Denver misses fundraising deadline

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Well, as was speculated, the Denver host committee missed the first deadline to raise money for the 2008 Democratic National Convention:

The committee raising funds for the Democratic National Convention next year hasn't met a June 1 deadline to have $7.5 million in the bank, but organizers insist they're not worried. "When you're talking about raising $45 million, that's a challenge for anyone," said Elbra Wedgeworth, president of the Denver 2008 host committee. "The Democratic National Committee is confident we can do this." The national committee has established a series of deadlines for Denver to meet in its goal of raising $55 million for the convention. The host committee is expected to raise at least $40 million in cash and $15 million in in-kind donations for the Aug. 25-28, 2008 event.
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A sources who spoke on the condition he not be identified said that the host committee has fallen short of the $7.5 million cash goal. How far short is not clear. The committee has $28 million in total commitments, but only a fraction of that is in the bank. Many of those pledges involve a mix of in-kind services and cash.

Already, Governor Bill Ritter and Denver mayor John Hickenlooper have traveled out of state to ask for donations for the event. Hickenlooper recently traveled to New York to meet with executives at several Wall Street firms and ask for their support. Because Denver has only a handful of Fortune 500 firms, much of the fund-raising will have to take place out of state. "We'll have to go outside of our region to raise funds," said Wedgeworth. "We're going to individuals, large companies and mom and pops."

If there's no penalty for not meeting a deadline, I wonder why they have any deadlines at all?

Update: The Denver Post has more details:

Reached in the afternoon, president Elbra Wedgeworth said the host committee will bank "1 or 2 million" less than the $7.5 million its contract with the Democratic Party says must be collected by today. In a follow-up discussion, she said "more has come in (Thursday), a significant amount."
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"We basically have the pledges, but they're not going to be in by the deadline," Wedgeworth said. Denver's contract with the Democratic National Committee sets four fundraising milestones geared toward ensuring that the party has the money it needs to prepare for the convention. The host committee's final deadline is June 16, 2008, when it must have $40.6 million in the bank.

The contract allows for an extension of seven business days. A potential complicating factor is that the contract also required that the host committee establish a nearly $20 million line of credit, should the money not be in after the seven-day extension, but the committee hasn't done that.

Wedgeworth said that DNC chairman Howard Dean is aware of the fundraising situation and isn't pressing for funds immediately. Instead, Wedgeworth said, the June 1 date was more of a goal than a firm deadline and the DNC doesn't immediately need the money.

OK, so now it's a goal, not a deadline. Got it.

Denver in money push

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The Denver 2008 Host Committee committed to have $7.5 million for the 2008 Democratic Convention in the bank by June 1, but they may not make it:

The Denver host committee's Steven Farber, a powerful Denver lawyer and moneyman; Mayor John Hickenlooper; and Gov. Bill Ritter are working as many as 50 potential donors - about 20 of them in private meetings - during a conference of the International Council of Shopping Centers at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
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Farber said he hopes the Las Vegas trip and a trip next month to Los Angeles will secure the commitments for the more than $40 million in cash and $15 million in services needed to meet Democratic National Committee requirements. The hard work of getting actual deposits will remain.
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At least $2.7 million is in.
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Of the nearly 30 mostly local donors who pledged more than $21 million in cash and services when the DNC picked Denver to host the convention, seven are known to have actually sent in checks, totaling $2.7 million. The DNC contract calls for $7.5 million in the bank by June 1.
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June 1 is the first of four milestones in a timeline that specifies $40.6 million in cash must be available by July 1, 2008.

Interviews with original donors who pledged $50,000 or more found that seven had sent in checks: Union Pacific has sent in $1 million; Xcel Energy, $1 million; Molson Coors, $250,000; TeleTech, $250,000; Chase, $100,000; Wells Fargo, $62,500; and CH2M Hill, $50,000.

That $2.7 million figure could be significantly higher, as two major donors didn't respond to interview requests.

I doubt there's any "penalty" for not meeting the deadline, but it will be interesting to see if they make it.

Sorry for the lack of posts recently, and things will improve in the future.

