August 26, 2010
Minnesota gov candidates all want Vikings stadium, hedge on how to pay for it
The Minnesota Vikings' flagging stadium campaign got a boost yesterday, when all three Minnesota gubernatorial candidates declared their support for state aid in building a new Vikes stadium. As for what that state aid would look like, though, they were pretty vague:
- Independence Party candidate Tom Horner wants to add slot machines at racetracks to pay the state's share, notwithstanding the repeated failure of such a plan in the state legislature. Horner also says the Vikings should pay 40% percent of the stadium cost, and let the state get revenue from non-NFL events.
- Republican Tom Emmer says he wants a Vikings stadium, but doesn't want to use general fund money to pay for one. Emmer mentioned using tax money currently going to the Minneapolis convention center once that debt is paid off — yet another plan that went down in flames last legislative session — but didn't actually say whether he endorsed it.
- DFL candidate Mark Dayton says, "I'd work with all entities to put together a deal."
Either way, the state still faces that $6 billion deficit, and the NFL is still looking at a likely lockout in 2011, so the Vikings have to be looking at an uphill battle to get a stadium passed next year. Still, stranger things have happened.
The funny thing is that both Dayton and Emmer have come out strongly *against* the public funding of a Vikings stadium in the past. The only reason they were even showing lukewarm support is that it was in front of a bunch of construction and trade people.
Horner is the only one who said he supports public funds for a Vikings stadium, but it's just a political ploy to get votes and the endorsement from the Star Tribune, who would stand to make a boat-load of money from a new stadium. Part of the land they own would be used for that stadium. But these rather obvious conflicts of interest are never mentioned.
Posted by Geoff on August 26, 2010 01:45 PM