which would bring in an estimated $17 million a year. The 1.5 percent hotel surtax in the seven-county metro area would bring an estimated $8 million, and the sports-themed scratch-off game and rental car tax would each bring in an estimated $5.5 million.
Now, I'm not the most politically savvy guy you're ever going to meet, but this strikes me, all-in-all, as a pretty good idea. For the most part, only people that would be supporting the Vikings would be supporting it. Heck, I live out of state and have never been a Minnesota resident, but if I were to order another Vikings' jersey at some point, if this went through I would find a Minnesota-based business to get it through in order to support the stadium effort.
However, Governor Tim Pawlenty has wasted no time in basically shooting everything that's contained in the bill down, saying that he absolutely wouldn't raise taxes on anything to support a stadium effort as long as he is in office.
Gov. Tim Pawlenty, in Washington, D.C. on Monday for a U.S. Chamber of Commerce forum, said that while he is open to new ideas to help build a Vikings stadium he reiterated that "we’re not going to be raising or dealing with state taxes to subsidize that."
His office, through spokeman Brian McClung, was even more critical of Monday’s stadium proposal. "We remain opposed to any stadium plan that includes tax increases, including the hotel tax, jersey tax, and rental car tax in one of the plans unveiled today," McClung said.
"The governor [also] continues to believe the team needs a local partner to be successful in their effort," said McClung, referring to the fact that stadium supporters still had not identified a local government that would help finance the project.
Well, if memory serves me correctly, Pawlenty won't be in office that much longer. As I said earlier, I'm not a Minnesota resident and have no way of helping to get a new guy into office. . .but if there's a candidate that can actually see how important the Vikings are to the state of Minnesota, not to mention the wages for construction workers that a stadium project would bring in and the savings that would be realized by doing something now as opposed to waiting, then I hope that the people of Minnesota can get him or her into office to keep the Vikings right where they are.
If there are folks out there that are more well-educated on the stadium situation than I am, hopefully they will shed some light on some things in the comments section here.
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Have you noticed that Jesse has lost his mind completely?
He is now an official Tin Foil Hat wearing paranoid weirdo. So, keep him in California please.
May the wind be always at your back, and may your placekicker have icewater in his veins.
Beat me too it!!!
lol
I was updating my post from yesterday and dealing with comp issues when you got this posted. Only thing I can say, is that Pawlenty said the same thing about a new Twins stadium, that went out the window after awhile. But like you said, he wont be around much longer.
"If you're gonna shoot, shoot, don't talk."
"You men are only risking your lives, while I am risking an almost-certain Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor!"
"We have clearance Clarence. Roger Rodger, what's our vector Victor?"
I think the main objection is to the precise timing of this bill
…which was introduced with only 2 weeks left in the session, AND the state of Minnesota still has a budget deficit (for 2011) of $5.3 BILLION dollars (and we’re not a big state!) AND we still don’t even have the budget for crucial services figured out!
2010 is an election year for MN governor, and here are the quotes from the 2 main endorsed candidates:
Democrat (Democrat-Farmer-Labor is what they call it here) candidate:
House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher, DFL-MInneapolis: “I think there’s a real issue. No one wants the Vikings to leave. But it’s awfully late in this game to be able to push this bill.”
Republican candidate:
Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Delano: “I don’t believe in taxpayer funds being used to fund stadiums. If you do that then there are a lot of businesses in this state that should be asking for the same type of treatment.”
So neither one is a big fan of trying to rush this bill at least until we get the main budget passed. Minnesotans are pretty much split 50/50 on this, and seemingly regardless of party affiliation.
The Taxpayers League of Minnesota (of which I’m a huge fan) also weighs in:
Phil Krinkie, Taxpayers League of Minnesota: "To stand up here and say that the budget has been resolved, and we’ve got nothing to do for two weeks except talk about a Vikings stadium is just absurdity.(Disclaimer: I did volunteer work for Krinkie’s US congressional campaign in 2006.)
The stadium comes up over and over in MN politics. I’m pretty sure it will happen eventually, but I support the people (including me) driving a hard bargain in which the funding comes mainly from people who will use the stadium or benefit from it directly. That includes Ziggy, who bought lots of empty land in Blaine, Minnesota (where he thought the new stadium would go) knowing that its value would skyrocket after the stadium came in and the desire to build restaurants, hotels, etc would follow.
Billionaire Ziggy wanted taxpayers who can’t afford a game ticket to fund his stadium, while he raked in tons of cash from property speculation in a Minneapolis suburb. But the insider-trading-like anticipated real estate boom didn’t pan out that year. Cry me a friggin’ river, Ziggy.
So the short version is, the headlines are about only this most recent stadium bill, which is ill-timed. No doubt a more serious debate purely about the stadium will follow later on. Both gubernatorial candidates are acutely aware of taxpayers’ low tolerance for being had by billionaires. Replacing Pawlenty is not some magic formula (and T-Paw DID balance the budget when he took office after Ventura let the budget get away).
May the wind be always at your back, and may your placekicker have icewater in his veins.
Bad Timing by Whom???
Face it: The Vikings are leaving Minnesota, and it is not because the team never gave Minnesotan’s a heads up.
Minnesota did not address the stadium issue all the way back to when the state had a budget surplus and Jesse Ventura was giving money back to people, which only convinced certain Minnesotans that the citizenry never really has to pay taxes. Just say no. (Ben Franklin wrote otherwise.) Now Minnesotans will find that death is inevitable too. You get what you pay for. When you don’t, the price is that you find out what life is like without things. “Don’t it always seem to go that you don’t know what you’ve got till its gone.” Bye-bye Vikings.
If Blaine expected to get a stadium, they needed to pass environmental hurdles. They ran headlong into the hurdle and then flopped over. Out in California, another state governor is suspending environmental restrictions to build an NFL stadium there. It is not like their is no concern for the environment in California. Yes, Minnesota, you snooze, you lose.
Anyone who thinks they are somehow hurting Zygi Wilf in this fight is in for a rude awakening. Do you think a team with Adrian Peterson, Jared Allen, and all, the one which went to the NFC championship in 2009, is going to be hard to sell at a profit? If you were building a stadium in California, which team currently available do you think would bring in the most fans for you?
Convincing Minnesota that it needs a stadium if it wants to have NFL football is harder than convincing the Taliban you want to build a Jesusland themepark in the middle of Afghanistan. They just don’t get it.
