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Boston DNC Convention 2004 –
Anatomy of an inevitable taxpayer mugging
– Page 12 –
Introduction
Citizens'
inconvenience and business
loss will be only the beginning of this partisan political
boondoggle, the Democratic National Committee's 2004 convention.
Direct costs of outright taxpayer subsidies, indirect
costs imposed by public
employee unions pressure, and implied or perhaps explicit quid pro quo
benefits to corporate large donors are just as inevitable as "cost
overruns" were to the Big Dig -- as we predicted back in the
mid-80s.
This is, after all, Massachusetts. The DNC couldn't
have picked a better sucker.
In the end, Democrat organizers will turn to the state
for an expensive taxpayer bail-out. In this state dominated by Democrats,
so many with presidential aspirations (JFK in '60, Ted Kennedy '80,
Dukakis and his disastrous "Massachusetts Miracle" in '88, Paul
Tsongas in '92, and now John Kerry in '04), inevitably it's like a Boston
Celtics slam-dunk right there in the FleetCenter's hoop. When the time
comes -- despite "the worst fiscal crisis since the Great
Depression" -- we Massachusetts
taxpayers will bankroll an 11th-hour bail-out of the Democrat's
national convention.
That's a FleetCenter event you can bet on.
Here's an historical time-line, so that later there can
be no excuses but lame excuses.
And we will be here to again announce "we told you
so"!
Chip Ford – December 11, 2002
Last year, Congress earmarked $24.9 million for convention security costs in Boston, and yesterday the US Senate voted to send another $25 million each to Boston and New York, which is hosting this year's Republican National Convention, to cover spiraling security expenses. The House is expected to approve the measure in the coming days.
(Full report follows)
The Boston Globe
Friday, June 25, 2004
Security overtime put at $32.5m
Convention hike OK'd by Senate
By Rick Klein, Globe Staff
Local police, fire, transportation, and emergency medical workers stand to receive about $32.5 million in overtime during next month's Democratic National Convention, according to estimates prepared by convention organizers.
That figure, by far the largest piece of the convention's security costs and about one-third of the entire convention budget, rose by $9.5 million as a result of the road closings and other transportation shut-downs ordered by the US Secret Service, according to a breakdown of estimated security costs prepared by Boston police.
Last year, Congress earmarked $24.9 million for convention security costs in Boston, and yesterday the US Senate voted to send another $25 million each to Boston and New York, which is hosting this year's Republican National Convention, to cover spiraling security expenses. The House is expected to approve the measure in the coming days.
The new overtime estimate is on top of $1.3 million in overtime costs for other work in the weeks and months preceding the July 26-29 convention. Local officials are preparing the area around the FleetCenter, planning security arrangements, and installing equipment such as additional lighting.
Aside from personnel costs, the closings of Interstate 93, North Station, and a wide swath of other roads are expected to cost $6.9 million in traffic enforcement, public communications, and the providing of alternative means of public transportation, according to the estimates.
"The Secret Service's measures have caused costs to increase somewhat," Mayor Thomas M. Menino said. "We're trying to hold the line as best we can."
The city provided the estimates to Congress last week, as part of its appeal for additional federal security funding, and they are the first detailed accounting of convention security costs to emerge publicly. Menino and other city officials declined to elaborate on the one-page estimate provided to congressional offices, citing security reasons.
The total price tag for Democratic convention security is expected to be $49,996,200. If Congress approves the additional $25 million, all but $143,700 of the estimated costs would be covered by the federal government.
US Senator Edward M. Kennedy, who led the effort in Congress to boost funding this week, said the convention will be assured of "state-of-the-art security" because of yesterday's action.
"Congress clearly recognizes the importance of guaranteeing the best possible security for both political conventions this summer," said a statement he released.
Boston organizers anticipate spending $5.6 million on specialized training for the convention, between Boston and State Police and local fire units. Boston police have been getting training from a range of international experts, including Israeli suicide terrorism specialists and crowd-control tacticians in Northern Ireland and Philadelphia, and traveled to Sea Island, Ga., this month to observe techniques used to handle protesters at the G-8 Summit.
Equipment costs have been pegged at $3.7 million. That includes a security camera system in the vicinity of the FleetCenter, upgraded communications, and detection equipment, munitions, and other supplies.
The estimates do not specify the amount of overtime each agency is expected to receive.
But the largest amount is expected to go to members of the Boston Police Department, the lead local security agency during the convention. Department leaders have canceled all vacation requests during the week of the convention and will have all officers working 12-hour shifts, up from the typical nine hours in day shifts. Officials say they will fully staff neighborhood patrols throughout the convention, even as security is beefed up significantly in the downtown area.
In addition, a significant number of State Police troopers and officers from suburban police agencies will be put to use during the convention. Organizers have not said how many would be included.
The additional security funding followed lobbying in Washington this week by Governor Mitt Romney, a Republican who has been accused by Menino of not being helpful to Democratic convention planning. Romney struck a conciliatory tone yesterday, saying he will focus on security, not politics, during the convention.
"I'm not going to be the daily attack dog, and I don't anticipate being a protester in front of the FleetCenter," he told the Associated Press.
Generally, the T's approximately 1 million weekday riders will be discouraged from taking bags, especially large bags, onto the system the last week of July, including those going to and from the airport with luggage, said Michael Mulhern, general manager of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.
"We're going to great lengths to make this as unobtrusive as possible," he said. "My hope is that it will be simply a quick look in a bag." ...
Using mass transit will be key, Mulhern said, because of planned road closures, including the shutdown of I-93 and roads that feed into it from 4 p.m. to midnight.
Mulhern acknowledged he was urging people to use mass transit during the convention while at the same time subjecting them to security-related delays and inconveniences never before seen on the system....
The T is the first transit system in the country to inspect bags....
All the security measures are in addition to termination of commuter lines north of the city, requiring time-consuming transfer to buses or the subway.
(Full report follows)
The Boston Globe
Friday, June 25, 2004
MBTA advisory: Pack light
Restrictions set on passenger bags
By Anthony Flint, Globe Staff
Hoping to bolster security and still make public transit an attractive option during the Democratic National Convention, the MBTA yesterday rolled out new signs, a platoon of ambassadors to guide riders, and announced tough restrictions and inspections for all bags taken on board that week.
Riders on the Orange Line and T buses that travel on Interstate 93 and pass by the FleetCenter, for example, will be banned from carrying anything larger than a pocketbook or briefcase, and all permitted bags will be searched on those trains and buses. On all other lines, pocketbooks, briefcases, backpacks, and packages will be subject to random search. Those who refuse to be searched will not be allowed on. Large bags, suitcases, and gift totes will be inspected in every case.
Generally, the T's approximately 1 million weekday riders will be discouraged from taking bags, especially large bags, onto the system the last week of July, including those going to and from the airport with luggage, said Michael Mulhern, general manager of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.
"We're going to great lengths to make this as unobtrusive as possible," he said. "My hope is that it will be simply a quick look in a bag."
The extraordinary measures, which are in addition to the closure of North Station and the resulting cutoff of commuter lines north of the city, are designed to prevent an attack on the Boston-area transit system like the one that killed 191 people in Madrid March 11, Mulhern said. Homeland security officials have urged the T to take the precautions because both rail systems and cities hosting political conventions may be targeted this summer.
At a press conference yesterday, Mulhern said the T would distribute a new pamphlet, "Using the T During the DNC," make more system maps available, and increase information on convention week on the MBTA's website, www.mbta.com. He touted increased service, such as extra commuter trains to accommodate people who leave work early, and rush-hour level subway service all day and night. And he introduced 200 ambassadors dressed in yellow shirts and navy blue caps who will be deployed throughout the region, and new trailblazer signs guiding people around the system.
Using mass transit will be key, Mulhern said, because of planned road closures, including the shutdown of I-93 and roads that feed into it from 4 p.m. to midnight.
Mulhern acknowledged he was urging people to use mass transit during the convention while at the same time subjecting them to security-related delays and inconveniences never before seen on the system.
"It's a conflicting imperative, but we try to balance all that," he said. "One extreme would be no security; the other extreme would be so much security it impacts our ability to achieve our core mission. We're hoping people will understand and tolerate any inconvenience, especially given what happened in Madrid."
Riders will get a taste of the new security procedures beginning next week, when four teams of four officers will fan out to different subway and commuter rail stations every day and randomly stop passengers to inspect their bags, using either an explosives detection device, a bomb-sniffing dog, or by hand.
The T is the first transit system in the country to inspect bags. After the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, airports have tightened security with thorough checkpoints. But mass transit systems have millions more people moving through them, so an airport-style system wouldn't work.
In forging the new policy for the weeks leading up to the convention and for convention week itself, T officials focused on baggage inspection, in part because the Madrid bombers left the explosives in backpacks placed on 10 commuter trains.
The Orange Line and the buses that use I-93 were singled out for the tightest measures, because those trains and buses pass close to the FleetCenter. To prevent explosives from being hidden in baggage and detonated while passing the venue, T officials decided to ban large bags outright and to inspect all smaller bags.
Orange Line cars will go by the FleetCenter underground, but will not stop during convention week, because the North Station subway station will be closed. Buses on I-93, mostly traveling to and from South Station, will pass within 40 feet of the convention venue.
The special restrictions will apply to the Orange Line between Haymarket and Community College stations, to bus routes 325, 326, 352 and 354, and to the shuttle buses taking Lowell commuter line riders from the transfer point in Woburn into Boston on I-93. The measures will affect 160,000 Orange Line riders, 1,340 riders on the four bus routes that use I-93, and 6,400 passengers on the Lowell commuter line.
All the security measures are in addition to termination of commuter lines north of the city, requiring time-consuming transfer to buses or the subway.
Fear of no-shows - not terrorism - due to the looming Democratic National Convention has forced the Boston Landmarks Orchestra to cancel a free, outdoor concert of patriotic-themed music scheduled for July 24 at Charlestown Navy Yard....
