Patriots Owner Robert Kraft "said he was not overly
concerned about the growing skepticism" among some CT
lawmakers about the stadium deal he negotiated with CT Gov.
John Rowland, according to Mike Allen of the N.Y. TIMES.
Kraft: "I want there to be a good dialogue, and I want
people to feel this is the right thing for the community,
and if they don't, then we shouldn't come. This has got to
be a two-way partnership to work." Kraft goes before the CT
General Assembly today for a "daylong public hearing" on
the tentative agreement (N.Y. TIMES, 12/9). Kraft and his
son, team VP Jonathan, "went on a statewide public relations
blitz yesterday," meeting with newspaper editorial boards,
attending a pep rally in Hartford and donating $15,000 to
youth football (BOSTON GLOBE, 12/9). Asked by the HARTFORD
COURANT whether the team would make any more concessions,
Kraft said, "I don't want to negotiate in the media. I
don't think that's good business" (HARTFORD COURANT, 12/9).
SURVEY SAYS: A HARTFORD COURANT/Univ. of CT poll found
that 58% of CT residents favored the Patriots plan, while
35% opposed it. Poll Dir G. Donald Ferree: "The support is
not overwhelming, obviously." The poll of 502 residents was
taken from December 1-6, and has a margin of error of +/-
5%. A Quinnipiac College poll found 51% supported the plan
to 39% against, but believe it is "too generous" to the team
by a 49-31% margin (HARTFORD COURANT, 12/9). A BOSTON
HERALD poll found that "only one-third" of CT residents
polled think Kraft "wants to move to Connecticut," while 29%
think Kraft "is only pushing the Connecticut move to get a
better deal out of Massachusetts." As for the use of
taxpayer money, 39% say the stadium is "good use" of state
funds, while 36% said it is "bad use" of the money. The RKM
Research & Communications poll of 428 CT residents has a
4.7% margin of error (BOSTON HERALD, 12/9).
