The Minnesota Vikings have been complaining about the tent that they have been using, off and on, for the location of their home games. Some fans might say that the Vikings actually play football there, and I will concede their opinion.
There are a number of proposals for a partnership between various levels of government in the acquisition of land and development of surrounding infrastructure, and the new stadium. Most have involved new taxes or expanding gambling in the state. For the record, I'm OK with a new stadium, and I'm OK with shifting some of the tax exempt gambling activity from the present casinos to the tax rolls to pay what is needed from public funds.
Now here's where I think somebody has been drinking too much of the stale cider: There is a proposal to use proceeds of a dedicated fund to pay the bill. That fund was voted into the Minnesota Constitution in 2008 an additional 3/8% sales tax for the outdoors, clean water, parks and the arts. Money was to go to the Cultural Heritage Fund. Now there are a couple legislaters who are trying to twist the meaning of cultural heritage to include a professional football team. Well, the games would be outside, there will be parks (actually parking spaces), and clean water somehow probably plays a part in the stadium too.
It would not be a huge surprise if the Cultural heritage Fund were raided to build a place where 60-80,000 Minnesotans could get drunk and disorderly in unison. They raided the Minnesota Lottery. It was begun with the guise of proceeds going half to the environment and half to an entity called tha Greater Minnesota Corporation, which had as its purpose to further business development in the state. Today, 60% goes to the general fund and 40% to the environment, but I'll be surprised if the ratio doesn't change again. Greater Minnesota Corporation? Nevermore, nothing but history.
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