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Boston DNC Convention 2004 –
Anatomy of an inevitable taxpayer mugging
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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
While it's not unusual for convention organizers to differ with their hosts, the problems in Boston stem from Menino's close hold on many details and decisions in the planning, party sources said....
In the larger picture, however, the conflict seems to stem from what is also unique about Boston as a site for the national convention: Its local politicians are playing an unusually active role in the planning, creating constant conflicts by ignoring the DNC staff, local Democratic officials say.
"The DNC is used to coming into a city and everyone lays down for them," said one member of the host committee and a Menino ally. "But Boston feels it is the créme de la créme of the political world and that is not going to happen here."
(Full report follows)
The Boston Globe
Friday, October 24, 2003
City, DNC officials at odds over convention planning
By Frank Phillips, Globe Staff
Mayor Thomas M. Menino telephoned Democratic convention chair Bill Richardson on Tuesday to smooth over tensions between city and national party officials that had boiled over after Menino snubbed Richardson in Boston two weeks ago, convention organizers said yesterday.
The talk between the two has somewhat calmed mounting tension between Menino and the city's convention host committee on one hand and, on the other, the Democratic National Committee officials and their staff in Boston preparing the party's 2004 presidential nominating convention.
Nevertheless, the day after Menino and Richardson talked, the host committee, Boston 2004, distributed a press release saying it had held a lunch for corporate leaders involved in telecommunications contracts and other business at the convention. The release, and the luncheon, caught the DNC by surprise, particularly since it is working on similar issues.
In an episode before the phone conversation, staffs of the host committee and the DNC had scheduled a meeting for Richardson with the host committee's finance committee, according to one source involved in the negotiations, but Menino aides ordered it canceled. Richardson, the governor of New Mexico, was in town for other public events as well, but he left Boston upset over the mayor's treatment of him, according to a Democratic source.
While it's not unusual for convention organizers to differ with their hosts, the problems in Boston stem from Menino's close hold on many details and decisions in the planning, party sources said.
Yesterday, both sides publicly dismissed the reports of tension and conflict. "They have a very good relationship," said Richardson spokesman Billy Sparks.
Menino allies said the mayor, while frustrated that the DNC is not sufficiently respectful of his political position, has become concerned over the perception that there are tensions between him and the national party leaders. "The mayor is not interested in there being a big blow up or story about how people are not getting along," said one adviser to the mayor. "There's too much at stake, and the mayor's reputation is on the line."
David Passafaro, Menino's former chief of staff and chairman of the host committee, confirmed that Menino had telephoned Richardson. But Passafaro said he was convinced there are no problems in the relationship. He said Menino was not able to meet with Richardson two weeks ago because the mayor was rushing to catch a plane for an out-of-town meeting. He said Menino called Richardson the day after he returned from Italy this week.
"The mayor was just in the process of getting out of town himself," Passafaro said. "Their schedules didn't match."
Menino's press aide, Seth Gitell, said he was not aware of the canceled fund-raising meeting. "Mayor Menino didn't try to cancel any kind of meeting," Gitell said. "He made no such effort."
Nonetheless, it is clear from interviews with both local and national organizers over the last month that there is increasing conflict among the organizers, with both sides claiming the other is not coordinating with or respecting the other. Menino feels the DNC is not doing enough to highlight Boston and his image while the DNC staff is expressing frustration that the mayor is living up to his reputation for controlling every detail.
In the larger picture, however, the conflict seems to stem from what is also unique about Boston as a site for the national convention: Its local politicians are playing an unusually active role in the planning, creating constant conflicts by ignoring the DNC staff, local Democratic officials say.
"The DNC is used to coming into a city and everyone lays down for them," said one member of the host committee and a Menino ally. "But Boston feels it is the créme de la créme
of the political world and that is not going to happen here."
In the Menino camp's view, the DNC brass has dropped into Boston with a minimal amount of notification and has requested meetings with the mayor. That ruffled feathers in the top echelons of City Hall. When the national committee came to Boston to announce that the convention would take place here next July, Menino and his aides felt the party did not highlight him or the city's successes.
Passafaro acknowledged Menino is paying close attention to the convention plans, but he says he doesn't believe that has caused any serious aggravation. "The mayor is intimately involved, as he should be," he said. "He is delighted the convention is coming here and at his core, he is a political guy."
One relationship that has held strong through the conflicts has been that between Menino and US Senator Edward M. Kennedy. Kennedy aides said the senator sings Menino's praises, while the mayor is respectful of the senior senator. More than any others, the two are on the hook for raising the private funds to meet the convention budget.
Yvonne Abraham and Rick Klein of the Globe staff contributed to this report.
As their party's presidential candidates haggle over tax cuts and ways to create jobs, top Democratic National Convention officials are raking in six-figure salaries paid entirely with tax dollars, documents obtained by the Herald show.
The two top earners are convention CEO Rod O'Connor, a former Democratic National Committee staffer, and Alice Huffman, who wanted his job but settled for a part-time post chairing the convention committee.
O'Connor will make $190,000 for 15 months of work - including four months on the convention payroll after the four-day Boston event ends next July. Huffman, president of the California NAACP, will make $130,000 for 13 months of work, ending a month after the convention, according to a draft budget obtained by the Herald.
The sky-high salaries are raising new questions about political convention funding and whether taxpayers should foot the bill for events that largely serve as advertisements to the parties' presidential nominees.
(Full report follows)
The Boston Herald
Monday, October 27, 2003
DNC fat cats:
Taxpayers pick up tab for Dem honchos' $alaries
by Ellen J. Silberman
As their party's presidential candidates haggle over tax cuts and ways to create jobs, top Democratic National Convention officials are raking in six-figure salaries paid entirely with tax dollars, documents obtained by the Herald show.
The two top earners are convention CEO Rod O'Connor, a former Democratic National Committee staffer, and Alice Huffman, who wanted his job but settled for a part-time post chairing the convention committee.
O'Connor will make $190,000 for 15 months of work - including four months on the convention payroll after the four-day Boston event ends next July. Huffman, president of the California NAACP, will make $130,000 for 13 months of work, ending a month after the convention, according to a draft budget obtained by the Herald.
The sky-high salaries are raising new questions about political convention funding and whether taxpayers should foot the bill for events that largely serve as advertisements to the parties' presidential nominees.
The Democratic National Convention committee - and its GOP counterpart - will take in some $15 million from the voluntary $3 Presidential Campaign check-off this election cycle.
"This is taxpayer dollars," said Larry Noble, executive director for the Center for Responsive Politics. "You have to question how they're using the money."
Communications director Stephanie Cutter defended the six-figure salaries.
"This is a multimillion-dollar event and one of the most important events that takes place in this nation," she said. "The logistics of this event alone are extraordinary. (We) actually feel very lucky to have hired the caliber of people we did at these salaries."
Cutter declined to discuss Huffman's part-time job.
O'Connor is responsible for the day-to-day convention operation. He serves as DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe's eyes and ears in Boston and got the job because of his loyalty to McAuliffe.
Huffman lives in Sacramento but plans to visit Boston regularly to check on the convention's progress.
A year ago, Huffman was highly critical of Boston's convention bid, saying she worried about the city's past racial tensions. Since landing her chairmanship, Huffman has had nothing but praise for Boston and O'Connor.
In the past, the convention committee chairman has been an unpaid post, Democratic sources said. But Huffman's job comes with a $40,000-a-year scheduler, an $80,000 travel and expense budget - and a $50,000 contingency fund.
Like O'Connor and Huffman, most of the top earners are on staff now - nine months before the convention kicks off - while there is little work to do beyond setting up shop. Several stay on payroll well after the 35,000 delegates, media representatives and visitors leave town.
Cutter is already collecting her $100,000 salary. Her top deputy, press secretary Lina Garcia, is making $85,000 although there is little news so far to report.
Director of Operations Cameron Moody, making $115,000 for 14 months work, spends his days meeting with city, state and federal security and transportation officials, discussing logistics like whether to shut down the Central Artery when the Democratic presidential nominee is in the FleetCenter.
Other top earners include: Eileen Toback, pulling in $103,000 as director of administration; Legal Counsel Cindy Lott, making $100,000; Lee Satterfield, director of convention planning, a $135,000-a-year post that keeps her in the DNC's Washington office.
Noble noted that the Democrats are paying themselves six-figure salaries at the same time they're "crying poverty when it come to funding conventions."
The DNCC is free to fritter away its federal funds on exorbitant salaries because they know the Boston 2004 host committee is lining up private donors to fund critical convention functions, said Common Cause Counsel Don Simon.
"The fact that they can dip into this backdoor revenue stream allows this lack of fiscal discipline for the federal dollars," said Simon.
Boston 2004 has promised to raise more $50 million to pay for the nominating convention.
The host committee has already raised $20 million from private donors and asked the federal government for $25 million to cover unanticipated security costs.
Those figures do not include cash the city plans to shell out for road improvements and other beautification projects timed to the July 2004 convention.
A major portion of the Central Artery could be closed during the Democratic National Convention to protect politicians and partygoers, forcing rush hour traffic to snake through city streets around the FleetCenter, the Herald has learned....
[U.S. Rep. Michael Capuano,
D-Somerville] said he's telling Boston businesses to "consider a snow week during July" to avoid convention-related gridlock.
(Full report follows)
The Boston Herald
Thursday, October 30, 2003
Dem road hogs: DNC may force artery closure
by Ellen J. Silberman
A major portion of the Central Artery could be closed during the Democratic National Convention to protect politicians and partygoers, forcing rush hour traffic to snake through city streets around the FleetCenter, the Herald has learned.
The Secret Service may order the unprecedented highway closing to protect the Democratic presidential and vice presidential nominees at the first nominating convention since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.
"It's a nightmare," said U.S. Rep. Michael Capuano (D-Somerville).
The closing - which could last anywhere from several hours to two days - would likely reroute traffic along surface streets all the way from Atlantic Avenue to Somerville, sources said.
Capuano said he's telling Boston businesses to "consider a snow week during July" to avoid convention-related gridlock.
The Secret Service and security officials are considering rerouting Interstate 93 traffic near the FleetCenter during next July's Democratic National Convention, and they might even shut down the new underground southbound lanes....
Massive traffic adjustments on I-93 would be the second major transportation change in downtown Boston ordered up for security reasons, as planners prepare for the first national political event since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Security officials are also planning to shut down the North Station MBTA station, which is adjacent to the arena, and have commuter rail trains stop at a temporary platform short of the station.
Jeff Larson, general manager of SmartRoute Systems, a travel and information service, said a massive advertising campaign would be needed to avert chaos in the area of the tunnel if the underground roadway is shut down. At that portion of the interstate, traffic from the north comes off the bridge near where eastbound traffic from Storrow Drive meets I-93.
"It's not just alternate routes," Larson said. "When you have a situation like that, you have to look at other means people will have to come into the city, like commuter rail. It will be warm weather, so maybe some people can pedal in."
(Full report follows)
The Boston Globe
Thursday, October 30. 2003
Security for DNC to snarl X-way
Planners weigh I-93 disruption
By Rick Klein and Anthony Flint, Globe Staff
The Secret Service and security officials are considering rerouting Interstate 93 traffic near the FleetCenter during next July's Democratic National Convention, and they might even shut down the new underground southbound lanes.
