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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
The inevitable
stalks closer
Less than six months before Boston hosts the 2004 Democratic National Convention, the stage is set for a standoff over how much state and city taxpayers should have to chip in.
Convention organizers do not like to talk about it, but a gap of approximately $10 million looms large on their balance sheet -- money that will almost certainly have to be made up through some combination of city and state dollars. Sharp differences of opinion have emerged between state and city leaders as to who should pick up the lion's share of those costs.
The battle pits a Democratic mayor and a Republican governor who view the convention in starkly different ways and who have different mixes of political ambition, pride, and fiscal prudence on the
line....
"It's an interesting political situation," said Michael J. Widmer, president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, a business-backed fiscal watchdog group. "There's some truth to both of their cases. But in the end, there'll have to be some compromise to pay for the convention."
(Full report follows)
The Boston Globe
Sunday, February 15, 2004
State, city spar over who picks up the convention tab
Differences on whether taxpayers should pay
By Rick Klein, Globe Staff
Less than six months before Boston hosts the 2004 Democratic National Convention, the stage is set for a standoff over how much state and city taxpayers should have to chip in.
Convention organizers do not like to talk about it, but a gap of approximately $10 million looms large on their balance sheet -- money that will almost certainly have to be made up through some combination of city and state dollars. Sharp differences of opinion have emerged between state and city leaders as to who should pick up the lion's share of those costs.
The battle pits a Democratic mayor and a Republican governor who view the convention in starkly different ways and who have different mixes of political ambition, pride, and fiscal prudence on the line.
Mayor Thomas M. Menino worked hard to bring the convention to Boston. As a lifelong Democrat, he sees it as a central part of his mayoral legacy. But he is also locked in tense negotiations with more than 30 city unions that are now without contracts, and that are ready to blast the mayor for using city funds on a political event. Menino has long said that he would prefer not to commit city cash to the event and that he wants the state to make up any gap.
Governor Mitt Romney has come out strongly against any "political welfare" that would have state tax dollars supporting a four-day party celebration. The convention is coming to Boston as Romney tries to make a name for himself in national GOP circles, and he does not want to roll over to the Democrats on any issue. Yet Romney is only two years removed from his leadership of the Salt Lake Winter Olympics, where he looked to federal taxpayers to make ends meet.
"It's an interesting political situation," said Michael J. Widmer, president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, a business-backed fiscal watchdog group. "There's some truth to both of their cases. But in the end, there'll have to be some compromise to pay for the convention."
Romney has been vocal and firm in his beliefs, starting even before he was inaugurated as governor in January 2003.
Menino has been equally blunt: Since the state will see added sales tax revenue from the convention, the state budget should be a major source of extra cash and services the convention needs, he has said.
But neither wants to be accused of skimping on security costs at the first political convention since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Political observers say either could afford to pay; $10 million is a small sum in the $23 billion state budget or the city's $1.75 million [sic-billion] budget.
It is far less than local and state governments have paid for recent conventions. In 2000, the Republicans' convention in Philadelphia cost the local and state government about $42 million, and the taxpayer bill was $36 million in Los Angeles for the Democrats, according to a study by the Campaign Finance Institute at George Washington University.
In Boston, the money has taken outsized importance in the symbolism of politics. The full political situation is more complicated than either Romney or Menino lets on publicly.
"The fact is that it is a major-party political convention, and you have a Republican with national political ambitions and a Democratic mayor on the hook for a good show," said Lou DiNatale, director of the Center for State and Local Policy at the University of Massachusetts at Boston.
Romney has been wary of feuding publicly with the mayor of the state's largest city, and his aides declined to comment for this article. But in a December interview with the Globe, Romney said that while numerous hints have been suggested that the state help pay for the convention, he is adamantly opposed to seeing tax dollars support a political event.
"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," the governor said. "The convention should stand on its own. It should raise the money it needs to be held."
Romney also drew a distinction between his Olympic leadership in 2002 and the money that DNC organizers are seeking now. He pointed out that Olympic security in Salt Lake City was financed by the federal government and private sponsors.
For the Democratic convention, the federal government has agreed to provide $25 million to Boston to cover security costs, a proposition he lobbied for, Romney said. "I encouraged that funding," he said.
Menino sees the issue in the context of a long-running dispute he and previous mayors have had with Beacon Hill over the state's tax structure. While Boston is an economic engine for the state, most of the economic activity the city generates does not make its way to the city directly. Rather, the sales tax, the income tax, and the meals tax all are directed to state government coffers, which supports Boston and other cities and towns with annual local aid payments.
The mayor saw his argument work its way down Boylston Street to City Hall Plaza the week after the Super Bowl. The New England Patriots' victory parade cost about $465,000 to put on, with the city picking up 44 percent of the costs, and the private sector financing the rest. According to city figures, the parade made $22 million to $31 million in retail sales, souvenirs, food and drink, and transit -- an amount that city officials say tranlates into at least $500,000 in state tax revenues.
Menino argues that's why the state should pick up a major share of convention financing. Organizers are predicting the convention will bring $150 million in economic impact, though they have not estimated how much extra cash will make its way to the state in the form of tax revenue.
"It's a question of fairness," Menino said in an interview. "That was a one-day event. Can you imagine what six days of 35,000 people will do for growth dollars to the state?"
For their part, convention organizers are trying to stay out of a Romney-Menino fight and say they're planning to put on the convention without state or city tax money, though they declined to say how. Convention officials privately acknowledge that they will need more of a public-sector commitment to cover security costs -- like state and local police overtime -- as well as some logistical and transportation expenses.
Rising security costs, in addition to a history of last-minute overruns at past conventions, suggest that state and city taxpayers will have to produce about $10 million, according to analyses of convention financing conducted by independent specialists.
"For any public official to say they've got the cost covered is probably an exaggeration," said Peter Sepp, a spokesman for the National Taxpayers Union, a Washington, D.C.-area nonpartisan watchdog group that has studied the public costs of political conventions. "Costs get snuck in under the wire, because they get lost in all the hoopla."
The political equation appears to favor Romney -- not least because Boston is one of the parties that signed the convention contract with the Democratic National Committee, said DiNatale.
"The likelihood that Romney is going to bail him out is close to zero, and there's probably no downside for Romney," he said. "Menino's going to have to raise that money on his own."
Almost as soon as Boston snagged the Democrats’ 2004 presidential nominating convention 15 months ago, there were ominous signs that Mayor Thomas M. Menino’s political coup could turn into a costly boondoggle for taxpayers across the state....
There appears to be a gap of at least $10 million that the Democratic Party and Mr. Menino expect will be closed by taxpayers from Provincetown to Pittsfield, regardless of party affiliation.
(Full report follows)
The Telegram & Gazette
Wednesday, February 18, 2004
A Telegram & Gazette editorial
Menino’s costly party
State taxpayers shouldn't pay for Democrats' bash
Almost as soon as Boston snagged the Democrats’ 2004 presidential nominating convention 15 months ago, there were ominous signs that Mayor Thomas M. Menino’s political coup could turn into a costly boondoggle for taxpayers across the state.
The Boston 2004 host committee budgeted $49.5 million for the four-day event. It soon became clear that was a lowball estimate, omitting such major costs as insurance, transportation and police overtime.
There appears to be a gap of at least $10 million that the Democratic Party and Mr. Menino expect will be closed by taxpayers from Provincetown to Pittsfield, regardless of party affiliation.
If past conventions are guides, the gap will be much larger than advertised. Philadelphia originally budgeted $7 million for the 2000 Republican convention, which ultimately cost city and state taxpayers $42 million. Los Angeles budgeted $8.3 million for the 2000 Democratic convention, which ultimately cost $36 million in public funds.
Adding insult to injury, Mr. Menino suggests state sales taxes will offset the public costs.
What arrogant flapdoodle. To offset even the lowball $10 million with sales taxes, delegates would have to spend $200 million on items subject to the sales tax.
While Boston lobbies for tens of millions of state tax dollars for the aggrandizement of its mayor, Worcester and scores of other communities will be scrimping to preserve core services and minimize teacher layoffs.
Boston sought out the convention and will reap the lion’s share of economic benefits. If Mr. Menino cannot persuade the Democrats to pick up the tab, the cost should be shouldered by Boston, not by cash-strapped cities and towns in Central Massachusetts and across the state.
Since entering office, Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino has put his weight behind a number of big projects, each of which was said at the time to represent his legacy....
His focus -- which invariably influences the city's overall decision-making and operational structure -- has shifted to a four-day run of politics, garish partying, and big spending glitz called the Democratic National Convention. This July event at the Soon-To-Be-Renamed Center is the latest to bear the mayoral legacy label....
The mayor desperately wanted the convention and should focus on its success. But his near obsession with it detours badly needed attention from projects and problems of far greater import...
Menino entered office as the everyday guy determined to make Boston a vibrant and livable city. He truly cares about education, neighborhoods, and affordable housing. But now this proud urban mechanic risks morphing into a mega-party planner. And that's not exactly the stuff of legacies.
(Full report follows)
The Boston Globe
Monday, February 23, 2004
Menino legacy gets lost in convention planning
By Phil Primack
Since entering office, Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino has put his weight behind a number of big projects, each of which was said at the time to represent his legacy.
The first was the mayor's quest for a new convention center, which is near completion if not much immediate use. Another proposal, for a downtown baseball park, never got close to first base.
On a much grander scale, Menino hailed a new minicity of public and private space along Fan Pier and other South Boston waterfront land. That project has mostly stalled, been detoured to Los Angeles, or otherwise fallen off both the front page and legacy list.
Whatever their flaws, these proposals represented serious vision for the city. They involved huge investments of real and political capital in major infrastructure that could also generate real economic activity. But now Menino is targeting a far different kind of priority.
His focus -- which invariably influences the city's overall decision-making and operational structure -- has shifted to a four-day run of politics, garish partying, and big spending glitz called the Democratic National Convention. This July event at the Soon-To-Be-Renamed Center is the latest to bear the mayoral legacy label.
No one disputes that the convention places Boston on a high-profile stage, which incessantly insecure Hub boosters somehow feel is the only way to make this city -- despite its cultural, environmental, and historic wealth -- really world class.
Will the Democratic National Convention generate interest in the under-booked convention center? Maybe. Will it boost local businesses and state coffers? Sort of, as long as you don't deduct the cost of lost business activity, such as the return of the Tall Ships or US Olympics gymnastics trials, both of which cited the convention in canceling plans to bring bodies and bucks back to Boston this summer. And if you don't consider the potentially enormous disruption and other public costs.
