Jay Weiner's story (<http://www.startribune.com/stories/1330/5234674.html>) on the loss of the NHL hockey season having minimal impact on St. Paul's sales tax revenue is yet more proof that spin, not substantive data, sold policymakers on the millions in giveaway tax dollars to build the downtown hockey arena, including it's near-ownership by the Minnesota Wild.
What this tells us is that if the Wild wanted a hockey arena, they should have paid for it themselves, leaving our tax dollars for spending on serious housing initiatives, small business development/redevelopment, infrastructure (public works), public safety, schools and human services (since with TIF financing, the county and school district will lose big money from the loss of normal property tax increases). Yet one more message from the unusual demise of the hockey season: publicly financed professional sports playgrounds do nothing for local economic development, and, in fact divert important public resources away from far more citizen-based needs than their entertainment palaces. The phony numbers and blackmailing for enriching the rich and loading the treasury with more debt than dollars must end for all time. Andy Driscoll Crocus Hill/Ward 2 -- Visit our weblog: http://bumpasblog.blogspot.com _____________________________________________ To Join: St. Paul Issues Forum Rules Discussion Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ____________________________________________ 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/
