Selling Metrodome to Vikings for less than Buck Two Eighty?
State Rep. Paul Kohls, a Republican from Victoria wants to sell the Metrodome for a dollar so the Vikings will stay in Minnesota. The Representative introduced a his bill to sell the dome on Thursday. In exchange the Vikings would have to agree to stay in the state for at least 20 years or pay a $5 million dollar fine for leaving early. How much do they pay Farve? I feel like I’ve already paid a great deal more than a dollar for the Metrodome. The tax that was used to partially finance the Metrodome was instituted in 1977. From 1977 to 1979, there was a 2% metro wide tax on liquor sales that raised $8 Million. In 1979, the tax was shifted to the City of Minneapolis and removed from the rest of the metro area. The tax was increased to 3% and included liquor sales and hotel accommodations. The tax was lowered to 2% in 1984 and raised $15.8 Million. The tax was repealed in 1984. The rest of the debt on the Metrodome was paid off with the sale of the old Met Center land in 1998. Some time after that the Metrodome started operating in the black. I don’t know if Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission will be able to pay the bills with the Twins and the Gophers out of the dome, but the dome is paid for. We the people own it, just like we own Lake Harriet and I35. What’s more is at least for a couple years there the dome didn’t cost us anything. It actually paid for itself and then some. Why does this guy want to give away my dome? Is that fiscally responsible? In the end we paid off the dome by selling the land that the Met Center was built on. Can’t we make a little bit of money on this deal. If we can’t then I say “Go Vikings!” and take the Twins with you. Rep. Paul Kohls’ bill would also eliminate the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission that manages the Metrodome. He claims his proposal would keep the team in Minnesota without putting tax payer dollars into another stadium. He says the state doesn’t have enough money to spend on a football arena. Even if we did have the money the tax payers in this state have made it pretty clear. Most of us don’t want to pay for a stadium! Under this arrangement Vikings could do whatever they wanted with the Metrodome. How about we sell the dome to the Vikings for something closer to what it’s worth. They seem like they could afford it. Did the team make any money last year? Isn’t Farve going to retire pretty soon? If the Vikes don’t want to buy the big, white plastic dome, why don’t we keep it and sell it to somebody else for something closer to what it’s worth!