Dean looking at future conventions

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Throughout the competition to host the 2008 Democratic Convention, a number of people commented here and elsewhere that a large convention was antiquated in this day and age, and alternatives should be looked at: shorter conventions, conventions held in multiple venues simultaneously, or even on-line. Well DNC Chairman Howard Dean wants to take a look at it:

Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean said Thursday the days of the $60 million political convention coronations are numbered and he's studying ways to make them more relevant to average people.

Dean said politicians need to find more ways to connect with voters, going door to door, instead of depending on television to deliver their messages. He said next year's convention in Denver will be different.

"We've got to change the way we do conventions in this country. I'm looking to try to make this a transitional convention, in the sense that the day of the $50-$60 million convention is coming to a close. The day of one-way campaigns where we do everything on television, and we don't listen to people before, is coming to a close. We need to be knocking on doors, talking to them directly, asking their opinions," Dean said during an interview on the Aaron Harber show on KDBI-TV.

I like Dean's intentions, but they're going to be hard to implement. That one hour of free television time for the nominee's speech, in front of 20,000 cheering people, along with all the other press coverage, is going to be hard to give up. And for that to happen you have to have the convention somewhere, and that's going to cost money. On the other hand, the economics of the convention make it much less of an attraction for the host cities, and I've wondered in the past whether there will even be any cities in the future that want to host these things.

Dean: We have peace with union leaders

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In an interview on Denver radio, DNC Chairman Howard Dean was optimistic about the labor issues that have plagued planning for the 2008 Democratic Convention:

Dean said Denver officials have made peace with union leaders who say Denver is too hostile to unions to be the site of the party's 2008 convention and he believes the convention will go off without a hitch.

"I don't envision a big labor blowup over the convention," he said. Dean planned to meet with labor leaders later Thursday to drum up support.

Let's see if the Denver labor leaders feel the same way.

1908 Convention fountain to live again

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Denver is going to reconstruct a fountain originally built for the 1908 Democratic National Convention:

Just before the 1908 Democratic National Convention, Denver Mayor Robert Speer pushed to finish a fountain in City Park that fascinated onlookers in much the same way as the current Bellagio water show on the Las Vegas strip.

For a generation now, Speer's Prismatic Electric Fountain has been known as little more than a concrete thing in the middle of Ferril Lake. But city officials said people used to gather on the banks to take in 90-foot spires of water lit up by an array of colored lights.

A century later - and decades since it was last in use - Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper is working to get the fountain up and running before the Democrats come calling again.

Some fountain facts:

• Cost to build Ferril Lake fountain at City Park in 1908: $19,500
• Approximate cost for the new fountain that will mirror fountain's 1908 capabilities: $2.4 million

See here for more on the fountain's history and future.

Utah wins convention housing priority lottery

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Great inside stuff from DemNotes. At the meeting of the Association of State Democratic Chairs (ASDC), the states got assigned priorities to help decide which states get the preferred hotels at the 2008 Democratic Convention in Denver:

The state parties were understandably very focused on the housing process, and how hotels would be assigned to each delegation. It is a very complicated process, with many variables. Fitting states into hotels at a national convention is like a multi-dimensional puzzle, with the need to match the number of rooms available with as many delegations as possible, while taking into account what hotels each delegation wants. Some may want a lower-cost hotel, even if it means further distance from the Pepsi Center; others may want to sacrifice price for location and amenities.
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One of the big variables in the process is a state’s “priority”. The states are randomly placed into numerical priorities, from 1 to 56 (there are 56 delegations, as the DNC treats the territories, DC, and Democrats Abroad as separate state delegations). Today was the day we each learned our priority — the housing lottery was held this afternoon.
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Because we’re the Host State, the DNCC invited us to be the first state to pick. Alas, our “first in the nation” status didn’t help greatly, as our lottery priority is right in the middle at 24. Then, each state went, in reverse alphabetical order, after Colorado.

