Posted on 07/10/2004 7:45:01 AM PDT by Libloather
Democratic Convention Media Area Not Ready
Fri Jul 9,11:12 PM ET
By JENNIFER PETER, Associated Press Writer
BOSTON - A pavilion for working news organizations at the Democratic National Convention is not up to city codes and requires about $300,000 worth of work just two weeks before the event begins.
"The building is not ready to be occupied," Lt. Richard Powers, a member of the fire department's public information office, said Friday. "They have certain standards which they haven't met."
The pavilion is next to the FleetCenter sports arena, site of the convention. Several news organizations, including The Associated Press, will use the facility's work space during the July 26-29 convention.
An official familiar with building and fire inspections at the convention site said Friday that the city fire marshal has asked for changes at the media pavilion that will cost an extra $300,000. The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, did not immediately know what specific changes had to be made.
Powers said he did not have details on what changes had to be made at the 100,000-square-foot temporary structure, but said that Democratic officials had been told from day one that the building would have to meet state fire and building codes.
Associated Press technical workers had been told they could gain access to the building Friday, if it passed inspection. However, when they showed up Friday, they were not allowed inside.
Democratic National Convention officials did not immediately return calls for comment.
The media pavilion, which was recently built in the footprint of the old Boston Garden, is one of several sites that will accommodate the 15,000 media representatives expected at the convention.
No pun intended, Im sure. LOL!
do they have one?
Well for one, they need to move it to Fallujah.
Sounds like a recipe for success, doesn't it?
And in New York soon will be a convention to nominate a war president in the shadow of the memory of the biggest foreign attack on our soil in American history. Boy this will be a counterpoint...
Could this be a little union payback for not picking Gephardt? A little ball busting will do them good.
poetic justice
The DNC is at an arena with no name -- the problem is will it be called the Bank of America Center (too many BAC's) or will, as the public wants, the "Bank of America Garden"?
The Democrats should just shut up and pay off the fire inspectors like the rest of us have to.
How delightful :-)
The party of Strangulation By Regulation suddenly find their collars too tight...
TRANSLATION:
You Dems got to pony up mo' moolah for union thugs
dang it you beat me to it!
Very well put.... but that possum a beer!
sorry but should equal buy that possum a beer
I wonder if the dems will try to push back the date, seems like they may have to.
They're ripping off the taxi drivers, too
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1156213/posts
Taxi drivers blast convention voucher plan (Dems rip off drivers)
Associated Press ^ | 6/17/2004 | Associated Press
BOSTON (AP) Boston taxi drivers are angry over a city proposal that they accept vouchers from delegates to the Democratic National Convention instead of using their meters for rides to and from Logan International Airport.
The city first offered vouchers worth $8, then raised the amount to $10, taxi drivers said.
''If you take one person to town, it's usually about $30, and I'm going to take one person for $10?'' said 45-year-old Jean Abrahm, a cabbie for 16 years. ''And I have to pay the toll, too? With gas now up, this is just a rip-off.''
The vouchers, combined with convention traffic and road closings, could mean they would lose money going to and from the airport, the drivers said.
Cab drivers and city officials are expected to meet at noon Friday at police headquarters to discuss the proposal, but the drivers already are raising the possibility of taking the week off during the convention, scheduled for July 26 to 29 at the FleetCenter.
''If the city won't go up to at least $45 to take three passengers, we'll go on strike,'' said Balwinder Gill, 37, a 10-year veteran driver from Everett. ''We're just not going to take it. We're going to lose money.''
(snippity snip)
BTTT
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