Posted on 05/22/2004 5:46:23 AM PDT by BobbyGood
There is much wisdom to that old saying, ``Be careful what you wish for; it might just come true.''
Boston Mayor Tom Menino and a boatload of civic and political leaders worked long and hard to get the Democratic National Convention to come to Boston in 2004. Their initial attempt - first to snag the 2000 convention - was well before Sept. 11. And even after the world changed, the effort to bring the convention here continued.
So here we are, two months out, awaiting the arrival of 6,000 delegates, 15,000 accredited media and countless others - big shots and protesters, celebrities and hangers-on - some 35,000 total.
And, yes, we know it's only four days - not long in the life of a city or a region and its people - but the news just keeps getting worse. You would think a city that routinely hosts the Boston Marathon and threw a super-sized party for its Super Bowl winning Patriots could handle the crowds.
But crowds aren't the problem. Terrorists aren't likely to target a bunch of runners or even NFL champion running backs. A gathering to choose a presidential candidate presents a tempting target.
``The message from the Secret Service and police has been that we live in a changed world now,'' said Jane Garvey, the mayor's point person on traffic coordination for the convention. ``But it's not the intention to shut down the city.''
Well, they could have fooled us.
Yesterday the other shoe dropped - and a huge jackboot of a shoe it was. Miles and miles of Interstate 93 and its ramp system will be closed during the afternoon rush hours and likely until after delegates leave the FleetCenter at midnight.
So, too, portions of Storrow Drive eastbound. A section of Route 1 north of Boston will be reduced to one lane. The Sumner Tunnel and Tobin Bridge southbound will be closed.
Commuter rail will be running, but not all the way into North Station; inner harbor commuter boats won't run at all. If you're thinking traffic nightmare, you'd be right.
There is no getting around it now, this is nothing short of horrifying. If the idea is to so frighten and intimidate regular commuters into simply taking vacation or working at home, then this is a great strategy. If the idea is to show convention delegates and the media how a world class city deals with a major event and still keeps its composure, then this is simply not going to work.
Now far be it for us to criticize the Secret Service for doing its job. But the roadway closures announced yesterday are an exercise in over-kill. The president of the United States travels around and in and out of Washington, D.C., nearly every day - the city does not shut down. Congress meets in one of the most visible and accessible buildings in the world - and life does not come to a screeching halt.
Yes, the FleetCenter, hard by a major artery, was likely not the best choice of a venue in this post-9/11 world, but how many miles of highway need to be cut off to assure a traffic-free zone during hours when delegates gather?
Plans to close other streets to traffic and to parking, not for security purposes but to expedite bus traffic for delegates, is piling inconvenience upon inconvenience.
Convention organizers say they'll help commuters cope with a public information campaign, called ``Let's Work Around It.'' But the plans announced so far would more accurately be dubbed, ``Just shut up and stay home.''
Gosh. How bad will New York be for the Republican Convention? Will they evacuate the entire island of Manhattan?
All this disclocation and inconvenience for a convention that may not even produce a candidate? Will Kerry even show up, since he isn't going to accept?
Kerry could lose his home state...
And all this for a person who by news accounts is not even going to accept the big event's nomination but will wait so as to spend more mud-slinging money OR if his polls are looking great at that time - "someone" else will be free to accept that nomination.
I knew there was some reason I turned down the chance to live on Beacon Hill so long ago. The closings wouldn’t have affected me, but I’d have to listen to all that bitchin’.
Preferably, put them on a boat, then deny them re-entry.
Democrats are annointing their high priest. The job of the proles is to sit back and weep with joy and appreciation for what the high potentate of liberalism will do to make their lives better.
Reason to offer a week's worth of "unemployment benefits".
The Dems are safe anyway. They support the terrorists.
What a CIRCUS.
1. First they practically shut down the city.
2. There is talk the police may go on strike.
3. Problems raising money to pay for it all.
4. Kerry may not accept the nomination.
My better-half says:
“Why don’t they just stay home and have a YARD SALE!”
I don't understand the high security. We all know that John Kerry and Democrats represent the best chance the terrorists have to regroup and fight another day.
We all know that it is the Republican convention that will be the primnary target because those are the people responsible for keeping the terrorists on the run and off-balance.
Boy no doubt.... I guess the party of the people ain't anymore
"Why in the world would terrorists try to harm a political party that has been and will continue to be their best U.S. political ally?"
The same reason why they sometimes target and kill their own people. Their savages, plain and simple. They don't care who's on their side
"a gathering to choose a presidential candidate presents a tempting target"
This rag seems to have an exaggerated sense of importance as a target to terrorists. In fact, I'm sure that in reality the dems can expect huge funding from terrorist and terrorist affiliated organizations to get kerry elected. He's their man for the white house.
First of all, Police cannot "strike" by law. But I heard Mumbles Menino on the radio yesterday and he's hoping the BPD will have their contract ratified by then.
In the words of another politician: "I you're going to get screwed and there's nothing you can do about it you might as well lay back and enjoy it."
THe Dems are the party for those who are usually living on the dole, not really the working person.
Notice their base consists of "illegal aliens" Those leaching of the system, etc.
That plus another strike on NYC would be more valuable from a propaganda perspective.
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