(credit: Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A few days before Dan Fabian headed to St. Paul this January to be sworn in as a new state representative, he was in a gas station in his hometown of Roseau when a hot topic came up: the Minnesota Vikings’ desire for a new stadium. Fabian says he assured a store clerk he wouldn’t support raising her taxes to pay for it.
“Then her co-worker turned around and said, ‘You damn well better not, or I’ll do anything in my power to make sure you don’t get elected again,”‘ said Fabian, whose district lies not far from the Canadian border.
Such is the political reality facing the Vikings and their political allies. The team wants taxpayers to pay more than half the cost for a new stadium to replace the 29-year-old Metrodome, which Vikings executives say is not profitable enough compared to other NFL facilities. But few Minnesota lawmakers — especially those from places like Roseau — can sell their own communities on helping to foot the bill for a stadium expected to cost nearly $1 billion.
What’s much more likely is that some subset of Twin Cities taxpayers, in whichever city or county a new stadium is built, will bear the biggest tax burden. And the votes to impose it are likely to come mostly from the same greater Minnesota lawmakers who don’t want to see their rural and small-town constituents taxed.
That’s how the Minnesota Twins got state funding in 2006 for what is now Target Field. Most of the “yes” votes to authorize a .015 percent Hennepin County sales tax increase came from lawmakers outside the seven-county Twin Cities metropolitan area, overwhelming the “no” votes that came from within the metro.
“It’s kind of a sucker plan for whatever community gets stuck with it,” said Sen. John Marty, a Roseville Democrat and longtime opponent of public money for stadiums. The Hennepin County Board approved the sales tax hike, but it never went to a voter referendum, as opponents wanted.
The Vikings have been pressing for a new stadium for years. Despite the state’s estimated $5 billion budget deficit, support is seen as higher than in past years because the team is entering the final season of its Metrodome lease. The collapse of the Dome’s roof in a December snowstorm also heightened pressure for what the Vikings often call a stadium “solution.”
The two legislators leading the Vikings push come from far outside the Twin Cities. Sen. Julie Rosen, R-Fairmont (140 miles away) and Rep. Morrie Lanning, R-Moorhead (240 miles away) both say hanging onto the Vikings benefits the whole state. But they say it would be impossible to push a statewide revenue-raiser through the Legislature for it no matter how the money would come.
“We are cutting social programs,” Rosen said. “Putting state money towards a stadium just doesn’t click right for people in that context.”
The pair first promised a stadium plan in January and then in February. Rosen said this week it is coming “very soon” and would include funding sources that include user fees in the form of sales taxes on things like team merchandise, concessions and other stadium-related purchases plus a tax contribution from what Lanning called a local partner — namely, taxpayers in one county or city, or in a regional collection of them.
So far, the only potential local partner out publically is Ramsey County, where county board members have offered the site of a former army ammunition plant about 10 miles northeast of the Metrodome. They have floated the possibility of a half-cent county sales tax to help build the stadium, which has been estimated to cost at least $700 million.
Last month, a dozen Ramsey County legislators objected in a letter to the county board’s courtship with the Vikings. “If we’re going to raise a half-cent sales tax, I can think of about a thousand things I think Ramsey County needs more than a Vikings stadium,” said Rep. Alice Hausman, a St. Paul Democrat.
But Hausman admitted it would be easy for the Vikings to take the same approach that worked for the Twins.
“All the greater Minnesota people will vote for it, and they will laugh at us because they’ll get to vote for it and go home to their constituents and say, ‘We saved the Vikings and you don’t have to pay for it. Those metro people have to,”‘ Hausman said.
Vikings vice president for stadium development Lester Bagley said it was premature to discuss legislative strategy with the bill pending, but said the team believed it would get support from both the Twin Cities and greater Minnesota.
State Rep. Larry Howes, R-Walker (190 miles away) said that was the basic pitch he got in 2006 when Twins lobbyists and team supporters in the Legislature were trying to get him to support the Hennepin County sales tax.
“The argument I heard was: ‘Larry, vote for it. It’s not your tax dollar. You don’t represent Hennepin County. It’s a no-brainer. You’re in Walker — the people in Hennepin County can pay for it and your people can go down and enjoy it,”‘ Howes said. He ultimately voted against the Twins bill because he said he thought Hennepin County taxpayers should have been given a vote on the sales tax proposal. He said he wouldn’t decide on a Vikings bill until it’s introduced and he can review it.