Convention organizers stressed that no decisions have been made and said that arrangements would be worked out to accommodate commuters and minimize the disruption of the convention. Jean Mitchell, a spokeswoman for the Secret Service, said the proximity of I-93 to the FleetCenter is a concern for the agency, which is coordinating security with Boston police.
"We're trying to secure that area for not only the protectees, but also for the residents of the city," she said. "There will be traffic flow concerns. But we know that the people of Boston have to conduct their lives, so we try not to disrupt them to the extent that's possible."
The southbound I-93 underground lanes, scheduled to open before Christmas, pass just 40 feet from the FleetCenter, where the convention will be held July 26-29.
Earlier this month, authorities who are planning the event said that trucks and other large vehicles would probably be diverted from the Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge before they reach the roadway near the arena.
One convention official who spoke on condition of anonymity said that a total shutdown of I-93 southbound is highly unlikely. It is more likely, the official said, that traffic would be reduced to one lane, with no traffic allowed in the lanes closest to the arena. Another possibility is for traffic to be shut down entirely in the tunnel when the Democratic nominee for president is in the FleetCenter.
Massive traffic adjustments on I-93 would be the second major transportation change in downtown Boston ordered up for security reasons, as planners prepare for the first national political event since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Security officials are also planning to shut down the North Station MBTA station, which is adjacent to the arena, and have commuter rail trains stop at a temporary platform short of the station.
Jeff Larson, general manager of SmartRoute Systems, a travel and information service, said a massive advertising campaign would be needed to avert chaos in the area of the tunnel if the underground roadway is shut down. At that portion of the interstate, traffic from the north comes off the bridge near where eastbound traffic from Storrow Drive meets I-93.
"It's not just alternate routes," Larson said. "When you have a situation like that, you have to look at other means people will have to come into the city, like commuter rail. It will be warm weather, so maybe some people can pedal in."
Security specialists recommend a 150-foot buffer zone between the building being protected and the first point where an explosives-laden vehicle can have access. Federal buildings have been designed with this in mind.
The northbound lanes of I-93 also fall within that 150-foot radius, but they're not as close as the southbound lanes, and convention officials say they're less of a concern for security officials.
Mitchell, the Secret Service spokeswoman, said no shutdown of I-93 would be ordered without extensive consultations with Boston officials.
Seth Gitell, a spokesman for Mayor Thomas M. Menino, said the mayor could not comment because he had not been briefed on the possibilities.
Julie Burns, executive director of the convention host committee, said she could not comment on any plans because they involve security matters.
She said no proposals for traffic changes have been offered. "No one's come to anyone for a decision or input," Burns aid.
It is not yet clear how traffic would be rerouted. Sean O'Neill -- a spokesman for the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, which oversees the Big Dig -- said he could not discuss specific plans.
"We would obviously prepare and offer any assistance we could for traffic management, but the details -- we can't discuss at this time," O'Neill said. "We work with the security advisers and act accordingly, if anything is recommended."
It hasn't taken long for next year's national Democratic convention to go from boon to boondoggle.
Bad enough, all those six-figure publicly funded hack jobs, the plans to temporarily close the Green Line stop at North Station and move the commuter rail stops. But now comes the worst news so far - they may shut down part of the Central Artery for a couple of days.
A couple of days! And Rep. Mike Capuano says maybe local businesses should "consider a snow week in July." In other words, just shut down but keep paying everybody, as if it's not already exorbitant enough doing business, or trying to, in the city of Boston.
(Full report follows)
The Boston Herald
Friday, October 31, 2003
Boston doomed to bumper-to-bumper boondoggle
by Howie Carr
It hasn't taken long for next year's national Democratic convention to go from boon to boondoggle.
Bad enough, all those six-figure publicly funded hack jobs, the plans to temporarily close the Green Line stop at North Station and move the commuter rail stops. But now comes the worst news so far - they may shut down part of the Central Artery for a couple of days.
A couple of days! And Rep. Mike Capuano says maybe local businesses should "consider a snow week in July." In other words, just shut down but keep paying everybody, as if it's not already exorbitant enough doing business, or trying to, in the city of Boston.
Once, when he was mayor of Somerville, Capuano said, "I'm a hack, and proud of it." The congressman seems to have suffered a relapse. He's thinking like a hack again.
If this were a movie, the working title could be "Chaos on Causeway Street." Think about it - the Artery survived the Blizzard of '78, the drunken Canadian "lumber jerk" truck accident, even the Big Dig.
But now they plan to shut it down in order not to interfere with Ted Kennedy's weeklong toga party.
Of course, that's the worst-case scenario. Under a modified plan, they'd keep one lane open southbound. As the fraternity pledge says in "Animal House," Thank you, sir, may I have another?
This convention has been touted as some sort of marvelous civics lesson for the city, as if it's going to be an edifying experience to hear cops say, "You have the right to remain silent, senator."
How many times do you need to hear a cop inquire: "Didn't you see the sign telling you not to touch the dancers, governor?"
So far what Bostonians are learning is that there are certain events you don't want anywhere near you. The Olympics come immediately to mind. The Boston Marathon would be another example, but at least that's only one day. As for this impending traffic gridlock - well, have you ever been caught in a presidential or a vice presidential motorcade?
I still remember the time then-Veep Fritz Mondale shut down the Expressway during a snowstorm in 1978 so he could get to an editorial board meeting with the bow-tied bumkissers. I sacrificed another half-hour of my life in 1994 on the side of Storrow Drive so that Al Gore could get to his 25th reunion at Harvard on time.
But exactly who in this Democratic crowd next year is going to rate a "motorcade?" They're out of power, after all. But they'll still be demanding VIP treatment - after being booked at Area A, the delegates will expect to be released on personal recognizance.
What was Mumbles thinking of? Nothing, apparently, just like always.
You know this is going to be bad when the Secret Service is already talking about how it hopes to "minimize" the disruption. When they say "minimize," think "maximize." When they say they're going to "accommodate commuters," think tow trucks. Meter maids are going to make as much OT as cops.
What a nightmare, with thousands of reprobates haunting the corporate hospitality suites, guzzling free booze - Chris Dodd, Gary Condit, Maxine Waters, the Clintons. Plus, they're already talking about keeping the bars open until 4 a.m.
Now that I think about it, maybe it's not enough to shut down the Artery. Perhaps the cops should confiscate the delegates' car keys, too. Friends don't let Democrats drive drunk.
Howie Carr's radio show can be heard every weekday afternoon on WRKO-AM 680, WHYN-AM 560, WGAN-AM 560, WEIM-AM 1280, and WXTK 95.1 FM.
The transportation chairman of the Neighborhood Association of Back Bay called the plan a "terribly silly idea" that could back up southbound traffic for miles.
"Don't they think about these things before they put a convention someplace?" said Eliott Laffer. "This must be a Republican plan to make everybody hate the Democrats."
(Full report follows)
The Boston Herald
Friday, October 31, 2003
Resistance to closing artery hardening
by Steve Marantz
Lawmakers and residents from Back Bay and the South End are calling on Mayor Thomas M. Menino to protect their neighborhoods from being turned into alternate commuting routes during the Democratic National Convention's potential traffic nightmare next July.
"It's imperative that the mayor become a mediator between the neighborhoods and the Secret Service - people should not roll over for this," said Rep. Byron Rushing (D-South End).
The Secret Service is considering closing the Central Artery during the convention to protect politicians and Democratic nominees, forcing rush-hour traffic onto city streets around the FleetCenter, the Herald reported yesterday.
Potential traffic congestion, along with a proposal to extend bar closings to 4 a.m., are unfair to the Back Bay, said Rep. Paul C. Demakis (D-Back Bay).
"I am deeply concerned that the city is once again expecting the Back Bay to shoulder an undue burden in dealing with a huge influx of visitors - they do this all the time," Demakis said.
A mayoral spokesman said Menino has not seen the draft proposal for closing the artery, but that it is only a draft.
"The mayor said he'll always be there for the neighborhoods of our city," said Seth Gitell. "He said it's unfortunate we have this media frenzy based upon incomplete and unfinished plans." The plans will be evaluated over the next nine months, Gitell said.
The transportation chairman of the Neighborhood Association of Back Bay called the plan a "terribly silly idea" that could back up southbound traffic for miles.
"Don't they think about these things before they put a convention someplace?" said Eliott Laffer. "This must be a Republican plan to make everybody hate the Democrats."
Southbound motorists may be sent from Assembly Square in Somerville along Monsignor O'Brien Highway onto Storrow Drive to the Copley Square or Fenway exits and then snake through city streets to rejoin the Expressway at Melnea Cass Boulevard.
Back Bay residents have been fighting to prevent traffic and development from eroding the ambiance of the upscale urban neighborhood, Demakis said. They have resisted a "slingshot" ramp off the turnpike to the new convention center in South Boston, and swallowed new towers on air rights above the turnpike. Yet, residents were rebuffed by the Menino administration when they asked for an elementary school on Beacon Hill.
"We don't expect to get more than our fair share of benefits, but we should get our fair share if we are always going to be asked to bear these burdens," Demakis said.
"It would be horrendous as far as traffic goes. I cannot imagine how anybody from the North Shore would get into the city," said
[US Representative Michael E. ] Capuano, a Somerville Democrat whose district includes much of Boston. "But I'm not all that worked up about it, because it's just talk at the moment."
Capuano said public safety issues can be worked out along with other traffic concerns, such as the shutting off of downtown streets to vehicular traffic, and the installation of temporary road signs to help out-of-town visitors navigate Boston's notoriously confusing street system. Businesses should be encouraged to shut down early if possible during the convention, and many residents may want to think about going on vacation that week, Capuano said.
"If you're smart, you'll take that week in New Hampshire," he said.
(Full report follows)
The Boston Globe
Friday, October 31, 2003
Menino opposes Artery shutdown
By Rick Klein, Globe Staff
Mayor Thomas M. Menino said yesterday that he will try to prevent a total shutdown of Interstate 93 during next year's Democratic National Convention, saying he'll work with security officials to balance the need for residents and commuters to make their way into the city with legitimate public safety concerns.
"I'd like to see if it's possible to have the city accessible at all times while the convention is going on," Menino said. "That's what I'd like to see. That my dream."
Secret Service officials have told convention organizers and local elected officials that they are concerned about the proximity of Interstate 93 to the FleetCenter, where Democrats will nominate their candidate for president next July. The underground southbound lanes of I-93, scheduled to open before Christmas, come within 40 feet of the arena.
Security planners have laid out several scenarios for traffic rerouting. Options include curtailing traffic to one lane on the interstate, a total shutdown of the southbound I-93 underground roadway, or shutting the underground roadway off to traffic only at select times, such as when the presidential and vice presidential nominees are in the FleetCenter.
Security officials have already said they will divert trucks and other large vehicles from the Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge before they reach the roadway near the arena, because of the possibility that an explosives-laden vehicle could be used in a terrorist act. Officials with the Secret Service, which is coordinating event security along with the Boston Police Department, said no decisions would be made without extensive consultations with local officials.