The mayor desperately wanted the convention and should focus on its success. But his near obsession with it detours badly needed attention from projects and problems of far greater import, such as the troubled convention center and coherent waterfront development. The problem is compounded by the fact that Menino operates with a pretty thin crew of trusted aides. A Globe report in December said Menino would finally fill the long-vacant post of chief of staff. But that reported appointee is still not officially on the job.
Contracts remain unresolved with the city's unions, which are using the Democratic National Convention -- and the mayor's fear of political embarrassment at it -- for major clout. The outcome of these labor negotiations will do far more to define Boston's future fiscal fitness than any purported revenue stream from the convention.
If Menino wants a real legacy, one is literally opening up in the middle of the city, even if he has been slow to seize the opportunity. The Central Artery is coming down, creating 27 acres of new downtown land.
"Not since Frederick Law Olmsted designed the Emerald Necklace 120 years ago has Boston had the opportunity to shape such a large stretch of open space," Menino correctly noted in December. But turning such opportunity into actual legacy requires consistent involvement and leadership.
For nearly a decade, key issues of finance and governance of the new Rose Kennedy Greenway have remained unresolved. A report in Saturday's Globe said the city and Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, which controls the land, may be nearing agreement on a governance structure. But even that potential deal is fraught with pitfalls, including possible Romney administration opposition and serious doubts about financing. If the mayor's goal is a truly viable greenway agreement -- and not just one that gets the issue out of the way before July -- he must be prepared to spend the same kind of political capital he was willing to burn to secure the convention. As Boston Municipal Research Bureau President Samuel Tyler put it, "What happens with the Greenway will have much more of a lasting impact on Boston than the convention, even with the benefits that event could bring."
In his Jan. 13 State of the City address, Menino declared that the greenway has a potential even Paris would envy. But a single sentence was about all the issue merited. By contrast, the convention ranked five gushing paragraphs.
Menino entered office as the everyday guy determined to make Boston a vibrant and livable city. He truly cares about education, neighborhoods, and affordable housing. But now this proud urban mechanic risks morphing into a mega-party planner. And that's not exactly the stuff of legacies.
Phil Primack is a freelance writer.
With Governor Mitt Romney refusing to help cover Democratic National Convention costs, Mayor Thomas M. Menino has come up with a new idea: send the state a bill....
Menino is making his push for tax relief in the midst of a politically charged stand-off over which public entities should be responsible for convention-related costs. Perhaps $10 million of the convention's $65 million budget will have to be covered by some combination of city and state tax dollars.
Menino wants the state to pay, but Romney is refusing to go along and is insisting that all costs be borne by the private sector, the federal government, and the city of Boston....
House Republican leader Bradley H. Jones Jr. of North Reading ... noted that the convention wasn't thrust on Menino and that the mayor knew the state's tax arrangement when he lobbied national Democrats to choose Boston.
"You wanted the convention," Jones said.
(Full report follows)
The Boston Globe
Wednesday, February 25, 2004
Menino eyes billing state for DNC
Says city should get half of the extra tax revenues
By Rick Klein, Globe Staff
With Governor Mitt Romney refusing to help cover Democratic National Convention costs, Mayor Thomas M. Menino has come up with a new idea: send the state a bill.
Menino is proposing that the state give Boston half the extra money it collects in taxes when 35,000 delegates, members of the news media, and well-heeled Democratic donors open their wallets for their four-day visit in July. The mayor sees it as a simple matter of fairness.
"We don't share in any of the growth dollars," Menino said yesterday, shortly after giving a speech at the annual meeting of the Boston Municipal Research Bureau. "We have to look at those issues. Some adjustments will have to be made."
Menino, who has repeatedly griped that Boston is an economic engine for the state but does not reap the financial benefits, said an analysis he commissioned concludes that the convention will generate $154 million for local businesses. That could translate into as much as $7.5 million in income and sales taxes, which go to the state.
"The economic benefits of the DNC are tremendous," Menino said in his speech. "Now, if Boston could only get its fair share of the tax revenue, I'd be much happier."
Menino's measure is expected to be greeted skeptically on Beacon Hill. Aides to top lawmakers on the Legislature's Taxation Committee immediately raised concerns about how additional revenue can be measured, because late July is a popular tourist season in New England, even in years when there's no convention in town. Even Democratic leaders in the Legislature have been hesitant in recent years to grant special tax benefits to individual cities, including Boston.
"This can potentially open up a Pandora's Box," said Michael J. Widmer, president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, a business-backed research group. "The Legislature has been very leery of giving any local-option revenue-raising powers."
Menino is making his push for tax relief in the midst of a politically charged stand-off over which public entities should be responsible for convention-related costs. Perhaps $10 million of the convention's $65 million budget will have to be covered by some combination of city and state tax dollars.
Menino wants the state to pay, but Romney is refusing to go along and is insisting that all costs be borne by the private sector, the federal government, and the city of Boston.
The mayor is facing significant pressure from city workers' unions over all convention-related expenses. Nearly all of the city's 17,000 employees are now working without contracts, and several of Boston's largest unions have vocally criticized the mayor for being more willing to spend money on a political celebration than on their salaries.
Menino has argued in vain in the past for a greater share of state tax revenues. He lobbies perennially for a 1 percent tax on meals that would go directly to city coffers. He has looked for state support for previous city-financed special events, including Sail Boston in 2000 and the presidential debate that same year at the University of Massachusetts at Boston.
Together, those events cost the city $1.6 million, but virtually none of the economic benefits were felt in city tax collections, said Lisa Signori, the city's chief financial officer. Instead, Boston got its only support from the state in the form of annual local aid payments, like those it gets every year.
"We can't continually have these events and have the state get all the benefits," Menino said. "It doesn't make a lot of sense. We have to think differently when it comes to financing."
The legislation Menino is drafting, which he may seek to have included in the state budget this spring, would not be convention-specific and would cover a range of other special events that are financed in large part by individual cities, the mayor said. It is unclear, however, what criteria would be set up to determine which events would be covered.
Romney's press secretary, Shawn Feddeman, sounded a skeptical note about Menino's idea, given Romney's reluctance to see state tax dollars support a political convention. But she said the governor looks forward to reviewing the measure once it's formally introduced for consideration by the Legislature.
Senator Cynthia Stone Creem of Newton and Representative Paul C. Casey of Winchester, who lead the Joint Committee on Taxation, did not return calls yesterday. But aides to both lawmakers said they anticipate problems in finding a system to measure the revenue Menino is eyeing and in finding a way such a law could be administered by the Department of Revenue.
House Republican leader Bradley H. Jones Jr. of North Reading said he's concerned that if Boston gets half the tax revenue from this convention, other cities will be looking for similar arrangements for all manner of special events.
He noted that the convention wasn't thrust on Menino and that the mayor knew the state's tax arrangement when he lobbied national Democrats to choose Boston.
"You wanted the convention," Jones said. "I'd certainly give the mayor an opportunity to make a presentation, but at first blush, I have my concerns about it."
Menino said he will wait to file the bill until after the study of the convention's economic and fiscal impact is completed by the Boston Redevelopment Authority, and professors Alan Clayton-Matthews of UMass-Boston and John J. Havens of Boston College.
Havens and Clayton-Matthews said their research clearly shows that hotel, restaurant, and tourism dollars will flow to establishments in cities and towns throughout the region, but that the state will be the only government entity to see a significant uptick in tax collections.
Governor Mitt Romney blasted Mayor Thomas M. Menino's proposal to have the state share tax revenue generated by the Democratic National Convention, saying it would be nearly impossible to administer and unfair to state taxpayers.
"There are a number of problems with the mayor's proposal," Romney said yesterday. "The state was not asked whether we wanted to bid on the Democratic National Convention. We weren't party to the bid, we didn't make any representations or guarantees, we didn't put up money. And you certainly don't come to us afterward and say, `Oh, by the way, we'd like you to put in several million dollars.'"
(Full report follows)
The Boston Globe
Thursday, February 26, 2004
Romney faults mayor's DNC proposal
By Rick Klein, Globe Staff
Governor Mitt Romney blasted Mayor Thomas M. Menino's proposal to have the state share tax revenue generated by the Democratic National Convention, saying it would be nearly impossible to administer and unfair to state taxpayers.
"There are a number of problems with the mayor's proposal," Romney said yesterday. "The state was not asked whether we wanted to bid on the Democratic National Convention. We weren't party to the bid, we didn't make any representations or guarantees, we didn't put up money. And you certainly don't come to us afterward and say,
'Oh, by the way, we'd like you to put in several million dollars.'"
Menino, who on Tuesday said he would ask the state to send Boston half of the sales and income tax revenues generated by convention-related economic activity, returned fire at Romney yesterday, accusing the governor of unfairly keeping money that should go to Boston.
"This is a revenue generator," Menino said of the convention, which he estimates will bring $154 million in new business to the city, creating about $7.5 million in state tax revenues. "We're a tourism-service business, this city. The sharing of revenues doesn't happen in Massachusetts. It's about time we stopped thinking about the old way."
Boston officials pointed out that Romney sought a roughly similar arrangement with the state of Utah when he ran the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. In 2000, Romney successfully lobbied the Utah Legislature to exempt Olympic tickets from the sales tax. That measure allowed an additional $13 million to flow to the games for security and other services, according to state officials in Utah.
"If from the face price they had to deduct sales tax, it's money they would not have gotten," said Bryant Howe, the Utah Legislature's general counsel. "Everybody was worried about the financial footing of the games at the time."
But Shawn Feddeman, Romney's press secretary, said there are clear differences between the 2002 Olympics and the convention in July. The Olympics lasted two weeks and involved significant infrastructure improvements throughout the Salt Lake City area while the convention will last just four days and use existing facilities and roads, Feddeman said.
While luring the Olympics to Salt Lake City was a joint state-city effort, the state of Massachusetts had no formal involvement in persuading Democrats to come to Boston this summer, she said.
"The state of Massachusetts didn't seek the Democratic convention, and therefore the state shouldn't be on the hook to pay for it," Feddeman said.
Menino said he fails to see the distinction. He said Romney and planners in Utah had the balance right, since the state and local government entities should combine financial resources to make major events successful. He noted that Acting Governor Jane Swift -- like Romney, a Republican -- sent a letter to the DNC in support of Boston's effort to win the convention.
About $10 million of the convention's $65 million budget will have to come from a combination of state and city funds, but Menino and Romney disagree strongly about who should pay the bill. Menino is calling on the state to pay most of it, since the convention will bring an economic boon to the Commonwealth and will benefit state tax coffers. Romney, however, said the DNC should be paid for entirely by the private sector, the federal government, and the city.
