Index of SPPS Budget Discussion http://www.e-democracy.org/stpaul/spps-posts.html _________________________________________
Mr. Meemken asks: "I guess I don't see where 80 people is a significant anti stadium voice." As quoted in the StarTribune, Deputy Mayor Flaherty says there are 301 restaurants and bars in St. Paul. Eighty of them is 27%. Twenty-seven percent of the business owners who would have to pay for the Twins stadium are willing to sign the petition and go up against the big businesses, the Chamber and the Administration who are pushing the 3% tax. To me that seems awfully "significant." Even more telling in these petitioners is the fact that they don't believe they will get much, if any, benefit from the stadium traffic. Since the tax is passed on to customers, the business owners are saying that it is more likely for them to loose business from the additional tax, than they will gain from the increase traffic downtown. Even though almost everybody would love to see the Twins in a new stadium; even though most St. Paulites would love to have the Twins come home to our town; even though none of the 'anti-public subsidy' advocates are going to gain anything from fighting the powerful interests that are going to get millions from a stadium deal, the fact is that this is a bad deal and the public is not going to stand for it. More and more people, no matter how tired they are at fighting this annual battle, are standing up against the handouts to billionaires. That is significant. Jim Mogen LexHam _____________________________________________ SPPS Budget Reduction Forum - Feb. 23-27 Co-Sponsored By NEAT: http://www.stpaulneat.org/ _____________________________________________ NEW ADDRESS FOR LIST: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe, modify subscription, or get your password - visit: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/stpaul Archive Address: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/private/stpaul/