Several members of the state's congressional delegation said yesterday that they hope to bring up the concerns of residents and commuters when they meet with Secret Service and transportation officials about the convention some time in the next two weeks.
US Representative Stephen F. Lynch, Democrat of South Boston, said massive traffic tie-ups in the downtown area would be a bad way to showcase Boston for the approximately 35,000 visitors the convention is expected to draw. He added that his congressional colleagues may wonder what federal taxpayers got for their billions of dollars if the new Central Artery tunnel is closed when they're in town.
"We are interested in portraying Boston as a viable and beautiful city that is pedestrian-friendly. I'm not a traffic engineer, but I'm not so sure that shutting the Central Artery down is helpful in that sense, or even necessary from a security standpoint," Lynch said.
US Representative Michael E. Capuano said he believes security officials are simply coming up with as many potential ideas as possible at this stage. He said a "reasonable compromise" will be reached to avert the "chaos" that a total shutdown of I-93 would bring.
"It would be horrendous as far as traffic goes. I cannot imagine how anybody from the North Shore would get into the city," said Capuano, a Somerville Democrat whose district includes much of Boston. "But I'm not all that worked up about it, because it's just talk at the moment."
Capuano said public safety issues can be worked out along with other traffic concerns, such as the shutting off of downtown streets to vehicular traffic, and the installation of temporary road signs to help out-of-town visitors navigate Boston's notoriously confusing street system. Businesses should be encouraged to shut down early if possible during the convention, and many residents may want to think about going on vacation that week, Capuano said.
"If you're smart, you'll take that week in New Hampshire," he said.
Menino said no decisions have been made and no plans are irrevocable at this early stage. He said he is confident that security concerns can be addressed with something short of a total shutdown of the roadway.
In the year since Boston was awarded the 2004 Democratic National Convention, organizers have attracted only about $3 million in cash donations, including just two worth more than $250,000, according to a list of corporate sponsors posted on the host committee's website.
The list shows that fund-raising has slowed considerably since Mayor Thomas M. Menino and US Senator Edward M. Kennedy secured $20 million in private cash commitments before winning the convention. Republicans, meanwhile, have already obtained more than $60 million in pledges for their convention, which will be held in New York City....
In a sign that organizers are concerned about the pace of fund-raising, Menino and Kennedy are hitting the phones in search of dollars again this month....
The Democratic convention was originally budgeted to cost $49.5 million, but increased security measures are expected to bump that total upward by as much as $15 million.
(Full report follows)
The Boston Globe
Tuesday, November 11, 2003
Funding slows for political parley
Democratic convention hunting for big donors
By Rick Klein, Globe Staff
In the year since Boston was awarded the 2004 Democratic National Convention, organizers have attracted only about $3 million in cash donations, including just two worth more than $250,000, according to a list of corporate sponsors posted on the host committee's website.
The list shows that fund-raising has slowed considerably since Mayor Thomas M. Menino and US Senator Edward M. Kennedy secured $20 million in private cash commitments before winning the convention. Republicans, meanwhile, have already obtained more than $60 million in pledges for their convention, which will be held in New York City.
In an interview, Menino acknowledged that organizers are having trouble drawing additional big-dollar donors, but said fund-raising is on track. Because Boston is so much smaller than New York, he said, there are far fewer deep-pocketed donors to solicit.
"We're struggling to piece it together, and we're going to make it happen," Menino said. "Fund-raising's going well, but we're not like New York, where they have all these billionaires."
The host committee has said it is seeking to raise at least $28.5 million in private financing and is trying to collect even more than that because of uncertainty about public funding. Under an agreement with the Democratic Party, the city promised to have private funding commitments in place by this past July 1, though there was no penalty for missing the deadline.
In a sign that organizers are concerned about the pace of fund-raising, Menino and Kennedy are hitting the phones in search of dollars again this month. Both men had spent little time fund-raising since Democrats announced last November that they would hold the convention in Boston. The host committee also hired a fund-raiser in the spring.
Organizers had hoped that a loosening of donation guidelines by the Federal Election Commission in July would open the floodgates of financing, but that appears not to have happened. Still, officials with Boston 2004, the convention host committee, said they are unconcerned about the rate of fund-raising.
"We are very comfortable with where we are with fund-raising progress," said Julie Burns, a former Menino aide who is the host committee's executive director. "Big-dollar donors aren't necessary for us to meet our goals. Our smaller donors speak to the fact that we're more inclusive and speak to a broader audience."
Boston 2004 expects a burst of new donations in December and January, when companies put together their budgets for the new fiscal year, Burns said. The committee has heard from many businesses who have expressed interest in donating money but have not yet made formal commitments, she said.
Stephanie Cutter, communications director for the Democratic National Convention, said convention officials are confident that fund-raising targets will be met by the host committee.
"It's important to remember that we are still nine months away from the Democratic convention," Cutter said.
Burns declined to confirm the $3 million figure, citing a decision by convention organizers to not release fund-raising details until 60 days after the convention because they say they are not legally required to disclose the details any sooner. But Burns said the website is a complete list of confirmed donors, and the list includes ranges of contributions. Comparing the list the committee released last year with this year's posting, and using the upper end of each donation's range, the new donors only could have committed about $3 million.
Organizers appear to have had more luck gathering in-kind contributions, bringing in well more than $4 million in donated goods and services so far, according to the website. IBM has provided $2 million in computer equipment, Nextel is providing $500,000 in cellular phones, and Daimler Chrysler has committed about $250,000 worth of electric carts for use around the FleetCenter. Fidelity Investments is providing $700,000 in office space, on top of a cash commitment of $1 million.
The Democratic convention was originally budgeted to cost $49.5 million, but increased security measures are expected to bump that total upward by as much as $15 million. If the committee raises about $28.5-million in private donations, the remaining $36-million or so would be funded by a mix of public dollars, in-kind contributions such as computers and other equipment and services from the city, state, and federal governments. Much of the cash portion of the budget will be used to transform the interior of the FleetCenter into a venue suitable for a political convention.
The initial round of fund-raising by Menino and Kennedy last year appears to have netted all of the big donors, with nine donations of more than $1 million each and one -- by John Hancock Financial Services Inc. -- of $2 million. But the website shows that since that initial list no additional companies or individuals have promised the more than $1 million in cash necessary to make them "platinum benefactors."
Since last year, the host committee has added one additional gold benefactor -- with a gift of between $500,000 and $1 million -- in AT&T. Only one new "silver benefactor" -- with a gift of between $250,000 and $500,000 -- was added to the list: the Heinz Foundation, which is run by Teresa Heinz, the wife of US senator and presidential candidate John F. Kerry. An AT&T spokeswoman said the company's precise donation had yet to be determined, and an official at the Heinz Foundation said his group has promised $250,000.
At least two companies that fund-raisers had hoped to obtain big donations from have so far declined to contribute to the convention. In documents obtained by the Globe, organizers indicated that they would seek $250,000 from the development company Lennar Corp. and $500,000 from the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline, but neither company has come through as a sponsor.
Menino said he is confident that the host committee will be able to raise enough money, and said he will avoid using city money "at all costs," though he is committing city police and other services.
Organizers of next summer's Democratic National Convention in Boston are lining up security help from police departments as far away as New Bedford and are considering asking the National Guard to lend a hand during the event....
The officers are being recruited while the city is locked in tense negotiations with its main police union. Officials of the patrolmen's union are threatening to embarrass Mayor Thomas M. Menino by protesting during the convention if their contract isn't settled.
(Full report follows)
The Boston Globe
Friday, November 14, 2003
City seeks thousands to police convention
By Rick Klein, Globe Staff
Organizers of next summer's Democratic National Convention in Boston are lining up security help from police departments as far away as New Bedford and are considering asking the National Guard to lend a hand during the event.
Police and convention officials say they don't know how many officers they need, and police departments have not yet made specific commitments. But the president of the Boston Police Patrolmen's Association said planners could be trying to find as many as 2,000 more officers, about the size of the Boston Police Department's entire sworn force.
The officers are being recruited while the city is locked in tense negotiations with its main police union. Officials of the patrolmen's union are threatening to embarrass Mayor Thomas M. Menino by protesting during the convention if their contract isn't settled.
But the event represents a huge windfall of convention-financed overtime and special detail work that Boston officers will not want to cede to large numbers of police from other places. And out-of-town police would be less likely to sympathize with Boston-led protests. Both factors give the city leverage in dealing with the Boston police union, political observers say.
City and union officials downplayed any connection between labor negotiations and the planned use of officers from other departments. Menino said organizers have always planned to use officers from other agencies along with Boston police in the first national political convention to be held after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
"It's not because of labor issues," the mayor said. "In events like this, like the Super Bowl, there's always a call to other agencies to help supplement the security. You just need extra police and security."
But others said the involvement of officers from outside Boston sends a message to the Boston police union. If members of the police union staged demonstrations at the convention, they might confront officers wearing the uniforms of other agencies or the National Guard instead of their own, said Lou DiNatale, a political science professor at the University of Massachusetts at Boston.
"It's a great move," DiNatale said. "The Boston police union is the most volatile, unpredictable player in the game. It sends a message to the Boston police, that it won't be a Boston cop allowing other Boston cops to disrupt an event."
Leaning heavily on State Police, the National Guard, and officers from other police departments can minimize the chance of disruption if the union contract remains unsigned in July, DiNatale said.
DiNatale said local Democrats know well the ability of police unions to capture the spotlight at big political moments. Pickets by the Springfield police union kept delegates to the 1990 state Democratic convention outside in blazing heat for hours. In 1988, the Boston Police Patrolmen's Association embarrassed Governor Michael S. Dukakis on his home turf by endorsing his presidential rival, Vice President George H.W. Bush.
Thomas J. Nee, president of the 1,400-member patrolmen's association, said he is concerned that much of the responsibility, along with financial benefits like overtime and police details, could go to officers from outside Boston. He said the union has been largely uninvolved in convention planning to this point. Still, Nee said the involvement of other police agencies is probably necessary. "We're understaffed in the city, and now they're bringing in an international event here," he said. "It's a concern, but we're looking to work with them."
Details like the rate that out-of-town officers would be paid and whether officers would receive overtime for working the convention after a regular shift in their home towns are yet to be hammered out, convention officials said.
Boston police officials hosted a meeting of area police departments over the summer, alerting them to the possibility help would be needed during the convention. It is not clear yet which agencies will participate, but officials in New Bedford and Quincy said they have been contacted, and the state and MBTA police forces are also expected to be involved in security at the convention.
Mariellen Burns, a Boston police spokeswoman, said overtime and detail opportunities will abound for all officers, even if out-of-town police are involved. With the Boston department charged with keeping the whole city safe at the same time that it deals with 35,000 visitors in town for the convention, plenty of extra help will be needed in directing traffic and keeping the area around the FleetCenter safe.
"There'll be plenty to do there for all our people and then some," Burns said. "We are talking to other jurisdictions, but we can't discuss any of those plans, because we don't have any firm commitments at this time."
Stephanie Cutter, a spokeswoman for the Democratic National Convention, said that at this stage, the only formal arrangements with agencies other than the Boston Police Department involve security at convention hotels that are located outside the city. But she said other departments would probably be involved at the convention site, just as they have been in previous conventions in other cities.