No, the timing thing is this: The Metrodome lease is going to expire. It is not a surprise that the Metrodome only has one major tennant left. It’s not some secret. This is not a sudden surprise by the Vikings. If Minnesotans failed to mark the end date of the lease on their calendars, that is certainly not Mr. Zygi Wilf’s fault.
Oh this is hilarious
I just noticed that the three people on this post so far who are in favor of the state gift wrapping a taxpayer-funded stadium live out of state: California, New Mexico, and Wherever Christopher Gates Lives.
Very telling! Try putting your money where your mouth is, not my money where your mouth is!
Usually I keep politics and football apart, but you brought it up! :)
May the wind be always at your back, and may your placekicker have icewater in his veins.
Since you clearly
Know nothing of my political leanings, let alone where it is I either live or come from. . .and, boy howdy, if you knew either of those things, you’d feel like a complete (bigger?) idiot. . .my advice to you would be to shut the hell up and not bring it up any more.
Thanks. Oh, and just so you know, there won’t be a second warning.
The Daily Norseman - The greatest Vikings' site on the Internet!
by Christopher Gates on May 3, 2010 9:40 PM CDT up reply actions
there won’t be a second warning.
Thanks for pointing that out. I mistakenly thought from your original post that you were trying to stir up a debate among varying opinions. My bad.
May the wind be always at your back, and may your placekicker have icewater in his veins.
For what it's worth...
Juperee… I thought it was an extremely valid (and funny) observation on your part. I’m a little surprised that someone posting an article on Daily Norseman was so closed to feedback. Not to mention aggressive. That was disappointing.
I mean, Christopher Gates is by his own admission not a resident of the state (which you pointed out). You made no claim about his political leanings whatsoever, and in return for your your fair comment, you got an angry “Warning” for stating a perfectly valid and interesting OBSERVATION.
Now… I’m not from Minnesota, either. I’m from Ontario. And as much as I want a new Vikings Stadium for the 2 or 3 games I go to in a year, my opinion is that it’s people like you, like me, like the people on this blog – Vikings fans- who should be paying for it through tickets (And yes, maybe a Jersey tax)… But not every single taxpayer in the state. I have friends in Minnesota who are Packers fans. Your state residency doesn’t yet force your allegiance by law (or even require you like the sport!).
We’ve missed the window of the worst part of the economic downturn to turn a stadium into effective economic stimulus, and now if it’s not a valid business case, why should one be built on the public dime? Well, the answer is… because maybe it’s good for the state. That the economic benefits might outweigh the costs.
But that’s going to be figured out through healthy debate. Through a detailed Cost Benefit Analysis done within the government and private sector in cooperation.
It’s NOT going to be accomplished by Vikings fans blindly lashing out at fair comment and beating the opposition into submission.
In all actuallity Mr. Gates is in the armed forces
Which means that while he may not live in the state he can still have residency within it. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t live there, but he still very much may be paying taxes as well as have a valid residency there. (although you should fo with Texas no income tax) Anyway calling people names out can be a bit much, and honestly we have all come out and stated that we’d be more than happy to send money to some kind of save the Vikes fund. Hell if they had started this fund when people were first complaining about it we’d be half way there by now!
Relax dude if your money isn’t going to the stadium, it’ll just go someplace else that is just as worthless.
It's a lot easier to love the Vikings when they win...
Ok
Let’s see, do visit home, have friends and such there who feel the same, so obviously, may want to think before opening your mouth and shoving a turd bigger then the state of MN in it.
"If you're gonna shoot, shoot, don't talk."
"You men are only risking your lives, while I am risking an almost-certain Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor!"
"We have clearance Clarence. Roger Rodger, what's our vector Victor?"
by VikesFaninNM on May 3, 2010 10:42 PM CDT up reply actions
Also
I’m sure you had NO issues when Illinois gift wrapped an 500 million dollar renovation to the Bears with taxpayer money for the destruction and blasphemy they did to Soldier Field. Living out of state, sure you had no problems having their money where their mouth was, didn’t you?
"If you're gonna shoot, shoot, don't talk."
"You men are only risking your lives, while I am risking an almost-certain Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor!"
"We have clearance Clarence. Roger Rodger, what's our vector Victor?"
by VikesFaninNM on May 3, 2010 10:47 PM CDT up reply actions
I see the point of partial public funding of stadiums
since they tend to benefit all, but I also see the point of driving the best bargain we (the taxpayers) can. It’s all a game of chicken, and I don’t want to end up footing more of the bill than I have to.
And, for the record, I am NOT a liberal piece of shit as some have assumed, I am a Conservative piece of shit. Get it right!
:)
May the wind be always at your back, and may your placekicker have icewater in his veins.
And even though I am a conservative piece of shit
I voted against MN GOP candidate Tom Emmer’s endorsement this past saturday at the state convention. Once again, backing the losing team. But I’m a Bears fan, so I can take it.
May the wind be always at your back, and may your placekicker have icewater in his veins.
Ok
So please, tell me where I said that you were affiliated with any political party?
"If you're gonna shoot, shoot, don't talk."
"You men are only risking your lives, while I am risking an almost-certain Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor!"
"We have clearance Clarence. Roger Rodger, what's our vector Victor?"
I didnt direct that statement at you.
I said “as some have assumed”. It was a lame attempt at self deprecating humor (hence the smiley face).
Some things don’t carry well over the internet. I apologize for the offense.
May the wind be always at your back, and may your placekicker have icewater in his veins.
Lol
Yeah, interesting observation. If it makes you feel any better I’ll send you $20 if new taxes are imposed to keep the Vikes in MN. Btw, I live close enough to LA to go to that damn new LA stadium but I STILL want the Vikes to stay in MN where they belong even if that means I don’t get to see them live :(
Well when will it get done then?
I hate to break this to you but the Vikings only have 1 more year left on their lease after this season. If it doesn’t get done this year the Vikings WILL be looking for a new home to move to. They need a place to play in 2012 and beyond and they can’t wait until May of 2011 to start looking.
The timing within the session may be poor but the timing overall is becoming very 11th hour. If they can’t get it this year, the prognosis shifts to grim.
Indeed and it's not like the Vikes havn't tried to talk to them about this in teh past...
It's a lot easier to love the Vikings when they win...
Is Pawlenty really going to sacrifice the Vikings on the altar of his presidential ambitions?
Or is this just a shell game? Pawlenty comes out against the new stadium plan, gets re-elected, and then washes his hands of the whole situation while running for president from the Minnesota’s governor’s mansion!
