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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: LindyBill who wrote (34618)	3/15/2004 2:47:54 PM
From: LindyBill	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 793552

UNIONS MAY BEAN BOSTON By STEFAN C. FRIEDMAN March 15, 2004 -- Boston, we have a problem. Just 41/2 months before Beantown welcomes native son John Kerry to the Democratic National Convention, both the city and the convention itself are wracked with troubles. The Boston convention is running $7.5 million short of its of $40 million goal in pledged donations and Mayor Thomas Menino is under a steady attack from the city's powerful municipal unions. Boston's troubles become especially glaring when compared to New York City's dealings with the Republican Party as Gotham prepares to host the GOP convention. The Republican convention has been buoyed by a whopping $63 million in pledged donations and an early agreement between the convention and the city that any labor conflicts will do nothing to "impede the event." But in Boston, convention contributions have dried up since Menino and Sen. Ted Kennedy secured $20 million in initial funding, and the city and convention have still not come together on a labor agreement, setting the stage for possible protests and strikes. "It's a perfect storm," warned Boston Police Patrolmen's Association President Thomas Nee. While it's illegal for Nee and his 1,400 officers to strike, the union boss says his cops - who have been without a contract for two years - will protest and "follow delegates wherever they go," should a deal not be struck. As for security around the Fleet Center, the main venue of the convention and an inviting target for terrorists, Nee says Democrats can expect "a demoralized effort" from cops. And the cops are just one of 29 Boston municipal unions currently without a contract. The president of New York's Host Committee employed some well-known baseball folklore to explain why Boston is having so much trouble. "They teach the curse of the Bambino in Boston public schools," quipped Kevin Sheekey. "It's mind-boggling the DNC didn't think twice before deciding to hold the convention there." Still, convention organizers and members of Boston's host committee, Boston2004, insist that finances and planning are both running ahead of schedule. Karen Grant, communications director for the host committee, pointed out that Boston2004 has more money pledged at an earlier date than any Democratic convention in history. NEW YORK POST