Lieutenant John Dougan of the Quincy Police Department said his chief is waiting for final plans to be developed before committing officers. "We were contacted, and we're waiting to hear back from Boston about what exactly they need," Dougan said.
With Congress set to adjourn for the year as soon as the end of this week, Massachusetts congressmen are scrambling to nail down $25 million in federal funding for security costs associated with next summer's Democratic National Convention.
The federal money represents nearly 40 percent of the estimated cost of the convention, and it's considered crucial to convention organizers, particularly with the pace of private donations lagging....
And because New York has raised a vastly larger amount of private funds for its
[Republican] convention, getting the security money in place isn't as important to New York convention planners as it is to Boston at this stage....
As federal help is being sought, the flow of private donations to the Democratic convention has slowed. US Senator Edward M. Kennedy and Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino lined up $20 million in commitments before winning the convention bid, but only about $3 million more has been secured since then. New York planners, meanwhile, have brought in more than $60 million from private sources for a convention that's expected to cost $91 million.
(Full report follows)
The Boston Globe
Tuesday, November 18, 2003
Lawmakers press for DNC security assistance
By Rick Klein, Globe Staff
WASHINGTON -- With Congress set to adjourn for the year as soon as the end of this week, Massachusetts congressmen are scrambling to nail down $25 million in federal funding for security costs associated with next summer's Democratic National Convention.
The federal money represents nearly 40 percent of the estimated cost of the convention, and it's considered crucial to convention organizers, particularly with the pace of private donations lagging. Planners say they need the cash to be approved as soon as possible, so they can pay for special training for police officers and firefighters and make plans to purchase radios, fences, and other equipment that will be used to help secure the FleetCenter and the surrounding area next July.
"It would be the ideal to get this settled now," said US Representative Michael E. Capuano, a Somerville Democrat whose district includes much of Boston. "The longer we have to plan, the better off the security people will be."
Yesterday, members of the Massachusetts and New York congressional delegations began circulating a letter asking House and Senate budget chiefs to approve $50 million for convention security: $25 million for the Democrats in Boston and $25 million for the Republicans in New York City. The two delegations are lobbying for the money together to avoid partisan wrangling.
"These conventions will be the focus of intense media coverage from around the world, as the nation engages in one of the most important events of our democracy," says a draft of the letter, which points out that the total security costs for the two cities could reach $80 million. "It is an unfortunate reality and a sign of the times in which we live that these important national events could also be the focus of terrorist activity."
After Sept. 11, 2001, there is little controversy in Congress over whether the political conventions should get security money from the federal government. The convention has already been deemed a National Special Security Event by the federal government, often a precursor to receiving federal security aid. But the timing and scope of any aid package remain unsettled.
An omnibus spending bill scheduled to be finalized in Congress before Thanksgiving will probably be the last chance for convention organizers to secure the money until at least February.
Members of the Massachusetts delegation are concerned that security funding for the convention will get lost in the shuffle of a busy time on Capitol Hill, when scores of funding requests are being floated at the same time that lawmakers tussle over high-profile bills affecting energy policy, Medicare, and other issues.
And because New York has raised a vastly larger amount of private funds for its convention, getting the security money in place isn't as important to New York convention planners as it is to Boston at this stage.
Aides to Governor Mitt Romney, one of the Bay State's few high-placed Republicans, have been employed to help lobby the GOP-controlled Congress. Theirs have been among a chorus of Massachusetts voices that have been impressing on top Washington lawmakers the importance of getting the money approved, so that organizers can procure equipment and train public safety officials in plenty of time for the convention, said Julie Burns, executive director of Boston 2004, the convention host committee.
"We're getting the message out about what we need and why we need it," Burns said.
Still, Burns downplayed the potential impact on convention planning if the money doesn't come through until early next year, saying that planners would find a way to cope. "Obviously the sooner the decision is made, the better, but certainly we'd be happy to have the funding whenever we can get it," she said.
Much of the security money, including overtime for police officers and firefighters, won't be spent until the week of the convention. But other expenses, including antiterrorism training and the purchase of specialized equipment, will be incurred months before the event. An infusion of cash from the federal government would ease the way for that planning.
As federal help is being sought, the flow of private donations to the Democratic convention has slowed. US Senator Edward M. Kennedy and Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino lined up $20 million in commitments before winning the convention bid, but only about $3 million more has been secured since then. New York planners, meanwhile, have brought in more than $60 million from private sources for a convention that's expected to cost $91 million.
Boston organizers are trying to raise at least $28.5 million from private sources, with the rest of the estimated $65 million convention budget to be funded by some combination of public aid and in-kind contributions from private sources. If the federal government doesn't chip in for security, which is considered unlikely, it would put more pressure on private fund-raising and the state and city governments. Menino has said he wants to avoid using city tax dollars for the convention, and Romney has taken a similar stance with regard to state tax revenues.
Boston's original convention budget called for $10 million for security, but the estimated cost swelled to $25 million after the convention was tagged as a National Special Security Event in May. A similar designation cleared the way for the federal government to pay $250 million of the $310 million security bill at the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City. The designation ensures that Boston security planners will be aided by the Secret Service, the FBI, and other federal agencies.
The precise uses of the security money at the convention have not been determined, and organizers are awaiting the completion of a security plan by the Secret Service and Boston police to determine the cost with more precision. Capuano said he is optimistic about getting the $25 million approved before Congress breaks for the holidays, but will remain vigilant until the money is in hand.
City taxpayers could be socked with millions more in Democratic National Convention costs as the bill for security soars past $40 million - a pricetag shocker just now being revealed....
Factoring in federal reimbursements,
the city will face a $5 million additional cost on security alone as
Menino faces decreasing state aid and new salary demands from city
unions - some of whom have threatened to picket the Democrats' Boston
bash....
One longtime city watchdog believes City Hall deliberately lowballed the security pricetag to win support for the event.
"I'm not surprised," said Joe Slavet, former chief of the Boston Municipal Research Bureau. "By definition people understate budgets in order to get them through."
(Full report follows)
The Boston Herald
Thursday, December 4, 2003
Dems Need Cash: Sky-high costs dog convention
By Ellen J. Silberman
City taxpayers could be socked with millions more in Democratic National Convention costs as the bill for security soars past $40 million - a pricetag shocker just now being revealed.
Mayor Thomas M. Menino, who has repeatedly declined to discuss how much the four-day party next July will cost taxpayers, last night acknowledged that security costs are spiking.
The security price tag for the convention was originally sold to the public at a hefty $10 million.
Factoring in federal reimbursements, the city will face a $5 million additional cost on security alone as Menino faces decreasing state aid and new salary demands from city unions - some of whom have threatened to picket the Democrats' Boston bash.
"We've learned from our initial planning that $10 million isn't sufficient," said Menino's spokesman Seth Gitell. "They're still in the middle of the planning process so I don't think we can put a dollar amount on it right now."
The $40 million estimate was included in a letter drafted by New York congressmen seeking federal security aid for both Boston's Democratic National Convention and the Republican National Convention to be held in New York City next fall.
The New York letter is significant because the Boston officials have repeatedly refused to discuss security costs.
One longtime city watchdog believes City Hall deliberately lowballed the security pricetag to win support for the event.
"I'm not surprised," said Joe Slavet, former chief of the Boston Municipal Research Bureau. "By definition people understate budgets in order to get them through."
Boston is seeking - and expected to receive - $25 million from the federal government to defray the cost of making sure the first national political convention since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks doesn't become a new target.
But the city could still be on the hook for some $15 million - $5 million over budget - to cover security enhancements, equipment and police overtime, a price tag inflated by the convention's designation as a National Security Special Event, a status which puts the Secret Service in charge.
The security plan won't be finalized until next summer, said Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe, in town today to give 500 national and international media representatives a tour of the FleetCenter and taste of the convention.
"Our security plan will be done a week before the convention is open - and then it will change again," McAuliffe said.
But big decisions - like whether to shutter Interstate 93 during the four-day event - will be made early next year, said New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, the convention chairman, also in Boston for the media tour.
Menino's own letter on the need for federal convention aid doesn't include any cost estimate for security. And even the city council, which will ultimately have to sign the check, has been kept in the dark about the magnitude of city funds being pledged to the event.
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has said publicly he expects to spend $65 million on Republican convention security. The price tags of other convention items could also be on the way up.
For instance, McAuliffe would like to create a media center in the garage under the FleetCenter, but turning the rugged ramps into office space - including filtered air and toilets - is expected to cost $10 million. Boston 2004, the mayoral-run host committee, budgeted less than $6 million for media space.
Boston 2004, in the midst of raising some $50 million for the convention, might be able to cover some of the additional security costs privately but fundraising is already lagging - hampered in part by disputes between Boston 2004 and the Democratic National Committee.
Sources say officials from Boston 2004, who raised $20 million in 2002 but only $7 million this year, have had trouble nailing down pledges because they don't have any convention-related perks to offer big donors.
McAuliffe said Boston 2004 should promise donors the sky.
"I'm going to make sure that the host committee gets whatever they want," he said, before adding that those details might not be nailed down until next summer.
As Mayor Thomas M. Menino fails to provide firm estimates of what the Democratic National Convention will cost City Hall, the Romney administration says state taxpayers won't put a dime toward funding the big event.
"The governor believes that taxpayers shouldn't have to finance any of the costs related to a political convention," said Republican Gov. Mitt Romney's spokeswoman, Shawn Feddeman.
Feddeman said the state will tally all its convention-related expenses - including state police overtime - and seek reimbursement from convention organizers after the Democrats leave town in July.
(Full report follows)
The Boston Herald
Friday, December 5, 2003
Romney: Taxpayers won't foot DNC bill
By Ellen J. Silberman
As Mayor Thomas M. Menino fails to provide firm estimates of what the Democratic National Convention will cost City Hall, the Romney administration says state taxpayers won't put a dime toward funding the big event.
"The governor believes that taxpayers shouldn't have to finance any of the costs related to a political convention," said Republican Gov. Mitt Romney's spokeswoman, Shawn Feddeman.
Feddeman said the state will tally all its convention-related expenses - including state police overtime - and seek reimbursement from convention organizers after the Democrats leave town in July.
Whether the state's expenses will be covered by the $25 million in federal aid the city is seeking to defray security costs or by private fund raising is unclear.
The Herald reported yesterday security costs for the four-day event at the FleetCenter are soaring and expected to exceed $40 million.
The rising security costs come at the same time Boston 2004, the mayoral-run host committee, is struggling to secure $50 million in private donations to pay for the convention.
City officials Wednesday acknowledged their initial $10 million security budget was too low. But Menino yesterday denied the security bill would be $40 million. He declined to say how much he expected city taxpayers to shell out to cordon off the FleetCenter and protect the Democratic presidential nominee.
"The numbers aren't in yet," Menino told reporters, calling the Herald's report "erroneous." A letter circulated by New York lawmakers seeking $25 million apiece for Boston and New York City, which will host the Republican National Convention, estimated each city's security cost in excess of $40 million.
A similar letter drafted by the Massachusetts delegation said the combined security costs are "expected to exceed $80 million." Whatever the final security cost, Bay State Republicans say Menino should be keeping Boston residents in the loop.