Besides Ramsey County, other sites in the mix are the current Metrodome site in downtown Minneapolis; property adjacent to that site; a site near Target Field on the other, western side of downtown; and in the suburb of Brooklyn Park, northwest of Minneapolis. But so far, elected officials from Minneapolis and Hennepin County have been hesitant to embrace the Vikings.
“This situation can’t be another example of one county or one city paying solely for what we all know is a statewide facility,” said Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak.
(© Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
31 Comments
Let the Viking move to L.A., they have a brand new stadium and no team. Otherwise, Zigi can build whatever he and his brothers can afford. The rich want to decalre class warfare on the middle and lower classes then they can build there own stadiums for them and their rich friends to watch the circus in….
March 13, 2011 at 1:47 pm | | Report comment
Ramsey County – BEWARE – Anoka County got burned big time by slick Ziggy!
March 14, 2011 at 5:11 am | | Report comment
Nearly a Billion for a stadium the team will use 8 times a year. (Unless they make the playoffs) Forget that. The dome is fine and that team is not exactly the most well behaved. Never gonna happen. I’m not paying a dime that’s for sure.
March 13, 2011 at 2:07 pm | | Report comment
is the metrodome only used 8 times a year??? If you really believe this building will only be used 8 times a year i am not even going to waste my time arguing with you. PS you wont have a choice but to pay many dimes if a bill passes that effects your area
March 13, 2011 at 6:21 pm | | Report comment
Brian, Brian, Brian, without a roof, as Wilf wants it, it won’t be used very much during winter time. Besides, the current stadium is good enough for the “other” events you’re talking about. The only resident of the current stadium that wants a new venue is the Vikings. Which is why the new stadium will never be the “People’s” stadium.
March 14, 2011 at 9:44 pm | | Report comment
the viking team never go to superball why we built a home for them. they suppose to popular and promote themself before we pay tax to built a stadium for them. when they are popular every one will OK and happy to pay tax for the stadium no dought about it. but now even i live in the Twin cities area here I not go na turn my TV on for Viking game lost every time rather save my electricity bill
March 13, 2011 at 2:14 pm | | Report comment
Apparently this huge football fan with great English skills just needs something to complain about. I don’t know if you already forgot two seasons ago when we won EVERY home game and were a couple plays from the “superball” as you called it. “go na”???? are you kidding me? It amazes me you even found the power button on your computer
March 13, 2011 at 6:18 pm | | Report comment
Didn’t ARIZONA put a1cent tax for every 10dollars spent to pay for their stadium? Somebody told me it’s already paid for? Is this fact or fiction?
March 13, 2011 at 2:21 pm | | Report comment
Pay it yourself, Wilf! Loser! Get your hand out of MN taxpayers’ pockets and keep it out!
All these years and you still don’t get it? If we want to pay for your team, we’ll buy a ticket.
March 13, 2011 at 2:23 pm | | Report comment
This story seems to have an agenda……. it doesn’t make any mention that the Vikings are willing to fully fund a stadium without a roof. The state of MN states that it wants a roof on the building. Imagine that you own a restaurant in Minneapolis. Now you want to move locations and construct a new home for that restaurant. The state says “you need to build an event hall on the premises so we can use it as well, but we won’t pay for it”. I’m not trying to defend the greed of a man who has a lot of money. I will not support any tax payer money for a stadium with this deficit. But I’m simply looking at this from a common sense perspective. All State Reps and Sens will tell you this: If there were not a 5 billion dollar deficit, it would already be done. If the state wasn’t mandating a roof, this would already be done without any taxpayer contributions. Yet this story spins it to be one billionaire trying to steal from the state, when he has clearly stated that he will build his own outdoor stadium. It wreaks of finger pointing and the same attacks and malarkey we’ve had for the last couple years in politics. Poor reporting. It’s this kind of stuff that riles people up, and adds to all the divisiveness and anger in the country.
March 13, 2011 at 2:25 pm | | Report comment
If the Vikings were going to fully fund a stadium it would have been built by them. At most they were going to put up about 1/3 the cost last I remember
March 13, 2011 at 6:01 pm | | Report comment
When did Wilf offer to pay for a new stadium? I missed that one. I know he offered to pay 1/3 of an open air stadium, but no Vikings owner I know of has ever offer to fully fund a stadium. I think I can speak for the state of Minnesota that if Wilf is willing to fully fund a stadium, we are fully behind that. If by “fully” you mean 1/3 of us, then I’m probably right in that sense also.
