The close-mindedness of some anti-baseball, anti-stadium people is amazing. The Community ownership idea nowhere envisions the governmental ownership of the team. It would be a publicly held corporation with a charter to keep them in Minneapolis or Minnesota, according to the entity that facilitated the transfer from privately held corporation to publicly held corporation. (IBM is a publicly owned corporation). I do not believe anyone envisions a governmental "fronting" or ownership. It is called a "pass through" in commercial real estate.
Walt Cygan wrote: And is it just me, or is using the elderly and the disabled as some > rationale for funding a ballpark to keep the Twins a little desperate, > or worse? This reminded me of arguments during the ballpark debate in > the last session of the Legislature. Reps got up to talk about how their > mothers in [fill in the rural town] love to listen to the Twins on the > Victrola (or Philco or whatever old-timey brand of radio sounded good in > their rambling). The only thing they forgot when it came time for a bill > was to tax their mothers for keeping the Twins. The taxes will all fall > on the locality where the stadium is built. If the team is such an > asset, then why doesn't everyone pay? It is just you Walt. Its not desperation, it's the ability to recognize the importance of the team to some older and disabled people. And more importantly to have some consideration for them. If Walt has difficulty believing the Twins are important to older people then he should maybe stop to consider the greatest barometers of public opinion that exist. Those politicians KNOW how important the Twins are to seniors and also know those same seniors are numerous enough, and vote enough, to need courting. Walt, your question about everyone paying is good, but lets also look at it in a different light and logically extend it: If arts and recreation are important to some but not used by others, then why does not the Minneapolis City Council enact a tax on only those who use them and think they are important. There are many who would probably support Walt on this taxing of only the end users. If that is in fact his contention or suggestion. (Come to think of it, those seniors no longer have any kids in school) Take a look at the Minneapolis budget under arts and recreation; it is a sizable budget. In all fairness, is the anti-baseball crowd also willing to cut this budget? I think NOT. I also think a great number of people in Minneapolis, Hennepin County and the State of Minnesota are unwilling to lose their "Recreation" and the business that is created by the Twins. If you do not believe the Twins generate business, ask a retail merchant to check sales the months after the last two World Series wins by the Twins. Restaurants, bars, hotels, car sales, jewelry sales, and yes even house sales go up because people feel good about themselves and about our region. The only thing that comes close is the aftermath of winning a war, and I prefer, (and it is cheaper), to play baseball rather than make war. (Having been a "player" in the one I can tell you baseball beats it hands down) For the anti-stadium crowd such a public offering also offers the only hope you have of stopping a new stadium. With the Twins winning this year you have no hope of stopping the stadium in some form. Then you WILL get the subsidizing of a billionaire. A publicly owned corporation could make the decision to NOT build a new stadium, because it might not make economic sense. That option would be open because there could not be the threat of moving the team. I know the Twins winning has seriously set back the dreams of the anti-baseball crowd. Those who had hoped that by killing a stadium you would also kill the chance for the Twins to stay in Minnesota. But the GODS have spoken! They, Selig, and the rest of the contraction hoping billionaires, will just have to pray harder that the Twins do not make it to the Series. My suggestion is for the anti-stadium group to organize a protest down at the Stadium during the first two games. It is a chance to demonstrate just how much support you have. I would buy a ticket just to see that; I like to watch all the big fights. So anti-stadium people start praying the Twins lose, or start supporting a publicly held corporation and community ownership of the Twins. You are down to those options. As for the anti-baseball crowd, get pay-per-view TV and wait for World Cup Soccer and the Tour De France, you seem to be out of luck this year. Jim Graham, Ventura Village >>We all want progress, but if you're on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive. - C.S. Lewis << _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