Receiving additional tax revenue from the state would blunt criticism Menino is getting from city workers' unions, which are accusing him of being more willing to commit city dollars to a political celebration than to their salaries. Romney said that while he will look at any bill filed by Menino, he foresees major problems with the mayor's plan.
The tax benefit to the state is difficult to calculate, Romney said, since the state would still be getting tourists' dollars if the convention wasn't coming. Moreover, the state is already pumping money into the new convention center in South Boston.
"What happens when Microsoft brings their convention here, and so forth?" Romney said. "Does he want to, potentially, take over the responsibility for $800 million in funding of the new convention authority? I doubt it."
Globe correspondent Suzanne Sataline contributed to this report.
Beacon Hill's top leaders slammed the door yesterday on Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino's bid to grab half of the tax take from this summer's Democratic convention in Boston....
House Speaker Thomas M. Finneran told WB-56, Menino's plan "would set a very dangerous precedent."
(Full report follows)
The Boston Herald
Thursday, February 26, 2004
Gov nixes big DNC tax-take for Hub
By Elisabeth J. Beardsley
Thursday, February 26, 2004
Beacon Hill's top leaders slammed the door yesterday on Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino's bid to grab half of the tax take from this summer's Democratic convention in Boston.
Gov. Mitt Romney pointedly noted the state slapped down $800 million to build a new convention center in South Boston - specifically to help produce more tax revenues for the state.
Priorities such as education and prescription drugs for seniors "come first" at a time of scarce public resources, Romney said.
"The taxpayers should not pay the bill for political conventions. The party should pay those bills," said Romney.
But Romney's salvo came amid revelations that as head of the 2002 Winter Olympics, he arranged for the Salt Lake City Organizing Committee to receive $13 million worth of sales taxes on Olympics tickets under a deal with the Utah Legislature.
Romney aides dismissed the comparison, saying the state of Utah actively sought to host the Olympics and that the Olympics paid "dividends" in terms of permanent development.
Menino estimates the hotly anticipated political convention will generate $154 million for local businesses, which would funnel about $7.5 million in income and sales taxes into state coffers.
House Speaker Thomas M. Finneran told WB-56, Menino's plan "would set a very dangerous precedent."
But Menino insisted it's about "fairness" for Boston taxpayers. "We're generating all this revenue," he said. "It's a return on our investment."
Let's see if we've got this right: Mayor Tom Menino pulls out all the stops to get the Democratic National Convention to Boston this summer because it will be so good for the city, he insists. And now he's whining that the city won't get its fair share of the proceeds....
And to hear the mayor talk, you'd think that that additional income and sales tax revenue just goes into some giant pit buried deep under the State House dome. A goodly share of those tax revenues come right back into city coffers. Last year state aid to Boston for schools, libraries, and a host of other accounts amounted to $533.8 million.
(Full report follows)
The Boston Herald
Thursday, February 26, 2004
A Boston Herald editorial
Let the whining begin
Let's see if we've got this right: Mayor Tom Menino pulls out all the stops to get the Democratic National Convention to Boston this summer because it will be so good for the city, he insists. And now he's whining that the city won't get its fair share of the proceeds.
Is the man ever happy?
Tuesday he told business leaders (many of whom kicked in to the ample kitty the city had to put up to win the event from the DNC) at the annual meeting of the Boston Municipal Research Bureau that the four-day event will pump $154 million into the local economy, $108 million of that in wages for local workers.
Moments later Menino went before reporters and added, "We can't just continually have these events and the state gets all the benefits."
Well, not so fast, Mr. Mayor.
The city, of course, gets 4 percent of the 12.45 percent hotel tax, which will be a rather nice chunk of change during the convention, when every room in town (and then some) will be booked. Another 2.75 percent is earmarked to help pay the debt service on the city's share of that new convention center Menino lobbied so hard to get. That looks like a pretty even split to us.
And some of those conventioneers might also be renting cars, no? A special $10 per contract tax on those rentals also goes to pay debt service on the convention center ($1 of that for the city's share).
And to hear the mayor talk, you'd think that that additional income and sales tax revenue just goes into some giant pit buried deep under the State House dome. A goodly share of those tax revenues come right back into city coffers. Last year state aid to Boston for schools, libraries, and a host of other accounts amounted to $533.8 million.
The Democratic National Convention will bring in revenue, no question about it. It will also no doubt require the services of the state police and the National Guard.
It will disrupt the lives of commuters and local businesses with no particular role in the festivities (those that would actually just like to do what they do every other day of the year). Do they get to collect some sort of inconvenience stipend for their efforts?
Menino talked a good game in his speech about "partnerships." Putting on a big show like this will require partnerships and patience. Whiners need not apply.
Of course we all knew when the Democrats announced they would hold their 2004 presidential convention in Boston, that we Massachusetts taxpayers would be asked, if that is the right verb, to pick up some of the tab.
When they said it would cost only $49.5 million (not, you will note, $50 million, but $49.5 million), we knew they were underestimating - by millions of dollars - the total cost, just as they have done on public works projects like the Big Dig.
When they said it will all be raised privately except for anticipated federal funds for extra security, we knew they would eventually be looking to the public for a lot more.
Citizens for Limited Taxation, which is as close as I come to a having a party, put a section on its Web site in December 2002 called "Boston DNC Convention 2004: Anatomy of an inevitable taxpayer mugging," and started collecting news stories that would lead to the inevitable announcement that taxpayers will have to "chip in" for the good of democracy.
The political trick, as always, was to reassure everyone just long enough to reach the point of no return, and then dribble out the truth.
(Full report follows)
The Salem News
Thursday, February 26, 2004
Democrats to party in Boston while the rest of us foot the bill
By Barbara Anderson
It's not my party and I'll cry if I have to pay for it.
Of course we all knew when the Democrats announced they would hold their 2004 presidential convention in Boston, that we Massachusetts taxpayers would be asked, if that is the right verb, to pick up some of the tab.
When they said it would cost only $49.5 million (not, you will note, $50 million, but $49.5 million), we knew they were underestimating - by millions of dollars - the total cost, just as they have done on public works projects like the Big Dig.
When they said it will all be raised privately except for anticipated federal funds for extra security, we knew they would eventually be looking to the public for a lot more.
Citizens for Limited Taxation, which is as close as I come to a having a party, put a section on its Web site in December 2002 called "Boston DNC Convention 2004: Anatomy of an inevitable taxpayer mugging," and started collecting news stories that would lead to the inevitable announcement that taxpayers will have to "chip in" for the good of democracy.
The political trick, as always, was to reassure everyone just long enough to reach the point of no return, and then dribble out the truth. So now it seems - at this early moment in the election year - the cost will be $65 million (subject to revision upward in the coming six months). Those private donors represented just the initial enthusiasm from the downtown Boston business community kissing up to the Democrats. So where, oh where, will the remaining dollars come from?
Do you have a mirror handy?
Are you a Democrat? Or, are you a Republican who would rather contribute to the Republican convention in New York? Do you belong to a third party, or, like me, are you an unenrolled independent who prefers not to pay for any party's party?
While you're looking at yourself, have a conversation. Regardless of your party status, can you think of anything worth supporting more than four days of multimillion-dollar political excess? Let your imagination run wild.
If you have no imagination, you might prefer to pay for a series of political speeches followed by people of diversity doing the Macarena or whatever funky dance is in vogue this year, surrounded by balloons and TV cameras.
I don't mean to pick on Democrats; it's just that the Republicans won't expect Massachusetts taxpayers to pay for their convention in New York. But while I'm thinking of them, let me ask you something:
Why do the Republicans need a convention this year? Don't they already know who their candidate is going to be?
And, now that we're thinking of it, won't the primary delegate counts tell Democrats who theirs is, too? If there's to be a convention, why was all that taxpayer money spent to hold primary elections?
Since there have been party conventions for as long as I can remember, I assumed that the Constitution or some law somewhere required them. It wasn't until I read recently that state or Boston taxpayers might have to pitch in more for the Democratic convention that I asked if it was really necessary to hold a convention - and learned that it is not.
George Washington was chosen by the first electoral college. The nation managed to elect the Adamses, Jefferson, Madison and Monroe without a convention; so far, so good.
It wasn't until 1827, when a new party called the Anti-Masons organized against Andrew Jackson, that a convention was held. For more than a century, the big decisions were often made in "smoke-filled rooms" until the primary elections began to dominate the process in the 1950s.
The Constitution doesn't require conventions, there are no laws that order them. Primary or caucus voters in each state are deciding their party's ticket now. When they are done, President Bush will be the Republican candidate, and someone named John will be the Democrats'.
Do "delegates" of either party really have to junket somewhere to vote again? Can't they phone, fax or e-mail?
So if conventions aren't necessary, why did U.S. taxpayers through the Federal Election Commission contribute roughly $13 million to each party's 2000 convention? And why are we paying an additional $25 million just for each convention's security, or any aspect of their events? Not to mention the additional amounts that the Democrats now want from Massachusetts taxpayers.
If parties want to party somewhere, let them do it at their own expense.
It's not my party, and I don't wanna pay for it. Not any amount, not anything at all.
Telegram & Gazette
Thursday, February 26, 2004
Editorial cartoon by David Hitch
Democratic National Convention organizers will build a temporary two-story structure on the site of the old Boston Garden to house members of the media during this July's four-day event.
The move comes after media representatives sharply criticized organizers for not making adequate preparations for the 15,000 members of the media expected at the convention....
Convention officials said they had not yet chosen a vendor to construct the temporary structure, and declined to discuss costs. But a spokeswoman for Boston 2004, the convention's host committee, said all media arrangements will be covered by the $5 million budgeted to be spent on media workspace preparations.
"We are completely within our budget for media workspace," Grant said.
(Full report follows)
The Boston Globe
Friday, February 27, 2004
DNC organizers expand their plan to house media
By Rick Klein, Globe Staff
Democratic National Convention organizers will build a temporary two-story structure on the site of the old Boston Garden to house members of the media during this July's four-day event.
The move comes after media representatives sharply criticized organizers for not making adequate preparations for the 15,000 members of the media expected at the convention.
In December, convention officials said they were considering a series of makeshift arrangements -- including an outdoor tent, the North Station train platforms, and an underground parking garage -- that may have forced journalists to go through metal detectors every time they traveled between their workspaces and the FleetCenter.
