Dear House tax committee

Good evening members of the Minnesota House Tax committee, my name is Robert Hooper. I am a Resident of Dakota county

I e-mailed the members of the board a letter and a copy my copyrighted Sportsapolis stadium proposal. Please go to my website if any one else here would like to see it. The reason of this hearing is to discuss the Twins stadium bill. Unless otherwise asked, I will not be presenting my copyrighted design tonight; it is available at Sportsapolis.com

That is “Sports” plus the last half of the host city Minneapolis “apolis”
Sportsapolis.com

Don’t be fooled by the numbers. I believe that the current Twins stadium tax bill sets a bad example that if pass. Similar bills would surly be duplicated again and again. In simple terms, it’s taxation with out representation.

If the current state leaders want to shift its leadership, taxation and responsibilities to the counties; who is to say that it would stop at Stadiums? Turn state parks and schools over to the counties. Maybe letting the counties run and fund the states welfare and Healthcare programs. What about State Highway department? Just think of the savings to the states plowing and pothole budget if that responsibly was turned over to the counties? The Twins stadium bill is the first step in the wrong direction.

Naming rights money.

What are the Twins getting for the naming rights and where is that money going? The Gophers have $35 million naming-rights deal with TCF Bank. Reliant stadium, home of Houston Texans receives $300 million for naming rights of the entire Astrodome complex.

An example of good public and private ballpark leadership can be found in Milwaukee Wisconsin. Team owner Bud Selig received help from the Miller Brewing Company to build his new ballpark for his Milwaukee Brewers. Financial promises where in line between the Brewers and Miller Brewing before seeking a stadium site and financial support from Wisconsin or Milwaukee. In exchange for this help, Miller received the naming rights for the new ballpark. To fund the public share of Miller Park, a regional five-county, one-tenth-of-a-cent sales tax was established.

One country should not be subsidizing the needs of the State or region.
How about a regional tax to fund the Twins, Gophers and Viking stadiums?

I have a few concerns about the proposed Twins stadium design.

Just like the Milwaukee Brewers, The Twins stadium should have a retractable roof. Rain, snow or shine, you can plan on seeing a ballgame if you go to the ballpark. If this retractable roof is shared with a football stadium, even more savings would occur. Just like my design that can be found at my website Sportsapolis.com

Three team, two stadiums under one movable roof.

People, Parking and road congestion, Is there enough Space?

There are all ready too many gathering spots in one location. There is all ready major road congestion when a Target center event takes place. If there is a Twins Home game, dose that mean that the Target center sits empty across the street so there is enough parking? What about State, Orpheum, Pantages theaters, Block E. and the Schubert Theater. There are millions and millions of private and tax payers’ dollars invested in a small part of Minneapolis. Adding the Twins stadium to that neighborhood would drive up parking demand and rates. This would squeeze the highly desired city visitors out.

The heath and safety of up to 70,000 visitors in a tight urban area also comes to mind, is the Minneapolis police department ready to deal with this? The tax payers have all ready too much at stake in that area of Minneapolis. Place the stadium someplace else and not next to the county incinerator.

The 2004 Stadium Screening Report to Governor Tim Pawlenty states, “Both the Twins and Vikings are important community resources that should be retained. Presenting separate bills for each sport runs the risk that one team will be left behind and ultimately lost.” The current three stadium bills on the table this legislative are vulnerable in three areas:

First, this procedure is at risk for leaving a team behind in the Metrodome.

Second, the residents of Anoka and Hennepin counties are not unified in support of funding a large part of a regional building project; the possibly of legal challenges of a proposed county stadium sales tax are unknown.

Third, with the large combined price tag of the three proposed stadium developments; who is to step in if a developer, team owner or county runs into trouble? For Example; in 1994, the owners of Timberwolves and Target Center were in finical trouble. The government stepped in to cover their debts.

To conclude, to successfully replace the Metrodome, I believe that sound leadership and financial support is needed from all benefiting public and private parties.

When the Twins, Vikings and Gophers play like a team, Minnesota Wins.

Thank you

Please see my copyrighted Metrodome replacement plan at Sportsapolis.com