Vikings Stadium

Today or late Tonight is D-Day for the Vikings in Minnesota, as both the House and Senate are expected to vote on a bill for a new Stadium. It has been over five years, but the time has finally come to decide whether or not we want the Vikings in Minnesota.

The Vikings are Free Agents. If the bill does not pass, they will have one more season in Minnesota. They will then be free to move or play wherever the Wilf's can make the most money. LA is looking for a team and that is the best bet, as to where the Vikes will play, if they do not get a new Stadium. The Metrodome, is a decrepit building and the Vikings generate the third fewest revenue out of the 32 teams in the NFL. There is no debate that the Vikings need a new Stadium. The debate is, whether in a recession can this State afford to pay for another Stadium?

I believe the State of Minnesota can and should pay for a new Stadium. The new Stadium will provide badly needed jobs for construction workers, hospitality workers, etc. Passing the bill will allow Downtown Minneapolis to have two of the nicest Stadiums in the whole of the United States. The Vikings have been an institution for over 50 years in Minnesota and the States surrounding Minnesota. If the bill does not pass they will be gone, and with them, millions of dollars that people from the Dakota's and Iowa spend every year in Minneapolis when going to Viking games.

The loss of the Vikings will further hurt the State of Minnesota's economy. The State currently collects upwards of 20 million dollars in income tax alone from the players of Minnesota and the players of opposing teams. Can the State really afford to lose that kind of money? Hospitality workers, bars, and restaurants will also lose money if the Vikings leave. As much as I love Hockey,  people do not gather at bars to watch the Wild. People do gather at bars even in this recession to watch every Vikings game. Win or lose. Bar's and restaurants will lose lots of money from these patrons once the Vikes leave. This means people in those industries will lose there jobs, as well as people employed by the Vikings. The last thing this State needs is more jobless citizens.

In closing, the politicians of Minnesota, need to vote what they themselves think. They should not be voting no just because passing this bill will make the Governor of Minnesota look good. The time for politics is over. The time to do your job is here. Vote yes, or Vote no, but vote with your conscious and not what you think will get you re-elected in November.