"Ultimately, (Boston) taxpayers are going to get stuck with the bill," said Dominick Ianno, executive director of the Massachusetts Republican Party. "We should have a better idea of what this is going to cost us."
"They've done everything they said they would do, and they're very close to finishing up," McAuliffe said of the host committee. "We're in great shape. The mayor has done a great job. The host committee has done a great job."
But convention organizers declined requests to detail their fund-raising progress yesterday. A top convention official said last night that the host committee is "within striking distance" of raising $30 million, but declined to be more specific.
Last month, the Globe reported that the host committee had raised just $3 million in cash contributions and $4 million in in-kind donations in the year since winning the convention, after bringing in pledges of an unprecedented $20 million before winning the bid. Since that report, organizers have finalized just three more donations, each of less than $50,000, according to the host committee.
Even if organizers do fulfill the $32.5 million commitment, that would still leave state and city taxpayers on the hook for $8 million....
"If fund-raising's down and expenses are up, it's cause for concern," said Dominick
Ianno, executive director of the Massachusetts Republican Party. "You know who's going to fill the difference: the taxpayers."
...
Mayor Thomas M. Menino has said he will try to avoid the use of city taxpayers, and he favors the state picking up any slack because state tax coffers will benefit most from convention-related business.
(Full report follows)
The Boston Globe
Friday, December 5, 2003
Convention funds near goal, DNC says
By Rick Klein and Yvonne Abraham, Globe Staff
Amid signals that their fund-raising is lagging, national Democrats yesterday put an upbeat spin on their convention in Boston next summer, entertaining reporters from across the country with a flashy ice show and saying their planning is ahead of schedule.
Terry McAuliffe, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, said the convention host committee is close to fulfilling its initial commitment of raising $32.5 million from private sources, in cash and in-kind contributions. He said the convention has enough cash already in the bank to cover all its bills through the first quarter of next year.
"They've done everything they said they would do, and they're very close to finishing up," McAuliffe said of the host committee. "We're in great shape. The mayor has done a great job. The host committee has done a great job."
But convention organizers declined requests to detail their fund-raising progress yesterday. A top convention official said last night that the host committee is "within striking distance" of raising $30 million, but declined to be more specific.
Last month, the Globe reported that the host committee had raised just $3 million in cash contributions and $4 million in in-kind donations in the year since winning the convention, after bringing in pledges of an unprecedented $20 million before winning the bid. Since that report, organizers have finalized just three more donations, each of less than $50,000, according to the host committee.
Even if organizers do fulfill the $32.5 million commitment, that would still leave state and city taxpayers on the hook for $8 million. That figure could rise further if security costs increase beyond the current estimate of $25 million. Last month, US House members from New York State, who were appealing for money for the Democrats in Boston and the Republicans in New York, wrote in a letter to top congressional lawmakers saying that "an accounting of the cost estimates for each city exceeds $40 million." Officials with the convention in Boston say that the letter was mistaken."No one from the city, the host committee, or any of the legislative offices ever saw that letter," said Julie Burns, executive director of Boston 2004, the host committee. "It misrepresented Boston's position." Organizers conceded yesterday that they don't know what the final price tag for security will be.
"If fund-raising's down and expenses are up, it's cause for concern," said Dominick Ianno, executive director of the Massachusetts Republican Party. "You know who's going to fill the difference: the taxpayers." The convention's original budget was $49.5 million, but organizers say they now expect it to be closer to $65 million, because the federal government designated it a National Special Security Event. Congress is poised to approve $25 million for the convention, and the rest of the budget will be made up of some combination of private and public funding. Mayor Thomas M. Menino has said he will try to avoid the use of city taxpayers, and he favors the state picking up any slack because state tax coffers will benefit most from convention-related business. But Governor Mitt Romney opposes the use of tax money for political events, said Shawn Feddeman, Romney's press
secretary. Yesterday Democrats sought to keep the focus away from fund-raising issues, instead touting Boston as a great place to launch their presidential nominee next spring. With 530 members of the national news media at the FleetCenter for a "walk-through," convention committee CEO Rod O'Connor took a partisan swipe at the GOP for its choice of a convention venue. "The Republicans have gone to New York to exploit a terrible moment in our history," O'Connor said. "We have come here to ignite a revolution."
The reporters were entertained by a video from the 2000 convention -- a montage of balloon drops set to rousing music -- and ice skaters decked in red and blue, gliding along the ice holding signs that said "234" and "Days to Go," and "Can't Wait to See You In July."
Organizers said planning was on track, but some potential obstacles emerged as convention officials led members of the media around the FleetCenter and its environs. A lack of media work space will mean some reporters and photographers will be stationed in tents next to the arena, and others will probably be placed in office buildings on the other side of the Central Artery. In addition, two additional rows of skyboxes will have to be constructed inside the arena to accommodate the expected crush of reporters.
The Boston Globe is in negotiations to sponsor the official media welcoming reception at next summer's Democratic National Convention.
Officials with the convention and the newspaper cautioned that no final agreement has been signed regarding the media party, which will be held at the new South Boston convention center on Saturday, July 24. But representatives from both entities confirmed that the Globe is seeking to sponsor the bash, which is expected to be attended by some 15,000 journalists from around the world....
Julie Burns, Boston 2004's executive director, said the host committee is "excited at the potential of having the Globe as one of the sponsors for the media party."
(Full report follows)
The Boston Globe
Saturday, December 6, 2003
Globe in talks to sponsor media reception
for Democratic convention
By Rick Klein, Globe Staff
The Boston Globe is in negotiations to sponsor the official media welcoming reception at next summer's Democratic National Convention.
Officials with the convention and the newspaper cautioned that no final agreement has been signed regarding the media party, which will be held at the new South Boston convention center on Saturday, July 24. But representatives from both entities confirmed that the Globe is seeking to sponsor the bash, which is expected to be attended by some 15,000 journalists from around the world.
"In an event of this magnitude, the major newspaper ought to play a major role," said Alfred S. Larkin Jr., the Globe's senior vice president for general administration and external affairs. "We have been in discussions with Boston 2004 about sponsorship opportunities, and the opening media party is among them."
The talks are taking place as the city is trying to fulfill its initial commitment of raising $32.5 million from corporate and private sources, an effort that was behind schedule as little as a month ago when the host committee had collected just $7 million in cash and in-kind donations. Before Boston was selected as the host city, it had received pledges for $20 million. A top convention official said this week that organizers are now within striking distance of raising $30 million but declined to be more specific.
City officials and top officials at Boston 2004, the host committee, said the total value of Globe sponsorships and in-kind contributions to the convention is expected to approach $1 million. Larkin said he couldn't estimate the extent of the Globe's financial commitment because details have not been finalized.
The newspaper is also providing in-kind donations involving boston.com, its website, and BostonWorks, its employment section. The details of those arrangements are still being worked out, but BostonWorks is helping the convention recruit volunteers, and boston.com has provided links off of the convention's website to Globe arts and entertainment listings.
The media party is budgeted to cost $800,000, but Boston 2004 officials said the sponsorship agreement would only have the Globe cover part of that cost, with a cash commitment of perhaps $500,000.
Julie Burns, Boston 2004's executive director, said the host committee is "excited at the potential of having the Globe as one of the sponsors for the media party."
The media kickoff party cost $1.5 million in Los Angeles for the Democrats' 2000 convention.
After all, Menino all but singlehandedly killed plans for Sail Boston 2004 - the tall ships parade - which promised 500,000 visitors or more July 10-15.
The mayor didn't want the distraction or the drag on city resources from hosting two major events so close to each other.
(Full report follows)
The Boston Herald
Sunday, December 7, 2003
DNC gig at Fenway might make waves
Cosmo's World
by Cosmo Macero Jr.
Organizers of the 2004 Democratic National Convention went public last week with their desire to hold some kind of major convention-week event at Fenway Park.
And, surprise, Mayor Thomas M. Menino told the Boring Broadsheet that all he could think of was a ... concert.
Careful readers will no doubt recall how we reported last week that Clear Channel Entertainment - Fenway's promotional and ticketing partner - is in the marketplace for staging gear that would be suitable for a gig at the Lyric Little Bandbox.
Red Sox officials have denied any specific plans for Fenway concerts during the July 26-29 DNC bash. But something is clearly in the planning stages - and with the approval of Menino to boot.
A worthwhile question: Will the Fenway festival - whatever it turns out to be - be cause for rebellion on the waterfront?
After all, Menino all but singlehandedly killed plans for Sail Boston 2004 - the tall ships parade - which promised 500,000 visitors or more July 10-15.
The mayor didn't want the distraction or the drag on city resources from hosting two major events so close to each other.
Now, a couple of sold-out nights at Fenway won't get you anywhere near 500,000 people. But considering all the security concerns and other hassles, it's not exactly a walk in the park.
Too bad the Odyssey can't sell a harbor-cruise package with a view of Fenway Park.
A week after members of the national news media took a walk-through of the FleetCenter, representatives of a number of news outlets are openly worried about the apparent shortage of work space for the estimated 15,000 journalists who will descend on Boston for next year's Democratic National Convention.
"It's a huge problem," said Jim Drinkard, a political reporter for USA Today and a member of the Standing Committee of Correspondents in Washington, D.C., which helps handle press arrangements for the convention. "I've got to say that the words on the lips of everybody leaving [the walk-through] was `how can they choose a site like this without thinking about this beforehand?' There's no clear place that meets all the requirements we have." ...
Finding space for the media is a crucial challenge. Convention organizers want to present a positive image for the Democratic Party and the city of Boston during the four-day convention.
(Full report follows)
The Boston Globe
Thursday, December 11, 2003
Convention space seen lacking for journalists
Fleet walk-through gives way to worry
By Mark Jurkowitz, Globe Staff
A week after members of the national news media took a walk-through of the FleetCenter, representatives of a number of news outlets are openly worried about the apparent shortage of work space for the estimated 15,000 journalists who will descend on Boston for next year's Democratic National Convention.
"It's a huge problem," said Jim Drinkard, a political reporter for USA Today and a member of the Standing Committee of Correspondents in Washington, D.C., which helps handle press arrangements for the convention. "I've got to say that the words on the lips of everybody leaving [the walk-through] was
'how can they choose a site like this without thinking about this beforehand?' There's no clear place that meets all the requirements we have."
Carl Leubsdorf, Washington bureau chief of The Dallas Morning News, said: "We wondered why we had a walk-through when the people running the convention were not ready to show us potential work space. They clearly did not have answers to this at this point. I think if there had been a great option, we would have seen it, frankly."
Rod O'Connor, chief executive of the Democratic National Convention Committee, suggested that such fears were premature at this stage and said that news organizations will not make their formal requests for work space and technical needs until next March.
"We brought people here to Boston to give them a first look at the FleetCenter," he said.
Some of the work space "answers are known at this point in time, and some things we're still working out," O'Connor said. "If people are coming to you and saying, 'We're not sure we know how this is going to work out,' that's a little strange....
"We we want to make sure there's enough suitable work space for the media," he said. "I want to make covering the convention as easy as possible."
Finding space for the media is a crucial challenge. Convention organizers want to present a positive image for the Democratic Party and the city of Boston during the four-day convention.
