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Politics : Right Wing Extremist Thread -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: calgal who wrote (44010)	7/29/2004 2:03:08 AM
From: calgal	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 59480

Ungrateful New Yorkers May Not Welcome GOP New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is urging patience and tolerance. His police chief, Raymond Kelly, promises as much safety as possible "for a big city." Nevertheless, many New Yorkers are not looking forward to the start of the Republican National Convention (Aug. 30-Sept.2), despite the overall boon to business it will be. Story Continues Below Is it because they don't like Republicans? To be sure, New York City is a Democratic haven. But mostly, people are upset because the convention will simply add to the choking congestion and traffic that city residents must already deal with. And not all New Yorkers will get a slice of the economic pie. Many street vendors, for instance, are being evicted from their normal spots in front of and near Madison Square Garden, where 50,000 GOP delegates, guests and reporters will converge for the convention, reports the LA Times. "Do we lose our right to make a living?" asked hot dog vendor Lamin Contu. Maybe he can become one of 10,000 volunteers being recruited to help Republican convention goers find their way around town. "There is nothing that doesn't inconvenience someone," Mayor Bloomberg told an interviewer. "That's life. It happens, folks. We should remember that this convention is going to be a great experience." Even former Mayor Ed Koch, a Democrat, is urging New Yorkers to "make nice" in TV ads. "They won't know Uptown from Downtown. ... Show them where to find shopping! Show off New York!" he urges. But like Boston, site of the continuing Democratic National Convention, there is more to New Yorkers' concerns than just losing a few days' worth of business. In Boston, residents complained of mass transit delays, blocked roads, subway station closings and random searches. Some were so leery of the inconveniences they left town this week, deciding it would be a great time to take vacation, the Detroit Free Press reported. All of the safety measures and other concerns have also weighed on the minds of delegates and conventioneers, as well as the mayor. "Can I guarantee that there isn't some crazy out there who won't try to do something stupid in New York?" Bloomberg asked. "I can't guarantee that." And so police will be searching belongings if they think something presents a security threat, while the protesters will be allowed to demonstrate - albeit miles away from Madison Square Garden, in a march along the West Side Highway. "It's sad. There are safety concerns, but this definitely cuts down on people's ability to express their opinions. It's intimidating," Mike Williams, a delegate and union leader from Tallahassee, Fla., told the Free Press. newsmax.com