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?