LEAVITT TO MIKE: UT Gov. Mike Leavitt said that the
SLOC "should continue paying legal bills for embattled
Olympic boosters" Tom Welch and Dave Johnson while they
prepare for trial, according to Linda Fantin of the SALT
LAKE TRIBUNE, who writes that Leavitt "outlined his position
in a brief handwritten note" to Nolan Karras, his rep on the
SLOC Board of Trustees. In the note, Leavitt wrote that,
"It is up to a court to decide if their conduct was
criminal" (S.L. TRIBUNE, 8/18)...The SALT LAKE TRIBUNE's
Judy Fahys writes that Olympic organizers "came under fire"
Wednesday for helping visitors "skirt state and local taxes"
when they book hotel rooms for the 2002 Games. UT Rep. Judy
Buffmire "questioned the beat-the-tax sales pitch" the SLOC
used to "persuade visitors" to extend their room
reservations to 30 days or more (S.L. TRIBUNE, 8/18).
DOWN UNDER? In Sydney, Michael Evans writes that a
SOCOG inventory completed yesterday shows that "nearly" 40%
of all 642 Games sessions have more tickets on sale now than
they did last week. New tickets on sale yesterday include
two "sold out" track & field sessions (SYDNEY MORNING
HERALD, 8/18)....Meanwhile, the WALL STREET JOURNAL's
Jonathan Weinbach reports that foreign travelers "aren't
exactly flocking to go" to Sydney. Weinbach notes that
travel agents from L.A. to London report "tepid sales" of
trip packages to the Games in Australia even though "plenty
of tickets to high-profile events remain" (WSJ, 8/18).
