Tim Bonham wrote:
> For example, the current Metrodome was funded in part by an extra > percent or two of sales tax applied to meals sold near the stadium. But > that was interpreted to mean any meals sold in the downtown area, and at > any time, not just when there was an event at the stadium. So for years, > all of the people who worked Monday-Friday in the downtown area paid extra > foe each days lunch to finance the stadium. Every plan I've seen continues > this fraud. Actually, the Metrodome was paid for primarily by a 10% tax on tickets and from revenues on concessions at the Metrodome. There was a region-wide restaurant/liquor tax for one year and then this was scaled back to a downtown restaurant/liquor tax for a couple of years and then turned off and not used again. I want to say this was 1983ish but I am remembering this off the top of my head. The taxes were pledged as backup if the other revenues failed but were never needed after this beginning period. The Convention Center, on the other hand, has been paid for with a half-cent sales tax, a downtown food and liquor tax, and a hotel tax. What Mr. Bonham says about the Metrodome in his post is actually correct for the Convention Center. These taxes continue to be collected to serve the debt on the existing and the expansion of the Convention Center. The downtown food and liquor tax were also pledged to backup the bonds for the Target Center but I do not believe that this tax has been turned on. Carol Becker Longfellow _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
