IN A NEW YORK STADIUM OF MIND, CITY COUNCIL WANTS SAY

          The N.Y. City Council yesterday unveiled a "surprise
     plan" to give it "virtual veto power over any stadium
     project, including a new West Side stadium Mayor [Rudy]
     Giuliani has been touting," according to Frank Lombardi of
     the N.Y. DAILY NEWS.  The Council "wants to create" a N.Y.
     Sports and Arts Corp., "jointly appointed by the Mayor and
     City Council."  It would be funded by a hotel tax, which
     takes in around $200M a year.  The plan puts the Democratic-
     controlled Council on a "collision course" with Giuliani,
     who's plan "would allow him to control planning" and would
     pay for the sports facilities with a "much disliked
     commercial rent tax."  The combined funding for the Sports
     and Arts Corp. would be $360M over the next three years. 
     Giuliani's plan called for $579M over the same years "just
     for the sports facilities" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 3/30).