Seriously.
Sorry, dude, but we have NO MONEY to just hand out to people that are already incredibly wealthy. Perhaps you've heard of the recession? Greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression? Budget deficit? If not, spend 10 minutes with a newspaper.
Oh, but isn't building a stadium stimulus?
No, not really. At least not in the sense that building a school, or a road, or weatherizing homes, or laying green infrastructure is. Stadiums, at best, produce short-term construction jobs and leave the state with little to nothing to show for their investment. Wilf, on the other hand, will see the value of his franchise increase. If he sells the team, he stands to make massive profits on the backs of education, healthcare, and other services that would be neglected to make room for his greed.
Don't believe me? Just ask good ol' W. David Cay Johnston, in his book "Free Lunch: How the Wealthiest Americans Enrich Themselves at Government Expense (and Stick You with the Bill)" details how W. bought a partial ownership stake in the Texas Rangers in 1989. The entire value of the team at that point was roughly $83 million. They threatened to leave, and the
Saying building a stadium would be stimulus would be akin to giving, oh.....let's say Paris Hilton a massive subsidy and then crowing about how her spending on a new $2.85 million townhouse and a custom Bentley provided a boost and jobs to the housing and auto markets. (I'm a little ashamed that I actually looked that up, but it's all in service to you, reader.)
Please Vikings - leave. Seriously. If you simply can't afford to go on with what you have, then go. See what other state wants to cut education, nutrition programs, health care coverage, etc., so that its residents have, at BEST, a marginally better chance to see a pro football team "in person" as opposed to on TV. Perhaps the Vikings could find someplace with actual access to international waters.
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