Posted on 08/23/2019 6:06:01 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
Delegates to next year’s Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee will be staying as far away as an 80-minute drive south near Chicago, but none will be staying 80 minutes west in Madison.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Thursday reported that 31 state delegations will stay at hotels in the Milwaukee area, while another 26 will stay in northern Illinois, including near O’Hare International Airport.
Democratic Party officials declined to provide delegate housing details or explain why Madison was excluded.
Madison officials say they remain positive that the July convention’s thousands of visitors will spend some time — and money — in Dane County.
“My focus is just on supporting Milwaukee to make sure that the convention is a success for everybody,” Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway said. “I’m sure we’ll have plenty of folks here in Madison and we’ll stand ready to host them.”
Rep. Melissa Sargent, D-Madison, said she was not involved in the DNC’s planning process, but said she also expects the event to have a positive economic impact.
“I trust that the DNC, the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, and all who are at the table in making these decisions, have Wisconsin’s best interest at heart and are working hard to ensure a successful convention in tandem with showcasing all that Wisconsin has to offer — including right here in Madison,” she said.
Delegates will be housed in seven groups of hotels, according to the Journal Sentinel. Wisconsin hotels will provide 2,926 rooms to delegates and Illinois hotels will provide 2,841.
Delegates staying in Illinois will be split between groups of hotels in Lake County and Rosemont.
Rosemont is just east of O’Hare and about 80 miles from Fiserv Forum, comparable to the distance to Madison. Racine, Kenosha and Sheboygan also will not host delegates.
All told, the convention is expected to bring as many as 50,000 visitors to the state — including delegates, members of the media and volunteers — and bring tens of thousands of dollars to the area.
The 2016 Democratic National Convention had a total economic impact of $230.9 million for its host city, Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau reported.
Deb Archer, president and CEO of Destination Madison, said in an email she had been in contact with the DNC and their housing company since Milwaukee was announced as the Democratic National Convention host city back in March.
At the request of the DNC, several Madison and Dane County hotels have room blocks set aside for potential visitors at the time of the convention.
“While the DNC has announced where the state delegations will stay, there are still thousands of other attendees who will need rooms,” Archer said. “We will continue to work with the DNC and their housing company to assist with accommodations as needed.”
Department of Tourism Secretary Sara Meaney said the event still should provide an economic boon and “the political road to Milwaukee is also the traveler’s road to Wisconsin.”
“Lodging will be a two-state effort,” Meaney said. “Yet, regardless of where they sleep at night, 100% of delegations will be spending their days in Wisconsin. Travel Wisconsin and our partners are ready to welcome delegates, journalists and guests, encourage them to stay a little longer and to show them how much fun they can have while they are here.”
Keep that cash flowing to Chicagoland, ya Commies!
Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway (D, Lesbian, Overfed) is putting a good spin on the snubbing, though:
“My focus is just on supporting Milwaukee to make sure that the convention is a success for everybody,” Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway said. “I’m sure we’ll have plenty of folks here in Madison and we’ll stand ready to host them.”
Since the homeless will be a major Democrat voter base, with 100+% of them being registered and casting Democrat votes in 2020, they will feel at home pitching their tents in the streets of Madison.
Just curious. When is the last time that a real live Madison born individual served as mayor of my hometown? That Commie, Soglin was from the Windbag City, if I am not mistaken.
Truthfully, this is a gift to Trump and the RNC. “Look at that...rather than the DNC sharing the wealth of their attendees in the great state of Wisconsin, they are driving attendees to Chicago instead. This is yet another sign that Democrats hate Normal Americans and think only the cities are where culture and smart people exist.”
Probably high occupancy taxes.
Sounds like the DNC really wanted to have the convention in Chicago but were afraid the optics would be bad. I would think a lot of the hookers and blow convention parties will be in Chicago.
I would think a lot of the hookers and blow convention parties will be in Chicago.
True, but they will have a difficult time finding ‘fresh’ lutefisk in Rosemont!
Nielsen’s Restaurant, long gone.
It would be the equivalent of the DNC convention being held in San Antonio and the DNC choosing to house delegations in Houston but not Austin.
Exactly. Same demographics.
All the low end Air B&B in Milwaukee are already reserved by Antifa types.
LOL! You nailed it. ;)
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