Rodriguez cited an article in Wednesday's Herald that revealed 77 percent of Greater Boston residents were planning to leave the city about the time of the convention, scheduled for July 26-29, as an example of why the orchestra nixed the show.
(Full report follows)
The Boston Herald
Saturday, June 26, 2004
Patriotic concert can't compete with DNC chaos
By T.J. Medrek
Fear of no-shows - not terrorism - due to the looming Democratic National Convention has forced the Boston Landmarks Orchestra to cancel a free, outdoor concert of patriotic-themed music scheduled for July 24 at Charlestown Navy Yard.
According to the orchestra's general manager, Miguel Rodriguez, the "Landmarks of Freedom" program, which plays venues throughout Eastern Masachusetts July 16-Aug. 1, had expected a crowd in the thousands to visit the popular tourist destination.
"But we all agreed it was going to be very difficult to get a decent crowd for any concert that night," he said.
Rodriguez cited an article in Wednesday's Herald that revealed 77 percent of Greater Boston residents were planning to leave the city about the time of the convention, scheduled for July 26-29, as an example of why the orchestra nixed the show.
"Security is not the issue," Rodriguez said. "The National Historical Park and the Navy were very well-prepared to secure the place."
Guardians of the region's blood supply are relocating donation sites and setting up alternative delivery routes to ensure that the Democratic National Convention will not disrupt surgeries, emergencies, and other medical needs during the last week of July....
Across Boston's sprawling medical landscape, plans are unfolding to cope with the anticipated gridlock from afternoon and evening road closings prompted by the convention. Clinic appointments are being scheduled earlier in the day, visits are being shifted to suburban offices, and at least two hospitals have reserved dormitory rooms for workers and, in one case, patients.
Because of concern about the blood supply, the Red Cross and hospitals that collect blood are trying to encourage donations before the convention. They are also crafting plans to fly blood from other parts of the country into airports other than Logan, wary that the 40 percent of donations that come from out of town by air could get stranded in traffic....
(Full report follows)
The Boston Globe
Monday, June 28, 2004
Gridlock worries spur blood supply measures
By Stephen Smith, Globe Staff
Guardians of the region's blood supply are relocating donation sites and setting up alternative delivery routes to ensure that the Democratic National Convention will not disrupt surgeries, emergencies, and other medical needs during the last week of July.
Blood donations typically languish during summer, and collections this month are estimated to be 15 percent lower than in October, the peak for the past year. But authorities fear that with workers being advised to stay home during the July 26-29 convention, the annual drop-off could be even more pronounced at a time when there's usually just a one-day cushion of blood or even less.
"Most of our blood is collected at companies and factories, and when we have people saying, 'Take vacation that week,' those donors may not be there for us during that time period," said Dr. Richard Benjamin, chief medical officer of American Red Cross Blood Services-New England Region. "And that's going to be tough."
Across Boston's sprawling medical landscape, plans are unfolding to cope with the anticipated gridlock from afternoon and evening road closings prompted by the convention. Clinic appointments are being scheduled earlier in the day, visits are being shifted to suburban offices, and at least two hospitals have reserved dormitory rooms for workers and, in one case, patients.
Because of concern about the blood supply, the Red Cross and hospitals that collect blood are trying to encourage donations before the convention. They are also crafting plans to fly blood from other parts of the country into airports other than Logan, wary that the 40 percent of donations that come from out of town by air could get stranded in traffic. During the convention, that blood will arrive at Providence and Hartford airports and be driven to Red Cross offices in Dedham.
If blood stocks dwindle at one hospital, paramedics may be enlisted to ferry blood from medical centers with surpluses, said Betsy Stengel, executive director of the Conference of Boston Teaching Hospitals, an umbrella group.
Blood drives are being shifted, too. The Red Cross is moving one donation campaign from the Faneuil Hall Marketplace neighborhood to the South Shore. Conversely, Massachusetts General Hospital will concentrate collection efforts in the city that week to lessen chances that its blood mobile will get stuck when returning from the suburbs.
On a typical day, Mass. General has 600 to 700 units of red blood cells available.
"We will make sure during the week preceding the convention that our blood supply is built up to a good level, so that if there is a delay in deliveries or a sudden influx of patients, we'll be in a good position to deal with it," said Dr. Christopher Stowell, director of the blood transfusion service at Mass. General.
As donations lag in summer, so do reserves of blood. In the four states covered by the New England branch of the American Red Cross Blood Services -- Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine -- there is currently a one-day supply, the equivalent of about 1,500 units.
Authorities prefer to have enough blood to cover three to five days of demand at the more than 170 hospitals that receive Red Cross supplies.
This month, the Red Cross expects to collect 27,500 units, compared with 32,300 last October. To supplement the region's collections, about 100,000 units each year arrive via air and road from outside New England.
Samples of each donation are tested for HIV, West Nile virus, and 13 other diseases. The Red Cross is reviewing the best way to ensure that those samples continue to reach the Philadelphia laboratory that does the testing during the convention.
Here it is in a nutshell: A crush of anxious commuters leaving work early each day will put the maximum stress on South Station between 2 and 4 p.m., as opposed to between 4:30 and 6:30 p.m.
That's not so much a problem if the schedules are adjusted so that the shorter rush-hour intervals between trains are moved back accordingly.
But they won't be.
"I'm not aware of any requests for the T to make any changes to the commuter rail schedule that week," Pesatauro said on Friday.
What a bunch of baloney.
(Full report follows)
The Boston Herald
Monday, June 28, 2004
Without fast change, the T is on schedule to DNC disaster
By Cosmo Macero Jr.
What if they changed rush hour and nobody cared?
It's a question somebody ought to be asking the MBTA.
Because employers across the city are preparing to comply with Mayor Thomas M. Menino's No. 1 request: send people home early on the days of the Democratic National Convention.
The problem: What should they do once they arrive at the train station?
Amazingly, the MBTA hasn't figured that out.
T General Manager Michael Mulhern has been offering assurances about adding "extra commuter trains" to accommodate DNC-week riders.
Yet T spokesman Joe Pesatauro says Mulhern has merely asked the company that operates the commuter rail to "step up routine maintenance" in advance so more cars might be available.
It's hardly a guarantee.
And in fact, it hardly even matters.
Because the real problem is that with North Station closed for the entire week (July 23-30), nobody at the T seems to understand what that could do to South Station.
Here it is in a nutshell: A crush of anxious commuters leaving work early each day will put the maximum stress on South Station between 2 and 4 p.m., as opposed to between 4:30 and 6:30 p.m.
That's not so much a problem if the schedules are adjusted so that the shorter rush-hour intervals between trains are moved back accordingly.
But they won't be.
"I'm not aware of any requests for the T to make any changes to the commuter rail schedule that week," Pesatauro said on Friday.
What a bunch of baloney.
For at least a month now, a group of downtown employers who are planning DNC-week strategy for their companies have been communicating with MBTA officials. The chief topic: Adjusting schedules and adding more trains at South Station.
Another name for it: Mission Impossible.
In a June 15 memo to Stephen Jones, chief transportation officer for the MBTA Commuter Rail, one employer's rep laid out the problem: "I hope you are aware that most of the major corporations are closing at 2 or 3 p.m. during the convention based on the recommendation of the various organizers. Since many of the North Station (commuters) are off (work), you should anticipate a full load out of South Station," said the employers' rep, who works for a major insurance firm.
Indeed, using just the Framingham/Worcester line as an example, it's easy to picture thousands of commuters angrily cooling their heels in the station after bolting work early to catch a train.
Once the 2:40 p.m. train departs South Station, the next train doesn't leave until 4:10 p.m. - a full 90 minutes later. Figure all that time the station will be filling with riders doing their civic duty - trying to get out of Boston before the delegation from New York comes barreling into Southie.
"I am not sure how many people commute out of South Station from 4 to 6, but you should be prepared for them to all show up between 2 and 3:15," the insurance firm's rep said. "I think you are setting yourself up for a disaster here."
The simple solution: Extend the rush hour intervals - when trains depart as quickly as every 10 minutes - back a few hours.
But then, nothing is ever that simple.
"Thank you for your ... e-mail regarding scheduling during the DNC ... the schedules have been finalized and have been sent to the printer," said Jones, from the MBTA, in his reply to the June 15 inquiry. "No schedule changes will be made to trains serviced by South Station."
How delightful.
Oh well, it's their mess.
You'll just get caught in it.
Bay Staters are hardly panicking over Democratic convention gloom and doom - already planning to dodge gridlock, unconcerned about a terrorist strike and even sold on the July event's economic benefits, a new Herald poll shows.
Statewide, voters remain split over the convention - 44 percent said it'll be good for Boston overall and 43 percent believe it will hurt the city.
(Full report follows)
The Boston Herald
Tuesday, June 29, 2004
Hub to DNC: Bring it on:
Hardened commuters to take mess in stride
By David R. Guarino/ HERALD POLL
Bay Staters are hardly panicking over Democratic convention gloom and doom - already planning to dodge gridlock, unconcerned about a terrorist strike and even sold on the July event's economic benefits, a new Herald poll shows.
Statewide, voters remain split over the convention - 44 percent said it'll be good for Boston overall and 43 percent believe it will hurt the city.
Among the poll's major findings:
l Forty-three percent of voters plan to either work from home, switch to public transportation or take the week off.
l Fifty percent said the convention will have a good economic impact.
l Fifty-three percent said they're not concerned about the possibility of a terrorist attack during the four-day convention at the FleetCenter.
But there are some warning signs for convention planners as well.
Mayor Thomas M. Menino said that, during convention week, he wants to divert half the traffic that normally comes into the city. But Herald pollster R. Kelly Myers said the figures show the mayor's "stay away" message isn't being completely embraced.
While 47 percent of drivers plan to avoid the FleetCenter area that week, 44 percent said they plan to follow their normal commuting pattern.
Just 8 percent plan to use public transportation and not a single driver plans to carpool for the week, the poll found.
