Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Minnesota Senate Passes Legislation Barring State Funding For New Soccer Stadium

Too bad Indiana lawmakers aren't willing to resist another publicly-financed stadium deal like Minnesota lawmakers, who have been as bad as Indiana lawmakers in the past when it comes to using public tax dollars for funding new stadium for professional sports teams. The Star-Tribune reports on legislation passed by Minnesota's Senate barring state money from being used to pay for a new major league soccer stadium.
The Minnesota Senate voted overwhelmingly Monday to exclude state tax dollars from being spent on a proposed new soccer stadium near downtown Minneapolis.
The widely bipartisan, 61-4 vote in favor of the ban came during debate on a broad budget bill covering state departments and operations. The Senate later approved the full bill, but a companion House bill funding state government does not currently include the soccer stadium provision.
The amendment's effect may be largely symbolic in any case. The private group that's landed a Major League Soccer franchise has not asked for a direct state subsidy, and the Senate amendment does not tie the hands of elected officials in Hennepin County or Minneapolis, who are likely to be involved in funding talks . . . 
Unfortunately, it appears Indy Eleven's Ersal Ozdemir has done a better job buying off state lawmakers here in Indiana than the Minnesota United's team owner. Taxpayers better be prepared to bend over and take another one for Indy Eleven's owner. It seems these professional sports team owners can extract however much money they want from our elected officials in Indiana.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

No doubt about it- Turk Ozdemir completely bought off a significant number of Democrat and Republican City and State politicians and attorneys. Where the heck Ersal came into all this largess he tosses around may remain unclear but there is one thing we can make no mistake about- that would be that it is our corrupt politicians and their machines who use sports and the alleged financial benefits "for the City" from those crony sports deals as the deception for more tax-payer funded sports Taj Mahals and more taxpayer-created sport team owner millionaires.

The Hoosier State in general and Indianapolis in particular is run by corrupt attorneys and corrupt law firms who regularly break ethical legal professional standards. But what the hell, those attorneys are monied and powerful and like the Obamas and the Clintons and Leona Helmsley laws are not for them but for the little people under the wealthy insiders' soles.

Anonymous said...

How the hell did they land a major league franchise without a fancy stadium? This is what soccer promoters have been saying we need is the fancy stadium Ozdemir & friends have been promoting so that one day we can have a major league team too.

Anonymous said...

I heard there were over 10,000 at the elevens first home game, which would put Carroll stadium near capacity, yet No pics of the stands showing a packed house. Can anyone without a bias for this team confirm this?

Anonymous said...

You can watch the game on ESPN3 to see the full stands or check out IndyStar photos from the game. 10,000 plus was a legitimate number.
In Minnesota, MLS has a condition that they must have a new stadium before they will officially become part of the league.