Jim Drinkard, a member of the media committee that is helping arrange press accommodations for the convention, said yesterday that he needs to see more details, but is encouraged by what convention officials are now outlining. He said he was particularly pleased that all 190,000 square feet of print media workspace will be within the security perimeter meaning journalists can travel freely between the convention hall and their filing areas.
"It looks like they have heard us and have responded," said Drinkard, a political reporter for USA Today and a member of the Standing Committee of Correspondents in Washington. "It doesn't answer all the questions, but the fact that the workspace is all going to be within the security perimeter meets a very high priority for us."
The temporary structure will have an elevator, hard walls, and a tent-style roof, and will be similar to structures at this summer's Olympic Games in Athens. In addition, convention officials said they would lease approximately 100,000 square feet in 226 Causeway St., a recently renovated 12-story building adjacent to the FleetCenter.
"We selected two sites that are undoubtedly our best choice for media workspace," said Rod O'Connor, CEO of the Democratic National Convention Committee.
Drinkard said he believes the space set aside by convention organizers will be adequate, but added that it's impossible to know that for sure because media organizations are still outlining coverage plans. This year's convention in Boston is being held in a dense urban neighborhood, and planners have had a difficult time finding room for all necessary arrangements.
Convention officials said they had not yet chosen a vendor to construct the temporary structure, and declined to discuss costs. But a spokeswoman for Boston 2004, the convention's host committee, said all media arrangements will be covered by the $5 million budgeted to be spent on media workspace preparations.
"We are completely within our budget for media workspace," Grant said.
Mayor Tom Menino and Sen. Ted Kennedy worked long and hard to bring the Democratic National Convention to Boston. It's a dubious honor, which will mean next to nothing to the vast majority of Massachusetts residents, who'll watch the show on TV if at all....
The deal itself is outrageous enough. Now Menino wants the state to pick up most of the cost of this giveaway....
Romney should stand his ground on this one, and legislators from this side of Boston should stand with him, whatever their party affiliation. Menino made this deal; let him pay for it.
(Full report follows)
The MetroWest Daily News
Saturday, February 28, 2004
A MetroWest Daily News editorial
State should not pay for convention
Mayor Tom Menino and Sen. Ted Kennedy worked long and hard to bring the Democratic National Convention to Boston. It's a dubious honor, which will mean next to nothing to the vast majority of Massachusetts residents, who'll watch the show on TV if at all.
But hosting the convention is a big deal to politicians like Menino and Kennedy, and the competition from politicians pushing other cities was stiff. That's why Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe was able to elicit a $10 million pledge from Menino to help underwrite the $65 million, four-day affair.
We're not talking about money to pay for police overtime, sweep the streets around the FleetCenter or other costs associated with a big public event. The Democrats will spend the $10 million on balloons and confetti, on rent paid to Jeremy Jacobs, on jumbo shrimp in the reception area for the press corps. And all so the DNC doesn't have to dip into its mega-million-dollar soft money bank accounts to pay for its own shindig.
The deal itself is outrageous enough. Now Menino wants the state to pick up most of the cost of this giveaway. He wants the state to pony up the dough by kicking back to the city a greater share of sales tax revenue than it would normally receive.
Gov. Mitt Romney is resisting the move, arguing that the state had no part in wooing the DNC and shouldn't have to pay for it. Menino counters that the economic impact of the convention -- $154 million in business, he claims, but such estimates are almost always wildly exaggerated -- will feed state as well as city coffers. True enough, but considering the state gave more than $533 million in aid to Boston last year, Menino has nothing to complain about.
Romney should stand his ground on this one, and legislators from this side of Boston should stand with him, whatever their party affiliation. Menino made this deal; let him pay for it.
Organizers of the Democratic National Convention said Tuesday they have come up with $58 million for the July event but must raise an additional $7 million to reach a price tag that has risen because of security costs.
(Full report follows)
Associated Press
Tuesday, March 2, 2004
Convention organizers: more funds raised but price tag up
Organizers of the Democratic National Convention said Tuesday they have come up with $58 million for the July event but must raise an additional $7 million to reach a price tag that has risen because of security costs.
Members of Boston 2004 said at a news conference that the original budget of $49.5 million has increased to $64.5 million. So far, organizers have raised about $28 million in cash, $4 million in "in kind" contributions and have a $25 million commitment from the federal government.
The $28 million includes $20 million to launch the bid, and an additional $8 million raised since then. Julie Burns, executive director of Boston 2004, said raising an additional $7 million is "very doable in a reasonable amount of time."
Despite fears that city taxpayers will be saddled with a big tab for security at the Democratic National Convention, organizers insisted the costs will be covered by the federal government.
"We don't anticipate asking the city for any money," said Julie Burns, executive director of Boston 2004, the host committee charged with raising the cash to put on the four-day show at the FleetCenter.
Burns made the pledge even as she revealed that the total tab for the convention will be an estimated $64.5 million - a $15 million increase over earlier projections.
(Full report follows)
The Boston Herald
Wednesday, March 3, 2004
Organizers say fed $ will pay for convention
By Ellen J. Silberman
Wednesday, March 3, 2004
Despite fears that city taxpayers will be saddled with a big tab for security at the Democratic National Convention, organizers insisted the costs will be covered by the federal government.
"We don't anticipate asking the city for any money," said Julie Burns, executive director of Boston 2004, the host committee charged with raising the cash to put on the four-day show at the FleetCenter.
Burns made the pledge even as she revealed that the total tab for the convention will be an estimated $64.5 million - a $15 million increase over earlier projections.
Thus far, Boston 2004 has raised $57 million - including a $25 million federal grant for security expected to total some $64.5 million.
The committee needs pledges for another $7.5 million - an average of $1.5 million a month - before the nominating convention opens on July 26.
"We believe it is very doable," she said.
Organizers yesterday also said that pedestrians - including protesters - will be able to roam freely within blocks of the FleetCenter.
"How are you going to stop a guy who says he's going to the Harp for a beer from meeting four friends and holding up a sign?" asked Rod O'Connor, CEO of the Democratic National Convention Committee.
But civil libertarians say access to the streets around the FleetCenter doesn't guarantee protesters' First Amendment rights.
Citing security concerns, MBTA officials want to shut down North Station to all commuter rail and subway traffic during the Democratic National Convention at the FleetCenter, several officials involved in the planning effort say, potentially snarling downtown traffic as convention-goers descend on Boston in July....
Combined with the decision to limit traffic in the new southbound Expressway tunnel to two lanes for 10 months beginning this spring, the North Station closure could tie the area's transportation network in knots, as thousands more commuters drive to Boston, exacerbating traffic and parking problems throughout the city. There is also a possibility that Interstate 93 -- which runs just feet from the FleetCenter -- will be closed, a move that would generate more commuting headaches.
(Full report follows)
The Boston Globe
Wednesday, March 3, 2004
North Station may shut for parley
By Raphael Lewis, Globe Staff
Citing security concerns, MBTA officials want to shut down North Station to all commuter rail and subway traffic during the Democratic National Convention at the FleetCenter, several officials involved in the planning effort say, potentially snarling downtown traffic as convention-goers descend on Boston in July.
The move would force North Station's 25,000 weekday rail commuters to change trains north of the city and connect with subways or buses, according to officials from four agencies and organizations involved in planning the convention, which takes place July 26 to 29. Subway trains would bypass the North Station stops on the Green and Orange lines, they said.
Combined with the decision to limit traffic in the new southbound Expressway tunnel to two lanes for 10 months beginning this spring, the North Station closure could tie the area's transportation network in knots, as thousands more commuters drive to Boston, exacerbating traffic and parking problems throughout the city. There is also a possibility that Interstate 93 -- which runs just feet from the FleetCenter -- will be closed, a move that would generate more commuting headaches.
The officials said they made the decision in part because even if they elected to keep North Station open, a security problem during the convention, such as a bomb threat or violent protest, could compel the Secret Service to shut it down, causing commuter chaos. In addition, they said closing North Station will mean commuters won't have to jockey with tens of thousands of convention-goers throughout the week of the event.
"You don't want to have to walk between 30,000 convention political types," one of the officials said. "It's probably better to keep the commuters out. They will prefer it, to stay totally away."
Final plans for the area around the FleetCenter are still being worked out by convention organizers, but the closure of North Station is all but a certainty because of the risks of keeping a subterranean transit hub open while a high-security event takes place in the arena above it, the officials said. North Station lies directly beneath the FleetCenter. Ann Roman, a spokeswoman for the Secret Service, said no final decisions have been made on the fate of North Station or I-93, saying, "The Secret Service, along with federal, state, and local agencies involved, will take into consideration the concerns of all affected and will attempt to minimize disruptions."
Convention organizers had considered a plan for building temporary platforms for commuter trains a few hundred yards north of the station. But that proposal would have cost at least $1 million, and possibly twice that, the officials said.
Under the new plan, riders on the Fitchburg commuter rail line would probably be required to disembark at the Porter Square stop in Cambridge and transfer to the Red Line. Riders on the Haverhill line would change to the Orange Line at the Malden Center stop. Those taking the Lowell train would be required to transfer to a bus at the Anderson regional transportation center in Woburn. And riders on the Rockport/Newburyport branch would probably have to switch to a bus in Lynn.
So far, nearly all of the agencies meeting to hash out a security plan for the convention are on board with the MBTA's strategy, the officials said, although all have been reluctant to deliver the unwelcome news to the public until the Secret Service has given its final approval.
At a press conference yesterday, Julie Burns, executive director of Boston 2004, said the organization is committed to coming up with a transportation plan that will balance the concerns of commuters and convention-goers alike, but did not acknowledge the MBTA's recommendation.
Seth Gitell, Mayor Thomas M. Menino's spokesman, said the mayor still considers the matter open for discussion, and added that Menino has "been working hard with the MBTA to come up with the right plan to minimize the inconvenience for commuters when the convention comes to town, but that optimizes public safety."
"Obviously, the mayor will abide by whatever public safety determination is created," he said.
A senior official in Governor Mitt Romney's administration said the state will embark on "a massive public communications effort so people can plan their lives that week" if the Secret Service OKs the closing of North Station.
Business leaders say they will work with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and security planners to ensure that the convention is a safe event, but they also want to make sure that businesses can continue to function throughout the week.
"The DNC coming to Boston is a wonderful opportunity ...," said Richard A. Dimino, CEO of the Artery Business Committee. "Challenges relate directly to security and our transportation system, and security issues take the lead. Everybody understands that."
Commuters hoping to navigate road and rail closings during the Democratic convention in July may find themselves facing daily surprises as they make the nightmare trip into the city....
