Comments on: ‘Go to Hell, KSTP’

By: Keith

Keith — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 21:00:26 +0000

Lie-witness news at five strikes again. First it's the bicycles of the metro now Ironworld. What next, "Lie-witness news reports, Sonia Pitt, wrongly accused, should get her job back. The most reliable news source in the Twins Cities."

By: chuck

chuck — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 08:22:10 +0000

It sounds to me like KSTP lied, err misrepresented, the nature of the “taxpayer dollars” paying for Iron World.

I just drove by Ironworld today on the way home from Voyageurs National Park (yes, Bob, you should go!) and thought I’d like to make a video about it – now there’s good reason to. I’d love to do an UpTake interview with the Ironworld staffers and Brown about this KSTP story.

By: octane

octane — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 02:44:34 +0000

Brown is reaching here. The KSTP sotry isn't making fun of the Iron Range. It's asking who's paying (and who has paid) to run this joint. Museum, theme park, roadside attraction, whaterver; it's supposed to draw people and it's not exactly packing in the tour busses.

If KSTP lied in it's story, Brown should say so. He never cited any factual errors from what was reported. The state still owns it, and its operating funds would otherwide go into the state's general fund, so the state, lacking that revenue, IS paying for it.

If Ironworld is solvent, let it earn it's keep and let the mining companies taxes pay for schools and cops and snow plowing like the taxes of other businesses.

It's great to have pride in your home. I do. It's quite unbecoming, however, to draw attention to a the chip on your shoulder by overreacting to tee vee news.

By: champs

champs — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 22:41:27 +0000

I went to the Central Library once. It’s surprisingly hard to find coffee on Nicollet Mall at 6am, but the Dunn Bros just opened.

By: g rote

g rote — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 19:36:36 +0000

I was just on Huron, Michigan and Superior last weekend, grew up near Erie, spent much time on Ontario as a youngster. If I had to draw a pop culture parallel, I'd say:
Ontario = Ronnie Wood (dullish, save for Toronto)
Erie = Bill Wyman (dirtiest)
Huron = Charlie Watts (meh)
Michigan= Mick (glamour of cities and sailing)
Superior = Keef (king of them all)

By: kurtis

kurtis — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 19:24:38 +0000

It's a lot easier to park and get in and out of the BC library.

But having seen all of the Great Lakes, I can tell you that Superior is aptly named.

OK, I never saw Huron, but I'll assume it ain't all that.

By: Bixby

Bixby — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 19:08:44 +0000

I still haven't been to the new downtown library and I work 2 blocks away. Yet, I always go to the Brooklyn Center library.

Also, I've seen every Great Lake but the one bordering my own state.

I really need to get around to those things.

By: ericam

ericam — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 18:15:11 +0000

That was a most excellent post. Nice job, Aaron Brown.

By: JACC

JACC — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 17:50:27 +0000

First, I love Ironworld. I once played a show in their amphitheater and it was awesome. The stage is set at the bottom of an open mine and I think it seats a few thousand people.

Second, if Mr.Brown is correct 'these taxes are paid by the mining companies in lieu of local property taxes' and the money goes to what is 'legally defined as residents of the taconite tax relief area'.

So if I understand everything correctly; if Ironworld is operating in the black now then the state could change the law and the mining companies would have to either pay property taxes or the money currently collected could be put into the general state coffers.

I'm not real clear on why the taconite companies get special tax breaks (probably related to a time when they were a big poweful industry), but then again I'm not real clear on why many companies get special tax treatment. Though, ofcourse I have heard the 'it keeps jobs in the state' arguement.

By: justpbob

justpbob — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 17:49:53 +0000

And we have FOX9 flying half the newsroom to NY

I'm waiting for a live segment with Jason Matheson from Fire Island...