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	Stadium fallout gives rebate new life; Support for governor in question (HARTFORD-AP) _ The death of the New England Patriots football stadium has breathed new life into the governor's plan to issue another round of tax rebates. The money is there, but his political support, in the wake of the Patriot pullout, remains to be seen. The state had planned to spend $100 million of surplus revenues on the stadium. Now that the deal is dead, the money will be available for rebates if the governor and lawmakers still want to do it. But is there the political will for the rebates, as well as a computer privatization plan and other things Gov. John G. Rowland wants this year? Some lawmakers say it now will be harder for their colleagues to support a big project Rowland wants, if it differs from what they and their constituents think is best. "Are people going to say, `Well geez, I'm not going to stick my neck out again on something?' Maybe. That's what we have to look at," said Rep. Philip Prelli, R-Winsted. Support for another rebate is less strong than last year, when the state sent checks of up to $150 to Connecticut residents. The budget-writing Appropriations Committee has decided to spend most of the $80 million rebate money on other things. Rowland has said he will continue to fight for the rebate. Now that lawmakers have $100 million more to play with, the rebate debate will heat up, said Rep. William Dyson, cochairman of Appropriations. "I think that's a real possibility _ the rebate. I assume it will be on the table with a lot of other issues to be discussed," said Dyson, D-New Haven. He said, however, the $100 million could "vanish in a heartbeat" with all the demands for the money, including aid to hospitals and schools, health care and the year 2000 computer problem. Many lawmakers also said the rebate differs from the stadium in their constituents' eyes. While most lawmakers reported massive negative feedback from voters on the stadium, they drew thanks from many voters when rebate checks showed up in the mail. One big stadium supporter, Rep. Jim Amann, said he expects to see some finger-pointing and said some lawmakers will be more leery of sticking their necks out for Rowland. The Patriots fallout will make people more cautious, but will not hurt Rowland in the long run, said Amann, D-Milford. "I'm not going to abandon the governor. The governor has been very good to myself and the city of Milford. I look at the overall record," Amann said. For Republicans, who tend to stick together in the vastly outnumbered House, Rowland's wishes will still carry a lot of weight, others said. "If the governor is insistent on it, we'll probably have another rebate," said Rep. Arthur O'Neill, R-Southbury, a rebate supporter. "If the governor decides to put something on the agenda and insists it must be done, then it probably will be done." Besides the rebate, however, lawmakers this year will have to grapple with another big Rowland plan: privatizing the state's computer systems. The state is negotiating with Electronic Data Systems Corp. of Texas for the seven-year, $1 billion contract to take over and modernize the state's computer operations. Democrats have mostly been skeptical of the deal, while Republicans have mostly supported it. Rep. Andrew Fleischmann, D-West Hartford, said the Patriots experience may color the way some lawmakers see the privatization plan. "In both cases, this administration is seeking to negotiate a deal with a private-sector player which has much more experience," Fleischmann said. "To the extent there is that broad similarity, what's happened with the Patriots may undermine some legislators' confidence in the governor's judgment." Dyson disagreed. He said that while Rowland and the Patriots negotiated in secret with little legislative input, the computer contract will be shaped more by the Legislature. Today's News Page. WTNH Home Page. ©1999 WTNH/WTNH-DT A LIN station.

Stadium fallout gives rebate new life; Support for governor in question
(HARTFORD-AP) _ The death of the New England Patriots football stadium has breathed new life into the governor's plan to issue another round of tax rebates. The money is there, but his political support, in the wake of the Patriot pullout, remains to be seen.

The state had planned to spend $100 million of surplus revenues on the stadium. Now that the deal is dead, the money will be available for rebates if the governor and lawmakers still want to do it.

But is there the political will for the rebates, as well as a computer privatization plan and other things Gov. John G. Rowland wants this year?

Some lawmakers say it now will be harder for their colleagues to support a big project Rowland wants, if it differs from what they and their constituents think is best.

"Are people going to say, `Well geez, I'm not going to stick my neck out again on something?' Maybe. That's what we have to look at," said Rep. Philip Prelli, R-Winsted.

Support for another rebate is less strong than last year, when the state sent checks of up to $150 to Connecticut residents. The budget-writing Appropriations Committee has decided to spend most of the $80 million rebate money on other things.

Rowland has said he will continue to fight for the rebate.

Now that lawmakers have $100 million more to play with, the rebate debate will heat up, said Rep. William Dyson, cochairman of Appropriations.

"I think that's a real possibility _ the rebate. I assume it will be on the table with a lot of other issues to be discussed," said Dyson, D-New Haven.

He said, however, the $100 million could "vanish in a heartbeat" with all the demands for the money, including aid to hospitals and schools, health care and the year 2000 computer problem.

Many lawmakers also said the rebate differs from the stadium in their constituents' eyes. While most lawmakers reported massive negative feedback from voters on the stadium, they drew thanks from many voters when rebate checks showed up in the mail.

One big stadium supporter, Rep. Jim Amann, said he expects to see some finger-pointing and said some lawmakers will be more leery of sticking their necks out for Rowland.

The Patriots fallout will make people more cautious, but will not hurt Rowland in the long run, said Amann, D-Milford.

"I'm not going to abandon the governor. The governor has been very good to myself and the city of Milford. I look at the overall record," Amann said.

For Republicans, who tend to stick together in the vastly outnumbered House, Rowland's wishes will still carry a lot of weight, others said.

"If the governor is insistent on it, we'll probably have another rebate," said Rep. Arthur O'Neill, R-Southbury, a rebate supporter. "If the governor decides to put something on the agenda and insists it must be done, then it probably will be done."

Besides the rebate, however, lawmakers this year will have to grapple with another big Rowland plan: privatizing the state's computer systems.

The state is negotiating with Electronic Data Systems Corp. of Texas for the seven-year, $1 billion contract to take over and modernize the state's computer operations.

Democrats have mostly been skeptical of the deal, while Republicans have mostly supported it.

Rep. Andrew Fleischmann, D-West Hartford, said the Patriots experience may color the way some lawmakers see the privatization plan.

"In both cases, this administration is seeking to negotiate a deal with a private-sector player which has much more experience," Fleischmann said. "To the extent there is that broad similarity, what's happened with the Patriots may undermine some legislators' confidence in the governor's judgment."

Dyson disagreed. He said that while Rowland and the Patriots negotiated in secret with little legislative input, the computer contract will be shaped more by the Legislature.

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