Reply #45: Not much different [View All]

[Sorwen]

The ballpark would also be owned by the public. It would not be owned by the Twins. And it does not exist solely for the purpose of allowing a billionaire to make huge profits. If it did, then why the heck would I, and most baseball fans, want a new stadium? Do you think we support this just because we like Carl Pohlad and we want him to make more money? Most Twins fans actually have an unfavorable opinion of the owner.

It should be noted that Pohlad is contributing $125 million. He benefits from increased sources of revenue and increased value of the team, but his benefits are not likely to be significantly more than the $125 million he's paying. The value of the team could increase by $100 million or more. Much of the increase in revenue, though, is expected to be spent on increasing the team payroll, which is to the benefit of the fans. Pohlad would not make enough money on the stadium to fund it entirely himself, so that's why the public sector needs to step in. If I was Pohlad I would build the stadium myself because, even if I lost money on it, I would still be an 89 year-old billionaire. But, unfortunately, Pohlad, even at his age, cares more about making money than he does about his legacy. So the reality of the situation is that we need some public money if we want a new ballpark.

Also, I pay money to go to the state parks. These user's fees only provide for about one third of the state parks' budget. The rest comes from the state. I know that not everyone benefits from the state parks, but we all pay. The state park system is one of my favorite things about Minnesota, and I would hate it if it lost state funding and had to be funded entirely by user's fees.