Boston police Superintendent Robert Dunford said the Leverett Connector from Storrow Drive to the highway would be closed, affecting thousands of commuters.
Motorists' problems won't be limited to getting to the city.
Once they get here, they'll find hundreds of parking spaces off-limits.
(Full report follows)
The Boston Herald
Thursday, March 4, 2004
Last-second DNC moves may create commuter nightmare
By Jack Meyers
Thursday, March 4, 2004
Commuters hoping to navigate road and rail closings during the Democratic convention in July may find themselves facing daily surprises as they make the nightmare trip into the city.
"A lot of this is going to be last-minute decision-making that (Secret Service officials) are not going to want to share or want us to share" publicly, said Thomas Tinlin, a top city Transportation Department official.
Local officials have been meeting for months with the Secret Service to work out how security at the FleetCenter - which abuts Interstate 93, several commuter rail lines, and the MBTA's Orange and Green Line trains - will affect traffic during the July 26-29 convention.
Last year, the Herald reported the MBTA's North Station stop, which has 13,000 pass through its turnstiles per day, would be closed during the convention. Officials also said I-93 might have to shut down.
Boston police Superintendent Robert Dunford said the Leverett Connector from Storrow Drive to the highway would be closed, affecting thousands of commuters.
Motorists' problems won't be limited to getting to the city.
Once they get here, they'll find hundreds of parking spaces off-limits.
Once, just once, it would be nice to see an elected official in Boston announce that we need to get something done not for the Democratic National Convention, but for the meaningless minions who people this city, otherwise known as residents....
In the last 90 days, the Globe has published 125 stories with the words "Democratic National Convention," many of them about fund-raising problems or union threats or the city's highways and byways getting shut down. The New York Times has run just 40 stories mentioning the Republican National Convention over the same time. One of them in particular jumps out: "Penn Station to Stay Open During G.O.P. Convention." Like North Station, Penn Station is also located under the convention arena....
This should be easy, yet we're fighting over nothing and giving away the store for no reason at all. Better for our leaders to pay attention to the daily realities of Boston than the image we project during a week in July.
(Full report follows)
The Boston Globe
Friday, March 5, 2004
Such giddy anticipation
By Brian McGrory, Globe Columnist
Once, just once, it would be nice to see an elected official in Boston announce that we need to get something done not for the Democratic National Convention, but for the meaningless minions who people this city, otherwise known as residents.
It would be nice if we were ripping down the Central Artery at this surprisingly breakneck pace not to make downtown more appealing for the visiting delegates from Palookaville, but for the Bostonians who have lived with turmoil far too long. It would be nice if the city fathers were as distraught over the potholed roads of Roxbury and Dorchester as they are over the fact that a dormant stretch of the elevated Green Line may not be dismantled by July. It would be nice if we were as concerned about the garbage strewn across our streets in March as we undoubtedly will be in July.
It would be nice if officials cared about the fact that North Station will probably be shut down for a week or that the newly buried southbound lanes of the Central Artery might be closed or that the Leverett Connector could be disconnected.
Next thing you know, the whole city will be ordered off-limits to all Bostonians for the convention. Boston as a stage set: See how wonderful this city is in real life.
Believe me, I understand that bringing this convention to town is probably a good idea. We'll show off the underground artery or at least the parts we're allowed to drive on. We'll put the FleetCenter on display. We'll lure people to the new South Boston Convention Center.
In the bigger picture, we'll exude the can-do attitude that goes along with the so-called rebranding of this city, and the result will be an unfathomable tourism boom for years to come.
Sure it will. But even if a little bit true, is it reason enough to become so obsessed?
In the last 90 days, the Globe has published 125 stories with the words "Democratic National Convention," many of them about fund-raising problems or union threats or the city's highways and byways getting shut down. The New York Times has run just 40 stories mentioning the Republican National Convention over the same time. One of them in particular jumps out: "Penn Station to Stay Open During G.O.P. Convention." Like North Station, Penn Station is also located under the convention arena.
Think about that. While officials cavalierly plan to shutter our train station for the week, in New York, where a wartime president is returning to a city that was attacked by terrorists just three years before, the trains will run on time.
And we just accept it as the cost of being the host. It's as if all our elected officials are stripping off their overalls and stamping the manure out of their boots before they go into negotiations with the security agents. If you're a resident of Greater Boston, that hand on your back belongs to your political leaders, and it's about to push you under the bus.
Several truths aren't being spoken, chief among them the fact that while the national exposure will be nice, it's nothing that will make or break Boston. It's the occasional skyline backdrop on the rare network coverage, with maybe the soft feature on the morning shows about new ways to cook beans and lobsters.
Reporters care only about access, air conditioning, and a good buffet in the press center. The delegates like to be watered, fed, and easily chauffeured, preferably while not being mugged. They hated Los Angeles in 2000 for the smog and long bus rides through heavy traffic; they already love Boston for its compact size and sea air. The Kentucky delegation, in looking for what an official there describes as the "quintessential Boston experience," is lunching one day at the Quincy Market Cheers. And we're obsessing about getting the remnants of the Green Line down.
This should be easy, yet we're fighting over nothing and giving away the store for no reason at all. Better for our leaders to pay attention to the daily realities of Boston than the image we project during a week in July.
DNC organizers, already facing a $7.5 million fund-raising gap, now may have to spend up to $500,000 to charter buses to transport conventioneers.
T General Manager Michael H. Mulhern said the transportation agency will have to revisit its commitment to provide free bus service, worth $512,000, if the agency decides to close North Station to commuter rail service during the July convention. The Globe reported this week that MBTA officials want to close the station for security reasons, potentially snarling downtown traffic if many commuters decide to drive instead of riding commuter trains that would stop north of the city.
(Full report follows)
The Boston Globe
Saturday, March 6, 2004
T's pledge to convention is in jeopardy
By Andrea Estes, Globe Staff
Back when organizers started putting together plans for the Democratic National Convention, the MBTA said it would lend the city up to 125 buses to help in the mammoth logistical task of ferrying delegates and others to the FleetCenter and hotels throughout Boston. But now T officials are backing off that pledge, saying they need the buses.
DNC organizers, already facing a $7.5 million fund-raising gap, now may have to spend up to $500,000 to charter buses to transport conventioneers.
T General Manager Michael H. Mulhern said the transportation agency will have to revisit its commitment to provide free bus service, worth $512,000, if the agency decides to close North Station to commuter rail service during the July convention. The Globe reported this week that MBTA officials want to close the station for security reasons, potentially snarling downtown traffic if many commuters decide to drive instead of riding commuter trains that would stop north of the city.
If North Station is closed, Mulhern said, the T would have to use some or all of the buses it pledged in order to shuttle rail commuters from the stops north of the city.
"We're leaning toward closing commuter rail access to North Station," he said. "We've put the DNC on notice we have to worry about our customers first. It's a question of capacity: We don't have enough buses."
Mulhern said T officials have agreed to help convention organizers hire private carriers to provide bus service during the convention, when delegates must be ferried among Logan Airport, hotels, and the FleetCenter. The T ran an advertisement in the Boston Herald yesterday seeking interested companies. The DNC host committee would either have to pay the companies or ask them to donate their services.
The uncertainty about the buses arose after reports that the T won't dismantle the crumbling elevated Green Line, considered an eyesore near the FleetCenter, before delegates arrive in town in late July. T officials said that taking down the 92-year-old structure would be expensive and would inconvenience T riders.
DNC and city officials had also hoped that a subway construction site in front of the FleetCenter, with massive cranes and heavy equipment, would disappear by convention time. But the MBTA's contractor is asking for more than $1 million to remove the equipment and temporarily pave the sight, according to DNC sources. The sides are now negotiating to come up with a compromise.
Boston's convention organizers declined to discuss details of the MBTA's bus commitment, but defended the agency in its dealings with them.
"The MBTA has been a partner with the host committee from day one, and we appreciate the time and expertise they have devoted to this project," said Julie Burns, executive director of Boston 2004. "We respect and understand that their first obligation is to their customers and are confident that whatever the North Station decision, we will be able to provide a first-rate shuttle system."
City officials said they will work with MBTA officials to devise an acceptable plan. "We have not been presented with a formal plan on these issues," said Seth Gitell, spokesman for Mayor Thomas M. Menino.
Governor Mitt Romney, a Republican, has said that the state should not help finance the convention, insisting that it should be paid for with city, federal, and private funds. Convention organizers had also hoped to provide free subway passes for convention-goers. But that's not going to happen either. In their proposal to the Democratic Party in 2002, Boston officials said: "Convention-goers will be given free seven-day T passes printed with the Convention logo and information. Promoting the use of public transportation is a way to strategically reinforce the environmentally friendly message of the Party."
T officials said they were never asked to provide free passes. Instead, they plan to offer a two-week pass for $35, the price of a one-week pass. The DNC discount kicks in if delegates to the four-day convention stay an extra week or if they take advantage of a provision of the plan that would allow them to use that pass to take commuter rail to distant stops. The pass T officials are offering is good for service to such destinations as Providence, Fitchburg, and Newburyport.
"We're looking to make money," said Mulhern. "It's basic marketing. If you think you're getting a deal, you'll be more inclined to buy it."
T officials are considering other ways to accommodate convention-goers, Mulhern said.
Forcing some 25,000 rail users to switch to a bus or subway somewhere north of Boston is at least predictable. So too, making subway riders get off the Orange or Green lines at another stop.
We do hope transportation planners with an eye for fine details are in charge of the logistics....
For the same reason, officials ought to make a decision on closing Interstate 93 as soon as possible. The Secret Service can't be happy with the fact that you can practically reach out and touch the FleetCenter from the road.
We hope there are safe alternatives to closing it because, frankly, we can't imagine any alternative which could resolve that commuting nightmare (though we're willing to be convinced).
Whatever is decided, the DNC is coming to town. No one promised being a world-class city was always going to be a rose garden.
(Full report follows)
The Boston Herald
Monday, March 8, 2004
A Boston Herald editorial
More info means less mess
Those who thought commuting into Boston during the Democratic National Convention was going to be easy mustn't be big fans of reality TV shows. They clearly live in a fantasy world.
News that North Station will likely be closed for security reasons shouldn't be a big surprise. Officials have been hinting at it for months.
The subway and commuter rail hub is located directly beneath the FleetCenter. If the Secret Service is nervous about Sen. John Kerry's Louisburg Square neighbors, it sure can't be happy with those trains and thousands of commuters getting far too close for comfort to the Democratic nominee and other party luminaries.
