Commissioner Opat Confirms that He Has Superior Knowledge

From the Star Tribune story on Tuesday's Hennepin County Board vote: While Opat thanked those who had testified at three public hearings last week, and added that their testimony had raised "a few concerns for me," he said that he had analyzed the stadium plan in depth and that "a lot of the questions I wrestled with, I wrestled with a long time ago." Well, Commissioner, as long as you're okay with it.

My first New Years Resolution for 2007

If Ordinance 26 (the Stadium Swindle) passes next week, I've let the Hennepin County Board know that I'll be making every effort to do my discretionary spending outside of Hennepin County. Not that I'm a huge spender, but I'll miss the downtown Target store, and certain coffee shops, restaurants and taverns. Ah well. Hopefully more people will do the same.

Does Sue Jeffers Make Mike Opat Nervous?

During the Thursday night hearings in Maple Grove, Commissioners Opat and McLaughlin both jumped out of their seats when Sue Jeffers stepped up to testify. I could do all sorts of speculation here, but it was a funny visual on TV.

What Other Information Do You Need?

My schedule this week didn't allow for attending any of the public hearings before the Hennepin County Board's final stadium vote, but I was able to watch part of Tuesday's live coverage on MTN between work and another meeting. The people speaking were all over the map, but the last speaker I heard asked a very good question of Commissioners Opat, Stenglein McLaughlin and Johnson..... I'm paraphrasing, but he asked the four supporters of the stadium tax just what they would need to be told for them to change their minds. No public opinion poll supports their action. It got through the legislature via support from outstate members, whose local constituents will feel little or no effect of the tax. The bill was signed by an admittedly faux 'conservative' governor, who knows he could never win a majority of the votes in Hennepin County on the best day of his life, so tax away. Economic research does not support this proposal. Long term results of other publicly funded stadiums do not support this proposal. This 30-year sentence will affect Hennepin County residents who haven't even been born. I could conceivably be paying this tax for the rest of my life. The mission statement and operating budget of the County does not support this proposal. It was pointed out that 'building stadiums' does not appear anywhere in the county budget. A true conservative political orientation would not support this proposal, nor would a true liberal philosophy. Peter McLaughlin's opponent in the November election cited only one person out of thousands she has met while door-knocking who supports the proposal. If the reason to not have a referendum is the belief that it wouldn't pass, how cynical do you have to be to go ahead and do what the taxpayers do not want to do? If a school board has to pass a levy referendum to raise operating funds for the school, which is one of the core responsibilities of government, how is it we can tax for an amenity without a referendum? Commissioner Opat - what information are you missing here?

Sending a Message to Mike Opat

CCARL dropped by Mike Opat's home to let him know how they felt about his single minded efforts to stick them with a tax increase. See photos of the action at CCARL's website.

Dang I missed this one

From CCARL: THURSDAY Evening, August 10 7:00 to 8:30 PM --- Mike Opat Mike Opat 4529 York Avenue North Robbinsdale, MN 55422 Click here for: Map to Commissioner Opat's house Very easy to find. In Robbinsdale. This is almost at the corner of Lake Drive North and Memorial Parkway. York is on the north side of Lake Drive. This area is straight east of downtown Robbinsdale. This part of York Avenue is very short and a little oddly shaped and narrow. One side is no parking. It is a small brick house, pretty much in the middle of the block. There is a small adress plaque by the front door. Since I was out of town for this scheduled visit, I'll do my own visit - and get photos of the house to post here.

Does Dan Kenney Serve the Taxpayers or the Pohlads?

Kudos to Matt at North Star Liberty for pointing this out. Tuesday, August 08, 2006 Dan Kenney serves the taxpayers...or the Twins? By Dann Dobson No Stadium Tax Coalition NoStadiumTax@Yahoogroups.com Not unexpectedly, the new Minnesota Ballpark Authority, which will oversee the construction of the new Twins Stadium, appointed Dan Kenney as the first Executive Director, Friday at a salary of $110,000. This is like handing the keys to the Hen House to the fox. For those who do not recall, in February Mr. Kenney posted in this group [E-Democracy.org Minneapolis Issues Forum] that there was no requirement for a referendum for a sales tax increase in Hennepin County under state law and posted his message as an average citizen, simply signing his post, "Dan Kenney Ward 11". Kenney did not disclose or reveal that he was Commissioner Mike Opat's aide, for the past ten years, that he was a member of the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission, nor that he had and Opat had been secretly negotiating with the Twins for over 6 months. At that time I raised the question about Mr. Kinney's potential conflicts of interest. "It seems to me that if Mr. Kenney is going to try and get the Twins out of the Dome and into a new stadium, (largely at taxpayer expense), he should NOT be serving on the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission." As a part of the discussion about Mr. Kinney and his potential conflict of interest, I predicted "I would wager if the Twins stadium bill passes, Mr. Kenney has a cushy job waiting for him with the new Stadium Commission or with the Twins." I have written repeatedly how the enabling legislation is so poorly written, putting all of the "infrastructure costs" onto Hennepin County taxpayers and infrastructure is defined as anything other than the actual "ballpark", so land costs, environmental remediation, decks across I-394, rail line extensions, landscaping and anything else in the ballpark district will be paid by Hennepin County taxpayers and not the Twins. Mr. Kinney thus far has shown himself to be far more interested in what is best for the Twins and himself and not the taxpayers of Hennepin County. With Kinney as executive director of the new Minnesota Ballpark Authority, (which was appointed by the 4 male members of the Hennepin County Board who did not want Hennepin County taxpayers to vote on this project), I do not see any party who will protect the interests of Hennepin County taxpayers. The Ballpark Authority could have appointed someone with a history and record of vigorous fiscal responsibility. They failed to do so. Instead they appointed someone who has been disingenuous when debating this project, which does not bode well for the future.

More Candidates Run Against Opat

0391-COUNTY COMMISSIONER DISTRICT 1 MARY O'CONNOR HENNEPIN Weblink: Email: Campaign Address: 5429 LYNDALE AVE N BROOKLYN CENTER MN 55430 763 5618038 7/7/2006 I talked to Tony Pistilli, and he decided against running. He was impressed with Mary O'Connor, who is a libertarian sitting on the Brooklyn Center city council. 0391-COUNTY COMMISSIONER DISTRICT 1 MIKE OPAT HENNEPIN Weblink: Email: MIKEOPAT@AOL.COM Campaign Address: 3001 AQUILA AVE N CRYSTAL MN 55427 763 5338034 7/11/2006 0391-COUNTY COMMISSIONER DISTRICT 1 TOM REYNOLDS HENNEPIN Weblink: www.tkreynolds.com Email: treynolds@tkreynolds.com Campaign Address: 5438 71ST CIR N BROOKLYN CENTER MN 55429 763 5600035 7/5/2006 0391-COUNTY COMMISSIONER DISTRICT 1 JAMES P WIRTH HENNEPIN Weblink: Email: Campaign Address: 5857 PERRY AVE N CRYSTAL MN 55429 763 5312669 7/19/2006 I'll be calling all candidates to ask them their positions on the Stadium Boondoggle.