[Mpls] Public opinion on stadium

[Dan McGuire]

Lori Sturedevant and the editors of the Strib tried mightily this 
morning to get me to believe that I'm not informed enough about this 
stadium issue to make a reasonable decision.  They think  I should let 
the county commissioners impose a tax to give money to the professional 
baseball industry even though I and a majority of of my peers do not 
think it's a necessary use of tax dollars.  Sturdevant says that if 
there were to be a referendum we might be influenced by some group with 
deep pockets that didn't want the stadium to be built ( this is probably 
a veiled reference to those greedy teachers or some other group of their 
ilk)  Ms Sturdevant implied in her lecture that the elected county 
commissioners were immune to pressure from ignoble sources.

"most people don't have time to bone up on the complexities that 
government must address. They go with what they hear, and they hear 
those with the biggest advertising budget."  
http://www.startribune.com/stories/1519/5377462.html

Doesn't professional baseball have a little spare cash to spend  
influencing decisions, or are they going broke and laying off their key 
personnel?

It was implied in the news story about the public opinion poll on the 
front page that the general public did not favor the building of the 
light rail system and that the government officials did it anyway and it 
turned out to be a good deal.

Except that the general public was in favor of the light rail.

"Light Rail Transit Poll  /Even as cost estimates for a proposed 
light-rail transit system rise, Minneapolis and St. Paul residents 
continue to show strong support for the idea. A new poll commissioned by 
Minnesota Public Radio, the St. Paul Pioneer Press, and KARE-TV shows 
well over two-thirds of those responding to the survey support light 
rail. /By Dan Olson  July 2, 1999"

Staying informed with reporting and commentary like the Strib did today 
is hard work.

I like baseball, always have.  I spent a couple hours everyday this week 
watching or coaching it, in the snow and sleet.  I really don't think we 
need to spend tax money on a new stadium.  That's just my humble 
opinion.  Ms Sturdevant's finger wagging hasn't convinced me otherwise.
Dan McGuire
Ericsson