VIRGINIA GOV. DOESN'T BACK SALES TAX HIKE FOR BALLPARK

     VA legislators focused on a plan to increase the regional
sales tax to help finance a new baseball stadium in Northern VA,
according to Lipton & Robberson of the WASHINGTON POST.  The move
was met with opposition by VA Gov. George Allen and others.  The
panel created to investigate stadium funding has backed a plan
for an extra $.05 in sales tax on every $100 of purchases in
Northern VA, which would cost a family with an annual income of
$60,000 about $10 a year.  That would be added to a ticket
surcharge, extra levies on rental cars, and expected income tax
from players to help make an estimated $16-18M in annual bond
payments on a $250M stadium (WASHINGTON POST, 4/24).