I dunno much about MN politics, and I can empathize with the positions of guys like juperee, but politically speaking, is it really better to be the guy who let the NFC runner ups move to LA than the guy who signed the bill that raised taxes on those who choose to spend their money on the enterprise the taxes were raised to support? I hate the Vikings, but I want to hate them from a 4 hour drive away, not 40.
What begins in fear usually ends in folly.
by Ted Simmons Speed Camp on May 3, 2010 9:15 PM CDT reply actions
Pawlenty isnt running for a third term. The seat is up for grabs.
May the wind be always at your back, and may your placekicker have icewater in his veins.
Told you I didn't know much about MN politics.
Then it’s easy from Pawlenty’s perspective. Make sure nothing happens while you’re still responsible for it and regardless of outcome, let someone else take the fall next year. Someone always ends up losing their job on stadium bills, one way or the other. Most of the theatrics, in general, aren’t really about the substance of the issue, they’re just an attempt by the pols to avoid being the person that is perceived as responsible for either the departing team or the tax hike necessary to keep them.
What begins in fear usually ends in folly.
by Ted Simmons Speed Camp on May 3, 2010 11:37 PM CDT up reply actions
You're right about pawlenty (T-paw, as he is sometimes called)
He gets to wash his hands. But the stadium issue Will be coming back. I think part of the public grumbling is that we (especially in the Twin Cities area) are already paying for the new Minnesota Gophers stadium and the new Twins stadium, both very new. Not too much older is the Xcel center for the hockey team (the Wild). The Xcel has totally paid for itself as a convention center and a concert venue; truly one of the best.
But to me the question of a Vikings stadium isnt so much whether it’s going to happen, but rather how to sell it. People don’t want to hear about it, especially now, and I doubt that will change before the election for governor. The gubernatorial candidates know full well that about half minnesotans like it and have of them hate it, and they split up equally between parties, so basically nobody wants to touch it with a 10 foot pole.
My guess is it will come up again in the post-election time frame, and eventually it will pass. I really like the idea of funding it (at least partially) with a football themed scratch game lotto, cuz that’s totally voluntary.
May the wind be always at your back, and may your placekicker have icewater in his veins.
"... that's totally voluntary."
Which is why I thought the jersey tax was clever, though it would have been even more clever to get the tax in place just before they signed Favre last year. :)
What begins in fear usually ends in folly.
by Ted Simmons Speed Camp on May 4, 2010 8:31 AM CDT up reply actions
LOL!
That would have been quite the fundraiser.
May the wind be always at your back, and may your placekicker have icewater in his veins.
If he wants to run for Prez
I’m afraid you’re right. If Pawlenty wants to run for President as a Republican, he has to shoot down any proposal that includes raising taxes. You can almost see the puppet strings on him if you look really close.
T-paw is going to be as plain vanilla as possible for the foreseeable future.
We’ll see how that works for him.
I did read today that Horton, who plans to run for Gov as the Independence party candidate, is pretty open to public subsidization of a Vikes stadium.
That might cause the other 2 candidates to soften their tones a bit.
May the wind be always at your back, and may your placekicker have icewater in his veins.
Horner
Not sure if you maybe typed the name out wrong..
But I read that Tom Horner who is running for the independent party is willing to use state aid to help get a Vikings stadium.
Ugh! I totally whiffed on the name
Thanks for the correction.
May the wind be always at your back, and may your placekicker have icewater in his veins.
Jesus Christ, the thinking of most Minnesotans pisses me off
Replace the phrase ‘Minnesota Vikings Stadium’ with ‘Guthrie Theater’ or ‘Minnesota Zoo Tiger Preserve’ or whatever the hell you want, and no one on the left would give two flying shits. Because profligate spending is okay, as long as it’s on the arts or ‘for the kids’. Whatever. But it’s the Vikings, who are owned by a rich guy, and god damn it, we won’t do anything to provide welfare for billionares!!
And Pawlenty is just as big of a douche bag as the left in this issue. Because as far as the taxes go, it’s not like it’s a state tax that funds the damn facility. Pawlenty said get creative, but he shot down a racino. He said no general funds, so some creative ways to pay for it have been proposed.
But no, not good enough.
The sad thing is, once the Vikings do leave, everyone will bend over and grab their ankles to pay for a great facility to lure an NFL team.
But the NFL has parity, and if the Vikings leave, the NFL will be gone from Minnesota for a generation.
And there will be no one left to blame but dipshit politicians from both sides of the aisle.
So I used to go by MilCardFan, but I was able to change my screen name. Because I'm kind of a big deal. People know me. Yeah.
Well said
I reside in Minnesota, and although I live 3 hours or more away from the stadium, making a weekend down there wouldn’t be a problem. I have yet to make a Vikings game in my lifetime, but, I want to do it and do it soon.
Raising taxes on jersey sales.. I see no reason why T-Paw would reject that portion of the idea. That’s basically direct tax money going to the stadium from sports enthusiasts. Anyone who is a sports fan probably would appreciate a new stadium.
Raising taxes on hotels. I see this as being most people from out of state paying these taxes. I am sure the hotels wouldn’t mind, since they probably bring in a lot of business due to the Vikings.
Lottery with a Sports-themed scratch-off… Okay, why not? I would absolutely buy those & only those tickets. I’m not a big ticket buyer to begin with, but, at least I know I was helping. And potentially coming out ahead in the end.
Good thing T-Paw is on a time schedule of leaving the office soon.
They should just propose a bill, call it the Vikings theater and say we need this much.. And than when its approved, go build the stadium and say… “Hey! We called the bill the Vikings theater… It’s like a theater, but, it’s more like a stadium with real live events.”
ha
I don't know about that
I can’t speak for MN, but I do know that there are few places crazier for its team than Green Bay, and even that vote for public funding was bitter and barely passed. The hard feelings passed, but I get why MN residents are having a hard time with this one.
by PackApologist on May 4, 2010 9:21 AM CDT up reply actions
What I can't figure out...
Is how no one in the gubment seems to grasp the concept that building the stadium will produce revenue for the state:
Republican candidate:
Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Delano: "I don’t believe in taxpayer funds being used to fund stadiums. If you do that then there are a lot of businesses in this state that should be asking for the same type of treatment."
