2/22/06
Referendums not needed; public officials can make decisions
One of the hot topics for this Legislative session will be financing professional sports stadiums without requiring a referendum of the people involved. Some contend that mandating referendums are deal killers.
Since the Minnesota Legislature is tied up on the question of referendums, perhaps itís time to do away with requiring referendums on any proposals to build public facilities. In other words, let publicly-elected policy makers, who are closer to the needs and the action make the decisions and face the consequences.
By now, most people believe that failure to build the stadiums could cause the Twins and Vikings to leave.
The big question is using public funds to build a football and baseball stadium for millionaires.
Hennepin County has come up with a proposal that makes sense. The Minnesota Twins would contribute $125 million and the county would issue tax-exempt revenue bonds paid for with a sales tax of one-fifteenth of 1 percent, 15 cents on every $100.
The Legislature is stuck on the proposal because some want a referendum, which of course would kill it.
Some say if the proposal is so good, the public will approve it. They know full well Hennepin County taxpayers will vote it down, if for no other reason than why should they have to pay for a stadium that will benefit the entire state? Any policy wag also knows getting people to tax themselves for anything is a tough sell.
This raises the question of having referendums on any kind of public spending for new facilities. Why should the Legislature be any more astute at deciding a stadium needs to be built than Hennepin Countyís seven commissioners? One could argue that legislators are so bogged down politically, they are in a less favorable position to make such a decision, particularly during an election year.
The same holds true with financing a stadium for the Minnesota Vikings in Blaine. The majority of Anoka County Commissioners, relishing having the stadium and all the big development proposed by Vikings owner Zygi Wilf prefer levying a .75 sales tax sales tax as their part of the bargain. Wilf has offered to pay $280 million of the $675 million stadium.
Already, the drums are beating against a referendum on any kind of additional tax on Anoka County taxpayers. Anoka County Commissioners are elected and fully capable of making the decision.
This raises the bigger question of having referendums to build schools, libraries and community centers. Surely, city council and school board members know if their communities need and can afford facilities. It doesnít take a rocket scientist to figure out if kids keep pouring into the school district that new school buildings will have to be built.
Peter Hutchinson, an independent candidate for governor, recently met with the ECM Editorial Board and says he is against referendums in total and says he would ìget rid of themî for everyone.
Another argument in favor of doing away with referendums is the issues are so complex and it takes more than a few sound bites to explain them. School board, county board and city council members are in a position to learn all of the facts and make intelligent decisions, or face losing in the next election.
Extending the argument would mean that there shouldnít be extra tax levy referendums for school operations. Here, the problem becomes more complex because thereís a danger a district with a lot of property wealth could make those politically tougher decisions, resulting in their having more dollars per kid than poorer districts.
The bottom line is the locally elected official is accountable for making decisions on building and bonding for new facilities. They donít need a referendum to tell them what to do. That referendum will come when they are up for reelection. -- Don Heinzman
HometownSource.com
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