Aside from the obvious security concern, the most compelling reason to require trains to stop short of or bypass North Station is that a security breach, false alarm or not, could force its closure anyway, leaving commuters completely confused and stranded with no alternatives.
That's the worst of all worlds.
Forcing some 25,000 rail users to switch to a bus or subway somewhere north of Boston is at least predictable. So too, making subway riders get off the Orange or Green lines at another stop.
We do hope transportation planners with an eye for fine details are in charge of the logistics.
And as important, a communications plan worthy of NASA ought to be in place sooner rather than later.
Educating commuters about the alternatives early and often will make a huge difference.
For the same reason, officials ought to make a decision on closing Interstate 93 as soon as possible. The Secret Service can't be happy with the fact that you can practically reach out and touch the FleetCenter from the road.
We hope there are safe alternatives to closing it because, frankly, we can't imagine any alternative which could resolve that commuting nightmare (though we're willing to be convinced).
Whatever is decided, the DNC is coming to town. No one promised being a world-class city was always going to be a rose garden.
Lets just hope this is all worth it.
Because it's getting easier to understand why Mayor Thomas M. Menino put the hammer down on the Tall Ships last November....
If you're keeping score at home, it's starting to look ugly for the July 26-29 Dems convention. Why? Here's a few good questions - and answers ...
(Full report follows)
The Boston Herald
Friday, March 12, 2004
Menino has more to lose than money
By Cosmo Macero Jr.
Lets just hope this is all worth it.
Because it's getting easier to understand why Mayor Thomas M. Menino put the hammer down on the Tall Ships last November.
He said it was all about the money - as in more than $1 million the state still owes City Hall for the Sail Boston 2000 extravaganza.
I say it's just as much about preparation, or the lack thereof, for the Democratic National Convention.
No wonder Menino nearly had a panic attack at the thought of a Sail Boston parade less than two weeks before the DNC tilt.
If you're keeping score at home, it's starting to look ugly for the July 26-29 Dems convention. Why? Here's a few good questions - and answers:
1. Fund raising? Inadequate.
2. Convenience? In serious jeopardy.
3. Commerce? Will suffer in some places.
4. Free speech? Not a priority.
The Tall Ships are just the most noticeable casualty and an odd one at that because Boston's obsession with the DNC is apparently focused on the national and international exposure, as well as visitor spending.
The mayor balked at 500,000 visitors over six days for Sail Boston because he couldn't keep two balls in the air at once.
But with the state of things as Boston edges closer to DNC time, the truth is it may have been for the best.
Menino is still nearly $8 million short of his fund-raising goal of $40 million to pay for the party.
The ultimate indignity: He went begging in Washington to corporate lobbyists and political fixers to make up the difference.
Wonder what kind of access you get if you're the guy who ponies up the last $1 million to put Boston over the top?
More good news: Subway service into North Station may grind to a halt for much of the week of July 26. Globalization opponents and other protesters will be gathered into a faraway pen for convenient tear-gassing.
And in the end, the Secret Service may demand that a portion of the new Central Artery near the FleetCenter be closed off to boot.
Producers and planners for the national media have been grumbling for months about poor access to the Fleet, limited workspace and other second-rate amenities.
The truth is, giving over this city to the DNC means exposing its frailties to the nation, just as much as it means putting its strengths on display.
The problem is those frailties - pettiness, disorganization, an inability to cooperate - are threatening to infect everything else.
Several sources, for instance, inside Gov. Mitt Romney's administration are apparently in favor of relocating the DNC to the state's new convention center in South Boston, which is slated to open a month before the Democrats' blowout.
But despite a number of advantages with regard to access, security perimeters and space for the media, that idea has tanked.
Menino's former chief of staff, James Rooney, who runs the Southie hall for the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, has even said the MCCA is ready to make it happen.
One source close to the administration says Romney's commonwealth development czar, Douglas Foy, has been an advocate of moving the political feast to Southie.
But Foy said yesterday that he is not advocating the move. He added that the Secret Service has the final say anyway and declined further comment.
The message: Why work hard to do it right? After all, any embarrassing failures at convention time will be the sole property of Mayor Menino, politically speaking.
So we should forget the sock in the jaw of the battered Hub visitor industry that a few highly publicized snafus could deliver?
Romney should consider loosening his stance a bit on whether the state pitches in to help cover costs for the DNC.
The mayor went way overboard, of course, by proposing to bill the state for a portion of total DNC expenditures.
A 1 percent add-on to the 5 percent meals tax is a far better course for Menino to pursue, because it would establish a reasonable policy going forward.
But it's probably too late now.
The convention is only four months away. And for Menino, it's only one big thing at a time.
Throwing the spotlight on Boston's labor disputes, national labor union officials closely linked to the Democratic Party yesterday unleashed a scathing attack on Mayor Thomas M. Menino, calling lack of union contracts and stalled negotiations "shameful."
"What is at issue is mainly a question of respect - or complete lack thereof," reads the statement from the AFL-CIO's executive council.
The statement is part of an effort by national labor leaders to turn up the heat on Menino as the city prepares to host the summer's Democratic National Convention. The mayor has so far reached tentative contracts with only three of his 32 municipal unions.
(Full report follows)
The Boston Herald
Friday, March 12, 2004
Big Labor chiefs slam Hub mayor
By Ellen J. Silberman
Throwing the spotlight on Boston's labor disputes, national labor union officials closely linked to the Democratic Party yesterday unleashed a scathing attack on Mayor Thomas M. Menino, calling lack of union contracts and stalled negotiations "shameful."
"What is at issue is mainly a question of respect - or complete lack thereof," reads the statement from the AFL-CIO's executive council.
The statement is part of an effort by national labor leaders to turn up the heat on Menino as the city prepares to host the summer's Democratic National Convention. The mayor has so far reached tentative contracts with only three of his 32 municipal unions.
The Boston Police Patrolmen's Association has threatened to picket the Democratic convention in July - creating an embarrassing disruption for both the mayor and the pro-labor Democratic party - if it doesn't have a contract by then.
Menino declined to comment directly, but a spokesman asserted that his "strong fiscal management" was saving union jobs by "avoiding layoffs in the future."
Local and national labor unions, including the AFL-CIO, lashed out at Mayor Thomas M. Menino yesterday, accusing him of making anti-union remarks, and urged Democratic Party leaders to pressure the mayor to settle 29 labor disputes immediately.
"To hold [the] convention in a city that does not respect its own employees or their unions is not an option," said the national AFL-CIO's executive council in a resolution passed yesterday at its winter meeting in Bal Harbour, Fla. "The prospect of a Democratic Convention with a Democratic Mayor in a strong union city under these conditions is untenable and cannot be tolerated."
(Full report follows)
The Boston Globe
Friday, March 12, 2004
Labor groups criticize Menino
Remark on unions draws angry replies
By Andrea Estes, Globe Staff
Local and national labor unions, including the AFL-CIO, lashed out at Mayor Thomas M. Menino yesterday, accusing him of making anti-union remarks, and urged Democratic Party leaders to pressure the mayor to settle 29 labor disputes immediately.
"To hold [the] convention in a city that does not respect its own employees or their unions is not an option," said the national AFL-CIO's executive council in a resolution passed yesterday at its winter meeting in Bal Harbour, Fla. "The prospect of a Democratic Convention with a Democratic Mayor in a strong union city under these conditions is untenable and cannot be tolerated."
The rhetoric was a response to Menino's assertions in yesterday's Globe that police would only embarrass themselves picketing at the Democratic National Convention in July. He said unions are losing membership, implying that they are increasingly irrelevant to Democrats. "Eighteen percent of the people in this country belong to a union," the mayor said in the article. "And that number goes down every day."
The firestorm of retorts is another escalation in Menino's standoff with unions, which has become more tense almost daily as the convention approaches and as pressure to resolve labor disputes mounts. At the same time, Boston's convention host committee is considering seeking donations from unions, including the AFL-CIO. Boston2004 is looking to close a $7.5 million fund-raising gap; unions have traditionally helped finance Democratic conventions.
Menino's comments also appear to have galvanized some local unions, which had recently distanced themselves from the more aggressive Boston Police Patrolmen's Association.
"The mayor's comments are offensive," said Richard M. Rogers, executive secretary-treasurer of the Greater Boston Labor Council. "To diminish the role that organized labor has played in making life better for all working families in this city and our nation is wrong."
Susana Segat, president of Service Employees International Union, which represents 2,300 Boston workers, said, "Our members are so essential to the city that if they were to not show up for work, Boston would be a ghost town. The mayor needs to honor their work and come to the table. "
The AFL-CIO weighed in at the request of local labor leaders, who sent the Globe article to the AFL-CIO leaders meeting in Florida.
Boston Police Patrolmen's Association president Thomas J. Nee, who has led the union's fight with Menino, using the convention as its primary leverage, called the mayor's remark outrageous.
"It's outrageous, but predictable," Nee said. "Our `labor' mayor is now slapping organized labor around the country in the face. It's the height of arrogance and shows the lack of respect he has for people who go to work."
But two union leaders, both of whom serve on city boards, said Menino has been a great friend of labor.
"I'm loyal to the guy," said Mike Monahan, business manager of Local 103 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. "He's been great to Local 103 and the building trades. The mayor makes it quite clear to developers that this is a union town and they should utilize Local 103 and the building trades, and developers hear him loud and clear."
In addition to his union position, Monahan is on the city's Zoning Board of Appeal, a Menino appointment.
Joe Nigro, general agent of the Boston Building Trades Council and a mayoral appointee to the Boston Redevelopment Authority board of directors, said, "The mayor has probably been the most pro-labor mayor I've seen in the 40 years I've been a labor official. Why are we taking apart a guy who has worked for all these years? The rhetoric in the newspaper should die down from both sides and they should get back to the bargaining table where they're supposed to be. You can't win a collective bargaining agreement in the newspaper."
Convention organizers would not discuss any plans to seek donations from labor leaders. They said privately that they don't think Menino's comments will hurt fund-raising efforts. They cited labor unrest in Los Angeles in the weeks leading up to the 2000 convention. Organized labor ultimately donated substantially to the convention.
Neither Menino nor his spokesman, Seth Gitell, would comment on the controversy yesterday. But Gitell insisted that the mayor is strongly pro-union.
"As a former union member and the son of a union member, Mayor Menino is committed to creating and preserving union jobs in our city," he said. "One of the reasons he is so committed to sound fiscal management is that he is dedicated to preserving union jobs and avoiding layoffs in the future. Mayor Menino has an outstanding record as a friend of labor in the city."