Really? Which ones? Target? Maybe Cargill? 3M? They are a few of a handful that produce revenue like the Vikings do for the state. Or maybe it’s the downtown business that have been reaping the windfall that professional sports has brought in for 25 years?
Revenues for the state, jobs for people who need them, and the Vikings firmly planted in Minnesota. Seems like a no brainer. Oh, and before anyone starts, though I don’t currently reside in MN, I did live there for the better part of a decade, and not in Minneapolis either, up on the Range where the real liberals play!
Get something done, soon.
by Runt of the Litter on May 3, 2010 9:23 PM CDT reply actions
tim the dumbass needs to get his shit together
he is constantly contradicting himself and only cares about whether the wild get whatever they want. He needs to realize what will happen if a NFL team leaves this state, and the ensuing ramifications. Do we really want to be like an Iowa or Montana?
I'm not defending Pawlenty here
because the absolute idiocy from both sides of the aisle is uniquely stupefying. StuckinCa says to bring back Jesse Ventura. Say what you want, but Jesse was completely consistent from day one, and he never wavered. I didn’t agree with his position, but at least I respected it and understood that he was against any type of public financing.
Pawlenty has been all over the map on this, and so have Republican and Democrat members in both houses whenever it was politically convenient to be either for or against a Vikes stadium. That’s what’s bugging me about this whole thing.
I get that politicians pander, but at least they usually have t he decency to pander to their base. Minnesota politicians pander just to pander, at least on this issue, and they’re going to end up killing the golden goose.
And at least Iowa will have one good football team left.
So I used to go by MilCardFan, but I was able to change my screen name. Because I'm kind of a big deal. People know me. Yeah.
That is awesome
although sadly true.
Minnesota politicians pander just to pander
May the wind be always at your back, and may your placekicker have icewater in his veins.
Don't they realize losing the Vikings
Would be much worse(long term) to the local economy than using extra funds now to build a new stadium?
Obviously I don’t understand and am not a politician.
McCourty will do. If the Packers don't take him first... they would.
If the Timberwolves were a tpp three playoff team like the Vikes would they have to...
wait this many years to replace the Target Center .
It is and will be a public building.
Just like the Metrodome, the new Vikings stadium will be a public building, no different than the zoo or the Guthrie Theater. It just happens to be that the billionaire that wants to have exclusive rights to use it 10 days out of the year, 12 or even 13 if we are lucky (the Metrodome is used 340 days year for other events), and he is willing to flip for a third of the bill. To me, that is pretty generous. On top of that, you would guarantee the use of this building and the home of a Minnesota tradition for 40 more years.
I actually thought that this proposed bill with taxes on sports memorabilia, hotel and rental car fees, actually spread the wealth to those of us that live out of state to help pay for the stadium. Where do you think I stay when I come up to see the draft party? The answer is a hotel. I don’t buy Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions or even fudge packers jerseys. I buy Minnesota Vikings jerseys. So that means the added tax that I pay would go towards the stadium. I no longer live in the state of Minnesota, but I have no problem with paying that little extra tax so that I can see the team I love in this state I believe it should be in.
So you want to talk about balancing a budget… State Rep. Morrie Lanning (R-Moorhead) put it best, "If the Vikings were to leave, Minnesota would lose a state asset and $20 million dollars or more in tax revenue every year," Lanning continued. "That’s money we use to fund our schools, nursing homes, and public safety. As we work to rebuild Minnesota’s economy, we have to do everything within reason to maintain our quality of life and keep our state moving toward economic recovery." …So go ahead and balance your budget with 20+ million less a year and no local football on Sundays making you miserable. That would be a really smart choice [said dripping with sarcasm].
It may take a village to raise a child, but it takes a Viking to raze a village.
+1000
When you look at the economics of a straight tax on all Minnesotans, it works out to an additional $13/year over the next 20 years. That’s hardly a back-breaking burden in a wealthy state like Minnesota where the average taxpayer is making over $60,000 a year.
The cost is clearly not the issue here.
The issue is that the people in power, in Minnesota, don’t want to support the Minnesota Vikings. The majority of the screamers, those with the loudest voice amongst the populace, actively dislike the Vikings and they prove it every day in the Trib. Why should the politicos support an apparently unpopular team?
Ah, ah,
We come from the land of the ice and snow,
From the midnight sun where the hot springs blow.
The hammer of the gods will drive our ships to new lands,
To fight the horde, singing and crying: Valhalla, I am coming!
SKOL!
Pawlenty is a fool.
I was on the fence about using public funding for a stadium as well. I would have been opposed to it if it raised income or general sales taxes. I am a strict Conservative, but I love the Vikings. Very tough spot to be in right now. ;)
This bill does not raise sales or income tax, and is 100% avoidable for almost everyone. Nobody is forcing you to buy Vikings uniforms/stay at a hotel/rent a car/play the lottery. I love this bill and I hope it passes and gets signed quickly.
Vikings Need to Stay in Minnesota
It would be a said day in Minnesota if the Vikings are not able to stay here. You know that if they are not able to get a stadium deal completed, they will move. Then within a few years, the state will begin begging the NFL to bring in another team. We have already lost a hockey and basketball team only to replace them later.
Probably the only way the state will build another stadium is to add or increase a tax on something. They have already done it with the rails and the new Twins stadium. Hennepin County sales tax is now at 7.275% to help pay for these. There has been a proposal to put a 7% tax on sports memorabilia to help pay for a Vikings stadium. My question regarding this proposal is will the 7% be added to the already 7.275% sales tax that we already pay? The out of state people who posted they are willing to pay the sales tax on sports memorabilia will not be paying that sales tax if they purchase their memorabilia from the Internet. They would only be paying it if they purchase the items from a retail store in Minnesota while they are actually in Minnesota.
The state of Minnesota would be foolish to not build a new stadium. The income the state makes during these games from payroll taxes they collect from the players, the workers, visting teams and media, along with the taxes from surrounding businesses that benefit from the stadium is huge. If they are smart, they would build a stadium that can be used by other entities other then the Vikings so it can be used more then just a couple times a year.
There is not much time left as the Vikings lease will expire soon. Hopefully something can be done and we can keep the Vikings in the State of Minnesota where they belong.
Your Homerun for Sports Memorabilia
AAA Sports Memorabilia
www.aaasportsmemorabilia.com
There was a time
when people would complain about a politician who raised taxes, but in this debate I see people complaining about a politician(s) who WON’T promise to raise taxes.
