I hate when I hear people say why buy a new stadium for the Vikings with some public money we are just helping the rich get richer.
Why buy a new stadium when it is just used a few times a year?
Lets take a closer look at that for a minute. The impact of the Vikings is greater then one thinks besides the obvious creation of jobs to build the stadium, besides the obvious employment of people during the actual football game...
Concessions
Parking Attendants
Security Guards
Football players
Coaches
Assistant Coaches
Water boys
Towel Girls
Cheerleaders - Dance coach
Mascot
Traffic Control
People who ship the merchandise to the stadium
People who unload the merchandise
People who sell the merchandise.
Not to mention the surrounding businesses like bars and dinners,
There are...
Maintenance staff
Lighting and sound technicians
Marketing staff
Promoters
Ticket sales staff
Video Editors
I believe they have a plane too right?
That has a staff
That has to be maintained
But wait the Vikings training camp is in Eden Prairie remember?
Trainers
Therapists
Kinesiology experts
Doctors
Scouts
more grounds keepers
Security
Support functions
back office functions....
You guessed it the Vikings are a business
that has Accountants
Assistants
Analysts
Graphic designers
Lawyers
Wait a lot of these people actually live here....with their families....affecting
Tax Revenue
Real Estate Agents
Car sales
Shopping
Dining Out
Bars and Clubs
House Keepers
Hair Stylist
Massages
Ground Keepers
a lot of the same people you use
Keeping the Vikings has a year round net benefit to the state of Minnesota. It's impact is felt far beyond lining Zigi's pockets.
It is the most watched event where people see a glimpse into Minnesota...a view of its people....the site of our metropolis. People come here from all over the country to watch games stay at hotels, visit the Mall of America.
It is a source of pride of unity for our state, it will be used for more then just Football games.
We don't have problems giving tax breaks to the Mall of America to build Best Buy a New Campus, to help Target or Medtronic. Why invest in something we can all enjoy?
Next game look at the side lines, imagine them empty
Silent
Imagine all the homes they live in disappear
Everything they touch above fades....
Along with a significant piece of Minnesota.
7 comments:
This is a solid argument, Brian. The thing is, I just don't understand what's wrong with the Metrodome. (Or why it can't be renovated.) With the Twins it was different - a closed stadium sucks for baseball/summertime.
Awesome points! Another one to keep in mind is the fundraising a lot of organizations and teams do at the concession stands (private schools or hockey teams have parent volunteers that work the concessions, and the money they earn goes straight to their school...)
The Vikings also volunteer their time in the community, working with schools and talk with a lot of kids. Aside from a few mishaps with the law, they're role models for the youth of MN.
The metrodome facilites are equivalent to a large toilet bowl. They've pretty much been outdated since their resurrection....
Could not find a suitable section so I written here, how to become a moderator for your forum, that need for this?
Yeah whats wrong with the dome? Isn't it already doing all the things you mentioned the new statium will do?
Excellent points, truly. Especially in this economy- it is not the time to be losing jobs!
I don't have exact numbers to verify if your argument is correct. But I suspect you are right.
My main gripe is with players making soooo much goddamn money. It's a bit disgusting.
Sometimes we just have to replace infrastructure to build towards the future. Yeah we could limp along with the metrodome for a few more years but evenutually it has to be replaced.
35 w bridge worked just fine and only needed a few repairs to make it modern...right?
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