A day after the Twins put forth their proposal for a
new stadium, the plan's promoters are trying to figure out
how to raise $150-200M in public money "against a solid wall
of popular resistance" to paying higher taxes for pro sports
teams, according to the Minneapolis STAR-TRIBUNE. Twins
Owner Carl Pohlad said Wednesday he would give the state a
49% ownership share of the team and put up $82.5M in cash if
the public would build the team a new ballpark. The STAR
TRIBUNE's Robert Whereatt reports that with the first
weekend of the '97 session, legislators are going home to
"get an earful." Many made campaign pledges that no tax
money would be used for the new stadium. Whereatt notes the
Twins will now begin an "intensive" lobbying effort, and
three of the state's "most effective" lobbying firms will
now move to build support for the plan. The Twins have
contracted with firms Messerli & Kramer, St. Paul, North
State Advisors & Associates, Minneapolis, and Winthrop &
Weinstine, St. Paul. Also, Minnesota Wins, an organization
primarily funded by the Twins and Vikings, will try to
generate grass-roots support for the proposal (Minneapolis
STAR TRIBUNE, 1/10).
NO GET-RICH SCHEME: A STAR TRIBUNE editorial said
Pohlad's offer "may not have silenced opposition to public
financing for the rest of the cost. But he sure squelched
one of the favorite rationales for that opposition. No
longer can it be plausibly argued that Pohlad wants the
public to buy him a fancy new ballpark so he can get richer
than he already is" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 1/10).