March 14, 2011 at 9:48 pm | | Report comment
if there is going to be money put to a stadium, then everyone should pay. it’s pure BS that the metro pays while everyone else plays. it’s a for profit buisness that can pay its players millions of dollars. let them take a paycut and pay for thier own stadium. the arts are cut , education is cut, why should i support some rich people when they don’ t give a hoot about me or my welfare. its bad enough that our last gov said no taxes then lied and put it up for the twins. build your stadium, but use the owners $ not mine
March 13, 2011 at 2:29 pm | | Report comment
PAY FOR IT WITH THE 9 BILLION IN REVENUE FROM LAST YEAR. NO TAX DOLLARS, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH
March 13, 2011 at 2:32 pm | | Report comment
I can only find reports that the Vikings are “wiling” to pay for 1/3 of a new open air stadium. Where did “biased reporting” get his information that the “Vikings are willing to fully fund a stadium without a roof”?
March 13, 2011 at 2:45 pm | | Report comment
Don’t forget what happened to your North Stars…Bunch of losers……………….
March 13, 2011 at 3:49 pm | | Report comment
So why should the Vikings get a new stadium (paid for by Minnesota tax payers) when the rich players and the richer owners are going to call of the up coming season because neither feels like they’re getting paid enough?
March 13, 2011 at 5:09 pm | | Report comment
To me this is a quite simple idea on how to fund it. The Minnesota Vikings pay 100% of the costs from start to finish. They can do it but the track record of other clubs in other states is clear. They all did it with tax money from the hosting state. So in fairness to the club why should they pay for it all right?
Well we all know why they should and everyday we feel it in our paychecks and pocket books. The club is not loosing money by using the Metrodome. They are just not making top shelf profits like the other clubs. That is my biggest complaint here. If it was a situation of actualy loosing money then I could see the tax base help to keep them here and get a new stadium. But even then having the tax base pay for so much is still just right field nonsense.
So here we go……..Vikings pay total costs for new stadium of their choice where they choose. When it comes time for other events to take place in “Zigy Field” the Vikes charge X amount for usage. This fee would cover all operating costs from inside and out as well as any other associated costs with that. Once the compelex is under lease for the day,night,weekend, week, all the vendor profits go straight to the Minnesota Vikings unless there is and agreement in the lease contract to state otherwise. All parking revenue would be handled the same way. This way the Vikings will re-coop revenue on a pay per play kind of deal. This revenue will be year in year out for atleast twenty years. However you do the math this will pay for the stadium in about 10 years. Factor in the superbowl being there in a year shortly after the completion of it and that will bring in a huge amount of money. Not having a hand out come tax time is very wise move for the organization. That makes for a positive reputation with all people of Minnesota. So when Vikings fans and or “lease” users come to Zigy Field they themselves will be funding the stadium by every parking space used, hot dog purchased, beer consumed, haircut, shoe shined, and dinner bought. All these things add up very quick and it could not be anymore fair than to have actual users pay for the stadium. (This idea based off of a Vikings pay or we pay two sided debate). I know my 86 year old grandmother will never step foot in Zigy Field so why should she have to pay for it? This is not something of absolute need. This is something of absoult desire.
So you ask well where do the Vikings make a “league appropriate profit”? Since after all that is why they “NEED” a new stadium. Simple. Ticket sales and NFL licensed material that’s where. When a new stadium is built the rich will have to their special boxes, special seat, special everything. I thank them for doing so. They alone will put presents under the Wilf christmas tree year after year.
Please quit being greedy, whiny, and childish. Put on the gloves, put the shovel in the dirt and build this new stadium yourself! After all you are from the big bad mover and shaker east coast not? You sure have not been doing any moving and shaking since you have got here. After all you couldn’t even fire Childress! Man up, do work, break a sweat and get this so called problem sovled. There are millions of residents that are sick of hearing your knees hit the floor as you beg for money. You own the Vikings but you are sure not acting like one!
March 13, 2011 at 5:17 pm | | Report comment
Right on! You tell em. If we build it, we should get profit sharing on it.
