MN Gov. Arne Carlson proposed a '97 referendum on a new
baseball stadium that, if approved, "could be the basis" for
tying the state's three existing pro teams and the Jets "to long-
term stays," according to Jay Weiner of the Minneapolis STAR
TRIBUNE. Carlson also proposed a two-year public subsidy for the
Jets if new owner Richard Burke pays an equal amount -- about $2M
per year. In addition, Carlson's plan calls for the potential
for partial public ownership of at least one of the area's teams.
Carlson said any Jets subsidy would be, in effect, "bridge
financing" supported by higher income taxes generated by the
team. Eventually, a new metro or state sports authority would
take over and "rearrange finances" for the Jets. Asked how the
Jets could make it without public funds, Carlson proposed the
sale of shares in the team (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 10/21).
MORE TALK ON IMPACT: Weiner also examines the debate over
economic impact of sports teams, writing, "Pro sports in the '90s
is not a matter of economic benefit. It is, rather, a matter of
collective self-esteem and civic differentiation. It is a
signature of what a community is and wants to be." Lake Forest
College's Robert Baade: "There's something psychological taking
place. It's about the quality of life" (Minneapolis STAR
TRIBUNE, 10/22).