Gitell pointed to the merger of Boston City Hospital and University Hospital which saved "hundreds if not thousands" of union jobs.
"Whether it's the mayor's strong advocacy on behalf of bringing union jobs to the city or his role as a sound fiscal steward so that union members are not laid off, his commitment to the union issue is profound and demonstrable," he said.
All kinds of problems have been coming down on Mayor Thomas M. Menino.
His fight with city unions is attracting fire from powerful national labor forces and shows no signs of abating before the Democratic National Convention in July....
Menino pledged that riots like those after the Super Bowl, in which one person was killed and several others injured, would not be allowed to reoccur. "I guarantee that will never happen again," he said.
To questions about traffic and commuter headaches that might be caused by the probable closing of subway stops and halting of commuter trains going into North Station during the convention, Menino said a transportation plan will be issued soon.
(Full report follows)
The Boston Globe
Saturday, March 13, 2004
Menino downplays convention concerns
Dismisses worries over police dispute, transit
By Kevin Joy, Globe Correspondent
All kinds of problems have been coming down on Mayor Thomas M. Menino.
His fight with city unions is attracting fire from powerful national labor forces and shows no signs of abating before the Democratic National Convention in July.
The city's police force, which will have a key role in security during the convention, is being excoriated for its handling of crowds after the Super Bowl. And there is increasing evidence that traffic could be badly tangled during the convention, with a multitude of detours and mass transit closings.
But the mayor says he's not worried. "It's only four days," Menino said at a South Shore Chamber of Commerce breakfast yesterday, when asked if the city will be prepared to handle the onslaught of 35,000 visitors during the convention. "We have had other attractions in Boston that have drawn a lot more people to our city."
The convention, which Menino called "our moment in the limelight," got only passing mention in a speech in which he touted his efforts to promote tourism, secure access to less expensive prescription drugs from Canada, and build more affordable housing.
Taking questions afterward from the audience of business leaders, he played down convention-related problems that have plagued him this week, including the rapidly escalating rhetoric of public employee unions as teachers agreed to a one-day strike and the AFL-CIO passed a resolution backing the 29 unions still without contracts.
With no sign of progress in talks with the Boston Police Patrolman's Union, which has asked Democrats to boycott the convention if police don't have an agreement by then, Menino dismissed the prospect of police carrying picket signs.
"There's always going to be demonstrators," he said. "That's part of the ambience."
Menino said three contracts the city recently settled with police detectives unions show progress in labor talks, but added that he won't settle other contracts unless he think's they are "fair and equitable."
"I can't give money away I don't have," he said. "As mayor, I have to watch the bottom line. What's most important is the financial security of the city. We'll get through this issue."
Menino also said that a scathing report issued this week on the Police Department's handling of post-Super Bowl rioting should not cast doubt on the department's ability to handle security and crowds at the convention. The recent appointment of Police Commissioner Kathleen O'Toole will ensure a smooth event, he said.
Police have coped well with other large events, including the Super Bowl victory parade that drew more than 1 million people and Bio2000, a major biotechnology conference held shortly after violent demonstrations against the World Trade Organization in Seattle. Though thousands of protesters showed up, the conference passed with "no violence whatsoever," Menino said.
Menino pledged that riots like those after the Super Bowl, in which one person was killed and several others injured, would not be allowed to reoccur. "I guarantee that will never happen again," he said.
To questions about traffic and commuter headaches that might be caused by the probable closing of subway stops and halting of commuter trains going into North Station during the convention, Menino said a transportation plan will be issued soon.
In his speech, Menino cited items he called evidence that the convention is already reaping benefits: a Microsoft convention in 2006 and a final bid to win the corporate offices and 1,400 new jobs of the Virgin USA airline.
"Our moment in the limelight is helping us in so many other areas," he said, "Showing Boston and the region in the best light will certainly benefit all of us."
Several key roadways and transit lines will be under construction or partially closed for repairs this summer, just when the city's transportation system will be tested by thousands of visitors attending the Democratic National Convention.
City and state officials express confidence that the projects won't affect the convention, but the sheer number of them has others worried about gridlock....
Congestion and traffic jams led to bitter complaints during the Democratic convention in Los Angeles four years ago.
"We're not worried about gridlock," said James Gillooly, deputy commissioner for traffic management, engineering, and planning at the Boston Transportation Department.
(Full report follows)
The Boston Globe
Sunday, March 14, 2004
Road, transit projects raise gridlock worries
Big Dig, MBTA work coincides with DNC
By Anthony Flint, Globe Staff
Several key roadways and transit lines will be under construction or partially closed for repairs this summer, just when the city's transportation system will be tested by thousands of visitors attending the Democratic National Convention.
City and state officials express confidence that the projects won't affect the convention, but the sheer number of them has others worried about gridlock.
Some 35,000 people are expected to descend on Boston for the party gathering, relying, in part, on the transportation system to get from hotels to the FleetCenter. At the same time, tens of thousands of daily commuters will also be trying to get around. Then, of course, there are the potential complications from motorcades.
Congestion and traffic jams led to bitter complaints during the Democratic convention in Los Angeles four years ago.
"We're not worried about gridlock," said James Gillooly, deputy commissioner for traffic management, engineering, and planning at the Boston Transportation Department. "This is a challenge we will rise up to. The city has always got a lot of activity going on, and these [projects] will be coordinated. It doesn't add up to a whole lot more than the Central Artery did at peak construction, and we still managed to have a thriving city."
The projects and detours range from the final construction stages of the Big Dig, to reduced service on the Orange and Green lines, to roadway and T station projects that were scheduled long ago.
They are in addition to the probable closing of North Station's commuter rail and subway facilities during the four days of the convention, which starts July 26, and the possible closure of Interstate 93 near the FleetCenter for a portion of the convention.
Concerns about the transportation system and Boston being a city still under repair are very much on the minds of convention planners, as the big event draws nearer.
Construction of the $14.6 billion Big Dig is set to be completed by spring 2005, but a major detour will begin later this month. Drivers on southbound I-93 will be squeezed into two temporary lanes at Dewey Square, so the tunnel there can be rebuilt.
A single lane will also be available for southbound I-93 traffic on the surface street in Chinatown. Big Dig officials anticipate that as a result of the detour, which will last 10 months, cars will slow down as drivers navigate the construction zone and potentially back up traffic to the Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge.
A new tunnel under Leverett Circle linking Storrow Drive with I-93 and the Tobin Bridge is also still under construction and has caused massive backups in front of Massachusetts General Hospital and on the McGrath-O'Brien Highway in front of the Musuem of Science.
In addition, a 10-month project to replace the median of the Massachusetts Turnpike from the Allston-Brighton tolls to Route 128 has already started, which requires narrowing lanes and reducing speed limits, potentially backing up westbound turnpike traffic originating in Chinatown.
State highway officials, meanwhile, are racing to make sure that two other road projects are finished by the time of the DNC: the removal of an overpass at Sullivan Square and the reconstruction of Cambridge Street. The latter project has led to backups around Charles Circle at the foot of the Longfellow Bridge, exacerbated by the renovation of the Charles-MGH Red Line station there.
Meanwhile, commuters and visitors looking to avoid congestion and detours on the roadways may not find much relief on the T.
The Orange Line will be reduced to one track between Haymarket and Sullivan Square so workers can replace the aging signal system, an eight-month project that begins March 28. The Green Line will be shut down at North Station some time this summer to complete the $325 million track relocation project under the FleetCenter. Riders will have to take buses between North Station and Lechmere and between Haymarket station and Lechmere, most probably during the four days of the convention, because North Station could be entirely shut down for subway and commuter rail for security reasons.
Wig Zamore, a member of the Somerville Transit Equity Partnership, said that between 12,000 and 15,000 people per day will have to board shuttle buses at Lechmere and Science Park to get downtown. That means hundreds of buses on the McGrath-O'Brien Highway jockeying to get through Leverett Circle to downtown Boston.
"What will the total congestion and trip delays add up to?" he asked. "It sure seems like it will be very hard to move northwest from Boston and back for a while."
MBTA General Manager Michael Mulhern said, "We're going to make this as painless as possible." Because the "roadway network will be snarled with traffic" during the DNC, he said, "we will be putting our best foot forward, so people view mass transit as a good choice to get around Boston."
Putting riders on buses during the Green Line relocation project is necessary, Mulhern said, and the T is working on a plan to run those buses in the most efficient way, possibly by including runs to the Red Line station at Kendall Square. The Red Line will be unaffected by the work.
The Orange Line work will occur only after 9 p.m. and will conclude before the morning rush hour, Mulhern said. Workers will only be given access to the tracks after the T shuts down after midnight during the DNC.
"We're the oldest subway system in the country, and these are finishing touches on major investments in the subway system to upgrade and modernize," Mulhern said. "There will be some passenger inconveniences. We ask for people's understanding."
Jon Carlisle, spokesman for state transportation secretary Daniel Grabauskas, promised that any projects under state jurisdiction, whether the Sullivan Square overpass or the reconstruction of Cambridge Street, will be finished or halted during the DNC.
Observers remain skeptical that those projects will be completed by July 26, when the convention starts. Both projects are already behind schedule.
"Transportation projects administered by the MBTA and Mass. Highway will not impede conventioneers in July," Carlisle said. "We have worked closely with the city of Boston and other stakeholders to ensure that all of our ongoing transportation enhancements are buttoned up and unobtrusive to the DNC activities."
Curiosity finally got the better of me, and I suddenly had to know what Alice Huffman does to earn her $10,000-a-month taxpayer-funded consulting fee as chair woman of the 2004 Democratic National Convention Committee.
The thing that bothers me most is that Huffman lives and works in Sacramento, while the convention, as careful newspaper readers might now realize, is scheduled to take place here in Boston....
So what does she do? In California, she serves as president of the state chapter of the NAACP and runs her own consulting firm. But what about the convention? I called her last week and again yesterday, but apparently her $10,000 a month doesn't involve dealing with the likes of me. I'm still waiting for the return call and not holding my breath.
(Full report follows)
The Boston Globe
Tuesday, March 16, 2004
Starting the party
By Brian McGrory
Curiosity finally got the better of me, and I suddenly had to know what Alice Huffman does to earn her $10,000-a-month taxpayer-funded consulting fee as chair woman of the 2004 Democratic National Convention Committee.
The thing that bothers me most is that Huffman lives and works in Sacramento, while the convention, as careful newspaper readers might now realize, is scheduled to take place here in Boston.
