On a recent weekend, I listened to an interview of Tom Emmer (conducted by Mitch Berg) that left me disappointed. The question arose of whether Emmer supported corporatism, or as anyone else would put it, “doing something to help the Vikings stay in Minnesota.” From what I recall, Emmer punted.
To paraphrase the Republican nominee, he does not favor funding a stadium through the State of Minnesota. So far, so good. But he did allow that perhaps a Hennepin county-only tax would be a good thing.
I find that suspect on two counts. Most significantly, it’s just wrong to tax people to support a specific private business, whether that business is a multinational conglomerate such as Archer Daniels Midland, a (nearly) union-controlled entity such as GM, or a privately owned football team.
A second problem is that the Vikings draw from beyond Hennepin County, so if taxpayer funds “must” be involved, they should come from the state, or at least the metro area.
Granted, no politician in this state wants to be “the governor who lost the Vikings.” Taxpayer funding of sports stadiums makes no economic sense and violates the precepts of good government. But, I suspect, even many fiscal conservatives carve out an exception for their sports heroes. (As if to prove the point, I waiver on the question of stadiums for big-time college football factories. My excuse? At least they are tangentially related to a state-owned enterprise, the university.)
September 10, 2010 @ 3:44 am
The Vikings may draw statewide, but much of the benefit to a stadium would be local. If the voters of Hennepin County vote to allow an additional tax because they think it will be a revenue enhancer for the county, then they can make that choice.
The key here is in allowing the voters to decide whether or not to impose a specific tax.
September 10, 2010 @ 3:58 pm
I’d agree that allowing a public vote is a good thing. Unfortunately, when it came to a new workplace for the Twins, the Legislature–some of my favorite Republicans included–voted to deny Henn Co residents the opportunity to vote. They let the county commission make the call. That’s not indefensible, but not the best approach to deciding on whether to enact a questionable tax.
September 10, 2010 @ 4:41 pm
Let’s also not forget Target Center and Xcel Center, private and “local” arenas that ultimately the State paid for.
September 10, 2010 @ 4:51 pm
Good point, Rex. I wonder how those were subsidized–a specific tax, increased state aid to Mpls and St. Paul, respectively, some sort of tax-advantaged bonding, or something else?