Thank you, Lisa Goodman, for a common sense, articulately presented post, full of facts and details. What this List needs is more Goodman - she stands as a model for all of us.
Robert Johnson Ward 2 / Precinct 10 "Goodman, Lisa R" wrote: > > At the risk of churning up even more debate on the stadium issue I simply > wanted to chime in on one point. > > It is outrageous and insulting that the County plan proposes to, once again, > put extra tax on those of us (nearly 25,000 strong) who live in the downtown > neighborhoods who want to eat and drink in our own neighborhoods. Ask the > Band Box Diner in the Elliot Park neighborhood, Ruby's Cafe in the Loring > Park neighborhood, and all of the downtown restaurants from Chessen's to > Eli's that are not directly adjacent to the Convention Center how much > business they see from conventioneers? Does it outweigh the lost business > from downtown residents who would dine out more if they weren't targeted to > pay the extra sales tax simply by going to the bar or cafe in their own > building or on the corner? Likewise, restaurants not adjacent to a potential > Warehouse District stadium will not benefit from the increased business the > Twins might provide yet it could be a tax that keeps their residential > neighbors/customers away. > > Downtown Minneapolis has more residents than downtown Denver, downtown > Detroit, and downtown Dallas combined, and yet most of the restaurants > designed to serve the 175,000 downtown workers, especially those in the > skyway system, are not even open after 3:00 PM during the week and they are > certainty not open on the weekends. What is left in their own neighborhood > for downtown residents to enjoy are the cafe's, steak houses, bistros, and > sports bars that already have a higher tax bill than similar restaurants in > the suburbs and the rest of the City because of the Convention Center sales > tax. > > Economic choices which drive policy decisions such as taxing restaurants and > bars throughout the downtown but not everywhere else in the City, County or > region will have the effect of making our downtown less friendly to > residents, workers and visitors all at once. Restaurants and bars have > livened up Nicollet Mall. Creating an inequity in the tax structure of this > proposed magnitude will not make it easier to attract more small businesses > and restaurants to our downtown area. The difference in sales tax between > downtown St. Paul and downtown Minneapolis could be in excess of 5% if this > foolish idea is adopted. > > To clarify questions about sales tax levied in the City of Minneapolis: > > 1. All restaurants and bars serving liquor pay 6.5% to the State of > Minnesota. > 2. Both Minneapolis and St. Paul then levy an extra * cent on > restaurants and bars as well as theatre, lodging and other retailers that > the suburbs do not. > 3. Downtown Minneapolis restaurants and bars levy an additional 3% for > the convention center ( used for debt reduction on arguably what is a > Statewide resource). > 4. The City of Minneapolis collects an additional 3% entertainment tax > on restaurants w/live entertainment, liquor, lodging and theatre. > > The current totals add up to the following: > > Minneapolis restaurants: 7% > Sidney's, Birchwood Cafe, Jax etc. > Minneapolis restaurants w/ live entertainment 10% > Famous Dave's, Dixie's, etc. > > Downtown restaurants 10% > The Local, Little Wagon etc. > Downtown restaurants w/live entertainment 13% > MPLS Cafe, Loring Cafe etc. > > Liquor in Bars & restaurants 9.5% > > Liquor in Bars & restaurants w/live entertainment > 12.5% > > Downtown Liquor in Bars & restaurants 12.5% > Downtown Liquor in Bars and restaurants w/entertainment 15.5% > > I have not been a supporter of a new stadium for a business that has yet to > address the need for its own reform. The Hennepin County Plan as well as > some of the others do not address the issue of reform of Major League > Baseball - that problem has been ignored in the debate this time around. > > A stadium plan which counts on user fees from people who benefit from the > stadium I might have been able to support. This latest plan moves in the > opposite direction. The one advantage, other than the site, of the > Minneapolis stadium plan was that unlike St. Paul's plan it did not consider > tax increases targeted at several neighborhoods in the City to fund the > local government portion of the equation. Now that the Hennepin County plan > includes a downtown Minneapolis tax increase on food and beverages, it has > made my decision a whole lot easier. > > Lisa Goodman > Loring Park > > _______________________________________ > 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 _______________________________________ 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