24 isn’t horrible. But it isn’t Utah. Utah Chair Wayne Holland and his crew went to the front and pulled out hat number 1. Since Utahns are expecting to have some stiff competition to attend the Convention next door, this is quite a coup for the Beehive State Dems. The jubilant Utah Democaratic leaders were soon getting offers (semi-serious) from the Hawaii Chair to exchange all sorts of things, including trips to Hawaii for State Party leaders, in exchange for Utah’s Number 1 status (Hawaii picked number 30).
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In reality, the lottery position is only one of many variables that will be used in determining housing placements. But its definitely the most fun variable!
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According to the DNCC plans, there are still a lot of steps before we find out who gets what lodging. State Party leaders will be trekking through Denver individually to tour and inspect hotels during June, July and August. Then, in September, they will be submitting their preferences to the DNCC, who should have some assignments ready for the state parties by November.

I'd love to know what Hawaii is offering to "move up" in the preference order. And there should be another lottery, probably in the winter or early spring, to determine where the state delegations get assigned on the floor of the convention hall. I'll keep an eye for news on that one.

Trailer for Sale or Rent

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While Roger Miller was able to find a room for 50 cents, it will cost a little more to find private housing during the 2008 Democratic Convention. Check out this ad from Craigslist: $15,000 gets you a week at a a 5 bedroom home with plasma TV and optional basset hound. (Hat tip to Colorado Confidential).

More talks with labor

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The Democrats are continuing their discussions with labor. This time it's Colorado Governor Bill Ritter:

Gov. Bill Ritter met today with AFL-CIO President John Sweeney and promised to work with him to resolve problems with organized labor leading up to the Democratic National Convention next year. Ritter, a Democrat, said he and Sweeney discussed the lack of union workers at area hotels, problems over contracts with stage hands and the temporary use of union labor at the main convention venue, the Pepsi Center.
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Sweeney said that "a number of labor issues" arise over the staging of a national political convention, "and so, many of our local unions here have issues that they wanted to raise and which they are raising and we will be working on from now until the convention."
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Sweeney declined to say what the union would do if agreements aren't reached on the outstanding issues, including the hiring of union stagehands for the convention and signing a contract with the Hyatt Hotel, the main hotel for delegates.

"I really am very optimistic that not just the hotel issue, but that many of these issues that relate directly to the convention, that every effort will be made to resolve them and I'd like to focus on that and not talk about what if," Sweeney said.

It certainly seems that tensions have cooled after this meeting and the meetings that Dean held last week. There will likely be flare-ups as things move along, but with national figures like Sweeney and Dean now heavily involved, hopefully things will settle down.

Howard Dean's Screamin' Goodtime Jamboree

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An amusing look at Dean's April 12th visit to Denver.

DNC and labor making progress

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Finally, some cooler heads may be prevailing in the disputes between labor and the organizers of the 2008 Democratic Convention:

Organizers of the Democratic National Convention made progress Thursday in resolving labor disputes that threatened to overshadow the event.

Labor officials were granted a seat on the Denver 2008 host committee that they had sought since last summer. The leader of one of the state's largest unions said it was time to "move on," and national AFL-CIO President John Sweeney flew into Denver to "tone down the rhetoric" that has surrounded the debate over labor issues in Colorado.
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Several sources said the atmosphere at the meeting was cordial. Much of the discussion involved the contract local unions have been asked to sign promising not to picket or disrupt the convention. The Pepsi Center is normally a nonunion facility, but during the convention only union labor will be used.

The local stagehands union has objected to working in a non- union facility and had refused to sign the contract. National representatives from that union, as well as from the construction trades, the communication workers and Unite Here - which organizes hotel workers - all met with Dean and Hickenlooper.

At the meeting, labor was promised a seat on the Denver 2008 Host committee. The unions also asked for Hickenlooper's help in organizing downtown hotels. About one-third of the 6,000 delegates are expected to be union members, and they prefer to stay at a union hotel. However, the new convention center Hyatt Regency is currently the only hotel that's been organized.
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"A lot of us want to move on," said Mitch Ackerman, Colorado president of the Service Employees International Union

More from AFL-CIO president John Sweeney:

Sweeney met with union reps who had attended the Dean meeting.

"I think the discussion was a good discussion," Sweeney said as he left the Hyatt Regency - the one city hotel where workers have formed a union and are negotiating for a contract. "But there's a lot of work that needs to be done."