"The push to get people to use public transportation or stay at home has not convinced that many people to do so," Myers said.
In Greater Boston, there remain more than a few skeptics.
Forty-eight percent of Greater Boston residents now call the convention a bad idea - a number that shoots up to 57 percent among frequent commuters.
In the same Boston area, 69 percent of those who said the convention is a bad idea cite traffic and massive highway closures as the reason.
There is a partisan split, however, with 53 percent of Democrats statewide boosting the convention and 51 percent of Republicans bashing it, the poll found.
But among those who said Menino and Sen. Edward M. Kennedy had a good idea by bringing the convention to town, 54 percent believe suggestions it will bring a huge economic boon.
Eighteen percent said the convention is good because it'll showcase Boston to the world and 5 percent believe the event will draw tourists to town.
Despite the heightened state of alert that's causing the traffic rerouting, voters said they're not worried about terrorists striking Boston that week: 53 percent said they are not concerned while 44 percent said they are somewhat or very concerned.
If the traffic or economic nightmares do come to pass, though, voters by and large said they'd understand. More than half said they wouldn't blame any politician if there were problems.
Among pols who might catch some heat, Menino led with 19 percent, followed by Republican Gov. Mitt Romney at 7 percent - an interesting take since Romney has tried so hard to distance himself from the convention.
To a lesser extent, voters said they'd blame Kennedy and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Sen. John F. Kerry.
The Herald poll of 500 registered Massachusetts voters, was taken by RKM Research and Communication from June 25-28. It has a plus or minus 4.4 percent margin of error.
Beacon Hill lawmakers are ready to run for the hills, or the beaches - or if all else fails, their home districts - to avoid the traffic onslaught expected for next month's Democratic National Convention....
Rep. Marie J. Parente (D-Milford) said critics of the early dismissal should understand that 70 to 80 percent of a legislator's work is done in the district not by "pressing the roll call button."
"It will be difficult enough for our visitors to negotiate around the city, so I think it would just be easier to not have us there," said Parente, who commutes to Boston by commuter rail.
(Full report follows)
The Boston Herald
Tuesday, June 29, 2004
Worried state pols want the week off
By Ann E. Donlan
Beacon Hill lawmakers are ready to run for the hills, or the beaches - or if all else fails, their home districts - to avoid the traffic onslaught expected for next month's Democratic National Convention.
Rep. Bradley H. Jones Jr. (R-North Reading) said he plans to ask fellow lawmakers today to bring an end to legislative business 10 days early to alleviate DNC stress July 26-29.
"Members come from near and far to get to the State House," Jones said yesterday. "I think it's in everybody's best interest."
Jones said many members have campaigns that need their attention, plans to attend the convention with visiting Democrats, or simply do not want to tangle with the traffic on long, uncertain commutes to Beacon Hill.
Gov. Mitt Romney had no comment on the plan yesterday. Jones said House Democratic leadership supports the Beacon Hill July 22 exodus.
"They seem to be on board," Jones said. "They know what type of nightmare it's going to be."
Rep. Marie J. Parente (D-Milford) said critics of the early dismissal should understand that 70 to 80 percent of a legislator's work is done in the district not by "pressing the roll call button."
"It will be difficult enough for our visitors to negotiate around the city, so I think it would just be easier to not have us there," said Parente, who commutes to Boston by commuter rail.
Civil rights activists denounced as unconstitutional an MBTA police plan to search T riders' bags, backpacks and briefcases, saying it would create "a police state atmosphere" during and after the Democratic National Convention.
"I don't think this is the kind of America most Americans want to live in," said Michael Avery, Massachusetts chapter president of the National Lawyers Guild.
(Full report follows)
The Boston Herald
Tuesday, June 29, 2004
Rights activists fight proposed MBTA screening
By David Weber
Civil rights activists denounced as unconstitutional an MBTA police plan to search T riders' bags, backpacks and briefcases, saying it would create "a police state atmosphere" during and after the Democratic National Convention.
"I don't think this is the kind of America most Americans want to live in," said Michael Avery, Massachusetts chapter president of the National Lawyers Guild.
At Downtown Crossing and other T station locations, Avery and members of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee yesterday passed out buttons reading, "I do not consent to a search." Citing the March 11 train bombing that killed 191 people in Madrid, Spain, MBTA Police Chief Joseph Carter said the screening of riders is necessary to prevent similar tragedy here.
"(Carter) has pledged to implement the policy in a fair and respectful manner and in a way that complies with an indivudual's constitutional rights," T spokesman Joe Pesaturo said. "The MBTA understands some people have concerns. But we would ask them to consider the safety and security interests that are foremost on the minds of MBTA officials."
T officials said they will use dogs, metal detector wands and visual searches to screen people as they enter stations. Pesaturo said the T wants the search practice to become a permanent policy.
The plan may end up being tested in court. In March, the state Supreme Judicial Court ruled that heightened terrorist alerts do not give police carte blanche to conduct arbitrary searches and seizures. In that case, the SJC overturned a drunken-driving conviction resulting from an arrest when police - concerned about contamination of a water supply - stopped a car without probable cause near a Western Massachusetts reservoir.
The T policy states that people who refuse to be searched will be denied entry to the stations and will be allowed to walk away.
Drivers won't be the only ones in need of alternate routes during the Democratic National Convention next month.
After a year and a half of painstaking planning and coordination with other agencies, the U.S. Coast Guard yesterday announced a marine security plan for the DNC that includes an around-the-clock no-boating zone at the mouth of the Charles River....
The multiagency convention security force includes roughly 600 Coast Guardsmen throughout the service. In addition to the ships based in Boston, a 250-foot cutter will be stationed offshore to help with random security boardings.
Before the delegates arrive, the Coast Guard will have permanently stepped-up port security under the U.S. Maritime Transportation Security Act set to take effect tomorrow.
(Full report follows)
The Boston Herald
Wednesday, June 30, 2004
Coast Guard's DNC security includes no-boating zone
By Thomas Caywood
Drivers won't be the only ones in need of alternate routes during the Democratic National Convention next month.
After a year and a half of painstaking planning and coordination with other agencies, the U.S. Coast Guard yesterday announced a marine security plan for the DNC that includes an around-the-clock no-boating zone at the mouth of the Charles River.
"We will be minimizing as much as possible our impact on the boating community," said Lt. Gabrielle McGrath, the Coast Guard's lead coordinator for DNC security.
McGrath said some commercial vessels could be escorted through the security area and the Duck Boats amphibious tour trucks will be allowed to skirt the zone.
The Charles River federal security zone will reach from the Museum of Science to 50 yards beyond the Washington Street bridge. A second no-boating area will extend 250 feet in all directions from the Logan International Airport security perimeter.
The Charles River restrictions will be in place from midnight July 25 to 2 a.m. July 31, McGrath said.
The multiagency convention security force includes roughly 600 Coast Guardsmen throughout the service. In addition to the ships based in Boston, a 250-foot cutter will be stationed offshore to help with random security boardings.
Before the delegates arrive, the Coast Guard will have permanently stepped-up port security under the U.S. Maritime Transportation Security Act set to take effect tomorrow.
Ships and port facilities must have written security plans certified by the Coast Guard and a designated security officer, said Lt. Cmdr. Joe Higgins, chief of the Coast Guard's local Maritime Homeland Security Department.
The Coast Guard is charged with verifying compliance among incoming ships. Those that don't meet the requirements will be turned around.
The US Coast Guard will conduct random boat searches, place city tour boats and VIP vessels under armed escort, and board large freighters before they enter Boston Harbor during next month's Democratic National Convention, officials announced yesterday.
(Full report follows)
The Boston Globe
Wednesday, June 30, 2004
Coast Guard to limit harbor access
Will search boats during convention
By Mac Daniel, Globe Staff
The US Coast Guard will conduct random boat searches, place city tour boats and VIP vessels under armed escort, and board large freighters before they enter Boston Harbor during next month's Democratic National Convention, officials announced yesterday.
Restrictions under a new security zone, in force from 12:01 a.m. July 26 until 2 a.m. July 30, will close the Charles River locks and a segment of the river from the Museum of Science to 50 yards east of the Charlestown Bridge. The security zone will limit boat traffic around the FleetCenter and access between the harbor and Charles River.
Some 600 personnel, one of the largest US Coast Guard contingents in Boston history, will be deployed in boats, helicopters, and on land to enforce these and other restrictions. Violators who enter a security zone face maximum criminal penalties of six years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
In announcing the new security restrictions, Coast Guard officials said they will allow all recreational and commercial boats to continue to cruise much of the Boston Harbor. After discussions between Coast Guard officials and local recreational boaters, the opening date of the security zone around the FleetCenter was moved from July 24 to July 26, allowing weekend mariners to get in one more run before the weeklong security crunch.
"We're trying to minimize the impact on the public," said Lieutenant Gabrielle McGrath, the Coast Guard's security coordinator for the convention.
The Coast Guard's announcement is the latest in a series of disruptions around the July 26-29 convention that are angering some motorists, business owners, and local officials. Other restrictions include an evening shutdown of Interstate 93 in Boston, the closure of North Station, and bag searches and restrictions on most Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority trains.
Security changes on the Charles River and Boston Harbor are tame by comparison. Between 600 and 1,000 boats per weekend use the Charles River Locks, and between 100 and 150 use the locks on a typical July weekday, according to the Department of Conservation and Recreation, which operates the facility.
Tour boats, such as those operated by Boston Duck Tours and Charles Riverboat Co., will be among the only vessels allowed in the secure area outside the FleetCenter. McGrath said Coast Guard officials would probably do a sweep of each boat, as well as check passenger lists.
One tour boat operator welcomed the extra security. "I think it's going to enhance the tour," said Boston Duck Tours general manager Cindy Brown. "It's going to be a thrill for the guests to see. . . . Who doesn't want to see that kind of shock and awe that close? It'll be something other than our standard tour, that's for sure."