No matter what side of the aisle you’re on politically, can you see that the problem isn’t whether or not to raise taxes, but that the government is being leaned on in order to carry something like this out? Why can’t a group of men who used their smarts and business savvy to become multi-millionaires figure out how to build a stadium with most of the expense falling on them? It is the team they purchased, and they knew what the stadium was like right?
As soon as the government gets involved, most things turn into a bigger mess than it ever could have become without them.
That would be fine
If it weren’t for the fact that it is a public, government established building like the Metrodome. If it were privately owned and only used as the private owner seemed fit, charging those who used it like the state for state football championships, etc., then no problem. Then it would be up to the owner to see if the local property tax and sales tax burden was too expensive for him, if so, he could sell it or blow it up and move to someplace more conducive to make a profit.
Rather than lock that business into a 40 year lease on a building the people own, and keeping the 20+ million in state revenue a year [at today’s dollars, and we know that goes nothing but up], people are arguing about making an investment that will repay itself and to replace the old digs with one that helps the client be successful and keeping money and jobs in Minnesota.
What I like about the Vikes Stadium bill – It is YOUR choice to buy memorabilia, stay at a hotel, rent a car or play scratch off games. It may raise taxes, but you as a resident of Minnesota can choose not to pay them by not purchasing anything that they are assigned to. You would only do it voluntarily. Just like smoking… if you chose to smoke, you know you will pay half the price in taxes. If you chose to buy a jersey, you will now pay 6.875% extra. Nobody is forcing you to buy a jersey. It is not a right written into some constitution somewhere. When it comes to hotel and car rentals… what is sweet here, is that most of those purchases are done from people out of state, and not represented by Minnesota state legislators. Pretty slick move in my books.
Back to that private building. Savvy multi-millionaires go to where they can continue to make a profit, and this one is giving Minnesota a chance out of loyalty to allow himself to at least compete. If Minnesota declines, I suspect the Wilf’s will sell the team to the highest bidder and they will be free to set up shop where ever they like, just like the Lakers and the North Stars.
It may take a village to raise a child, but it takes a Viking to raze a village.
I wouldn't blame Zygi one bit
if he packed up and left if Minnesota doesn’t want the Vikes find a state that does. He isn’t going to continue to lose money on the Vikings just to keep them here.
Why don't other people understand that?
Forbes.com has said that the value of the Vikings NFL frachise would increase by about $400 million dollars if they were playing in a new stadium near Los Angeles instead of in an old one in the Twin Cities.
Some people in Minnesota are playing as if their pair of threes is a great hand in this game.
Ladies and gentlemen, the team is only called the “Minnesota Vikings” because they play there, not because Minnesota owns them.
In poker, we soon will learn that other people sitting at the table are holding cards too.
Kindly sit down in Zygi’s chair for a moment. There’s an old saying which states that when you are up to your ass in alligators it becomes harder to recall that your original, noble objective was to drain the swamp. How long would you yourself want to be a martyr for Minnesota?
People somehow think Zygi is going to have to dig another half billion out of his wife’s purse to and from his couch cushions to get a new stadium. The truth is that his father did not raise a dummy, and a “coast-to-coast” real estate empire sounds better with every passing day and every failing vote in Minnesota.
Yes, the Good Samaritan learns that “Minnesota Nice” actually means they speed up to prevent you from entering the Interstate because that they think they own the road.
Stop! When the cement mixer is moving over into “your” lane, folks, it’s time to do some mental calculus of what you think you deserve and what is about to occur.
So kibitzers, as you walk about the table and see who’s holding what, do you conclude that Zygi is going to fold his flush to those couple of treys and a mouthful of bravado?
Never happen in your sweet lifetime.
If a new stadium was built with proper suits, setup...
The Vikings in Minny could be more than profitable. Screw LA!
McCourty will do. If the Packers don't take him first... they would.
Movin' on Up!
Hmmn, didn’t Minneapolis-St Paul recently attempt a boycott of Arizona, in lock-step with it’s spiritual sister-city in California?
Short of selling a Super Bowl contender, moving to LA is not a long-term solution for Zygi. I’m not sure if he realizes that the same attitude he’s encountering in Minneapolis-St Paul is just a taste of what he’ll get in LA. It’s the same latte-driven rabble-rouser crowd, only on steroids (and crack cocaine, and meth, and heroin). The Vikings won’t last in California, and they won’t find team support in the local populace after the first few years when the ‘new’ wears off.
Now, I don’t want the Vikings to move from Minnesota. I really don’t. BUT, if they are going to move, anyway… I would like to suggest that Zygi consider the great state of Virginia as a serious alternative. Virginia has no NFL team, and we like Purple. ‘Virginia Vikings’, has a catchy ring to it, eh? Just sayin’…. :)
Ah, ah,
We come from the land of the ice and snow,
From the midnight sun where the hot springs blow.
The hammer of the gods will drive our ships to new lands,
To fight the horde, singing and crying: Valhalla, I am coming!
SKOL!
The league gets what the league wants
And they want a team in LA. Regardless of how foolish a move it would be, it is going to happen to somebody’s team.
And Virginia has the Redskins…sort of…close enough. Keep the Vikings in Minnesota.
Yeah..
Not gonna lie, I consider myself a republican, and normally I don’t mind Pawlenty, but his sudden shoot-down of the bill really disappoints me. It makes complete sense to me to tax the hotel, jersey, rental car, and tickey buyers, since they’re the ones who wish the stadium built so badly. If you don’t like football, you won’t be effected, for the most part.
Granted there are some people who come to Minnesota, for what I don’t know maybe the MoA or something, that want nothing to do with the Vikings who would end up getting bent over by the proposed taxes to the hotels and rental cars, but I’m fairly sure they’re a huuuuge minority of the money the taxes would bring in. So I just. . . don’t see the problem with the bill.
The problem is
Pawlenty wants to make a run at the Presidency in 2012 and he won’t be able to do that on a Republican ticket if he gets stuck raising taxes of any kind during his last months in office (Republicans are officially against that kind of thing).
It's just a matter of time...
Considering how well received Target Field has been, the Vikings will get their stadium. If Pawlenty vetoes the bill, someone else will be there to sign it next time.
And really, what’s this BS about boosting taxes? Seems like much of the public funding comes either from fans (jerseys, lottery tickets) or businesses benefiting from the Vikings presence (hotels/car rentals). It’s not like its a straight up property tax or sales tax boost like is normally used.