And from Mitch Ackerman, president of the Colorado Council of the Service Employees International Union:

"There is consternation about the fact that a nonunion venue was chosen, and there is some consternation that this is a town where workers really struggle to form unions."

As I've said, regardless of threats, the convention is staying in Denver, so it make sense for all sides to figure out ways to work out their differences.

DNCC vs Host Committee

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Dan Slater explains the difference:

Right now, there are two separate organizations who are charged with running the Convention planning effort. The first is the Denver 2008 Host Committee, which most of you have heard about. Denver 2008 is locally-run, and is the group that formed the convention bid and are now working to raise the money and volunteers to support that bid. Right now, anybody locally who is working on the Convention is probably working with this group. However, there is a separate organization, known as the Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC), which is the arm of the DNC charged with running the Convention for the DNC. The DNCC is the group that gets the FEC grant to run the Convention, and in the end, the DNCC will be spending most of the money raised by the Denver 2008 Host Committee.

In the end, the DNCC is primarily concerned with making sure that what goes on at the Convention is a good portrayal of Democrats in general and our nominee in specific. The Host Committee, on the other hand, is primarily concerned with making sure that Denver looks good (by making the Convention look good). That’s quite an over-simplification, but it probably gets the point across. The DNC wants people running the DNCC to be folks who know what putting together a successful Convention is about, and who have done this in the past — and who answer to the DNC. That’s why the team running the DNCC looks a little different than those running the Host Committee.

DNC Announces Convention Leadership Team

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DNC Chairman Howard Dean has announced the six members of the senior leadership team for the 2008 Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC):

Leah Daughtry, CEO
Peggy Cusack, Chief of Staff
Susana Carbajal, General Counsel
Jenni Engebretsen, Deputy CEO for Public Affairs
Sky Gallegos, Deputy CEO for Intergovernmental Relations
Cameron Moody, Deputy CEO for Operations
Jim McMullen, Deputy CEO for Administration and Finance

You can see the press release for all of their backgrounds. Daughtry and Moody were on the Technical Advisory Committee that helped advise Dean on the convention choice. I would highlight Cameron Moody's resume:

Cameron Moody has more than 18 years of experience in project management, strategic planning, special event logistics, and transportation systems.... Moody was Deputy CEO for Operations for the 2004 Democratic National Convention Committee where he oversaw the planning and implementation of Security, Transportation and Housing. In this role, he interfaced with the Boston Host Committee, Secret Service, Boston Police, Boston Conventions and Visitors Bureau, Boston Fire Dept., Boston Police, State Dept. of Transportation and a host of other agencies and corporate entities. Moody also served as Deputy Director of Operations for the 2004 and 2000 Democratic National Conventions and Deputy Director of Transportation for the 1996 Democratic National Convention. Cameron also worked on the 2002, 2000 and 1996 Olympics and the 1997 Denver Summit of the Eight (G-8 Economic Summit).

Readers of this blog know that it's the logistics that interest me, and Moody has the right background.

But when will Wally Podrazik's hiring be announced?

One other note. Some in the blogosphere are unhappy with the choice of Jenni Engebretsen because she comes from the RIAA. You can see the reasons at Boing Boing and Daily Kos.

Convention Jobs

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Interested in a job at the 2008 Democratic Convention in Denver?

If you'd like to work for the Democratic National Convention Committee, you can email your resume to staffing@demconvention.com. While we're not hiring right now, we'll keep your resume on hand for when we are.

Of course, it will be just a little easier to get a volunteer position.

Official Convention Web Site

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The DNCC (Democratic National Convention Commitee) finally has the official convention web site up and running:

Today, the Democratic National Convention Committee unveiled its website for the 2008 Democratic Convention in Denver: www.demconvention.com. The website provides up-to-date information on the convention, which will be held from August 25-28, 2008. The 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver will help put the Democratic Party's presidential nominee on the path to victory for the November 2008 election.

Looks like they'll have lots of good stuff here, including video (still under construction) from the last 6 conventions.