I can pretend to be as savvy and sophisticated as anyone else in the intricacies of telecommuting and video conferencing and the like, but I still adhere to Woody Allen's dictum that 90 percent of life is just showing up.
But Huffman is fully 3,000 miles away, and even convention officials acknowledge that she visits Boston about once a month, usually for just a few days, never more and sometimes less. When she does travel, according to Federal Election Commission reports, her transcontinental commute and other assorted expenses are courtesy of US taxpayers.
So what does she do? In California, she serves as president of the state chapter of the NAACP and runs her own consulting firm. But what about the convention? I called her last week and again yesterday, but apparently her $10,000 a month doesn't involve dealing with the likes of me. I'm still waiting for the return call and not holding my breath.
Here in Boston, Rod O'Connor, 33, is the chief executive officer of the convention. He's a likable guy in the way that Al Gore, his former boss, is a likable guy: You almost want to add water to see if he comes to life. Anyway, O'Connor portrays Huffman as indispensable. He dismisses the notion that her fee amounts to hush money so the minority community won't complain about the fact that a young man the color and flavor of vanilla is running the entire show.
"She is incredibly valuable to us as the liaison to the national party leadership," O'Connor said. "She brings a set of relationships that are important to getting the job done."
At City Hall, Tom Menino is sweating bullets. Bringing the convention to Boston was mostly his idea, and now he's facing the prospect of a teacher's strike, picketing police officers, major roadway and public transit shutdowns, and a multi million-dollar shortfall in fund-raising for the city's host committee.
Just down Congress Street, in a sprawling suite of offices in a downtown skyscraper, O'Connor and company are spending money like, well, like Democrats, much of it from an initial multi million outlay from the US government.
Take Doug Hattaway. The convention planning committee has an unfailingly competent communications director, Peggy Wilhide, herself a former Gore aide, as well as a press secretary and a heaping handful of assistants. Beyond that, they have well-paid staffers and consultants devoted solely to media logistics.
Still they hired Hattaway, also a former Gore aide (someone shake me if you see a common thread), at $7,500 a month as a communications consultant. Good guy, seasoned politico, but worth it? "He'll help us deal with national and local media on a day-to-day basis," O'Connor said.
And O'Connor? He denies having the car and driver that some in town whisper about, though he does acknowledge a fleet of loaner vehicles from GM and "a couple of kids here who drive us to meetings." Sounds like a car and driver, but OK.
The committee pays his $2,300 monthly rent in a condominium at Harbor Towers and was paying $415 a month for parking until I asked about it Friday. Word is, he canceled the space that afternoon, though he declined to discuss it yesterday.
Already, the convention committee has upwards of 50 staffers at work, and they're looking to expand to 300 soon.
Maybe this is the Democrats' version of a full-employment policy. Or perhaps this is just another way of showing the world that they really are the party of inclusion.
Brian McGrory is a Globe columnist.
Gov. Mitt Romney annoyed Democrats yesterday by suggesting they hold their nominating convention at the new South Boston convention center - citing security and convenience - rather than the FleetCenter.
"It would clearly be easier if this were being held at the new convention center ... it doesn't have trains coming into it, subway stops and a big roadway next to it," Romney said. "I would love to see it there."
(Full report follows)
The Boston Herald
Wednesday, March 17, 2004
Romney: Move Dem convention to Southie
By Steve Marantz and Ellen J. Silberman
Gov. Mitt Romney annoyed Democrats yesterday by suggesting they hold their nominating convention at the new South Boston convention center - citing security and convenience - rather than the FleetCenter.
"It would clearly be easier if this were being held at the new convention center ... it doesn't have trains coming into it, subway stops and a big roadway next to it," Romney said. "I would love to see it there."
Mayor Thomas M. Menino called Romney's suggestion "a simplistic approach to a very complex issue."
"We're almost 100 days out from the convention and (there's) a lot of work to be done - I want to know what the problems are," Menino said, adding his staff will meet with Romney's on the issue.
Michael Meehan, a spokesman for Sen. John F. Kerry, suggested Romney is causing mischief on behalf of the White House.
"I am sure the governor would like to move the Democratic convention to Crawford, Texas, if he could," Meehan said. "We look forward to having him as our guest when John Kerry [related, bio] accepts the nomination at the FleetCenter."
Romney pointed out the yet-to-be-revealed security plan for the FleetCenter/North Station area will be disruptive to commuters and others coming in and out of Boston during the July 26-29 convention.
But he vowed to help the Democrats have a successful convention wherever they choose to hold it.
Democratic National Committee spokeswoman Peggy Wilhide said the FleetCenter offers stadium seating and luxury boxes - both critical to staging the convention - not available at the South Boston facility.
If the Democrats moved, FleetCenter would expect to be paid $3.5 million for clearing its summer calendar, CEO Rich Krezwick said.
The South Boston facility is already booked for a MacWorld convention July 12-16, as well as the DNC press party July 24.
Governor Mitt Romney offered some unsolicited advice to the Democrats yesterday: Move your July national convention from the FleetCenter to the new convention center in South Boston....
"It would clearly be easier if this convention were being held in the new convention center," Romney told reporters. "I anticipate that when people find it difficult to come in and out of the city, they're going to ask a question: 'Why wasn't this held at the new convention center?'" And the answer is, 'This is where the party chose to have their convention.'"
(Full report follows)
The Boston Globe
Wednesday, March 17, 2004
Romney says convention should move
Democrats reject call for shift to S. Boston
By Rick Klein and Frank Phillips, Globe Staff
Governor Mitt Romney offered some unsolicited advice to the Democrats yesterday: Move your July national convention from the FleetCenter to the new convention center in South Boston.
Presumptive Democratic nominee John F. Kerry, Mayor Thomas M. Menino and other top Democrats quickly rejected the Republican governor's idea, which touched off a row worthy of a presidential election year in a city that in just four months will host its first national political convention.
Romney argued that the FleetCenter lies "in the heart of our transportation system," adjacent to both the Central Artery and North Station and across the street from a subway stop, and will require security arrangements that will greatly disrupt Boston's already harried commuters.
He suggested that the Democrats will be to blame for the traffic mess. Many of the problems, he said, could be averted if the event were held at the sprawling Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, which is scheduled to open in June in South Boston, comfortably outside the downtown area.
"It would clearly be easier if this convention were being held in the new convention center," Romney told reporters. "I anticipate that when people find it difficult to come in and out of the city, they're going to ask a question: 'Why wasn't this held at the new convention center?'" And the answer is, 'This is where the party chose to have their convention.'"
Romney conceded he has no control over where the event is held, and he said he expected the Democratic National Committee to stick with the FleetCenter.
The Republicans are holding their convention in a similarly congested location: Madison Square Garden in midtown Manhattan, which is adjacent to a major train station. But Pennsylvania Station is far enough underground that security planners feel it is safer, according to Menino and aides to Romney.
Menino, who has been heading convention preparations, said that if Romney wants to help plan the convention, he should commit state money to the event.
The mayor and governor are locked in a tense standoff over whether the city or the state should cover a fund-raising gap of up to $10 million.
"If the governor thinks about helping pay for it, maybe he'll be part of the decision making, too," the mayor said. "There's no conversations that have been held with any Democrats at all. This is an issue that came out of the governor's office. It's a conversation he has had with his staff."
Philip W. Johnston, chairman of the Massachusetts Democratic Party, accused Romney of meddling with the Democrats' event on behalf of the Bush-Cheney campaign.
Michael Meehan, a Kerry spokesman, also said that politics appeared to be driving Romney's statements.
"I'm sure Governor Romney would like to move the convention to Crawford, Texas," Meehan said, referring to the town where President Bush owns a ranch. "But we look forward to having him as our guest when John Kerry accepts the nomination at the FleetCenter."
A senior Romney administration official said top aides to the governor have engaged in intense discussions among themselves and with convention planners about the possible use of the South Boston convention center over the past month, as the US Secret Service began to outline its security concerns for the FleetCenter.
Those concerns have centered on the possibility of explosives being carried in vehicles on Interstate 93, which runs alongside the FleetCenter, or on commuter rail trains at North Station.
A partial shutdown of I-93 and closing of North Station -- both are being contemplated -- would not eliminate security risks. Even if the subway stop is closed, Orange Line trains will continue to run beneath the auditorium, raising terrorism concerns, particularly after last week's train bombings in Spain.
Those measures are being carried out by state agencies, partially under Romney control, but the decisions are being driven by the Secret Service and Boston Police Department.
In recent weeks, the official said, Romney aides floated the South Boston convention center idea in conversations with several people involved in convention planning, including David Passafaro, president of the local host committee, and convention authority executive director James Rooney.
But Jane F. Garvey, the former Federal Aviation Administration administrator who is an unpaid security consultant for the convention's host committee, said she heard the idea mentioned only briefly and considered it a "dead issue" from the start.
Passafaro rejected the concept out of hand because of contractual obligations to the FleetCenter and because planning is so far advanced, said Karen Grant, the host committee's spokeswoman.
Still, the governor said he is publicly lobbying for the event to be at the convention center because it seems perfectly situated to ease security concerns.
"It doesn't have a train station underneath it," Romney said. "It doesn't have subway stations next to it. It doesn't have roadways next to it. It's a big building. It would be ideal in many respects. I'd love to see it in the convention center."
The Romney administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity said the possibility of using the South Boston center instead of the FleetCenter was received enthusiastically by Secret Service officials.
A Secret Service spokeswoman disputed that account, however, pointing out that the agency has no involvement in choosing where to host political events. Instead, the Secret Service makes security arrangements to fit sites picked by others, and agency officials are certain that the FleetCenter will work out fine for the Democrats.
"The Secret Service is not involved in site selection for the event," said Ann Roman, a spokeswoman for the Secret Service.
Convention organizers said it's too late to change their plans even if they wanted to, with the convention barely four months away. The Democratic National Committee signed a contract with the FleetCenter and all preparations for security, transportation, protest sites, and media workspace have been laid out with that venue in mind.
"It would [be] hugely expensive and logistically impossible to move the convention," said Peggy Wilhide, a spokeswoman for the Democratic National Convention Committee. "The FleetCenter was a key ingredient in why we chose Boston. It's a great location for the convention."
Still, the chance to avert traffic nightmares struck a chord with some Boston officials. Councilor at Large Maura Hennigan urged Menino and Democratic officials to fully consider the possibility of having the convention in South Boston. "It would minimize some of the potential problems," Hennigan said. "There is definitely enough time to work out any transportation and logistical issues."
Raphael Lewis of the Globe staff contributed to this report.
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