Tuesday, May 17, 2005

Senator Dibble (DFL, District 60) Also Writes Back

Dear Bill,

Thank you for letting me know about your opposition to the latest proposal by Hennepin County to build a new stadium for the Twins.

I am anxious to learn more about the details so I can give it careful consideration. It is important to gauge this expenditure in light of public benefit, as we do for all public investments.

It is very interesting that the Governor and the Chamber of Commerce have no trouble with creating a new source of funding for this through the sales tax, while at the very same time they are vociferously fighting a similar proposal to create an ongoing, dedicated, reliable source of funding for transit - an investment we know has tremendous economic benefit. Meanwhile, education, healthcare, public safety, the environment, and housing all go lacking.

There may be an approach that maximizes the ability to raise public private resources by those who favor a stadium. Partial community ownership and some sources of public revenue (such as taxes on game and event tickets, event area parking, sports merchandise sales taxes, surcharge on player income taxes) are consistent with those principles.

Thanks again for getting in touch. Please continue to weigh in on this and other issues important to you.

Very truly yours,
Scott Dibble