Ugh, I hate election years. The whole situation could easily be resolved if there were term limits for politicians so they could do what was RIGHT instead of what would get them elected in a couple years.
Time the Avenger
The problem, PD, is time. The stadium lease expires next year, Pawlenty will still be in office, even if they broke ground on a new stadium right away, it’s almost impossible to have it ready by the time the lease expires. The NFL doesn’t want to continue in the stadium, the Vikings don’t want to continue in the stadium, even if it’s rent-free!
We’re out of time, buddy, and things are about to get way too interesting…
Ah, ah,
We come from the land of the ice and snow,
From the midnight sun where the hot springs blow.
The hammer of the gods will drive our ships to new lands,
To fight the horde, singing and crying: Valhalla, I am coming!
SKOL!
The Vikes will sign an extension in the Metrodome
If they get a stadium bill passed they have agreed to work out whatever accommodations they will need to until the new stadium is built. It would be quite impossible for a new stadium of the kind they’re seeking to be built in a little over a year (especially when the state is covered in snow half the year).
The Gophers stadium is also a temporary option.
Not living in MN...
But as a taxpayer there for ~30 years before moving to Arizona, I think I get my voice.
A tax was levied in the late 70s to pay for the Metrodome, that tax, in fact, paid for the Metrodome quite quickly…
and is still in place (the government loves ALL their revenue streams) and has paid for countless other ‘public good’.
This plan asks the State make a loan to the Minnesota Vikings, payable through USER FEES and TAXES – which makes it ‘elective’, no? Add a line item to the MN Income Tax form – DONATE to the MN VIKINGS STADIUM? $_______
Make it all elective, find other ways to generate the cash and it WILL come.
I BELIEVE...
by ArizonaVikingsFan on May 4, 2010 11:58 AM CDT reply actions
Nice try
This coming from the guy who lives in a state with a giant snakey-dome and a portable playing field…. must be nice! Say, maybe the Vikings could rent the playing field, just roll it up the highway to Minnesota! :)
Seriously AZVike, it’s pretty obvious that they don’t want the team, they’re just looking for face-saving ways of saying ‘No’….
Unless Minnesotans who love the Vikings, get off their duffs in huge numbers, and march on St. Paul waving pro-Vikings signs, the frappacino-nation is going to win this one.
Ah, ah,
We come from the land of the ice and snow,
From the midnight sun where the hot springs blow.
The hammer of the gods will drive our ships to new lands,
To fight the horde, singing and crying: Valhalla, I am coming!
SKOL!
Agreed.
The City of Glendale, AZ partnered with the Cardinals owners to build that new stadium…
Right by their HUGE entertainment complex which includes the Jobing.com arena and other stuff!
Glendale raised their City tax to pay for it all (Glendale is HUGE, so that helps)
I’ve said it before… if the State (City/County) want to participate in the business that the Vikings are, then they need to pony up the dough – regardless if you disagree with supporting private business with tax payer money or not.
IF, and what I sense is true, Minnesotans don’t want to participate with their tax dollars… then get out of the deal!
Offer the building, the site, and tax breaks to the Vikings (like they do for any large corporation to ‘bribe’ them into building) for $1… I mean, it’s paid for isn’t it? Get out. Sell it off cheap.
unless, of course, they want to eat their cake and have it too…
I BELIEVE...
by ArizonaVikingsFan on May 6, 2010 4:12 PM CDT up reply actions
OH! and it IS LOVELY!
damn, what a nice football stadium… just sayin.
I BELIEVE...
by ArizonaVikingsFan on May 6, 2010 4:15 PM CDT up reply actions
Gov. Tim Pawlenty please go to He!!
The Green Bay Packers raised taxes to revive Lambeau Field. I am still paying on that project. I am not complaining.
The Minnesota Vikings need the help from local or state Gov. to get this done.
Gov. Tim Pawlenty please wake the &%$# UP!
Come on man, please bleed a little Purple!
Brett Favre is the Greatest QB in NFL History!
Brett Favre will be back in 2010, 100% Guaranteed!
Different issue
The Lambeau Field tax is a county sales tax, not a state wide tax. From the quotes of Pawlenty that sounds exactly like what he wants the Vikings to do, find “local partners.”
By the by, I would imagine Brown County has a higher percentage of die hard Packer fans in it than the state of Minnesota does die hard Viking fans, and that tax still barely passed. Just sayin’.
by PackApologist on May 4, 2010 1:55 PM CDT up reply actions
I do not agree with you.
Brett Favre is the Greatest QB in NFL History!
Brett Favre will be back in 2010, 100% Guaranteed!
by REVENGE4FAVRE on May 4, 2010 10:45 PM CDT up reply actions
I haven't been around here in a while . . .
R4F learned to turn off the caps lock while I was gone. Is the world coming to an end?
by Drullin'OverDaCards on May 5, 2010 4:50 PM CDT up reply actions
Reading on my local news online
PR Exec Tom Horner is running for MN Governor as an Independent Party.
He thinks todays day in age the parties are too far left & right. So he is doing a centrist campaign.
Says he’ll expand MN sales tax while cutting other taxes, support state aid for a new Vikings stadium ….
Sounds like a very good choice..
And I’m also no political expert, but, above posters have stated that the others have given a run-a-round on support for a new stadium.
Hoping the VIkings stay.
First let me say that I’m from a province in Canada that most of you have probably never heard of and Minnesota is one of the states I haven’t been able to visit yet. Also I have no legitimate basis for supporting a stadium that I will contribute little or no money of my own to support. Having said that I hope that the Vikings stay as I’ve been a fan for a long time and plan on attending a game in the next couple of years. If the current plan goes through I will be able to see the Vikings in person for the first time in a new stadium.
When I make that trip to Minnesota it will solely be to watch the Vikings and will run me between $1000-1500 to make the trip. Under this plan my hotel costs will increase a whopping $1.50 based on a $100 room. I will also pay an extra 3 or 4 bucks for a rental car and my next jersey will cost me an extra $5.25. If anybody’s worried that these taxes will discourage travel to Minnesota they are nuts. A sandwich and a couple of beers on the plane ride down will cost me more than these taxes will run me for a whole weekend.
