Shock Poll: Minnesotans OK Tax For NFL Stadium
A proposed funding plan for a $791 million Minnesota Vikings stadium is currently under consideration by the Minnesota State Legislature. While the plan, which would included public funds, received a mixed reception from politicians, signs are starting to emerge that we may have reached a turning point with the NFL’s team’s local fan base.
The new plan has the Vikings contributing $264 million to the project, with most of the remaining cost raised through taxes on hotels, rental cars and National Football League merchandise.
While many Minnesota legislators continue to express concern over the use of public funds for the proposed stadium, if a prominent newspaper poll by the MINNEAPOLIS STAR-TRIBUNE is any indication, everyday Minnesotans may finally be open to the idea.
As an accompaniment to a story about the new proposed stadium funding plan, a Star-Tribune poll asked for the following reader reaction to the proposal:
A) I like it. The taxes are fair and don’t hit the average taxpayer.
B) There are much more pressing needs than a stadium that should be paid for with those taxes.
With well over 11,000 votes tallied, the first response, “I like it. The taxes are fair and don’t hit the average taxpayer,” has received 77% of the vote.
Obviously there’s no way to tell if that is representative sentiment of the entire state, but it could indicate a seminal shift in the attitude of local citizens as it pertains to funding a new Vikings venue.
So why are Minnesotans open to the idea of tax money going to an NFL Stadium? Read more…