The boats will float up the Cambridge side of the Charles to the Longfellow Bridge, then turn around and head back on the Cambridge side again, avoiding the Boston side of the river.
"It's not going to impair the view or the experience," she said, adding that convention delegates from Delaware, Missouri, and Oklahoma had already booked group tours.
Recreational boats at the Residents Inn Hotel pier in Charlestown, at the mouth of the Charles River and just inside the easternmost boundary of the security zone, will also have access to the harbor side of the security zone with prior approval from the Coast Guard.
VIP vessels, which will carry partying politicians and other conventiongoers, will also get security escorts, and boaters will be required to stay 50 yards away from the VIP craft. In addition to the Charles River security zone, the Coast Guard will take over the state patrols of a 250-foot security zone around Logan International Airport, beginning July 24 and ending July 31.
Other security measures include the stoppage of all tankers carrying liquid natural gas to an Everett unloading facility.
In addition, the Alford Street Bridge, a drawbridge linking Charlestown and Everett, will not be raised during the convention, to accommodate the heavy traffic on Route 99 resulting from the closure of nearby I-93.
As the back-and-forth over the true impact of the Democratic National Convention continues, the city of Boston conceded yesterday that its initial assessment didn't include $70 million in negative impacts....
But fear not, the city said yesterday: The report prepared in April also didn't include $70 million in positive impacts, convention benefits that planners contend will be felt over a 12-month period....
"The negative impacts that will occur during that one week will be more than offset by the positive impacts that will continue for months and even years," said the revised report, issued yesterday by Mayor Thomas M. Menino's office....
David G. Tuerck, whose Beacon Hill Institute last month predicted that the convention would cost the local economy as much as $50 million, said the mayor's office appears to be counting some of the benefit dollars twice.
The city is also including some $30 million in gains derived from the "advertising value of exposure." That struck Tuerck as laughable. "I wonder what the advertising value of having to shut down the city is," he said.
(Full report follows)
The Boston Globe
Wednesday, June 30, 2004
City sees ray amid event's clouds
By Rick Klein, Globe Staff
As the back-and-forth over the true impact of the Democratic National Convention continues, the city of Boston conceded yesterday that its initial assessment didn't include $70 million in negative impacts. That's the expected cost of transportation shutdowns, lost tourism, and the fact that the convention is keeping the city from hosting other high-profile events this summer.
But fear not, the city said yesterday: The report prepared in April also didn't include $70 million in positive impacts, convention benefits that planners contend will be felt over a 12-month period. That means that despite the negatives, the real impact of next month's convention will be $154.17 million, about $16,000 more than city officials previously thought.
"The negative impacts that will occur during that one week will be more than offset by the positive impacts that will continue for months and even years," said the revised report, issued yesterday by Mayor Thomas M. Menino's office.
The report left some local economists scratching their heads. David G. Tuerck, whose Beacon Hill Institute last month predicted that the convention would cost the local economy as much as $50 million, said the mayor's office appears to be counting some of the benefit dollars twice.
The city is also including some $30 million in gains derived from the "advertising value of exposure." That struck Tuerck as laughable. "I wonder what the advertising value of having to shut down the city is," he said.
Meanwhile, Boston's convention host committee has received a $1 million donation from an Indiana couple who are among the Democratic Party's leading soft-money sources. That gift provides organizers with a boost as they try to cover $5 million in convention cost overruns.
Mel and Bren Simon, who control a real-estate investment company and own the Indiana Pacers basketball team, became just the 12th convention "platinum benefactors" by giving the donation, according to Boston 2004's website.
Their donation underscores a point being made by advocates of campaign finance overhaul: that political conventions are increasingly becoming a way for big donors to give unlimited sums to candidates. The Simons are among the biggest mall owners in the United States.
Jack Corrigan, Senator John F. Kerry's top convention liaison, said the host committee and the Kerry campaign are less than $3 million from covering the $44.5 million in costs slated to be covered by private donors.
That's because the state Registry of Motor Vehicles will not be offering any road tests to drivers during the convention and perhaps for the last two weeks in July, meaning teens who had hoped to be behind the wheel by August will be out of luck.
The moratorium is the product of the intense security demanded by the weeklong Democratic bash.
(Full report follows)
The MetroWest Daily News
Wednesday, June 30, 2004
DNC driving teens crazy?
By Peter Reuell, News Staff Writer
It's still weeks away, but folks are already complaining about the closed highways, massive traffic snarls and millions in hidden costs that will come with this summer's Democratic National Convention.
Now, though, it seems the convention from July 26-29 could totally ruin your teenager's life.
That's because the state Registry of Motor Vehicles will not be offering any road tests to drivers during the convention and perhaps for the last two weeks in July, meaning teens who had hoped to be behind the wheel by August will be out of luck.
The moratorium is the product of the intense security demanded by the weeklong Democratic bash.
To meet the security demands, state police will redeploy many officers, including those who would normally conduct driving tests.
"We were informed they needed to redeploy the state troopers for security purposes, so we were not going to have any road tests given," Registry spokesman Amy O'Hearn said yesterday.
Local driving schools, however, yesterday complained the Registry had given no notice the tests would be halted, leaving them to deal with unhappy teens and their parents.
No notice was given, O'Hearn said, but only because none was necessary.
The Registry only schedules tests 30 days in advance, she explained, so it was not until recently that students would be affected by the convention.
Although the tests can be scheduled a month in advance, most teens are forced to squeeze the rite-of-passage license test among a cornucopia of other activities, like vacation, jobs and summer camp.
While the halt on testing was originally set for two weeks, O'Hearn yesterday said it may be shortened to include only the week of the convention. Once that decision is finalized, she said, official notices are set to go out.
Driver Training Center owner Mike Towle said he was not surprised not to hear from the Registry.
"The Registry has never been a good one to communicate," he said. The driving school has locations in Norwood and Franklin. "That's clear the way it's always been with the Registry. Hopefully, it will change in the near future, but we really didn't get much notification at all."
Delegates and union leaders from at least seven states say they will honor picket lines if Boston police make good on their intention to picket outside Democratic National Convention delegation parties, the July 25 events that have been a centerpiece of Mayor Thomas M. Menino's convention plans....
Police union members, who have been locked in a bitter and protracted contract battle with Menino, announced this week that, while they wouldn't picket the FleetCenter, they would hold signs in front of the 29 delegation parties the city is staging the night before the convention opens, as well as other events the mayor plans to attend.
(Full report follows)
The Boston Globe
Friday, July 2, 2004
Pickets may pinch Democrats' galas
Some delegates vow to honor line
By Andrea Estes and Joanna Weiss, Globe Staff
Delegates and union leaders from at least seven states say they will honor picket lines if Boston police make good on their intention to picket outside Democratic National Convention delegation parties, the July 25 events that have been a centerpiece of Mayor Thomas M. Menino's convention plans.
"I won't cross the line, absolutely not," said Donna Ausman, a Florida delegate and teachers union member. "I suspect that all of the union members will honor that, and there will be a lot of union members there."
Police union members, who have been locked in a bitter and protracted contract battle with Menino, announced this week that, while they wouldn't picket the FleetCenter, they would hold signs in front of the 29 delegation parties the city is staging the night before the convention opens, as well as other events the mayor plans to attend.
Several delegates from California, Ohio, Florida and Washington state, contacted by the Globe yesterday, said they would stay away from any event where city employees have set up a picket line. Union officials from Illinois, New York, and Maine predicted that labor union members from their states attending the convention would also honor picket lines.
"From what I know, the BPPA is aiming this at Mayor Menino and is not out to embarrass the party or inconvenience the delegates," said Mark Nash, a law student and California delegate. "As long as they maintain that reasonable approach, most delegates will be very hesitant to cross the picket lines. That's a core Democratic value."
The comments from union leaders and delegates, who decide individually whether they will attend parties, are an early sign that the Boston Police Patrolmen's Association could have an impact on convention activities. Several delegates said they were emboldened by Senator John F. Kerry, the presumptive nominee, who canceled a speech before the US Conference of Mayors in Boston Monday, saying he would not cross a police-led picket line at the event.
Menino said it would be unfortunate if delegates are forced to forgo neighborhood parties because of the protesters. Parties are scheduled at diverse locations such as the Franklin Park Zoo, the Museum of Fine Arts, and the Samuel Adams Brewery.
"To have the police try to put a bad image on Boston, that's not the right thing to do," Menino said. "They're supposed to be ambassadors to the city."
There are 4,353 delegates and 600 alternates expected to attend the convention, plus hundreds more party officials and loyalists. Many belong to labor unions, one of the key constituencies of the Democratic Party.
Next week, the police union and Firefighters Local 718 will send 6,000 letters to convention attendees, asking them to honor picket lines at the delegation parties and inviting them to an alternate opening night party, a BPPA-sponsored barbeque at Florian Hall.
The letters quote Kerry saying "I don't cross picket lines" and will ask delegates to "support Boston firefighters and Boston police officers in their struggle with Mayor Menino for fair and equitable labor agreements."
"In many cities across the United States, police officers and firefighters are held in high regard with dignity and respect," the letter says. "But here in the city of Boston we are the forgotten heroes."
The letter will also ask the delegates to boycott Menino's speech at the convention and any other reception the mayor hosts.
The police and firefighter unions are working without collective bargaining agreements. They have been unable to resolve salary and other issues, such as the effects of the city's residency law on members. Using the convention as leverage, the unions have attracted attention and annoyed convention organizers. Pickets outside the FleetCenter last month delayed convention preparations for three days.
Menino has offered the police raises of 11.9 percent over four years, or an average of about 3 percent annually. The BPPA wants 17 percent over that period, or an average of 4.25 percent a year, according to the Boston Municipal Research Bureau. The difference would cost the city $14 million to $17 million, the bureau says.
Thomas J. Nee, the union president, said Kerry's refusal to cross the picket line Monday to address the mayors' conference "resonated with people around the country."