Dean: Denver "a little risky"

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Democratic chairman Howard Dean:

"Denver is a little risky. But if you don't take risks, you don't win."

Dean's visit to Denver

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Lot's of news about DNC Chairman Howard Dean's visit to Denver on April 12. Dean was supposed to meet with AFL-CIO President John Sweeney to discuss the convention labor situation, but scheduling issues are causing problems:

A labor showdown over the 2008 Democratic National Convention to be held in Denver might have to wait a bit. A possible meeting next week to address a rift between labor leaders and the Democratic National Committee remained up in the air Tuesday because of scheduling challenges.

AFL-CIO President John Sweeney initially planned to meet with Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean, who will be in town April 12 on convention-related business. But Sweeney also wants to meet with Gov. Bill Ritter, who will be out of town at the time. "As of this afternoon, he (Sweeney) has not made a final decision," Esmeralda Aguilar, a spokeswoman in the AFL-CIO's national office, said about a possible Denver trip. "It sounds very tentative."

While Sweeney was among the labor leaders who earlier assured Dean that labor disputes could be worked out ahead of the 2008 convention, the AFL-CIO later went on the attack after Ritter vetoed a pro-union bill. Sweeney and other leaders in the labor federation have threatened to pressure Democrats to move their convention to another city.

Regardless of that meeting, Dean will also be holding a public rally. Dan Slater has the news:

Some of you may have heard by now that DNC Chair Howard Dean is coming to Colorado next week to help celebrate the award of the Democratic National Convention in 2008 to Denver. Here’s the best part: you’re invited!

The DNC issued the formal press advisory this afternoon, announcing the details of the event, and how you can get your tickets to attend. Here’s that advisory:

Washington, DC - Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean will join Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, and Denver 2008 Host Committee President Elbra Wedgeworth in a community celebration of the Denver 2008 Democratic National Convention on April 12th. The event will be open to the public and tickets can be picked up beginning Monday at the Colorado Democratic Party and Denver 2008 Host Committee offices listed at the end of this advisory.

Let’s be sure to give Governor Dean a great Colorado welcome! It is so important that we show him exactly how enthusiastic we are about the DNC coming to Denver next summer — if you’ve talked about wanting to volunteer, or to help out the Convention effort, well, this is the first thing you can do: show up. It is always a great day when Governor Dean comes to Colorado, but this is even bigger — it’s about the Convention. See you there!

See DemNotes for all the meeting details.

Hoffa: Labor issue could "blow up"

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In another sign that Denver's potential labor issues are not getting closer to being resolved, Teamsters union leader James Hoffa Jr. said to Colorado Governor Bill Ritter that if key labor issues for the 2008 Democratic Convention aren't worked out, "it could blow up":

Teamsters union leader James Hoffa Jr. joined the debate over Denver's selection as host for the Democratic National Convention by confronting Gov. Bill Ritter at a Washington dinner and promising the issue could "blow up" next summer if Colorado doesn't become more labor-friendly.

"We're very upset about it," the International Brotherhood of Teamsters president said of the Democrats' decision to stage their convention at the nonunion Pepsi Center. In an interview Monday, Hoffa also mentioned Ritter's veto of a law that might have made it easier to organize unions in Colorado. "All of labor is upset," Hoffa said.

Hoffa said it is "ironic" that the Republicans are planning their convention in heavily unionized Minneapolis-St. Paul. "Maybe we should flip it and let the Republicans come to Denver," he said.

Hoffa expressed his displeasure personally to Ritter on Saturday night in Washington at the annual Gridiron Club Dinner, where politicians mingle with the media. He said he told Ritter that if he and Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper didn't work out some key issues, the convention could be plagued with protests and picket lines.

"It could blow up," Hoffa told Ritter.

Hoffa said he agrees with the president of the AFL-CIO, John Sweeney. Last month, the AFL-CIO said it would ask the Democratic Party to move its convention to another city if a law like the one Ritter vetoed wasn't enacted.
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"The governor is confident that all of the issues can be worked out and that we will have a successful convention in 2008," said Ritter's spokesman, Evan Dreyer.
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It is not unusual for labor to use the leverage a national Democratic convention brings, observers say. At the 2004 convention, national Democrats helped mediate a labor dispute between police and the city of Boston that stopped a picket line and gained the police a new contract and big raise.