March 13, 2011 at 9:41 pm | | Report comment
I’m from Denver, we have a relatively new football stadium, baseball stadium and a place for the basketball team…
When I see the Metrodome, it reminds me of trash… enjoy living in a dump.
March 13, 2011 at 5:44 pm | | Report comment
I have been to Denver. Look at parts of your city and ask your own residents
March 13, 2011 at 6:03 pm | | Report comment
Could you explain new to us that live in a “dump”. Our baseball stadium is newer than yours. Our basketball area is newer than yours. Our hockey area is never than yours. Does that mean that you live in a dump?
March 13, 2011 at 6:11 pm | | Report comment
Man I wish all you let Wilf pay for the stadium would get a dose of reality. He is willing to put a large amount into a stadium he will not ever own. People please let this sink into your heads. The dome is a dump and was not the correct construction to begin with but all that aside let’s look at the facts:
1. The Metrodome has paid for itself two times over its cost in its lifetime as will the new Stadium will for sure.
2. Only ten games a year are played there for the Vikings the other 600 events are community and other sporting and recreational events that generate tax revenue for the state.
3. The Metrodome was cheaply made and is very outdated not to mention the cost of keeping the dang thing inflated 24/7/365 days a year.
4. As a tax payer and citizen of Minnesota I am sick to death of our state being anti-business and the fact is we need new facility for our state to invite outside tourism and community events. This needs to be built right a multi-purposed enclosed stadium for winter. It is a good sound investment strategy that not only creates revenues but will return all our money and then some. How many state projects return anything to us tax payers. The facts and figures are there do the math and figure it out.
5. 900 million is not funded now anyway it is promised just like a house loan. Best of all it will be paid for by users and tax revenues unlike most the money this state wastes every day.
So in conclusion if it will pay for itself, generate more tax revenues and provide badly needed union jobs to build that will help this state big time. Exactly what are all your gripes other than hating people that have money that you think should build this state a stadium. I just don’t get it. I guess we have to chalk it up to uniformed commentary that does not have the facts! Guess what it is not Wilf’s or the Vikings Stadium it is Minnesota’s facility and we need it so get it done for God’s sake.
March 13, 2011 at 7:13 pm | | Report comment
Let this sink into your head, they want LARGER profits. A new stadium that is tax based or Wilf Funded will do that. If they don’t have to pay for it all GREAT! If they do, well not so great but they will still make money down the road. You are not the brightest but good job on trying to sound like you are. FAIL
March 13, 2011 at 7:47 pm | | Report comment
Jackhoff which you obviously are. I may not be the brightest but not as dense as you. Yes the Vikings are one of the lowest profit makers in the NFL due to the dump they play in so what. Forger the Vikings for one minute and address my point of whether in the long run it will pay for itself or not and will the state own it Einstein. If so who cares it pays for itself. Forget all the other issues its good for Minnesota and the Vikings. But no matter what guess what the stadium will be built put that in your pipe and smoke it.
March 13, 2011 at 10:17 pm | | Report comment
The whole state can pay the tax for it or they can leave. Just like LGA, if it gets cut then cut it for all. I am tired of the metro subsidizing the rest of the state.
March 13, 2011 at 9:23 pm | | Report comment
Why can’t they just wait a few years? Why now, why make a push to make this financial burden greater on people. Inflation is not going up that fast right now. Concidering the time value of money, this place will cost just as much in three years as it does today.
March 13, 2011 at 9:32 pm | | Report comment
How about locating it at the site of the soon to be vacant Ford Plant.
And, instead of a tax to pay for it, how about a corporation where fans could buy a share in their stadium?
March 13, 2011 at 11:56 pm | | Report comment
How ’bout Wilf just moves the damn team and be done with it? EVERY other business pays its own way or folds, he can do the same.
Ahhhh gee, and now all the rich boys want a lock out if they don’t get more money. How rich do you have to be to be rich? If it isn’t enough, go back to school.
March 14, 2011 at 8:44 am | | Report comment
Rural-Urban? Fans need ride on the buses to the vikings stadium.. The Rural-Urban doesn’t have a bus lines except the long distance bus lines (usually on coach buses) I want put the vikings staduim in Minneapolis or St paul.
March 14, 2011 at 8:45 am | | Report comment
Right on point Peter, Mass transit is the key and they should build in right next to the old the light rail is there and it is set up for it now. Great point and heck I am from Saint Paul.
March 14, 2011 at 1:58 pm | | Report comment