GOP convention's halo tarnished

[Zorro]

<snip>

1996 event now seen as factor in city's fiscal ills

It was 10 years ago this week that San Diego hosted the Republican National Convention, touted by civic cheerleaders as the mega-event that would propel the city onto the world stage and pump millions into the local economy.

The economic benefits are hard to gauge, but there is no question that the smoothly executed convention delivered on its promise of national media attention, erasing the myth of San Diego as a snoozy Navy town with a famous zoo.

But the long-term costs would be hideous.

The convention is now seen by some auditors and investigators as among a string of events that strained San Diego's tight city finances, leading policy-makers in 1996 to balance the books by paying less into the city pension system than was needed to meet its future obligations to thousands of retirees.

<snip>

More at: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20060813-9999-1n13conven.html

Is there anything the GOP touches that doesn't get fucked up? Connecting San Diego's current fiscal crisis to the local politicians' support for bringing the Republican convention to town should be a warning to future convention cities. Susan Golding deserves a great deal of credit for the corporate giveaways -- to the Padres, the Chargers, and the Republicans -- that have created this financial mess. People with half a brain could see this coming ten years ago and tried to stop it, but were consistently ridiculed as obstructionists by the mayor's supporters and the Union-Tribune editors.

So it's surprising that the Union-Tribune -- whose editorial writers religiously and fervently support every Bush decision -- would feature such an article on the front page; I guess there's a disconnect similar between that of the WSJ reporters and their editorial page. You can reliably count on them to endorse any Republican running for elected office.

[Demeter]

1. Worse Was the License that the Local GOP Thought They Had

to break laws, commit fraud, etc.

[Barrett808]

2. Wasn't there scandal around Nixon and the 1972 convention in S.D,?

I seem to recall Mob involvement...

[beltanefauve]

3. Meanwhile,

NYC is currently dealing with thousands of lawsuits for illegally detaining people in 2004. ("Preventitive arrests")

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

4. Ack!

Skeletons arise!


:scared:

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

5. Bob Dole looks evil.

He sure does.

Could it be They Live?

Surely.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

6. Bob Dole.