Organizers of the two nominating conventions in 2000 had the benefit of a large area for tents and trailers near Philadelphia's First Union Center and a convention center conveniently located next to the main convention venue, The Staples Center, in Los Angeles. But the dense, heavily urbanized FleetCenter area provides no simple solutions.
The news personnel who participated in the walk-through said several sites -- including the North Station train platforms, a nearby building on Causeway Street, and the Fleet Center underground parking garage owned by the MBTA -- were discussed as possible media locations. But based on what they saw, some are worried that journalists will be scattered through the area and might be stationed outside security perimeters, a situation that would make quick access to the convention center more difficult.
"It's crucial for us to be inside the security perimeter at the Fleet Center; we have to keep people going in and out of the center quickly," said Marcus Stern, news editor in the Washington bureau of the Copley News Service. Stern said he has been attending conventions since 1984, "but I don't remember a situation like this."
Another unresolved issue is the possible use of the underground parking garage. Bob Dries, senior producer of special events for CBS Newspath, said: "We have a fairly big appetite for space. A lot of what they showed us is inadequate ... The real key to this is that parking garage underneath. It will solve a lot of the ills we saw."
But Tom Steacy, deputy business editor of The Philadelphia Inquirer, said organizers conveyed the impression last week that the garage was not under serious consideration. "They said it would be too expensive, we're not doing it," he recalled.
Stern said it might take significant improvements to transform the garage into a media work area. He also pointed out that organizers "tried not to talk about the garage," adding that, "All of a sudden it wasn't on the table at all."
But O'Connor insisted that "nothing is off the table," although he declined to go into detail about potential media venues. "We're looking at all options" around the Fleet Center, including the garage, nearby office buildings, and lots in the area, he said.
Asked about the possibility that thousands of convention reporters could be unhappy with their work accommodations, he responded: "We're not going to let that happen."
The convention journalists' experience while in Boston is "a huge concern to the host committee," said Julie Burns, executive director of Boston 2004. "The host committee will care for them. We will feed them. We will water them. We will provide them every amenity we can get our hands on." But there was hope that ultimately things will work out."Both parties face similar logistical challenges at tight locations, and each party knows expanding costs are a real concern for media organizations covering conventions," wrote Greg Kohler, senior producer for NBC News Channel, in an e-mail to the Globe. "I think the DNC is looking hard at all the options out there."
That veteran TV journalists have already come forward to say accommodations are grossly inadequate should be a source of grave concern at City Hall....
Karen Grant, spokeswoman for the Boston 2004 host committee, says the group has "never discussed any contingency plan."...
Maybe organizers will solve the space problems around the Fleet.
But isn't it better to be prepared for the worst?
"This is a city known for its political talent. But right now ... it looks like amateur hour," says one veteran Democrat who has helped run the party's earlier national conventions. "I don't want to see us look like idiots."
(Full report follows)
The Boston Herald
Friday, December 19, 2003
For Hub's sake, move convention
By Cosmo Macero Jr.
Sometimes politics makes great drama, and therefore, great TV.
The literal sprint by network correspondents to get on air with the Supreme Court's recount decision in the 2000 presidential election comes to mind.
As a general rule, however, political nominating conventions have less real drama and intrigue than your standard Keno drawing.
That's why, for instance, Democrats and Republicans are hoping to spice up their respective 2004 affairs by employing stage gimmicks first popularized by the 1980s metal band Def Leppard.
Nonetheless, in the case of Boston's big date with the Democratic National Convention, whatever drama and intrigue can be mustered up is probably best reserved for the actual event.
Because already, much is being sweated out and agonized over as organizers prepare for the July 26-29 convention.
How the tight quarters around the FleetCenter will accommodate 15,000 members of the media is the biggest problem.
"We don't consider any of the challenges insurmountable," says Richard Krezwick, the FleetCenter president.
Still, his party loyalty notwithstanding, the thrust behind Mayor Thomas M. Menino's dogged pursuit of the DNC was as a showcase for Boston.
That veteran TV journalists have already come forward to say accommodations are grossly inadequate should be a source of grave concern at City Hall.
Grave enough, even, that Menino would do well to consider a contingency plan for moving the four-day event to the $800 million South Boston convention center.
"If we got the call from the mayor or the committee ... I believe we could do it," says Jim Rooney, chief executive of the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority and Menino's one-time chief of staff. "It would look different. But it could and would be made to look like a good media event, which is by and large what conventions are."
Convention organizers say there is no move afoot to change locations - a costly proposition when one considers the toll alone from canceling DNC contracts with the FleetCenter, and building out a temporary seating bowl in the South Boston convention hall.
"There is no chance," says one insider. "Too many commitments have been made on both sides."
Karen Grant, spokeswoman for the Boston 2004 host committee, says the group has "never discussed any contingency plan."
"We are confident the issues regarding media work space will be worked out well in advance," Grant says.
But the sheer lack of space in close proximity to the convention floor seems to counter that assurance.
"If the media is not happy, (the convention) seems self-defeating," says one longtime local political insider. "One of the goals is to showcase the city to the media."
Privately, sources close to the planning process say the idea of backup sites has been kicked around. In one scenario, apparently pushed by owners of the Red Sox, Fenway Park would be used for the final night's ceremonies at which Democrats nominate their presidential candidate.
Still, even the Lyric Little Bandbox - host to Major League Baseball's 1999 All-Star Game - might be stretched by the crush of the world's media.
Menino, for his part, ought to be comforted that one of his former top aides - and still a trusted confidant - feels the MCCA can bail him out if necessary.
The Convention Center Authority, meanwhile, could use a political victory as it prepares for its inaugural season next year.
"We would move heaven and earth to make (the DNC) work," says MCCA Chairwoman Gloria Larson.
But obstacles remain to moving the DNC to South Boston:
Difficult hurdles all. But there are definite upsides to moving:
Maybe organizers will solve the space problems around the Fleet.
But isn't it better to be prepared for the worst?
"This is a city known for its political talent. But right now ... it looks like amateur hour," says one veteran Democrat who has helped run the party's earlier national conventions. "I don't want to see us look like idiots."
The convention promises to be a signature event for the city, but for the tens of thousands who live or work in the vicinity of the FleetCenter, it also could be a headache, with disruption of activities including subway service, supply deliveries, and restaurant service.
Mayor Thomas M. Menino, who sees the convention as a rare moment to showcase a world-class town to 35,000 visitors and countless television viewers from around the world, has repeatedly tried to dispel what he calls "an assumption that the city will be locked down."...
With the exception of police cars and shuttle buses, Causeway Street near the FleetCenter will be closed to vehicles. There's also talk of closing down all or part of the new underground southbound tunnel of Interstate 93, though organizers say they'll probably only have major traffic disruptions on the highway while the presidential nominee is in the FleetCenter.
Cars will be barred altogether from the 11 blocks of storefronts and rowhouses known as the Bulfinch Triangle, bounded by Merrimac, Market, Beverly, and Causeway streets....
The North Station MBTA stop will close. Orange Line trains that normally stop there will bypass it. The Green Line, which also stops there, will be closed for construction. Commuter rail lines will stop at a temporary platform short of North Station, though officials say they haven't decided where.
(Full report follows)
The Boston Globe
Friday, December 19, 2003
Security plans for July emerge
By Rick Klein and Corey Dade, Globe Staff
During this summer's Democratic National Convention, the FleetCenter will be sealed off by a five-block ring of security in which only credentialed delegates, journalists, and authorized police can enter. A far broader swath of downtown will be designated a "soft" security zone, in which some streets will be closed, police will spot-search pedestrians and vehicles, and residents may be asked to carry special identification.
The convention promises to be a signature event for the city, but for the tens of thousands who live or work in the vicinity of the FleetCenter, it also could be a headache, with disruption of activities including subway service, supply deliveries, and restaurant service.
Mayor Thomas M. Menino, who sees the convention as a rare moment to showcase a world-class town to 35,000 visitors and countless television viewers from around the world, has repeatedly tried to dispel what he calls "an assumption that the city will be locked down."
"You hear a lot of stories about what is being closed down and what might be closed down," Menino told business leaders recently. "We hope to have the city working for everybody. There will be no shutdown in the city. Are there some concerns we have? Yes, there are, but they're all workable."
Still, it's clear that as part of Boston braces for security on a scale it's never seen before, convention organizers are in a balancing act that could determine the event's perceived success or failure. Security at the convention will test the relationship between local and national organizers of the convention, with the desire for airtight security at times conflicting with the city's effort to remain fully functional over four days in July.
Some residents are worried. "It's a convention in a very restricted and crowded place, and thousands of people live here," said Paul Schratter, president of the West End Civic Association and a resident of the Charles River Park apartments on Hawthorne Place. "There's a sense of uncertainty. What's going to happen in the neighborhood? Will we be subject to security checks every time we go in and out of our buildings? Will our cars be allowed on the road?"
Most decisions regarding the zone around the FleetCenter will be in flux until weeks before the event, and many details will never be released publicly because of security considerations. But preliminary details are beginning to emerge, through interviews with convention organizers and meetings between security officials and the residents and business owners who will be most affected.
The tightest security will be in the immediate area of the FleetCenter. A perimeter extending for five blocks on Causeway Street and encircling the arena, North Station, and the Thomas P. O'Neill Federal Building next door will admit only delegates, working media, and employees involved in the convention. They will have to pass through metal detectors and X-ray machines at tightly guarded checkpoints. Even Boston police won't be allowed inside the perimeter unless they have been authorized in advance.
For delegates, organizers are considering a technique used in the 2000 Democratic convention in Los Angeles. Delegates were searched as they entered buses outside their hotels, and the buses were manned by security personnel throughout the day. The delegates were searched again on their way into the arena.
With the exception of police cars and shuttle buses, Causeway Street near the FleetCenter will be closed to vehicles. There's also talk of closing down all or part of the new underground southbound tunnel of Interstate 93, though organizers say they'll probably only have major traffic disruptions on the highway while the presidential nominee is in the FleetCenter.
Cars will be barred altogether from the 11 blocks of storefronts and rowhouses known as the Bulfinch Triangle, bounded by Merrimac, Market, Beverly, and Causeway streets. Trucks delivering food, mail, and other supplies will be restricted to day trips before 2 p.m. To prevent the trucks from getting too close to the FleetCenter, police officials said, the vehicles might be required to park on Valenti Way, where the deliveries can be carried to the businesses throughout the area.
The same area might also be a staging ground for political protesters, who by federal law must be allowed within sight and sound of the convention.
Inside the boundaries of a much larger soft security zone that includes Massachusetts General Hospital, the John F. Kennedy Federal Building and City Hall Plaza, there will be heightened police activity, some closed roads, and vehicles and individuals could be searched. Thousands of residents, particularly in West End apartment buildings, may be required to obtain special identification to prove they live in the area.
"You're going to see an awful lot of police -- Boston police, State Police, police from other jurisdictions -- only because we do not have the manpower ourselves to meet our 9/11 obligations," Boston police Superintendent Robert Dunford told residents and business leaders at a meeting to discuss security at the FleetCenter on Tuesday.
The goal is "to minimize the inconvenience for everyone," Dunford said. "We're not in the business of putting you out of business. But if we can't reconcile security interests versus access, security will take precedence."
