Does the DNC improve the local economy? (Boston: buy, living)

[LondonDwellersWife]

Hello to all Boston dwellers who were living locally during the 2004 DNC. My husband and I are relocating to Denver, CO within the next few months from London England.

Our question to you folks is: does the DNC help to stimulate the local economy and therefore job growth and stability?

We need to decide when we're moving to Denver - before or after the DNC- and thought who better to ask than the last city that was in the same position. Do you think that we have a better chance of getting jobs that we can keep if we are in town for the DNC? Obviously, there is going to be a massive influx of 2 week temp work specifically for the DNC that will disappear with the last flight out, but both my husband and I are planning on moving to Denver and getting retail/restaurant jobs as quickly as possible, then spending our off time scouring for office jobs, but we want to know if we're crazy to move to Denver before the DNC?

Please help us! I know it sounds crazy that 2 weeks may make such a difference, and if we are crazy thinking that it will make a huge difference, please let us know. You won't hurt our feelings by telling us that we should wait until after the DNC to have job stability. We want to make the best decision for us, and if that means waiting, then we'll wait.

Thank you.

[holden125]

I would not imagine it would make any appreciable long-term difference, perhaps with the exception of tourism related jobs if people see the place on TV and more of them think to look into a vacation there. I'm sure a lot of downtown restaurants will have a busy week, but the convention is only 4 days, so it's not clear they'd be doing special hiring for that. I don't think it makes much difference.

[Cantabridgienne]

IRRC, the DNC in Boston was kind of a bust. Residents were encouraged to get out of dodge, and convention goers often had parties or otherwise scheduled events, so they didn't get out and sample the local scene too much.

[Bostonian08]

Cantabridgienne is right.

The convention was nothing but a mess. They shut down the whole area around North Station, penned up demonstrators, gave police bully privileges, and put very little into the economy. It was just a big corporate welfare fest for already overprivileged politicians.

No matter what city you live in, learn three things. Don't buy new stadiums for billion dollar sports companies. Don't build a new convention center. And don't give politicians another free lunch.