I realize that I don’t get a vote but I don’t understand the argument against this proposal as it mainly taxes people who are from out of state. If the tax was added to the payroll of your citizens I could understand the complaints I’ve read, but this proposal shifts a lot of the burden to visitors and the businesses that benefit from tourism. For the sake of sentimentality, positive economic impact, and your states pride and sense of history I hope this stadium gets built. Also if a save the Vikings donation program is set up I would gladly contribute $100 to the cause. I realize $100 is not much in the big picture but that would be equivalent to the tax money of eight jersey’s, and eight weekends of hotel and rental cars. Hope it gets done and for those who hate taxes of any kind you should see the tax rates up here as they are much higher than almost any state in the U.S.
Does Pawlenty know that
If the Vikes build a new retractable roof stadium that they could host the super bowl and all the hype that goes with it?
The Final Four?
Bowl Game?
Etc….
"We have a right to be proud, for in our veins flows the blood of many brave races who fought as the lion fights for lordship. Here, in the whirlpool of European races, the Ugric tribe bore down from Iceland the fighting spirit which Thor and Odin gave them, which their Berserkers displayed to such fell intent on the seaboards of Europe, ay, and of Asia and Africa too, till the peoples thought that the werewolves themselves had come."
-from Bram Stoker's Dracula
Yes, he knows. So does Ziggy
If all those extraneous events were lucrative enough to pay the building, plus a lot more, Ziggy would have built a new stadium with his own money by now.
Too bad he just doesn't...
Than charge for all the events that people wish to have there. (i.e., concerts, motocross, monster trucks, etc. etc.)
Eventually, it would get paid off… And you could buy all the land around it… Put up the stadium, sell all the land around it, triple your money off of the land when you sell it or however much value it increased by….
If it were truly that easy....
he would have done it by now. Zigs became a billionaire by investing in real estate. Theortically that means he’s pretty good at knowing the difference between a good real estate deal and a bad one. The fact that he hasn’t pulled the trigger on this himself indicates that he things its a bad investment.
There are many other good reasons to build a new stadium, but financial return on investment is not one of them.
Time
It takes too long to recoup the cost. Not a great investment, but it will pay for itself over time. So I see how a businessman wouldn’t want to do it.
Now on the other hand, a state shouldn’t be in to make money but to satisfy the needs and wants of the people. As long as it isn’t a money loser.
yeah, but...
Ziggy doesn’t own the building now… he’s a tenant.
I still say that we should sell him the building and land for $1.
Do you think Zygi would turn down that offer?
I BELIEVE...
by ArizonaVikingsFan on May 6, 2010 4:17 PM CDT up reply actions
Either way...
I think, if any bill were to pass on a new stadium..
There should be some sort of stipulation where the Vikings must stay for X amount of years….
No reason for Zygi to dump the team in 5 and have the new owner move on elsewhere.
Ya know?
In this bill...
The Vikings had a 40 year lease.
It may take a village to raise a child, but it takes a Viking to raze a village.
A retractable roof isn’t nessecary for football here in Minnesota only 8 home games and probably only half of those good enough to open it.
"If at first you don't succeed - Skydiving isn't for you"
I think it would be best
Since the stadium would likely be used all year round…
Never know what sort of events you could have if the roof could open up.
That is Ziggy's point
He doesn’t want to pay for a roof since it isn’t needed to play football. So he is fronting what he considers a reasonable portion of the cost of an open air stadium. The state wants a roof so they can host events year round, which is completely understandable. However, they want the same percentage of total cost that Ziggy offered. Ziggy isn’t willing to put up that amount.
Payback is too long
While the new taxes seem quite palatable as taxes go, consider this. Those new taxes will be used to repay bonds. The state is going to borrow its $527 million share of the project which will have to be paid back with interest. It will take the state 40 years to pay back the bonds using the new taxes.
The Metrodome is 28 years old and considered ancient. Assuming the new stadium has a similar lifespan, the new stadium will be abandoned 12 years before it’s paid off.
Would any one here sign up for a 40 year mortgage if you knew you’d abandon your house after 28 years?
What about the benefits
Of local businesses generating additional revenue… Bars, restaurants, hotels, and even out of town visitors coming to the MOA for the weekend to watch a game?
One major factor if the Vikings move…. Fall and early winter will give some businesses a drop in profit… Out of town visitors will not make the trip and spend their money elsewhere.
Yes, I know we are only talking about 8 or more games out of a year + pre-season games. But still, most people who would make the trip from out of town would probably spend a large amount of additional cash after making the trip.
For the twin cities metro area, if they wished to find a new local team to be a fan of… It would be the GB Packers, which is not a far drive. Green Bay could actually benefit from it in the long run if the Vikings happened to move to L.A.
However, I just don’t see this happening.. We lost the Lakers and the Stars, and both were eventually replaced. May as well save us the future hassle. Because to get a new team, we would need a new stadium anyways.
50 million or 900 Million
They spent chump change building a cheap throw away stadium…the new one will last much longer. They have a tax in place now that could easily pay for the stadium but they want to keep that money for something else. Minnesota is so messed up, maybe I should become a packer fan.
How long did it take to pay off the Metrodome?
not 40 years.
I BELIEVE...
by ArizonaVikingsFan on May 6, 2010 4:18 PM CDT up reply actions
Git R Done
There are lots of Corporations in MN that have recieved more welfare than this bill. Just as Wells Fargo, NWA and 3M.
Just a few secondary taxes that are purely voluntary and Minnesota gets to keep a huge piece of the puzzle to their local economy? What a no brainer. Why hasn’t this been done sooner? Get TPaw out of office. And I will not be voting for him in the Next Pres Primary. Forget about it TP.
DING DING DING!!!
Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!
I BELIEVE...
by ArizonaVikingsFan on May 6, 2010 4:18 PM CDT up reply actions
True, but...
those indirect benefits are hard to quantify accurately. Definitely good reasons to buld a stadium, but difficult to articulate to the taxpayers what their return on investment is.
Agreed that it would be tragic on many levels if the Vikings were to leave. The deal will get done eventually. Its all about timing and marketing. Get the right message to the right people at the right time.
Unless someone has a vacant, state of the art NFL stadium lying around, the Vikings aren’t going anywhere soon.
Joe Mauer
Can we get Joe to invest 10 million per year? Then he could save the Twins AND the Vikings.
I don't understand the angst about the taxes raised...
