The Twins are one of several teams that don't have new stadiums or a strong revenue base. Despite the possibility the Twins could be shut down, Gov. Jesse Ventura is sticking firmly to his position that public money should not be used to finance professional sports facilities. And that position is attracting some criticism.

	VENTURA ON MIDDAY Listen to Gov. Ventura's entire broadcaston the Nov. 7, 2001 edition of Midday on Minnesota Public Radio.

Appearing on MPR's Midday program, Ventura repeated his belief that the state has more pressing issues than ballparks and pro sports. Ventura has characterized the decisions of Major League Baseball and Twins owner Carl Pohlad as private business matters. And he's declined to take an active role in an effort to build a new stadium in Minnesota. Ventura says the economics of professional baseball are in such disarray that building a new stadium would do nothing to boost the fortunes of low-revenue teams like the Twins. He says if baseball doesn't institute players' salary caps and greater revenue sharing between small- and large-market teams, any stadium investment would be wasted.

"I am not going to invest my money personally, nor am I going to invest the money of the public which entrusts me to the state of Minnesota into a system of Major League Baseball that is completey broken right now," he said.

Some critics say the governor nonetheless has a role to play. Attorney and former Senate candidate Michael Ciresi has recently called upon business and political leaders to propose a stadium solution. And he faulted Ventura for not making the trip down to the owners' meeting in Chicago to plead the state's case.

"If he showed up there, he has national press immediately. He can bring attention to these issues. He can galvanize support here in Minnesota. So all I'm suggesting is he ought to do what a governor should do; that's get out and lead on a difficult issue," Ciresi said.

Ventura says he inquired with baseball commissioner Bud Selig's office about the location and agenda of the meeting, but his requests were ignored. He also says he was unable to leave town due to a staff meeting on state security in the wake of the ongoing campaign against terrorism. And Ventura questioned Ciresi's credentials.

"Why would anyone ask his opinion? He's just a lawyer. He's never won an election. He's never been a public official. He's simply a lawyer," Ventura said.

Ventura, citing an MPR-Pioneer Press poll, noted that most Twin Cities residents remain staunchly opposed to public funding for professional sports facilities. And he said the solution to the stadium debate may lie in the hands of the U.S. Congress.

"If they eliminate the Twins, I say we eliminate their anti-trust status. I mean, our government's willing to take Bill Gates to court and spend millions and millions of dollars, yet our same government grants Major League Baseball antitrust monoply status," Ventura said.

DFL Sen. Mark Dayton, however, says that response is too little, too late. Dayton says Congress is too busy with issues of homeland security and the sagging economy to open a debate on baseball's antitrust status.

"Turning this over to Congress at this point and time is about as absurd a notion and, I think, a really irresponsible ducking of genuine responsibility as I could imagine," Dayton said.

Dayton says Minnesotans face a simple choice: make some public committment to professional sports teams or risk losing them.