E-Pledge-O-Meter (9:54 PM - 4/10/04)
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**** We Reached Our Goal - Thanks *****
I just read Brent Spengeler's and Ed Fesler's posts
and as one of the organizers of the No Stadium Tax
Coalition and webmaster of www.NoStadiumTax.com
website, I have to say that while I agree entirely
with their sentiments, it is crazy to be talking about
two new stadiums in the middle of a transit strike and
that if we can afford two stadiums, we can afford
transit. But as an organizing tool, at least from the
anti-stadium prespective, it does not help our cause.
While I personally support the Transit Workers
and their strike and would like to promote the pledge,
the transit strike and the stadium are two separate
issues. Many of the strongest opponents of publicly
funded stadiums and our best allies on the Hill are
also opponents of mass transit and probably support
the Met Council and not the drivers, i.e. Rep. Phil
Krinke and some Republican House members.
While some liberal DFL'ers might sign the pledge, it
also might piss off some of our strongest supporters
on the Republican side of the aisle. I think a
petition tying the two issues could be a zero-sum game
or worse.
In addition, Ed suggests getting the St. Paul
and Minneapolis City Councils to sign the pledge. In
case people aren't aware of it, the St. Paul City
Council passed a resolution about a month ago saying
that a stadium was a low priority. A majority of the
St. Paul City Council is strongly on record against a
new stadium in St. Paul.
While those of us working on the anti-stadium effort
appreciate suggestions, I think it is unfair to cast
aspersions on our motives without contacting us first
or asking why or why not we are engaging in a tactic.
Right now we have our hands full trying to get 5,500
signatures to amend the St. Paul City Charter to
place a $10 million cap on stadium spending in Saint
Paul and trying to get an anti-stadium group going in
Anoka County.
If Ed and Brent want to help us, we would welcome
their assistance, but to criticize us for not doing a
tactic someone thinks up, while sitting at a keyboard
is unfair.
To that end, there is a meetings coming up this week
for those who want to do anti-stadium work. The "Say
It Ain't So Joe" Group, who are trying to amend the
St. Paul City Charter, will be having an
organizational meeting Wednesday evening, April 14th
at 7:00 P.M. at the Magic Carpet Cafe at 10th and
Jackson (south of the Embassy Suites Hotel). For more
info contact Pat Hill 651-772-2027 (eves) or Elizabeth
Dickinson 651-312-0616 or [EMAIL PROTECTED]
I hope that we will see both Mr. Fesler and Mr.
Sprangel there.
Dan Dobson
No Stadium Tax Coalition
Saint Paul
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
www.NoStadiumTax.com
> ------------------------------
Message: 2
Date: Sun, 11 Apr 2004 17:57:23 EDT
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: [StPaul] Re: Stpaul Digest, Vol 4, Issue 10
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Ed Fesler has put forward a very reasonable
argument. If we have enough money to build the Twins
and the Vikings a half billion dollar stadium, each,
we have enough money to simply settle the transit
strike by making a reasonable offer to the union.
Frankly, transportation is not a luxury item, and new
stadiums are, so if we don't have enough money to end
the transit strike, we obviously don't have enough to
pay for the stadiums. Period.
Brett Sprangel
East Side
In a message dated 4/7/4 11:01:07,
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
It is Day 34 of the bus strike and Pawlenty still
wants two stadiums.
What does Pawlenty want more?
Let's put the stadium boosters on the spot.
Why don't we ask our legislators to sign a written
pledge promising not to support a stadium bill until
the bus strike is settled?
I don't have anything written. Maybe anti-stadium
groups could get together with the strike support
committee and put something together.
We can ask the Mpls and St. Paul city councils to
pass resolutions saying that no stadium bill should
pass until Metro Transit and Local 1005 reach
agreement.
The St. Paul stadium boosters will hate this
idea.
Most of our elected officals in Minneapolis know
that ending the bus strike is more important than
building stadiums.
Ed Fesler [EMAIL PROTECTED] Minneapolis
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