"The values of the party are alive and well in America, but nonexistent in the city of Boston's chief executive officer," he said.
Several delegates said they would not boycott their delegation parties, and some said they were unaware of the labor dispute between the city and some of its unions. Others said it is too soon to be making decisions.
"We want to get all of the facts before we made any decisions." said Paul Berendt, chairman of the Washington state delegation. "The police officers union there in Boston traditionally is a Republican union. The business and venues that these events are being held at are not actually the ones hurting these officers. It feels more like a political disruption based on basically a Republican-leaning union." The patrolmen's association endorsed George H.W. Bush in 1988, but has since endorsed Democratic candidates.
Paul Tipps, a delegate from Ohio and former state party chairman who has attended nine previous conventions, said some first-time delegates may choose to cross the picket line.
Even some with reservations about crossing a picket line of striking workers may attend the delegation parties, because the police officers are not striking but merely publicizing their cause, Tipps said.
Dan Trevas, communications director of the Ohio Democratic Party, said rank-and-file delegates haven't focused on Boston's labor woes. "We remain optimistic that there will be a resolution," he said. "We've just seen the reports and heard both sides. I think we would cross that bridge when we get there."
David Passafaro -- president of the city's convention host committee, Boston2004 -- said "small vendors and neighborhood people" will be hurt if most of the parties are disrupted.
"Through the mayor's direction, we tried to do something different, something unique and interesting and with an economic benefit to local neighborhoods, community businesses, and people by scheduling the parties in the neighborhoods," he said.
"We're hopeful these events will be as successful as we planned them to be, and we hope delegations will come and enjoy themselves," he said. "If these events are disrupted or somehow diminished, then the people who will get hurt are the local people, small vendors who are providing services to us, and that's a shame."
Earlier this week, Menino hinted he may cut back the number of parties because of the police protests, but yesterday said he has no such plans, adding, "We are reevaluating security for each site, not scaling back."
Delegates who plan to avoid the delegation parties said they'll either show up at Florian Hall or find some other entertainment.
"We could probably just get some beer and kind of hang outside," said Pierrette Talley, secretary-treasurer of Ohio AFL-CIO.,
Ausman, who said many delegates will honor the pickets, said she and her husband will skip their party at Northeastern and go to Florian Hall. "I think it will be a lot more fun, too," she said.
Yvonne Abraham of the Globe staff and correspondent Heather Allen contributed to this report.
Senator John F. Kerry has decided he wants to give something back to the residents of his hometown: a Boston Pops concert on the Esplanade in the middle of the Democratic National Convention. The Wednesday evening concert would feature the Pops, James Taylor, and a fireworks bonanza. And potentially hundreds of thousands more people on top of those already in town for the convention....
But the gift hasn't exactly been welcomed by some city officials and Back Bay residents, who said the impact of crowds of concertgoers on an already burdened city that week could be more of a curse than blessing....
Boston police said they would expect such an event would equal the security and logistical challenges of the Fourth of July concerts at the Hatch Shell.
(Full report follows)
The Boston Globe
Friday, July 2, 2004
Kerry pushes for Pops concert
Would punctuate convention week
By Sam Allis and Donovan Slack, Globe Staff
Senator John F. Kerry has decided he wants to give something back to the residents of his hometown: a Boston Pops concert on the Esplanade in the middle of the Democratic National Convention. The Wednesday evening concert would feature the Pops, James Taylor, and a fireworks bonanza. And potentially hundreds of thousands more people on top of those already in town for the convention.
"John Kerry wants this event not because he's running for president, but because he's a citizen of Boston," said Jack Corrigan, Kerry's convention liaison. "He's quite hell-bent for it. He wants a public event. It's his hometown civic pride. He wanted the Pops. He loves fireworks, and he's friends with John Williams and James Taylor. He wants to have a good time."
But the gift hasn't exactly been welcomed by some city officials and Back Bay residents, who said the impact of crowds of concertgoers on an already burdened city that week could be more of a curse than blessing.
"I'm breathless," said Marianne Castellano, a Back Bay resident and active member of the Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay. "It's absolutely shocking. I would obviously have to think of the most important impacts, but there are so many I can't pick one. I don't know where to begin."
The concert is scheduled for the evening of July 28, the same time Kerry's vice presidential choice will give his acceptance speech at the FleetCenter on prime time television. Boston 2004, the city host committee for the convention, will also serve as the official host for the concert. The committee, which has raised $1 million specifically for the event, applied for a permit about 10 days ago. The state Department of Conservation and Recreation is considering the request, officials said. State Police also must sign off on the permit before it's approved.
"I heard a permit was pulled, but I haven't heard anything further," said Major Marian McGovern, State Police spokeswoman.
How Boston will accommodate a crowd on the Esplanade while the city is dealing with the impact of the convention itself is an open question, with State Police declining to comment on security issues. Officials at the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority said they would be able to handle the extra passengers.
"For us, the concert is really not a big deal at all," MBTA general manager Michael Mulhern said. "We have been anticipating for quite some time a number of events throughout the city."
Boston police said they would expect such an event would equal the security and logistical challenges of the Fourth of July concerts at the Hatch Shell.
Mayor Thomas M. Menino, who has been sparring with Kerry over the candidate's uncertainty about accepting the presidential nomination at the convention and his most recent cancellation of a speech before the US Conference of Mayors, referred all questions to the state, which has jurisdiction over the Esplanade.
Menino and other convention organizers have urged workers in Boston to telecommute, take vacation time or otherwise alter their schedules to lessen the expected traffic nightmare. But at the same time, city officials have encouraged area residents to participate in the public events during convention week.
Concert organizers say they realize the obstacles inherent to putting on such a major event during convention week.
"No question about it, it's going to be tough," said Julie Burns, executive director of the host committee. "It poses an added security concern."
The starting time and program for the concert, featuring John Williams as conductor, have not been set.
"People will be coming in from all over," Corrigan said. Organizers are tapping David Mugar and his years of experience staging July Fourth celebrations on the Esplanade to help produce the event. "David Mugar and his people have been doing this with the Fourth of July for 30 years. I assume they will handle it the way they always have. They'll have the manpower."
Back Bay neighbors said they are concerned about the added traffic, trash, noise, and vandalism that could result from the Hatch Shell event. They are hoping it doesn't pass muster with permitting officials.
"We would be looking to the city and state authorities who permit events to consider all of the relevant issues," Castellano said on behalf of the neighborhood association. "It's absolutely ludicrous."
At least one city councilor said the timing of Kerry's gift to Boston was more than a little perplexing.
"I think we all really appreciate the gift, but it'd probably be less of a problem if we just have it down on the Cape," said Councilor John Tobin, vice chairman of the council's Transportation Committee. "I would put it on Seagull Beach, in West Yarmouth."
Businesses around Boston are balancing plans to stay up and running during the July 26-29 convention with the need to ease the burden on commuters, a survey of personnel executives found.
Many businesses are preparing for "snow days" in July, with calling trees, contingency plans and flexibility guidelines. As if a winter storm were in the forecast, some businesses plan to react when they see just how bad it will be.
One company will even hand employees survival kits with food for the ride home.
(Full report follows)
The Boston Herald
Friday, July 2, 2004
'Snow days' may answer DNC storm
By Greg Gatlin
Russ Campanello, senior vice president of Keane Inc., says his Charlestown company's workers face a tough enough commute, even without a Democratic National Convention.
But at least the normal commute is predictable.
What Keane commuters will face during the DNC is anybody's guess.
With more than 6,000 employees across the country, the technology-services firm can't just shut down. It will, however, operate with shortened hours and encourage workers to telecommute. Keane will even offer workers five vacation days for the price of four to take the week off.
Businesses around Boston are balancing plans to stay up and running during the July 26-29 convention with the need to ease the burden on commuters, a survey of personnel executives found.
Many businesses are preparing for "snow days" in July, with calling trees, contingency plans and flexibility guidelines. As if a winter storm were in the forecast, some businesses plan to react when they see just how bad it will be.
One company will even hand employees survival kits with food for the ride home.
The Northeast Human Resources Association's survey found 54 percent of respondents encouraging business as usual, but most were outside the city. About 46 percent said they will alter their work schedules.
Laura Avakian, the group's president-elect and a human resources exec at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said many companies are doing both.
"We have told everyone here at MIT that we ... plan on conducting all programs," Avakian said. "At the same time we've also asked managers to give everyone vacation if they seek it, if they can do that at all."
The survey found that 32 percent of businesses are encouraging telecommuting. That could create an opportunity for firms selling telecommuting technology, including First Virtual Communications, with operations in Nashua, N.H.
First Virtual is offering businesses free software tests during convention week, a spokeswoman said.
The state's most visible symbol of democracy may be closed to the people when Democrats convene here at the end of the month.
Public safety officials and Beacon Hill's top lawmakers are having "ongoing discussions" as to whether the State House will be open to the public during the Democratic National Convention the week of July 26. Officials say the discussion are being driven by concerns over whether the public could be protected during an evacuation, and the amount of increased security personnel needed for the building.
(Full report follows)
State House News Service
Friday, July 2, 2003
State mulling closure of State House
during Democratic convention
By Amy Lambiaso
The state's most visible symbol of democracy may be closed to the people when Democrats convene here at the end of the month.
Public safety officials and Beacon Hill's top lawmakers are having "ongoing discussions" as to whether the State House will be open to the public during the Democratic National Convention the week of July 26. Officials say the discussion are being driven by concerns over whether the public could be protected during an evacuation, and the amount of increased security personnel needed for the building.
And while there is currently "no intelligence to believe the State House is a potential target for terrorist attack," state officials are considering how much public access to allow during the convention week for "high visibility" places, said Katie Ford, spokeswoman for the Executive Office of Public Safety.
Ford said officials are considering whether to close the State House, the John McCormack Building at One Ashburton Place, and the newly opened Saltonstall building on Beacon Hill - all buildings host state offices.
