Could Pittsburgh host the 2016 Democratic National Convention?

[I_Like_Spam]

Originally Posted by JimboPGH

Agreed.

Fury Conventions > Political Conventions

Conventions of urologists, petroleum engineers and labor bosses are even better. People with real cash and looking for a good time are what is needed to really help the economy, not pampered VIP's that require excessive security precautions and prevent other economic activity in town from happening.

[Gee Whiz]

Originally Posted by I_Like_Spam

Conventions of urologists, petroleum engineers and labor bosses are even better. People with real cash and looking for a good time are what is needed to really help the economy, not pampered VIP's that require excessive security precautions and prevent other economic activity in town from happening.

Bingo! I experienced this first hand. I worked as a bellman at one of the top hotels Downtown during the G20 Summit. We handled all of the dignitaries luggage but never saw the dignitaries. We worked our butts off for four days. They informed us that no money was going to be exchanged(tips) but we would be taken care of after the summit. The hotel was given $3 million by the Federal Government. They gave the bellman $100.00 each. We should have gotten ten times as much and would have if we had our normal clientele. It was a joke and did nothing for the working man, only the big shots. I_Like_Spam knows what he's talking about.

[I_Like_Spam]

Originally Posted by Gee Whiz

Bingo! I experienced this first hand. I worked as a bellman at one of the top hotels Downtown during the G20 Summit. .

I worked as a cabdriver in the 90's, I saw the types who wanted to go places and do things. Getting people in town with money helps to fill the fancy restaurants and niteclubs, lower profiled people with money are the ones ready to cut loose. And if they can write it off as a business expense in their medical practice, so much the better.

[Buckeye Burgher]

Originally Posted by HeavenWood

While I disagree that Pittsburgh was properly equipped to handle G-20, a major party convention is small enough (and doesn't attract anywhere near the same amount of opposition) that PGH could probably host one without incident.

These conventions typically attract large numbers of protesters.
Nothing like Chicago 1968, but they do pose a challenge.

[Geeo]

I wonder if people in Cleveland, one of the poorest big cities in the country, are asking themselves how the city/county/businesses/foundations came up with the $25 or $50 million or whatever it is to host something like this when whole sections have fallen apart? I'm glad that we pulled out for the Democratic convention consideration because we have more important issues to address before we go after something like this.

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by Buckeye Burgher

These conventions typically attract large numbers of protesters.
Nothing like Chicago 1968, but they do pose a challenge.

Right, but still, nowhere near G-20 levels.

[Buckeye Burgher]

The protests could be even larger than the G-20 depending on whatever political particulars
are occurring at that time. They would just be more tightly focused on domestic issues.

I know at all recent conventions a very large and tight security perimeter was drawn around the convention hall. When you consider how many elected officials, including the sitting Vice-President and President would be attending, the security challenge may be every bit as tough.

My guess is they'd have to cordon off all of Downtown Pittsburgh again.