* Defined as an arrangement where private business owners reap all the benefits of stadium ownership (naming rights-parking-suites revenue) while taxpayers get stuck with huge bond debt and giant concrete white elephants. also–see Kingdome or Meadowlands
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That’s right. Taxpayers reap no benefits from the stadium. Except for the revenue from non-Vikings events held at the stadium. And the taxes paid by millionaire football players. And the economic boost from Super Bowls and Final Fours. And having an NFL team in your city.

And someone else said “Now that the Vikes have no leverage since they can’t threaten to move until next year” is off base. If the Vikings had done the opposite thing and actually threatened to move, the state would have called their bluff. Just like they did with the Lakers and North Stars, and yes, even the Twins.

The Vikings aren’t idiots… a threat to move will get them nowhere. Anyone who lives here knows that.

Drayton has been saying the same thing-or a small variation thereof- about every 3 months since he took office.

There never has been (and most likely never will be) any agreement over the ethics of giving taxpayer money to a billionaire to help his business. And even those politicians who can rationalize a stadium “public private partnership”* can’t agree on the amount or the source (see the great “pulltab” controversy) of the money.

* Defined as an arrangement where private business owners reap all the benefits of stadium ownership (naming rights-parking-suites revenue) while taxpayers get stuck with huge bond debt and giant concrete white elephants. also–see Kingdome or Meadowlands

You didn’t know this prior to “the past year”? How about ’06 when he was voted one of the 5 “worst Senators” in office. He even gave himself a grade of “F” for his time in Senate. He’s a moron, can’t believe he was elected Governor, speaks volumes about our great state…

Since you live here, you should know that they’ve never been close to a deal. No one ever took the Vikings stadium seriously until very recently. They took care of the Twins, they took care of the Gophers, and they kept telling the Vikings to be patient. Now it’s their turn, and despite the fecklessness of Minnesota politicians, it will eventually get done. I think Dayton is full of it when he says a deal is close. A deal isn’t close until everyone who has to vote on it agrees to vote for it.