[Mpls] Fw: stadium

[James E Jacobsen]

----- Original Message ----- From: James E Jacobsen To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, February 20, 2002 1:09 PM Subject: stadium        Well if you could beat the stadium to death, what next would it be, get rid of the airport, stop those trains from running through town.   Bin Laden would love you guys.         I expect the reason Rybak passed the stadium project to the county is because the city has enough debt already, with library project and a lot else, and he doesn't want to further jeapardize city credit rating, even though the stadium funding, as backed by governments, comes principally with its own payout, a revenue source that -again- we wouldn't have without the stadium.         Of course there is some risk to the stadium finances, like anything on Wall Street.  (You probably would like to get rid of Wall Street too.)        Minneapolis has had national professional sports action going all the way back.  Babe Ruth use to hit home runs in the stadium at Lake and Nicollet.  The owner of the Minneapolis Millers, Lakers? used to live at about 3300 Park Avenue.        I will tell you -to what ever deaf ears and blind eyes- that without sports teams, sometimes billed as the national pastime, there just would be a percentage decline in not only hotel and restaurant business but also at the stores, Marshall Fields, and etc.  some less shoppers, decline in mall business etc. Of course the travel industry would be off some, less revenue to the airport.        Farm type people out accross the north central states would have less occasion to bring the family into town and spend their money to benefit of our economy.       I doubt all the extranuous taxes on meals and rental cars etc. would be needed  -or those taxes could be smaller rate.       Of course to really strong socialists who want to see general decline anyway, anything in way of progress is going to get depreciative treatment.       James E Jacobsen       'Whittier'