The 2004 Stadium Debate: Why it will be different
Happy New Year, and welcome to the 10th annual Great Minnesota Sports and Public Policy Scrum, otherwise known as The Stadium Debate. Rep. Phil Krinkie, a longtime opponent of sports plans, describes another stadium battle as “same [stuff], different day,” adding that it’s similar to a rider saying, “Hey, cab driver, one more time around the block!” But Roy Terwilliger, chairman of the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission, said he feels “a real sense of urgency” this go-round….There’s a sense among stadium proponents that opposition seen in earlier episodes might be subsiding.
We’ve heard that one before. In fact, we’ve heard all of them before, including the bit about interest rates never being lower. This time, however, the interest rate point is probably true. Nevertheless, no government should fund sports stadiums. Ever. Period. The very notion is ridiculous and every argument for it has been repeatedly exploded.
But greed and the desire to spend other people’s money knows no bounds.