"We're still evaluating what makes sense here," Ford said. "Our expectation is that with protesters and more people gathering on the (Boston) Common, it is going to be more difficult to get people into the city."
Ann Dufresne, spokeswoman for Senate President Robert Travaglini, said Travaglini and top staff members have been involved in the discussions with public safety officials, but "no formal decision has been made." Officials are also discussing whether the building will be open for any business that week.
"First and foremost is the safety of our workers," Dufresne said. "People are asking and it's a very tough situation - we don't know what to tell them yet."
The House and Senate are unlikely to hold formal sessions during the convention week, Dufresne said. The state's constitution requires the branches to convene every three days. Lawmakers often meet in brief informal sessions with only a handful of legislators present.
Confusion prevailed Friday as to who holds the authority to officially close the building. Traditionally, House Speaker Thomas Finneran has determined whether the State House is open on certain holidays, but others suggested the final decision may be reached jointly, and within two weeks.
Nicole St. Peter, a spokeswoman for Gov. Mitt Romney, said the Joint Rules Committee of the Legislature would determine if the building is open during the convention. Dufresne said it may be a joint decision with the State Police, Finneran and Travaglini. Ford said the State Police in concert with the Boston Police would make the decision. Beverly Ford, director of communications for the Boston Police, said they would not be involved in the final decision. Finneran's spokesman, Charles Rasmussen, declined comment. Building Superintendent Neil Kilpeck was unavailable for comment Friday.
City officials are raising questions about John F. Kerry's plans for a Boston Pops concert on the Esplanade during the Democratic convention, saying that the event could violate rules prohibiting political events at the Hatch Shell and also stretch police on an especially busy night, a Democrat involved in the preparations said yesterday.
"Some of us are saying, enough already," said the high-level Democrat involved in the convention planning....
Corrigan told the Globe for a story published yesterday that Kerry is "hell-bent" on the event taking place. The campaign raised $1 million from a single donor, whom he declined to identify. The Kerry aide showed no signs last night that the Kerry campaign was backing off.
(Full report follows)
The Boston Globe
Saturday, July 3, 2004
Officials raise concerns on Pops' concert
Kerry aides push ahead with plans
By Frank Phillips and Andrea Estes, Globe Staff
City officials are raising questions about John F. Kerry's plans for a Boston Pops concert on the Esplanade during the Democratic convention, saying that the event could violate rules prohibiting political events at the Hatch Shell and also stretch police on an especially busy night, a Democrat involved in the preparations said yesterday.
"Some of us are saying, enough already," said the high-level Democrat involved in the convention planning.
The questions could escalate the public spat between Mayor Thomas M. Menino and the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. Menino said he was "extremely disappointed" last weekend when Kerry decided to forgo a speech at the US Conference of Mayors meeting here, rather than cross a Boston police union picket line.
The Hatch Shell is owned by a state trust, and some convention planners interpret the rules governing the property as prohibiting the use of the shell for political purposes. Kerry aides say the event is a top priority for the hometown nominee, but they insist that the concert is devoid of politics and is instead a celebration of Boston and Massachusetts.
"This will be a free event, open to people of all political stripes or none," said Jack Corrigan, Kerry's convention coordinator. "There is no fund-raising, no political speech-making, just a celebration of Boston."
The Department of Conservation and Recreation -- which is under the control of Governor Mitt Romney, a Republican -- is weighing the permit requested by Boston 2004, the host committee for the convention. Romney's director of communications was noncommittal when asked about the permit yesterday.
"DCR has not made a decision on whether to issue the permit," said Romney communications director Eric Fehrnstrom. "My understanding is that full consideration of the permit application will not take place until next week."
Corrigan also argued that the event would not have broad national distribution, because the broadcast of any Pops concert is limited to three minutes under the labor union contract with the musicians. Any longer than that, the musicians have to be paid extra.
"This is not going to affect electoral votes, because there are restrictions of what can be broadcast," he said.
Suffolk Register of Probate Richard Iannella said he was asked about two weeks ago by convention planners whether it would be legal to host a Kerry event at the Hatch Shell on the Esplanade. His review concluded that the concert would not violate the terms of the Maria E. Hatch will that created the trust as long as it was free and open to the public.
"If Kerry has a concert and invites delegates from 18 swing states, for example, he can't do it," said Iannella. The Hatch will is filed in his office.
There can be no reserved seating for dignitaries or admission fees, he said. "I told him to be very cautious, that they can't have a strictly political event there per se," said Iannella, adding that the official did not offer any specifics about the planned event.
Iannella suggested that convention planners ask a probate judge to decide if the event would be allowed under the will.
Mary Hatch, an heiress who never married, died in 1926, leaving much of her fortune to blind babies, orphans, and the elderly. But she also set aside $300,000 to satisfy Boston's "public need for a beauty spot."
The city officials' concerns are the latest episode in the difficult relationship between Kerry and Menino.
Several weeks ago, Kerry floated the possibility that he would not accept the nomination at the convention in order to skirt campaign finance laws. Menino was upset, considering he had been taking heat from commuters and downtown businesses about the road closures and other traffic tie-ups due to the convention.
Then came the US Conference of Mayor's event last weekend. Kerry and his aides anguished for several days about whether to attend and ultimately decided to cancel a long planned speech. Kerry's cancellation embarrassed Menino in front of the nation's mayors, and Menino later called the Kerry campaign "incompetent" because he suspected Kerry's aides had leaked a story that he had hung up on the nominee during a heated phone conversation. Menino said he did not hang up on Kerry.
And now comes Kerry's plan for a big concert, potentially drawing hundreds of thousands of people, on July 28, the night that the convention is expected to hear his vice presidential selection deliver a speech.
About two weeks ago, Kerry's campaign asked Boston 2004, the host committee, to apply to the state for a permit to hold the July 28th concert.
Corrigan told the Globe for a story published yesterday that Kerry is "hell-bent" on the event taking place. The campaign raised $1 million from a single donor, whom he declined to identify. The Kerry aide showed no signs last night that the Kerry campaign was backing off.
"John Kerry doesn't buy the negativity of the press," Corrigan said. "He has wanted to do something positive, fun, and free."
Yvonne Abraham of the Globe staff contributed to this report.
Four courtrooms and more than a dozen veteran prosecutors have been set aside to arraign unruly or civilly disobedient demonstrators during the Democratic National Convention....
Boston Municipal Court Chief Justice Charles Johnson has said planners are girding for the possibility of 1,500 to 2,500 arrests during the weeklong political bash.
Johnson said the chance that judges and probation officers may be consumed by the surge in arrests made it impossible to plan to carry on with a normal trial schedule in the city.
(Full report follows)
The Boston Herald
Monday, July 5, 2004
DA to court protesters
By Thomas Caywood
Four courtrooms and more than a dozen veteran prosecutors have been set aside to arraign unruly or civilly disobedient demonstrators during the Democratic National Convention.
"We won't tolerate any protesters violating the rights of others," said David Procopio, a spokesman for Suffolk District Attorney Daniel Conley.
Rather than the typical trip to a district police station for booking, however, pinched protesters will be hauled to the Suffolk County House of Correction at South Bay for booking at five special stations.
The next stop is the Roxbury Division of Boston Municipal Court, where four courtrooms will be reserved all week.
"Hopefully, we won't need them all, but we are ready," said Procopio, who added the Roxbury courthouse was picked because it's near the South Bay jail and away from the downtown convention site.
For those rounded up after 3 p.m., a clerk magistrate and a bail commissioner will be stationed at South Bay.
"Some will be released on bail and arraigned at a later date, after the completion of the DNC," Procopio said. "If someone arrested overnight has a lengthy record or committed a felony or some kind of violent offense, they will then be held overnight at South Bay."
A Suffolk Sheriff official didn't return calls yesterday.
Meanwhile, juvenile demonstrators who run afoul of the law will wind up at Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Police headquarters on Southampton Street.
"They will be booked and arraigned right there at MBTA police headquarters," Procopio said.
Boston Municipal Court Chief Justice Charles Johnson has said planners are girding for the possibility of 1,500 to 2,500 arrests during the weeklong political bash.
Johnson said the chance that judges and probation officers may be consumed by the surge in arrests made it impossible to plan to carry on with a normal trial schedule in the city.
Procopio said police will be expected to arrest protesters and demonstrators only as a last resort, and the 15 prosecutors who will be dedicated to the DNC have been instructed to resolve certain cases at arraignment.
"It's likely you could see alternate dispositions such as pretrial probation," he said. "That only applies to people who are not arrested for any kind of violent act and who don't have any record of any kind."
With the Democratic National Convention just three weeks away, local police departments are still learning what roles they will have in backing up state and Boston city police.
Since spring, most departments have known they would be providing officers for a crowd-control unit in Boston July 26-29. Recently, they've learned they might be responsible for patrolling some highway sections when state troopers are reassigned....
"This is incredible, the extent to which people are going to be affected," Robbins said. "But there's been enough advance (notice). If people haven't thought about an alternative way to get where they're going, shame on them."
(Full report follows)
The Eagle-Tribune
Monday, July 5, 2004
Convention leaning on local police
By Chris Markuns, Staff Writer
With the Democratic National Convention just three weeks away, local police departments are still learning what roles they will have in backing up state and Boston city police.
Since spring, most departments have known they would be providing officers for a crowd-control unit in Boston July 26-29. Recently, they've learned they might be responsible for patrolling some highway sections when state troopers are reassigned.
But now some patrolmen are balking at any assignment that places them near the increasingly bitter contract dispute between Boston's police union and Mayor Thomas Menino.
l In Haverhill, the president of the patrolmen's union said the union will go to court on behalf of seven officers assigned to the regional contingent if necessary to avoid confronting a Boston patrolmen's picket line.
"We don't want to bring that kind of heat down on us," Stephen Iannalfo said. "My guys have a problem with crossing the picket line."
But the head of the North Eastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council -- North Andover Police Chief Richard Stanley -- said the Haverhill officers have no more choice than the Boston officers who will be working that week.