But this time Democrats tried to craft an agreement meant to get past the Pepsi Center's nonunion status. So far unsigned, the agreement would promise that only unions would be hired to do the work at the Pepsi Center in exchange for a promise by unions not to protest.

The Democratic National Committee said Monday that it remained optimistic that differences could be solved. "Labor is an important partner," said DNC spokeswoman Stacie Paxton. "We will continue to address concerns and work with all of our partners toward a mutually acceptable agreement and successful convention."

You would at least like to see some conciliatory talk going on, some sense of finding a common ground. I'm sure it will happen at some point, but not yet.

Hotline on AFL-CIO Convention Threat

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Hotline On Call is a great blog, but they're strangely 2 weeks late in reporting on the AFL-CIO's threat to ask to move the convention away from Denver. But they do advance the story:

Privately, senior labor officials have re-assured Denver's host committee that it shouldn't read too much into the AFL-CIO's collective expression of disappointment.

Not that the convention was going anywhere even if the AFL-CIO did ask it to be moved.

Boston: Denver planning "incredibly advanced"

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Denver is hoping to learn from the past:

Organizers of the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver discussed transportation, the homeless, communications and other issues Monday with organizers of the 2004 Democratic convention in Boston. Denver is "incredibly advanced" in its planning, Steve Kerrigan of the Boston committee said afterward.

About 150 people met with Kerrigan and four other Boston representatives who helped plan the 2004 convention, said Katherine Archuleta, senior policy adviser to Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper.

Traffic was one of the Boston event's major issues. While organizers had to shut down a highway and relocate commuter train service for their convention, Denver's Pepsi Center -- surrounded by parking lots -- will not face the same issues, Kerrigan said. "We're jealous," Kerrigan said.

Denver just has to worry about an amusement park. Not a bad tradeoff.

Update: From the Colorado Democratic Party's new blog, Voices of the Colorado Dems:

Committee chairs met last Friday. A larger meeting took place yesterday. It started with a welcome by Mike Dino, CEO. Then Katherine Archuleta discussed the values that are being placed on the convention planning and execution. 1) They want it to be a “wow” experience; 2) Inclusiveness is really important - delegates will be taken care of, others want to be involved; 3) It will be a “green” convention; 4) It is possible that the nominee for President or Vice-President will be a woman, an African-American or a Hispanic and this provides for great educational opportunities.

There was a presentation on having a green and sustainable convention with a guest speaker who is working on the Olympics to do the same. Beth Conover introduced this section. She is working on sustainability in Mayor Hickenlooper’s office. (She is also married to my former assistant, Ken Snyder).
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After the breakout sessions, my committee on organizational outreach met. Co-chairing this commitee are Ramona Martinez and myself. Our major goal is “to communicate with all national, state and local organizational stakeholders to seek input into the 2008 convention planning.” We will be taking information to the upcoming Association for State Democratic Chairs meeting and the Western Regional Caucus. I am also contacting other state chairs for input. In addition, we will begin putting out regular information to county chairs so that we can get volunteers involved locally until the convention is ready for them. There is much work to be done.

What I find most interesting is that all this organizing is being done by the Host Committee, and not by the Democratic National Committee, who is actually in charge of the official convention activities. I haven't even seen a mention of whether any representatives of the DNC are even attending these meetings.

CBS station to show report on convention

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CBS's affiliate in Denver, KCNC, is planning to show a special tonight at 8:00 called: "The Road to Denver: The 2008 Democratic Convention". From the program listing:

The factors that lead to Denver's selection as host city for the 2008 Democratic National Convention are explored. Also: examining the city's preparations for the convention.

If any readers see it, please tell us about in the comments. Assuming, of course, that it doesn't get bumped for NCAA coverage.

Update: Well, it's 8:27 in Denver, and the games are still going on, so the convention special has gotten bumped. I'll keep on eye on the TV listings to see if it gets scheduled again.