Strong Citizen Voices at 10/11/05 Hearing

Anoka County voters packed the room at the Tuesday evening, October 11 hearing before the Minnesota House Tax Committee, regarding the proposed Anoka County Sales Tax increase to fund a new Vikings Stadium.

TAACVS was well represented. It was exciting to see so many of our friends and to hear your powerful testimony. Thanks to everyone who put so much time and thought into this meeting and this issue. Thanks also to the legislators who scheduled the hearing at a time when working people could get a fair chance to have their voices heard.

Among an estimated 500 attendees,the 'applause meter' was dramatically weighted toward opponents of the tax.

A few Highlights:

Fixed income citizens asked legislators how they could possibly meet their bills with rising gas and heating prices and property taxes, along with a new sales tax. Business owners said that the tax could either drive them out of business or severely hurt their competitive opportunities.

An explanation of tax laws revealed that goods bought outside Anoka County would still in theory be subject to the proposed .75 percent increase in the form of a "Use Tax". However, it was also made clear that this is an unenforceable practice. The State only receives a tiny fraction of the potential collections that it would be getting, were this an enforceable rule.

Commissioners Scott Le Doux and Margaret Langfeld have recently told constituents that this issue is too complex for voters to understand. At the meeting Commissioner Langfeld also once again played the tired "We have representative government in America" card, saying that since we elected them we are to simply trust them when they announce they want $1 billion in luxury taxes out of our pockets over the next 30 years.

Realtor (and wife of commissioner Scott LeDoux) Carol Le Doux compared the tone of this hearing to a McCarthy-era blacklist hearing. After this opening, she said that the stadium project would "dump" $1 billion into our economy.

We have to wonder how that helps when $1 billion is being syphoned out at the same time?

Dan Dobson, organizer of the No Stadium Tax Coalition, noted that with income from seat licenses, concessions and naming rights, Zygi Wilff would almost immediately recoup most or all of his proposed $280 million investment.

(Our take: Those who say we should be grateful for the risk supposedly being taken by Mr. Wilf are not seeing the whole financial picture.)

Other great points made:

If this is such a great deal, how come dozens of other counties and communities aren't lining up to invite the Vikings to their turf?

This tax requires a referendum, BY LAW. There has never been an exemption granted since this law was passed.

Those who oppose the referendum law should work the legislative process to get the law changed, not attempt to sidestep it.

Citizens are expected to obey the law. Why do some Anoka County commissioners and some State Legislators think they don't have to?

Property values may increase as a result of the development...so then will property taxes.

Some officials are saying that voters should just trust them. Why don't they just trust us by holding a referendum?

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Many Anoka County officials love to say that everyone around here supports the stadium tax. They're starting to believe their own hype. Well, they kind of have to...all the pretty pictures and inscrutable studies cost them (us, actually) a million bucks!

But we know they heard a different story at this exciting public hearing.