"There are a lot of people who, I'm sure, don't want to do it, but at the same time have a job to do -- public safety has to be paramount," he said. "Their chiefs of police ordered them in. It's clear-cut."
Other local police officials said the patrolmen unions have agreed to work, though no other union heads could be reached for comment.
l In North Andover, extra staff and time will have to be dedicated to an area other towns don't have to worry about: Lawrence Municipal Airport.
"It's been reported that the airport will be used for some traffic as an alternative for some people involved in the DNC," Stanley said. "But in addition to that, there could be potential because it's outside the (flight restrictions) radius for Boston, so it could be a jumping off point for any questionable activity."
The Police Department will also have to make do without Stanley for the week while he's in Boston heading up the NEMLEC public order platoon.
l Andover is already planning extra staffing to handle traffic from commuters. But state police have warned they might be tied up with detours around Boston, in which case Andover would inherit responsibility for the town's always busy stretch of Interstate 93.
"It's still up in the air," said Andover Lt. James D. Hashem. "We may be handling incidents up on the highway as well."
l Reading not only sits at the intersection of I-93 and Route 128, Lt. Richard Robbins said, but is home to a number of busy local roads that could become overwhelmed as alternative routes into Boston.
They've taken the extra step of barring all non-emergency road work and details, Robbins said, and will place extra officers at major intersections along Routes 38 and 129, West Street and Haverhill Street, among others. He referred to a recent propane truck crash that crippled the highway and said he can't imagine what the scene will be like come July 26.
"This is incredible, the extent to which people are going to be affected," Robbins said. "But there's been enough advance (notice). If people haven't thought about an alternative way to get where they're going, shame on them."
Fears of a terrorist attack have led Boston's convention host committee and nine downtown businesses, office buildings, and hotels to purchase special insurance coverage to cover the FleetCenter and the businesses for losses from terrorism....
While convention organizers were looking for terrorism coverage, owners of highly valued hotels, businesses, and office buildings that are near the FleetCenter, the site of the convention, also added terrorism to their liability coverage.
(Full report follows)
The Boston Globe
Tuesday, July 6, 2004
Firms insure against terror
Convention spurs extra coverage
By Frank Phillips, Globe Staff
Fears of a terrorist attack have led Boston's convention host committee and nine downtown businesses, office buildings, and hotels to purchase special insurance coverage to cover the FleetCenter and the businesses for losses from terrorism.
Boston 2004, the host committee for this month's event, paid $86,000 on its insurance premium to add coverage for any act of terrorism by a foreign government or a known foreign group, according to its president, David Passafaro. The terrorism coverage is part of a general liability policy that also provides $100 million in coverage for casualty, automobile, theft, property damage, and officers and directors.
Separately, at least nine businesses near the FleetCenter have purchased special terrorism insurance.
"It was an easy sell," said Mike Chapman, chief of sales for Hub International New England of Wilmington, who noted that comments by Mayor Thomas M. Menino, other political leaders, and the Secret Service over security issues and terrorism prompted an unprecedented number of the firm's private clients to add terrorism coverage to their policies.
The terrorism insurance is yet another sign of the extraordinary preparations being undertaken to stage the first political convention since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Under instructions by the Secret Service, local officials plan to close miles of Interstate 93 during rush hour and shut North Station for commuter rail service. Security issues have driven convention costs to nearly double the original $49 million price tag, to $95 million.
Passafaro said the insurance costs to Boston 2004 are lower than expected. He said that the general liability policy, slated to cost $3.9 million, has come in at about $2.4 million.
"Clearly when we did the contract, terrorism was on everyone's mind," Passafaro said. "We thought it was going to be difficult and confusing. In fact it has turned out to be fairly straightforward for us."
He said that the committee also paid another $145,000 to insure against liabilities incurred if the city or the Democratic National Convention is forced to cancel the event. Among the potential reasons to cancel would be a terrorist attack here or somewhere in the country before the convention that was serious enough to prevent people from attending.
While convention organizers were looking for terrorism coverage, owners of highly valued hotels, businesses, and office buildings that are near the FleetCenter, the site of the convention, also added terrorism to their liability coverage. Chapman said that because of confidentiality issues, he can't reveal the names of his clients. But he said they are hotels, high-profile office buildings, and businesses, all with property that exceeds $25 million in value.
With the nine FleetCenter area businesses now carrying terrorism coverage, Chapman said that 17 of his firm's 25 customers have signed up for the terrorism insurance. He said that, for a property valued at $25 million, an average premium would add about $3,000 to the general cost of the policy.
Taxpayers shelled out nearly $107,000 in just four days of overtime to cops assigned to police their fellow union members protesting in front of the FleetCenter....
Barbara Anderson, executive director for Citizens for Limited Taxation found the figure appalling.
She laughed, saying, "$107,000 for the police to police the police who are picketing because they don't have a contract. What a zoo. It's insane." ...
Menino had sought the federal court ruling so that construction could begin for the four-day DNC extravaganza planned for later this month.
"The whole thing was his idea," Anderson said, noting that he must be embarrassed. "Everything that goes wrong just falls in his lap."
(Full report follows)
The Boston Herald
Wednesday, July 7, 2004
Police pickets cost city $107G in cop OT
By Franci Richardson
Taxpayers shelled out nearly $107,000 in just four days of overtime to cops assigned to police their fellow union members protesting in front of the FleetCenter.
"Had the patrolmen gone to arbitration as Mayor Thomas Menino and the city had repeatedly urged, none of that spending would have been necessary," said Seth Gitell, Menino's spokesman.
Barbara Anderson, executive director for Citizens for Limited Taxation found the figure appalling.
She laughed, saying, "$107,000 for the police to police the police who are picketing because they don't have a contract. What a zoo. It's insane."
While it's unclear how many officers worked extra details, picket line overtime ranged from more than 400 hours on June 8, which cost $14,738.51, to roughly 1,200 hours during the last day of protest, June 11, when the city paid out $44,860.86.
On June 9, the city shelled out $17,321 and another $30,029.45 on June 10 for a total cost of $106,950.57, according to figures released to the Herald yesterday.
Scores of cops lined up in front of the FleetCenter to delay preparations for the Democratic National Convention.
The police union, which claims it has gone without a raise for years, railed against Menino for refusing to negotiate a better contract. The city had offered an 11.9 percent raise over four years.
The union eventually was ordered by a federal judge to disband the picket line but Boston Police Patrolmen's Association president Thomas Nee said the number of cops assigned to police the protest was excessive.
Nee said at times the number of uniformed officers on protest duty equalled the off-duty officers picketing.
"There's no reasonable explanation why so many officers were deployed," Nee said. "We were just exercising our First Amendment rights and it was all without incident."
Menino had sought the federal court ruling so that construction could begin for the four-day DNC extravaganza planned for later this month.
"The whole thing was his idea," Anderson said, noting that he must be embarrassed. "Everything that goes wrong just falls in his lap."
Beverly Ford, spokeswoman for the Boston Police Department, said Commissioner Kathleen O'Toole did not find the overtime cost excessive.
"We apply the same strategy to policing that we would with any demonstration," she said. "They were considered demonstrators and they have their rights."
State public safety officials began a thorough review yesterday of John F. Kerry's plans for a Boston Pops concert on the Esplanade during the Democratic convention, throwing a potential roadblock in the way of an event that is a top priority of the hometown nominee....
Kerry's proposed concert has raised objections from some convention planners, who feared that the July 28 event would strain resources on the same night that security personnel are focused on vice presidential nominee John Edwards's speech to the convention. The concert, which could draw hundreds of thousands of people, would feature the Pops, James Taylor, and a fireworks bonanza.
(Full report follows)
The Boston Globe
Wednesday, July 7, 2004
Kerry's concert faces scrutiny
State eyes plan on safety issues
By Andrea Estes, Globe Staff
State public safety officials began a thorough review yesterday of John F. Kerry's plans for a Boston Pops concert on the Esplanade during the Democratic convention, throwing a potential roadblock in the way of an event that is a top priority of the hometown nominee.
The Department of Conservation and Recreation, which oversees the Esplanade, turned over Kerry's permit application to Secretary of Public Safety Edward A. Flynn for a security analysis, according to Eric Fehrnstrom, Governor Mitt Romney's director of communications.
"The governor is going to defer to his public safety team," said Fehrnstrom. "Secretary Ed Flynn is evaluating the security risks of holding an open air concert on the Esplanade at the same time a national special security event is being held on the other side of town."
Flynn will then decide whether the state has the resources to police the concert appropriately, state officials said. The decision is expected later this week.
Most events on the Esplande, such as the Pops Fourth of July concert, do not undergo the same level of scrutiny, according to Katie Ford, Flynn's spokeswoman.
But Fehrnstrom said that "given the fact there's a national special security event going on at the same time that is drawing manpower and resources," the security analysis is "not unusual."
Kerry's proposed concert has raised objections from some convention planners, who feared that the July 28 event would strain resources on the same night that security personnel are focused on vice presidential nominee John Edwards's speech to the convention. The concert, which could draw hundreds of thousands of people, would feature the Pops, James Taylor, and a fireworks bonanza.
Kerry proposed the event last week, at a time of strained relations between Kerry and Mayor Thomas M. Menino, who aides say is peeved about perceived slights by Kerry over the last several weeks.
Fehrnstrom said the governor has "no personal objection" to the concert. Fehrnstrom said state officials are focusing on public safety, not concerns raised privately by some organizers that the event could run afoul of the will that donated the money to build the Hatch Shell.
The Hatch Shell is owned by a state trust, and some convention planners interpret the rules governing the property as prohibiting the use of the shell for political purposes. But Richard Iannella, Suffolk register of probate, said last week that he believes that the concert would not violate the terms of the will of Marie Hatch, which specified that events be free and open to the public.
