[Mpls] "Stadiumus Giganticus!"

[Jenny Heiser]

Thanks, Gary, for abundantly pointing out that: "The emperor has no clothes!"

I'm just old enough to remember well the era immediately preceding the building of the
current home of the Twins, the Metrodome. It would be great if Steve Brandt could pull out
the Star and the Tribune newspaper archives (back then we had both a morning and evening
newspaper) from those days and share some of the headlines and Letters To The Editor. I
don't remember that back then we had much of a lively alternative press so I'm not certain
that our town's major newspapers won't have a very one-sided view of what got rammed down
our throats.

Folks were saying the exact same things that are being said now. I really thought a
certain portion of Minneapolis' citizenry were going to storm the Cowles Newspaper offices
and take the management hostage (Cowles was a BIG player back then.) People were gnashing
their teeth, ranting and raving. Just like now.

And you know what? The Metrodome still got built because Cowles, the DT Council (it may
have had a different name back then but organizationally it served the same function), no
doubt the Building & Construction trades, the hospitality industry and half a dozen other
influential (read: "rich") folks crammed it down the throats of Minneapolis citizens. JUST
LIKE NOW. Same cast of characters, just different actors playing the roles.

Given what Dorie Rae G. posted about the lawmakers not following their own rules and laws,
what really concerns me is the high level of hypocrisy we are experiencing from these
public officials and the ensuing cynicism that is bound to follow for any thinking
citizen. Cynicism is corrosive to democracy, just like too much power and too much money
concentrated in the hands of a few. Perhaps this goes a long way to explaining why as a
nation the numbers of people voting in each election keep declining ... folks get it. They
get that it really doesn't matter who they cast their vote for. The election has already
been decided. Money always wins. It always has. And a cynical person believes that it
always will. 

The curtain has been pulled aside, the wizard has been revealed, and I grieve for the loss
of innocence for all of us who have had the temerity to think that we lived in a
representative democracy -- most certainly in MN, most assuredly in Minneapolis -- where
public officials really listened to peoples' wishes and concerns about such issues.
(Please do not insult me or the many others who are opposed to the stadium deal as it
stands, without a referendum, by citing rhetoric about the potential for tyranny by the
majority and the importance of the wisdom of the public official overriding them. We are
not talking about mob rule here. We are not talking about civil or human rights around
this issue.)

As a footnote: I know many folks, near my age, who vowed back then never to set foot into
the Metrodome. And they never have. It is a matter of honor to them. 

Jenny Heiser
Whittier



-----Original Message-----
From: mpls-bounces at mnforum.org [mailto:mpls-bounces at mnforum.org] On Behalf Of Gary Hoover
Sent: Tuesday, May 17, 2005 6:57 PM
To: Minneapolis Issues Forum
Subject: [Mpls] "Stadiumus Giganticus!"

Good points and discussion from David B.,  John H., and Britt R. -- food for 
thought!  "Stadiumus Giganticus" is a symptom of larger and deeper 
socio-political pathology.  Note:

1. Taxes for rich private professional sports entertainment when we are not 
addressing education, health care, public safety, transit, poverty, and 
other sustainable infrastructure.

Yes, I know that the Pohlad's and the Twins will plead poverty and utter 
destitution -- we've been through all that.  What will we raise taxes for in 
contrast to all the things that we will not raise taxes for?  This is 
actually quite an indictment of our supposedly compassionate, 
"kinder-gentler" culture.  Let's all just go play ball in the park and use 
the money for the above-mentioned real poverty and destitution!

2. Regressive taxation.

How can anyone defend this?  The idea that visitors will pick up most of the 
tab seems at best unsupported to me, and at worst an obvious attempt to 
cloak the regressive nature of the tax.  Does anyone on the list buy this 
argument?  Any real numbers to back it up?

3.  Raising taxes while providing "cover" that our state governor somehow 
*opposes* raising taxes.

Y-y-y-y-u-u-u-u-u-u-k-k-k-k-!-!-!  Too slimy to talk about without making 
folks ill......

4.  Denying affected citizens the right to vote on this, as already required 
by law.

(Note that Rep. Hornstein tried to address this last night.)

5. The United "Republicratic" front.  It is not just me, but political 
commentators from Sea to Shining Sea  (leaving aside the huge and growing 
"Dead zones" in such seas resulting largely from agricultural runoff) 
notice the same.

Britt Robson linked to last night's house committee vote with these 
comments:
>>>>>
 Those who say there's no difference between the DFL and
Republicans on this issue have ammunition: The vote broke down 5-5 among the
republicans and 4-5 against a referendum among DFL-ers. Hennepin County
legislators voted 2-2, (2-1 DFL, 0-1 R).
<<<<<

There it is, folks!  Republicrats in action!  No discernable difference!  An 
outstanding exception was Representative Hornstein for at least defending 
the people's right to a referendum provided for by law.)

Pohlad and the Twins can and should pay for a stadium if they want it. 
Otherwise, stop pretending to be anything other than "corporate welfare 
kings/queens" -- and very rich ones at that!

-- pedaling for peace and ecojustice -- from Lynnhurst -- Gary Hoover

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