The North Station MBTA stop will close. Orange Line trains that normally stop there will bypass it. The Green Line, which also stops there, will be closed for construction. Commuter rail lines will stop at a temporary platform short of North Station, though officials say they haven't decided where.
Dunford said a temporary MBTA bus route will loop the area, stopping at Haymarket, Government Center, Cambridge Street, the Longfellow Bridge, and the Lechmere T stop. It's not yet clear how bus services that residents use to get groceries will be affected.
Area businesses have grown anxious for plans to be finalized, so they can take appropriate steps to cope.
"One concern that we have or that people in the business community have had is how long do the restrictions apply and what exactly they're going to be," said Bill Fairweather, co-owner of The Greatest Bar in Boston, which will open this spring on Friend Street. "I feel like as long as there's lot of pedestrian traffic in the area, for me, I can work around it."
At least one site in the outer security zone will be set aside for protesters, with a parcel of the by-then dismantled elevated artery being eyed for that purpose. Of course, there will be a crush of out-of-towners milling about, and residents are also concerned about talk that bars in the area will be allowed to extend their hours.
"It will take over our neighborhood," said Bob O'Brien, president of the Downtown North Association. "My real concern is that people will do a lot of things in the name of security that doesn't have anything to do with security."
Schratter, of the West End Civic Association, said he has already figured out how he's going to cope: He's leaving town for the week.
"I'm deliberately going to be on vacation then," Schratter said.
The Democratic National Convention's skyrocketing security costs are expected to include the price of 12-hour shifts for Boston police as well as the bill for hundreds of officers borrowed from other jurisdictions.
Boston police overtime easily will top $3 million - setting a record for police payroll spending on a single security event.
And officials from neighboring cities and towns - who have been asked to lend cops for the four-day event - say they expect to forward their overtime bill to city taxpayers....
The Herald reported earlier this month that DNC security costs are likely to exceed $40 million, four times the price Mayor Thomas M. Menino predicted a year ago when he won the prestigious four-day event, set for July 26-29.
The contract Menino signed with the Democratic National Convention makes the city liable for all security costs.
(Full report follows)
The Boston Herald
Sunday, December 21, 2003
DNC OT will top $3M
By Ellen J. Silberman
The Democratic National Convention's skyrocketing security costs are expected to include the price of 12-hour shifts for Boston police as well as the bill for hundreds of officers borrowed from other jurisdictions.
Boston police overtime easily will top $3 million - setting a record for police payroll spending on a single security event.
And officials from neighboring cities and towns - who have been asked to lend cops for the four-day event - say they expect to forward their overtime bill to city taxpayers.
"If they want some level of assistance, we would expect reimbursement," said Thomas Largey, chief of staff to Quincy Mayor William Phalen. Brookline Police Chief Daniel O'Leary said he would expect to be reimbursed just as Boston was when it bolstered security during the Ryder Cup at Brookline's Country Club in 1999.
The Herald reported earlier this month that DNC security costs are likely to exceed $40 million, four times the price Mayor Thomas M. Menino predicted a year ago when he won the prestigious four-day event, set for July 26-29.
The contract Menino signed with the Democratic National Convention makes the city liable for all security costs.
An internal Boston Police Department memo obtained by the Herald shows that Boston brass are planning for up to nine days of 12-hour shifts for every one of the city's 2,000 cops.
Most of those officers will be stationed downtown, around the FleetCenter, the hotels housing delegates and dignitaries and patrolling high-profile parties like the swank bash at the South Boston convention center. The security plan calls for minimum patrols in Boston's neighborhoods, the memo shows.
The department also plans to cancel days off and vacations during the "DNC period." All told, every Boston police officer could work some 52 hours of overtime - every minute mandatory.
Officers assigned to special operations - such as the bomb squad, motorcycle unit and canine team - are expected to work even longer hours, police officials said.
"We're going to be exhausted," said Boston Police Patrolman's Association president Thomas Nee. "They're going to make it look like we're making all sorts of money (but) they're going to drive people into the ground."
The payoff for individual cops will be hefty. With the average officer making $30 an hour for overtime, the average July paycheck will be padded by $1,500. Longtime captains who make more than $60 an hour in overtime will see their paychecks soar by $3,000.
And Nee is lobbying for anyone who has their vacation canceled to be paid overtime for every hour they work that week - a costly proposition because every Boston cop is entitled to a summer vacation.
The source of the funding for all the DNC overtime remains unclear. The city is awaiting a $25 million security funding infusion from the federal government. Menino and other city officials have refused to say how they will cover any costs beyond the federal dollars.
"It's hard to explain what something's going to cost or how we're going to pay for it when we haven't finalized the (security) plan," said Boston Police Department spokeswoman Mariellen Burns.
She declined to discuss payments to other cities and towns, saying, "It hasn't been worked out yet." Burns also said it was unclear whether every officer actually would work a 12-hour shift every day during the "DNC period."
Gov. Mitt Romney already has said he expects the state to be reimbursed for any services - including state police overtime - it provides during the convention.
The expected $3 million police overtime price tag for security at next summer's Democratic National Convention in the Hub overshadows security costs to all previous Hub extravaganza.
The Boston Herald
Sunday, December 21, 2003
Other security bonanzas
By Ellen J. Silberman
The expected $3 million police overtime price tag for security at next summer's Democratic National Convention in the Hub overshadows security costs to all previous Hub extravaganza.
Mayor Thomas M. Menino recently claimed the 11-day Sail Boston Tall Ships display in 2000 cost the city $2 million in overtime. But previous published reports have put Sail Boston's overtime bill at only $500,000.
Security OT for other galas includes:
Boston 2004, the host committee for this summer's Democratic National Convention, has awarded a no-bid contract to R.F. Walsh Co., the development firm run by a longstanding friend and adviser to Mayor Thomas M. Menino.
Convention organizers refused to disclose the value of the pact benefiting the company run by Robert F. Walsh, but acknowledged no other businesses were invited to compete for the work....
Critics branded the deal an example of cronyism by the mayor. "Why is this surprising?" said Joseph Slavet, a former senior fellow at the McCormack Institute of Public Affairs. "There is a lot of loose change in this convention so he turns to his friends."
(Full report follows)
The Boston Herald
Friday, January 9, 2004
Conventional cronyism:
Firm of mayor's pal handed DNC contract
By Jack Meyers
Boston 2004, the host committee for this summer's Democratic National Convention, has awarded a no-bid contract to R.F. Walsh Co., the development firm run by a longstanding friend and adviser to Mayor Thomas M. Menino.
Convention organizers refused to disclose the value of the pact benefiting the company run by Robert F. Walsh, but acknowledged no other businesses were invited to compete for the work.
As "program manager," Walsh's function is to advise the cost-conscious host committee on construction matters and to coordinate with the Democratic National Convention Committee's construction contractor.
The DNCC is due to receive proposals from construction firms next week for the $3 million-plus job putting up a stage and modifying the interior of the FleetCenter before the convention as well as converting it back after the event.
Critics branded the deal an example of cronyism by the mayor. "Why is this surprising?" said Joseph Slavet, a former senior fellow at the McCormack Institute of Public Affairs. "There is a lot of loose change in this convention so he turns to his friends."
Officials of Boston 2004, which is run by Menino's former chief of staff, David Passafaro, defended the hiring, saying Walsh is offering a significant discount.
"They've reduced their rate considerably," said Boston 2004 spokeswoman Karen Grant. Passafaro could not be reached.
Walsh said he and his senior people will not bill for their time spent helping the host committee, although R.F. Walsh Co. will be paid for the work of more junior employees providing direct project support. "We're not going to make any money on it. We're going to lose money on it," Walsh said.
Menino has appointed Walsh, a former Boston Redevelopment Authority director whose real estate firm has grown steadily over the past decade, to head up several pet projects during his decade as mayor.
Walsh led the effort to remake City Hall Plaza, one that stalled after an unpublicized deal to build a hotel there became public. Walsh also helped merge Boston City Hospital and Boston University Medical Center early in Menino's tenure as mayor. At the same time, he has worked on highly political private projects, such as plans to build a new ballpark for the Red Sox.
Boston 2004 is designated by the city to pay for the $50 million convention. It also is obligated to organize and provide work space for the media, hospitality events for the 5,000 delegates, and other functions outside of the FleetCenter.
The other organization putting on the convention is the DNCC, set up by the party, which manages the event itself inside the FleetCenter.
The ethics panel decided Menino's convention fund raising was "warranted provided no one is coerced into making (contributions) or penalized for not doing so" because it will save taxpayers from footing the $50 million convention bill....
Pam Wilmot, executive director of Common Cause of Massachusetts, who filed the ethics complaint, said she couldn't prove coercion despite her objection to Menino's direct involvement in raising cash for the political convention.
"It's a very, very difficult standard to meet," Wilmot said....
Wilmot said she still thought the mayor hitting up city contractors to fund the convention had a "smell problem."
(Full report follows)
The Boston Herald
Wednesday, January 14, 2004
Ethics probe clears mayor's Dem convention fund-raising
By Ellen J. Silberman
Mayor Thomas M. Menino did not violate the law when he lobbied firms that do business with the city to help fund the Democratic National Convention, the State Ethics Commission has ruled.
The ethics panel decided Menino's convention fund raising was "warranted provided no one is coerced into making (contributions) or penalized for not doing so" because it will save taxpayers from footing the $50 million convention bill.
"The city has a contractual obligation to cover certain costs for the convention. These solicitations are intended, in effect, to protect the city from that liability," an ethics investigator wrote in a letter formally ending the six-month probe. "Under these unique circumstances, the mayor can solicit such contributions provided there is no coercion."
Pam Wilmot, executive director of Common Cause of Massachusetts, who filed the ethics complaint, said she couldn't prove coercion despite her objection to Menino's direct involvement in raising cash for the political convention.
"It's a very, very difficult standard to meet," Wilmot said.
Wilmot filed the complaint last year after the Herald reported Menino solicited convention funds from Liberty Mutual Group and State Street Corp., two companies that hold multiyear, million-dollar-plus city contracts.
In general, state ethics rules prohibit state and municipal officials from seeking contributions from corporations that do business before them.
Menino administration officials cheered the ethics ruling but said they were not surprised by it because outside legal counsel had cleared Menino's fund-raising plans before he began making calls and visits.
"It's a unique situation and it's a unique body of law," city lawyer Merita Hopkins said, noting federal election law carves out an exception for convention fund raising.
Wilmot said she still thought the mayor hitting up city contractors to fund the convention had a "smell problem."
"They (the ethics commissioners) are enforcing a law that is limited," said Wilmot.
Walking into John Hancock Hall to watch Mayor Menino deliver his annual State of the City address was a reminder of the still-powerful voice of labor in cities where Democratic mayors have had a history of giving in to the demands of labor unions....
Menino is welcome to warm January's frigid air with rhetorical bluster. The unions will be waiting patiently for spring, then summer and the arrival of the DNC and delegates from across the country.
"Shame on you, shame on you. Hang your head, hang your head." It will make great theater for Fox News and the rest of the media looking for something other than New England clam chowder and the Freedom Trail to showcase on national TV when Democrats come to Boston to nominate a presidential candidate.