Yesterday, Kerry's campaign expressed hope that the concert would go forward as planned. "We hope that the permit request will be decided on the merits," said Michael Meehan, a spokesman for Kerry. "We believe it is a great moment of civic pride and hope it gets full and fair consideration."
Meanwhile, security concerns are causing changes for a separate concert planned for convention week. Boston city officials have turned down a request for a concert on City Hall Plaza sponsored by Rock the Vote scheduled July 29, the last night of the convention. "There are a number of events happening on Thursday night in the city of Boston and due to security reasons we did not want to bring additional people," said Patricia Malone, director of the Mayor's Office of Consumer Affairs and Licensing.
Organizers are planning to move the Rock the Vote concert to an indoor venue on the same night, which would not require special permits.
Yvonne Abraham of the Globe staff contributed to this report.
Sen. John Kerry's plans to host a Boston Pops concert on the Esplanade during the Democratic convention were shot down Thursday by Romney administration officials who refused to issue a permit, citing logistical and security concerns.
Katherine Abbott, commissioner of the state Department of Conservation and Recreation, decided against granting the permit for the July 28 concert and fireworks at the Hatch Shell after the state's public safety secretary advised against it.
(Full report follows)
The Boston Herald
Thursday, July 8, 2004
Kerry's bid denied
for Boston Pops concert during convention week
By Associated Press
Sen. John Kerry's plans to host a Boston Pops concert on the Esplanade during the Democratic convention were shot down Thursday by Romney administration officials who refused to issue a permit, citing logistical and security concerns.
Katherine Abbott, commissioner of the state Department of Conservation and Recreation, decided against granting the permit for the July 28 concert and fireworks at the Hatch Shell after the state's public safety secretary advised against it.
"With less than three weeks available for planning, especially in the midst of our final preparations for the DNC, there is simply not enough time available to properly develop a sound plan for public safety and security," Secretary Ed Flynn wrote in a letter to Abbott, who asked for him to review the request.
Kerry had planned the event to show appreciation to his hometown for hosting the convention, at which he'll accept the Democratic nomination for president.
Flynn estimated 200,000 to 500,000 might have attended the concert, featuring James Taylor, equaling the magnitude of the annual Pops Fourth of July concert at the same location.
Jack Corrigan, Kerry's convention liaison, had no immediate comment.
Boston 2004, the convention host committee, applied for a concert permit about two weeks ago and had raised $1 million for the event. A spokesman for Boston Mayor Thomas Menino declined to comment on the decision, saying that it was under the auspices of the state. Calls to the host committee were not immediately returned.
The city and surrounding areas already are bracing for increased security and massive road closures and public transportation disruptions during the convention, which runs July 26-29. The convention has been designated by President Bush [related, bio] as a national special security event, putting the Secret Service in charge of security planning.
Allowing the concert would force critical personnel and resources to be taken away from a security plan that has been crafted over the past 18 months, with coordination from federal, state and local officials, Flynn said. Police resources are already stretched so thin that the five other New England states are sending police officers to help, he added.
Flynn, who was appointed by Republican Gov. Mitt Romney, the chairman of the Bush-Cheney campaign in Massachusetts, acknowledged some may see an ulterior motive. But he maintained there were no politics involved in his recommendation.
"Everybody realizes there'll be some concern about political environment, but I think reasonable people looking at the facts I'm looking at will draw pretty much the same inference I have," Flynn said.
So this is the ugly truth: It cost the good taxpayers of this city $107,000 to pay for the police to police the
police....
What a hideous waste of resources - a waste of money and a waste of talent and manpower that would be better used to make this community safer, and not just safer from off-duty police.
(Full report follows)
The Boston Herald
Thursday, July 8, 2004
A Boston Herald editorial
Cost of policing police
So this is the ugly truth: It cost the good taxpayers of this city $107,000 to pay for the police to police the police.
When the Boston Police Patrolmen's Association threw up its illegal picket around the FleetCenter, the city was obligated to protect those trying to enter the building and to assure access - however limited that turned out to be until a federal judge ordered the picketing disbanded after four days. According to records released by the city at the request of the Herald, that picket line overtime ranged from more than 400 hours on June 8 (at a cost of $14,738.51) to some 1,200 hours on June 11 (the last day of picketing) at a cost of $44,860.86.
What a hideous waste of resources - a waste of money and a waste of talent and manpower that would be better used to make this community safer, and not just safer from off-duty police.
An unprecedented flood of private donations from corporations and individuals is funding this year's national political conventions, and donors to the Boston 2004 convention host committee include a range of healthcare companies and others with interests before Congress and the city, a report has found.
(Full report follows)
The Boston Globe
Thursday, July 8, 2004
Corporate donors fund conventions
Campaign finance loophole is seen
By Rick Klein and Jessica E. Vascellaro
Globe Staff and Globe Correspondent
An unprecedented flood of private donations from corporations and individuals is funding this year's national political conventions, and donors to the Boston 2004 convention host committee include a range of healthcare companies and others with interests before Congress and the city, a report has found.
The study, released yesterday by the nonpartisan Campaign Finance Institute, shows a sharp escalation in the amount that private entities have given to conventions in recent years, even after the 2002 McCain-Feingold campaign-finance overhaul, which was meant to reduce the influence of big money on politics. Private sources are on track to contribute about $110 million to this year's Democratic and Republican conventions combined, some 13 times what they gave for the 1992 conventions.
Organizers of this year's Democratic National Convention in Boston have leaned heavily on top party contributors and out-of-town interests, as they seek to raise $44.5 million from the private sector for this month's event, the report shows.
Twenty-six of the 71 biggest donors to Boston 2004 made at least $20,000 in political action committee contributions and other soft money contributions to the Democratic Party in the last election cycle, according to the report. Seventeen of the donors gave at least $100,000 in unregulated contributions to Democratic Party funds in the 2002 cycle, and 33 of them are headquartered outside the Boston area.
Don Fowler, a former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, said that spiraling convention costs are being covered -- and, in some cases, driven -- by individuals and special interests who are seeking to gain access to top elected officials at the huge political events.
"Some of the best lobbying in the world is done at these conventions," Fowler said during a panel discussion hosted by the institute yesterday at the National Press Club in Washington. "Because campaign finance law is looser and there are less restrictions than there used to be, more people give. It's that simple."
The Federal Election Commission allows unlimited, tax-exempt donations to convention host committees, on the premise that such contributions are "motivated by a desire to promote the convention city and not by political considerations," according to regulations issued last August. But the study's authors say the data show that the FEC's premise isn't valid.
"The FEC rules have created a $100 million loophole for unlimited soft money contributions to the political parties," said Michael Malbin, executive director of the institute, which is affiliated with George Washington University.
At the Boston convention, which will be held July 26-29 at the FleetCenter, about $44.5 million is being covered by private donations, with the remainder of the $94.5 million budget set to be covered as a federal grant for security purposes.
(The Democratic National Convention Committee is also receiving a $14.9 million grant from the federal government, but that money is paying for the committee's operating expenses, not for direct convention costs. An identical amount goes to the Republicans).
Cheryl Cronin, Boston 2004's clerk and legal counsel, said donors have agreed to contribute because they realize the convention will be good for Boston and the region. She said passing convention costs on to the private sector is necessary when public entities are strapped for cash.
"The reality is that companies are contributing because they're very invested in the city of Boston and the region," Cronin said. "Most of the contributions that have come in to the host committee come from companies based in Boston or the New England region or from companies that have an interest in Massachusetts because they do business here."
Many of the biggest Boston 2004 donors are huge Boston presences, in addition to being Democratic Party benefactors.
That list includes Fidelity Investments, FleetBoston Financial, John Hancock Financial Services, Liberty Mutual, Raytheon Corp., and State Street Corp., all of which have given at least $1 million to the host committee, in addition to at least $20,000 in PAC and soft money donations to Democrats in recent years.
Smaller convention donors include locally prominent developers who often have projects requiring city approval, including Equity Office Properties Trust, Millennium Properties, Spaulding & Slye Colliers, Suffolk Construction, Cashman Construction, and Shawmut Design and Construction.
Big donations have also flowed from large companies with no strong Boston ties. AT&T, which gave $1.6 million to Democratic PACs and in soft-money funds in the 2002 election cycle, pledged $500,000 to the convention host committee. Coca-Cola and DaimlerChrysler each donated at least $250,000 in cash or services, and both companies have been equally generous with other Democratic Party funds in recent years, according to the report.
In addition, nine pharmaceutical and healthcare companies gave donations totaling $4.1 million, including Amgen, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Pfizer, Merck, and Novartis. Drug companies have been carefully monitoring Mayor Thomas M. Menino's moves of late, as he launches a pilot program to import prescription drugs from Canada.
Senator Edward M. Kennedy is the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate committee that oversees health care, a situation that the report's authors said raises questions about his role in fund-raising. A Kennedy spokesman denied the possibility of donations to the host committee influencing the senator's policy decisions.
"Absolutely none whatsoever," said David Smith, the spokesman. He added that Kennedy was careful not to ask for donations from any companies with legislation affecting them before his committee.
Still, the report points out that the host committee's biggest fund-raisers have deep political connections to the Democratic Party and the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, Senator John F. Kerry. Initial fund-raising was spearheaded by Menino and Kennedy, both veteran Democratic officeholders who are serving as national cochairmen of Kerry's campaign, and Alan Leventhal of Beacon Capital Partners, a longtime donor and fund-raiser for the Democratic Party and national Democratic candidates.
In recent weeks, as the host committee has raised money to cover an expected $5 million in cost overruns in construction and production, fund-raising has moved even closer to Kerry himself. Three top Kerry fund-raisers -- Robert Farmer, Lou Susman, and Elizabeth Frawley Bagley -- were brought in by the candidate's team to ensure that the convention has adequate cash.
"Most of the fund-raising is done by national partisans, even if they are political figures," said Steve Weissman, one of the report's coauthors. "There's a substantial political motivation here."
Klein reported from Boston; Vascellaro from Washington.
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