Perhaps Victoria wants to simply ignore the reality of listmember complaints about most of the public financing of private projects over the last ten years. I, for one, recall quite specifically that one of the reasons Sharon Sayles Belton faced defeat (for both endorsement and re-election) at the hands of R.T. was her failure to see the folly of her support for Opus and Target Corp. rapes of downtown. Same for Cherryhomes.
Critics of TIF district manipulation in both cities have surfaced from all political perspectives on this list. The arguments against the stadiums has been the same for ten years, as well: the diversion of public resources from human and urban life quality needs to filling the pocketbooks and wallets of billionaire owners of major corporations who can damned week finance their own projects.\, but find ways to blackmail - and pay off - political figures, from city offices through the governor's war chest to shove their lies about being broke down our throats. Occasionally, a public/private partnership works. Not sure about Allina yet, but lots of Allina money is going into this Sears project as well as city resources - and most folks in that are of the Lake St. corridor aren't complaining, except for the freeway exit being added to accommodate the increased traffic load when several hundreds of Allina employees trek to work each day. I'm still no fan of this stuff, especially if financing Allina puts off the political will for universal - and single-payer - healthcare access and financing. It may not, but my antennae stand up when I see what United Healthcare paid its chief exec, Bill McGuire, last year - fully $92 million - ten times his previous year's earnings - obscene. But memory should serve Vicki better about the discussions over public financing of private projects on this list over the years. Stadia are hardly alone in getting the stiff-arm from taxpayers. Andy Driscoll Saint Paul -------- > From: "Victoria Heller" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Date: Wed, 14 Apr 2004 10:27:03 -0500 > To: "Mpls Forum" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: [Mpls] Stadium $$ > > Is there a rationale for corporate welfare discrimination? > > Listmembers don't seem to mind that other private, for-profit entities are > stuffing their pockets with public money. Why the vitriol for sports? > > Why weren't the same arguments made for Target Corporation, Ryan > Construction, Allina, Sears, Cherryhomes & Minn, Dick Brustad, George > Sherman, Hunt & Gregory, CSM Corporation, and an endless list of tax > avoiders also known as non-Profiteers, etc. etc.? > > Just wondering why this logic only applies to sports facilities. Is it > fuzzy thinking, or am I missing something. > > Vicky Heller > North Oaks and Cedar-Riveride REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