(Full report follows)
The Boston Globe
Thursday, January 15, 2004
Labor's powerful voice haunts Menino
By Joan Vennochi
"Shame on you. Shame on you. Hang your head. Hang your head."
Walking into John Hancock Hall to watch Mayor Menino deliver his annual State of the City address was a reminder of the still-powerful voice of labor in cities where Democratic mayors have had a history of giving in to the demands of labor unions.
Before taking in Menino's relatively rosy view of the state of Boston 2004, his audience first had to file past several thousand city workers who did not let the face-numbing wind stop them from presenting a less heartwarming image of the city. They booed arriving dignitaries and then Menino, although the level of this year's protest did not come close to the intimidation of three years ago, according to people who attended both events. Union members who participated in that more raucous gathering understood that scaring Angela Menino as she walked into the hall did not help their cause with the public, even if it did help it with her husband. It is fashionable to bash labor for its lack of civility and resistance to change, but give credit where it is due. If a negotiating strategy works, why change it? As a tactic, the union strategy of dogging Menino and embarrassing him in public worked quite well in the past, according to Samuel R. Tyler, president of the Boston Municipal Research Bureau, a business-backed nonprofit agency that monitors and analyzes public policy. It started back in 1998 when Boston signed onto the Quinn Bill, which requires the city to reimburse police officers for the costs of receiving higher education.
Rejected by the prior mayoral administrations of Kevin White and Raymond Flynn, the Quinn Bill was approved by the Menino administration in contract negotiations with the Boston Police Patrolmen's Association on July 14, 1998, and was applicable to all officers. According to a report by the Municipal Research Bureau from last April, "The City of Boston will pay an estimated $15.6 million in Quinn Bill expenses in fiscal 2003."
After the police contract, the teachers union defeated a full-fledged campaign for change that was initially supported by Menino and School Superintendent Thomas Payzant. Then the firefighters came along and won a generous contract that included a sick leave plan that created a $20 million liability for the city. In all three cases, the city's capitulation came after protracted talks and unpleasant public confrontation between city workers and the mayor.
Now all city workers are without a contract, and Menino finds himself in the same position as a parent who gives in to a child's tantrums once too often, typical of the way Democrats handle labor.
What Menino said during Tuesday night's State of the City address was sensible and well-stated: "It is time for these union leaders to undergo a reality check."
It would be nice if union leaders heeded his call for reason in the face of economic reality. But it should not surprise him if they doubt his pledge "to be the last man standing between those municipal union leaders and the taxpayers' money."
"Will he be the last man standing in April?" asks Tyler. "He always is in January." But, as Tyler observes, "The message to the unions has been, if you give the mayor a hard time over a long enough time, in the end he will get weary; he will makes changes and concessions."
The unions have the mayor's track record to bolster their morale and persistence, plus the leverage of a lifetime: Boston as stage for the Democratic National Convention in July. Menino and Massachusetts Senator Edward M. Kennedy lobbied with all their might for the honor of hosting this political convention. Labor leaders, longtime supporters of both politicians, know that the last thing either wants is an ugly show of union protest while the world is watching Boston.
Menino is welcome to warm January's frigid air with rhetorical bluster. The unions will be waiting patiently for spring, then summer and the arrival of the DNC and delegates from across the country.
"Shame on you, shame on you. Hang your head, hang your head." It will make great theater for Fox News and the rest of the media looking for something other than New England clam chowder and the Freedom Trail to showcase on national TV when Democrats come to Boston to nominate a presidential candidate.
Having squeezed what they can from corporate donors in Boston, the organizers of the Democratic National Convention say they are setting their sights on Washington and focusing particularly on the corporate interests that look to curry favor by donating to the national parties.
Boston 2004, the group running the Boston convention, will hit up Washington lobbyists representing federally regulated industries that have traditionally donated to national parties and political figures, organizers said. Those potential donors include healthcare companies, banks, and utilities that can help the Boston organizers raise another $5 million to $6 million, said the organizers, who spoke on condition they not be identified....
A US Supreme Court decision last year upheld the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform law that bans soft money and corporate donations to political parties. But the decision also gave an opening for the Boston host committee to target some of the large national corporate donors who were holding back on commitments to fund the convention, not knowing how the court would rule. Because the committee is a nonprofit group, it can legally accept soft money.
(Full report follows)
The Boston Globe
Tuesday, January 27, 2004
Convention organizers look elsewhere for cash
Washington lobbyists are their next target
By Frank Phillips, Globe Staff
Having squeezed what they can from corporate donors in Boston, the organizers of the Democratic National Convention say they are setting their sights on Washington and focusing particularly on the corporate interests that look to curry favor by donating to the national parties.
Boston 2004, the group running the Boston convention, will hit up Washington lobbyists representing federally regulated industries that have traditionally donated to national parties and political figures, organizers said. Those potential donors include healthcare companies, banks, and utilities that can help the Boston organizers raise another $5 million to $6 million, said the organizers, who spoke on condition they not be identified. Convention organizers have repeatedly refused to detail the convention's budget and how much money they have raised. The convention's original budget was $49.5 million, but organizers said last month they expect security costs to increase the total to about $65 million. The Globe reported last month that the organizers said they were within striking distance of their goal of more than $30 million in private donations.
David A. Passafaro, the committee's president, declined yesterday to discuss details of the fund-raising, including how much he and his colleagues needed to raise. But he confirmed that the committee is reaching out to national corporations and trade groups that have donated to past Democratic conventions, as well as to the Republican Party's convention in New York, scheduled for September.
"We have reached out to lobbyists and some other friends in D.C. who represent these companies on a national basis," Passafaro said.
He described the corporate interests as those that are "in the process down in Washington all the time." The committee is looking to hold fund-raising events in Washington in the next few months.
The committee, according to one member, is looking for fund-raising help from such powerful Washington insiders as Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, a law firm that operates an influential government relations practice, and Cassidy & Associates, a large national lobbying firm whose clients include Boston University.
Passafaro declined to identify any of the potential donors or those who have already contributed. One committee source said the effort has collected about $1 million in the month or so since the committee identified a list of national contributors.
The committee is also expected to raise another $4 million or more through in-kind donations, mostly from technology firms willing to contribute their resources to the convention operation. A small part of the in-kind donations would also come from service and hospitality industry operators, such as those that provide food and liquor. In return, those companies would receive exposure during the convention.
A US Supreme Court decision last year upheld the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform law that bans soft money and corporate donations to political parties. But the decision also gave an opening for the Boston host committee to target some of the large national corporate donors who were holding back on commitments to fund the convention, not knowing how the court would rule. Because the committee is a nonprofit group, it can legally accept soft money.
"The court ruling has provided a real opportunity to solicit funds from national corporate donors who were tentative about contributing while they were awaiting the court's decision," said Cheryl Cronin, a Boston lawyer who is general counsel to Boston's host committee.
The ruling also came at a crucial time for the Boston organizers. Some say the local corporate community, which pledged $20 million in cash commitments when the city bid for the convention, has little left to offer.
"We've tapped out Boston," said one host committee member, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The committee also faces strong opposition on Beacon Hill for potential state funds. Governor Mitt Romney, in an interview last month with the Globe, said he is opposed to using taxpayer money for the convention.
"I have made it, I think, very clear, from the very beginning that the state taxpayers should not finance a convention, Republican, Democratic, or private sector," Romney said. "The convention should stand [on] its own. It should raise the money it needs to be held."
Romney, who ran the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, predicted that the $25 million recently appropriated by Congress for convention security wouldn't cover the entire bill.
"In the case of the Olympics, neither the state nor the city of Salt Lake City picked up one dollar of the costs of the Olympics," Romney said in the interview last month. "It was entirely paid for by the federal government, providing transit and security moneys, or by the Olympic Committee and its sponsors paying for the rest of security and all the other costs."
Passafaro rejected the idea that donations from the Greater Boston corporate community have dried up. He said the companies had "stepped up to the plate" and gotten the committee well on its way to meeting its budget goals, pointing out that the Boston organizers are ahead of the efforts that were carried out at the two previous Democratic conventions.
"We are in good shape," he said, adding that Democratic Party chairman Terry McAuliffe and Mayor Thomas M. Menino are both "very confortable" with the donation levels.
One potential donor is Bank of America, whose purchase of FleetBoston Financial Corp. is expected to be finalized in April. Fleet has already donated $1.25 million. But with the sale the Democrats are expected to try to squeeze more out of the North Carolina-based bank.
The organizers are also encouraged by the resurgence of US Senator John F. Kerry, the hometown candidate.
"This is a huge boost for the convention organizers," said Philip W. Johnston, chairman of the state Democratic Party.
The $25 million the federal government budgeted for Democratic National Convention security may not be enough to foot the bill, Mayor Thomas M. Menino said yesterday, raising new questions about how much taxpayers will have to kick in....
Previously, Menino has said he wouldn't spend any local revenues on security.
But yesterday he said he hoped the state would pick up the excess security costs - including the price of protecting the hundreds of dignitaries expected to attend the four-day event.
"That will be paid some by federal government, some by local government, what I mean by local is state government," Menino told reporters after the speech.
(Full report follows)
The Boston Herald
Wednesday, January 28, 2004
Menino: Fed funds may not cover DNC costs
By Ellen J. Silberman
The $25 million the federal government budgeted for Democratic National Convention security may not be enough to foot the bill, Mayor Thomas M. Menino said yesterday, raising new questions about how much taxpayers will have to kick in.
"Will that be enough? We don't know," Menino told a group of business leaders gathered for a United Way luncheon. "We will try to work within those confines of that $25 million that the federal government gave."
Menino also told the group Massachusetts' shaky economy was interfering with convention fund raising within the private sector.
"People don't say no. They just don't give as much (as they would have five years ago)," Menino said. "Because of the down economy, it's difficult. But we will get there."
As they wooed the Democratic convention in 2002, Menino and U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy collected pledges for $20 million from local businesses. Those pledges are now turning into checks, convention officials said.
But in the past 14 months, convention planners have raised less than $8 million, according to the list of sponsors on the Boston 2004 Web site.
"Our fund raising is progressing at a very steady pace, and we'll have more than enough money to have a wonderful convention," Boston 2004 spokeswoman Karen Grant said.
The U.S. House and Senate recently approved giving $25 million each to Boston and New York, the site of the Republican National Convention, to underwrite security costs. President Bush is expected to sign the legislation shortly.
Previously, Menino has said he wouldn't spend any local revenues on security.
But yesterday he said he hoped the state would pick up the excess security costs - including the price of protecting the hundreds of dignitaries expected to attend the four-day event.
"That will be paid some by federal government, some by local government, what I mean by local is state government," Menino told reporters after the speech.
Gov. Mitt Romney has repeatedly said the state won't pick up the convention security tab, which could leave Boston residents on the hook.
The Herald reported last month that DNC security costs could soar past $40 million.
The $40 million estimate was included in a letter drafted by New York congressmen seeking the federal security aid for the two conventions. The New York letter is significant because Boston officials repeatedly have refused to put a price tag on security.
Menino also is grappling with a host of union contract talks at a time when the budget is tight and residents are facing property tax hikes.
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