MORNING EDITION

Well, the Strib powers-that-be wasted no time at all seeing only error in the choice of not next door to their parking lots Ramsey County for a new Vikings stadium. An editorial says: “In addition to the highway and road improvement costs, a major difference in the two plans is the local government contribution. Minneapolis would ante up $195 million from a mix of taxes aimed at stadium users as well as citywide sales taxes. Ramsey County would raise a whopping $350 million with a half-cent countywide sales tax increase. In return for the more reasonable Minneapolis investment, taxpayers would have a new downtown stadium that would boost the region's most important central business district, and the city would complete the much-needed renovation of Target Center while paying off the arena's debt and reducing property taxes 2 percent in the process. The Arden Hills math should be a deal-breaker for the state Legislature. In many cases, suburban NFL stadium locations are less expensive than downtown alternatives — not several hundred million dollars more costly. (Disclosure: The Star Tribune owns property near the Metrodome site, and the value of that property is likely to be affected by the location decision.)” Oh, really? Well, isn’t that interesting.

The AP’s Patrick Condon is already running the “non-starter” quotes. He writes: “Sen. Julie Rosen, the chief Senate sponsor of the bill, said there was no way she could get colleagues in the Legislature to support a state commitment higher than $300 million. She also pointed out state estimates released earlier Tuesday pegged the transportation upgrades to cost at least $175 million. ‘There are a lot of issues that need to be worked out with the Ramsey County site,’ said Rosen, a Republican from Fairmont. A proposal released a day earlier by Minneapolis city leaders to keep the team downtown is ‘still definitely on the table,’ she said. ... The added acreage in Arden Hills also offers the Wilfs, who made their fortune in real estate development, the chance to eventually add restaurants, hotels and other amenities. The proposal would give local leaders the chance to spiff up what Commissioner Rafael Ortega said is currently the largest Superfund site in the nation.”

Patrick Reusse of the Strib says, “Without Hennepin County to bail it out this time, Minneapolis came up with a haphazard proposal that didn't come close to satisfying the Vikings' desires. It was announced Monday and basically scoffed at by the team. On Tuesday, the Vikings came with the deal that politicians and pundits have been ordering them to deliver for years: They came with a large financial commitment from ownership and with a fully engaged local partner. The team announced a agreement with Ramsey County that should cast commissioners Tony Bennett and Rafael Ortega as heroic for Vikings fans in the way Opat and three other ‘yes’ voters were to those civilians who thought it was vital to keep Major League Baseball in Minnesota. Actually, it might be taking even more guts for Bennett and Ortega, since they are standing behind a half-cent sales tax for Ramsey County — compared to Hennepin County's .15 percent — to bring the Vikings to that long-abandoned munitions plant site in Arden Hills.”

Our Jay Weiner notes the Wilf family’s talk of developing around the stadium, the sort of thing that could goose infrastructure costs to nearly a quarter of a billion or nearly all of the state’s contribution. He says: “As Ramsey County officials took media reps on a tour of the sprawling TCAAP site, Assistant Majority Leader Dave Thompson, R-Lakeville, cited the Star Tribune’s poll showing more than 60 percent of Minnesotans object to a publicly-funded stadium. He said — in words used in other stadium debates — instead of funding a stadium to help million-dollar athletes pay their mortgages, the Legislature should be focused on creating a business-friendly environment that facilitates job creation and investment. ... A taxpayer-funded stadium in no way contributes to the financial health of average households in Minnesota.' Then, three DFL Ramsey County lawmakers — Reps. Alice Hausman of St. Paul, Mindy Greiling of Roseville and Sen. John Marty of Roseville — issued a joint statement blasting the plan. Said Hausman, in stating the others’ concerns: ‘Ramsey County is facing massive and damaging cuts in human services. To choose to raise taxes for a Vikings stadium represents not only misplaced priorities, but a lack of sensitivity to human needs.’ Meanwhile, Rep. Kate Knuth, who represents Arden Hills, sent a letter to Zygi Wilf and his brother, Mark, expressing concerns about the stadium development and, among other things, calling for them to pay ‘at a minimum, half of the cost of a new stadium.’ ”

It sounds like a “Prairie Home Companion” skit, but it’s true, the Presbyterians are goin’ gay. Rose French of the Strib writes: “Twin Cities Presbyterians cast a historic vote on Tuesday to allow openly gay and lesbian members to be ordained ministers. Presbyterian leaders say the Twin Cities vote of 205 to 56 was the action needed to end the 2.1 million-member denomination's national ban on gay clergy. A majority of the 173 U.S. presbyteries had to vote in favor of the new policy adopted last summer at the group's national assembly. The Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area happened to cast the 87th, and deciding, vote.” Your challenge for the day: Work “presbytery” into an unrelated conversation.

In the context of Donald Trump’s collapse in polling of likely GOP voters, Alex Pareene of Salon files a piece on how Tim Pawlenty should — but isn’t — seeing a boost: “Tim Pawlenty, the former Minnesota governor, would most likely be the front-runner for the Republican nomination for the presidency right now, if John McCain had selected him instead of that Alaska wingnut who looked good on paper. Pawlenty is sort of the perfect running mate, in that he is bland, malleable, and guaranteed not to overshadow or outshine the top of the ticket. But that didn't happen, and poor Pawlenty, who is clearly working harder at running than anyone besides Romney, is in the basement of every poll. I think it's because if GOP voters want ‘electable’ they'll pick the better-known Romney, and if they want any quality besides that there is still a kaleidoscope of craziness to pick from. Case in point: With Donald Trump finished, his former supporters are now flocking to everyone else in the field — besides Pawlenty. Romney gets three additional points, Bachmann adds three points, Gingrich gets two, and poor T-Paw still sits at the bottom.”

“Invasive species,” a not bad title for a cheap John Carpenter sci-fi flick, will be a big deal this summer, says Strib outdoors guy Dennis Anderson: “Armed with tougher invasive-species laws expected to pass the Legislature this session, more costly penalties for violators and support from Gov. Mark Dayton and thousands of concerned anglers and lake-property owners, the DNR this summer will be on heightened alert for anyone toting destructive aquatic hitchhikers on their boats or trailers as they travel from lake to lake. ‘Written citations will be the norm this summer for invasive-species violations, rather than the exception, as they were last year,’ said DNR conservation officer Lt. Jason Jensen. A bill passed by the Senate this session calls for a $500 fine for boaters who launch boats with zebra mussels attached to them into state waters. The penalty would double for a second violation.”

Erik Hayden of The Atlantic Wire notes the long list of things Minnesota is considered “most” at, or close to “most,” including, most recently being “most hipster.” He writes, “Today, Buzzfeed told the internet that Minnesota was the ‘most hipster’ state in the union. As evidence, the site noted the highest-in-the-country amount of Google searches for the overused term. We aren't sure about their methodology (one Wire staffer asked why googling ‘what is a hipster’ makes one a hipster; perhaps Minnesota is more accurately the most hipster-curious state?). Nevertheless, the number of things that Minnesota (and its most-populated city, Minneapolis) is ‘most’ at is truly impressive. Minneapolis is the second most literate city in America. Minneapolis has been named the most gay friendly city in America. Minnesota is the seventh most tolerant state in America. Minnesota is the fourth most peaceful state in America. Minnesota is the fourth most bike friendly state in America. Minnestota is the sixth most ‘happy’ state in America.”

BTW: Did you see  “The Daily Show’s” Jason Jones’ piece on Minneapolis, the new “Gayest City in America”?