Bears officials are calling the proposal from an Indiana
group "intriguing" and said they are "enthusiastic" about it,
according to Bears CFO & VP of Ops Ted Phillips.  R. Joseph
Gelarden of the INDIANAPOLIS STAR reports that the group consists
of Gary Neale, Chair & CEO of Northern Indiana Public Service Co.
Industries, Whitco Industries CEO Dean White, the Mercantile
National Bank and Ribordy Enterprises.  Gelarden writes that the
coalition wants the location to "include hotels and other
attractions" along with the stadium (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 8/26).

     A group of 20 Greater Boston hotels yesterday endorsed a
local tax of $1 per room to provide "backup financing" for a
South Boston convention center-only project, according to Richard
Kindleberger of the BOSTON GLOBE.  State Rep. Peter Larkin, Chair
of the subcommittee of the special commission that has
recommended building a convention center-stadium megaplex, called
the $1 a room recommendation "insufficient" (BOSTON GLOBE, 8/29).

     A regional cigarette tax surfaced yesterday "as an option"
to fund a new Brewers stadium, according to Sam Martino of the
MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL.  The idea came up as Republican
legislators and officials from seven southeastern WI counties met
to discuss alternatives to the an increase in the sales and hotel
tax in Milwaukee and Waukesha counties.  Officials said the
cigarette tax "was only one of several ideas" discussed in
separate meetings yesterday.  Among the other options considered:
a new or additional car rental tax, a new or additional food and
beverage tax, a tax on items sold at the stadium, eliminating the
$500,000 annual sales tax exemption for sky boxes, and a 0.5%
City of Milwaukee sales tax that would help raise $23.6M/year
(MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 8/29).