Don’t they amount to like literally pennies a year overall? Does anyone have the actual numbers of how much extra taxpayers would be paying? Personally it’s going to sound stupid if people are biyatching over a small amount of raised taxes. Big deal. I pay for crap ALL THE TIME with my taxed income that I’m not terribly happy about and/or NEVER use, so people need to stop whining and realize that there are other causes than their own particularly popular causes of choice. \:(
I think your point is exactly why people are upset
Let me say first that I believe the stadium should be paid for by public funds b/c the stadium would be a huge asset to Minneapolis. However the problem is that all the PENNIES over a year turn into real money after a while. The issue is that people feel like they are over taxed already and are not willing to give any more. Corporate business has been bailed out (too big to fail) and auto builders are gov’t owned, and on and on it goes. If the people of MN have to tighten their belt to balance their budget without having a raise the gov’t should have to also. Business fail all the time that is the nature of the free market. The gov’t’s responsibility is infrastructure not bail outs…. yes a safety net for individuals serves the public good but what MN has is a culture of gov’t handouts not a hand up.
The problem here is not the viability of the stadium issue but how to make it revenue neutral to the people of MN. The Vikings are just getting caught up in a bigger issue that people are pissed about. I am from Iowa and would be willing to pay more for a ticket and jerseys and such but would not support a tax on the people of MN any more than I would support addl. tax in Iowa for anything. The gov’t has overstepped its bounds and needs to be reeled in yes it will hurt for a while but when I reeled my budget in it hurt my family but we survived and will flourish again.
by just another viking on May 4, 2010 7:04 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
I appreciate the well worded reply.
Yeah, it’s a tough situation but if you think about it, really, a hotel tax and car rental tax aren’t really targeting Minnesotans, necessarily…that’s a tax that more specifically targets out-of-town fans, which could work I suppose.
All I know is that I can afford paying $100-200 over several years if it keeps my absolutely FAVORITE team here in the state. And furthermore, if the Twins and lousy Gophers got stadiums, the Vikings should too.
thanks for the compliment
I too would be willing to donate to keep them here. I just think this is a tremendously complicated issue and no matter how it is resolved not everybody will be happy. More likely everybody will be equally unhappy
by just another viking on May 5, 2010 11:56 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions
Actual Numbers
I researched this, the last time this thread came up. This is what I found;
The average taxpayer in Minnesota makes about $64,000 a year.
To pay the remainder cost of the stadium, about $660,000, the taxpayer burden would be about $248, spread over 20 years.
This works out to a tax burden of about $12 to $13 per year, per taxpayer, out of their $64,000+ average annual income.
Personally, even though I’m not a resident of Minnesota, I’d gladly send them a payment of $250 to help keep the Vikings in Minnesota (if I had assurances the money would be returned to me IF they don’t keep the Vikings there). If the Vikings leave, and the excuse is that terrible burden of $12/year, my contempt for Minnesota and Pawlenty will be…. memorable.
Ah, ah,
We come from the land of the ice and snow,
From the midnight sun where the hot springs blow.
The hammer of the gods will drive our ships to new lands,
To fight the horde, singing and crying: Valhalla, I am coming!
SKOL!
$12 to $13 per year??
it’s laughable isn’t it!
Do they still serve that aweful pizza for school lunches up there? Take that crap out of the budget and I bet you could find funding for a new stadium.
I BELIEVE...
by ArizonaVikingsFan on May 6, 2010 4:23 PM CDT up reply actions
Tim can't keep his word
Gov. Tim Pawlenty,can’t keep his word for anything and he wants to run for president.tim say he wants vikings to stay in minnesota and do anything to keep them there.well looks like the liar,lied about that.watch what he say, when it’s time to go out to win votes from everyone just think back what tim said about wanting to keep vikings in minnesota.are we to believe he would keep his word when it’s time to go out tell people what we want to hear.this would be a load of crap from tim/i sure wouldn’t give him my vote to be president he just a liar.
T-Paw
Tim is taking a stance that I think will hurt him. If he is looking to pursue a presidential bid, he is only hurting himself as far as Minnesota support will go. Not raising taxes, and giving the state a pretty decent sized defecit. Now, they are proposing legitimate ways of funding a stadium and it is being shot down.
Of course he is going to say he wants the Vikings to stay (It would nearly be Un-Minnesotan-like to say otherwise). T-Paw is going to make moves that best improve his image.. I’m sure if we publicly make T-Paw look like a dousche, his opinions will probably quickly change..
But, whatever gets the ball going…
easy solution...
forget the so called “user taxes” like hotel fees and merchandise taxes… build a toll booth just inside the border on I-94 and charge anyone with wisconsin plates $5.00 when they enter the state… this would not only keep minnesotans from having any new taxes, but would infuriate cheesehead nation to no end! it’s a win-win i say!
"Somewhere in Minnesota, a child becomes a Vikings fan and wonders if they will win a Super Bowl in their lifetime"
there should be an additional tax on any NON-VIKINGS...
…NFL shwag.
Seriously… how can there be Packer crap at the MSP airport? Who does that?
I BELIEVE...
by ArizonaVikingsFan on May 6, 2010 4:24 PM CDT up reply actions
color blind Georgia fans...
that’s what I think.
I BELIEVE...
by ArizonaVikingsFan on May 8, 2010 9:38 PM CDT up reply actions
Anoka County
A few years Anoka County Offered to pony up over 250 million dollars and 750 acres to build a stadium/ Mall/ Business center/ Training facility for the Vikings next to the airfield in Blaine. Not sure on the dollar amount, But I do remember it was something the Vikes were thinking about. With Red’s 100 million and the NFL’s 50 Million they were close. Does anyone remember the exact numbers? and If there are any possibility of the happening again.
Tim P is a R-Tard
If he can’t solve a simple little problem in Minnesota, how could he ever make it as President? They have handed him a solution on a silver platter and he don’t want to come to dinner. BYE BYE Tim P.
+1000!!!!!!!!!!
Ah, ah,
We come from the land of the ice and snow,
From the midnight sun where the hot springs blow.
The hammer of the gods will drive our ships to new lands,
To fight the horde, singing and crying: Valhalla, I am coming!
SKOL!
Ya he isn't really taking this situation
Too seroiusly…..
Oh… Man… How I will love his pathetic attempt to run for President if he fails to keep the MN Vikings in Minnesota..
I’ll plaster his failure all over the internet with hopes everyone here does as well. Social networks is where it is at now days… . People in their 40s/50s even have them. People blog, peopel facebook, people myspace, and so forth….
People believe Obama got elected over McCain due to the sole reason Obama utilized the internet better than McCain. Its easier to campaign that way, and probably cheaper. Some ways it may even be nearly free!
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