Denver's RNC loss

[Wizened Variations]

Originally Posted by Octavian

Long article from the Atlantic on Denver/Union Station/Fastracks:

How Denver Is Becoming the Most Advanced Transit City in the West

A guy comes flying in with higher level journalistic credentials (Altantic) and starts to get a bit glib about his wording. I am sure he was instructed to go overboard, but, that's "show biz."

We recently have seen a steady newspaper onslaught about RTD's being "very concerned" ("the last mile" was an inside joke, I am sure), DUS being very cool, and, now the Atlantic article.

Now, you don't suppose a tiny winy bit that this whole media onslaught has nothing to do with Denver wanting the 2016 Republican Convention?

I have thought for years that the idea molding gang in Denver is a hell of lot smarter than property developers as well as RTD. These guys are GOOD! After all, how else could so many of Denver's professed intellectuals be so thorough hoodwinked for decades? My hat is off to them: I would not want to play most of them in a game of Go!

[bunt_q]

Originally Posted by Wizened Variations

Now, you don't suppose a tiny winy bit that this whole media onslaught has nothing to do with Denver wanting the 2016 Republican Convention?

Because nothing screams 21st Century GOP like urbanism, walkability, and public transportation... (SARCASM)

[PLANSIT]

Denver out of RNC race.

[FrancoRey]

Originally Posted by PLANSIT

Denver out of RNC race.

Fine with me. Tea partiers and pot heads don't get along very well. Less protests and problems.

Originally Posted by RyanD

A super super super super super super super super super super super SUPER trusty souce told me there is a backhoe on The Confluence site. And that super super super super super super super super super super super SUPER trusty souce and I are keeping an eye on said backhoe and site.

As for Confluence, I like! You have any pictures of that dirty, dirty (back)hoe?

[bunt_q]

Originally Posted by FrancoRey

Fine with me. Tea partiers and pot heads don't get along very well. Less protests and problems.

Originally Posted by bcp

Holy cow...there must be a republican running that project...or, can we please leave political snark out of this thread? (Not @rds)

I don't think anybody said anything political or anti-republican. It was just a simple observation that marijuana smokers are rowdy and violent. And can't be trusted to mingle peacefully with the rest of America.

[enjo13]

Originally Posted by PLANSIT

Denver out of RNC race.

From here:

http://www.9news.com/story/news/poli...-bid/11344499/

Sources close to the negotiations told 9NEWS Denver struggled to match the fundraising effort of Dallas, which has public funds available for attracting conventions.

So the limited government anti-tax party has an issue with the lack of tax-payer funds for their convention?!?!?!

[Wizened Variations]

Originally Posted by bunt_q

Because nothing screams 21st Century GOP like urbanism, walkability, and public transportation... (SARCASM)

Yes sir! And, of course, about $150 million pumped into a 4-5 square mile piece of real estate in a week has nothing to do with it either (SARCASM).

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by Wizened Variations

Yes sir! And, of course, about $150 million pumped into a 4-5 square mile piece of real estate in a week has nothing to do with it either (SARCASM).

Then why would the geniuses in the Illuminati marketing gang push the media articles right before Denver was eliminated instead of during, or right after, the site vistis? Talk about poor timing and a complete lack of understanding of the concept of the advertising campaign.

Poor Bob is going to get pushed out of the Council of Five for this one.

[bobg]

Originally Posted by Wizened Variations

Yes sir! And, of course, about $150 million pumped into a 4-5 square mile piece of real estate in a week has nothing to do with it either (SARCASM).

If a conspiracy was capable of funneling $150 million dollars into Denver in order to attract the RNC convention one would hope they would have funneled some of that money to Coors and the convention committee. (You know the committee that was short on funds and the primary reason we got booted from the running.)

If a conspiracy was capable of manipulating the media (some have been) one would hope they would find something more desirable to your average conservative than a public transit hub.

Either this conspiracy doesn't exist or they are the most inept conspirators in the history of mankind.

[Fritzdude]

Originally Posted by enjo13

From here:

http://www.9news.com/story/news/poli...-bid/11344499/



So the limited government anti-tax party has an issue with the lack of tax-payer funds for their convention?!?!?!

Ha.. I caught the irony as well. What they say they want and what they really want are two different things. What they really stand for are "limited tax-payer funds for other people".

[bcp]

Right.....nothing snarky here... rest assured, both sides provide plenty of ammo. How about a separate thread?

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by bcp

Right.....nothing snarky here... rest assured, both sides provide plenty of ammo. How about a separate thread?

Nah, I'm all for mixing some occasional political ribbing in with the discussion. It's akin to the ribbing that the pedal-pushing, church of the bike receives as well.

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by wong21fr

Probably an independent.

Hear Hear; A toast to (we) independents.

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by bunt_q

I don't think anybody said anything political or anti-republican. It was just a simple observation that marijuana smokers are rowdy and violent. And can't be trusted to mingle peacefully with the rest of America.

I think your confused with meth heads.

[TakeFive]

Originally Posted by wong21fr

Nah, I'm all for mixing some occasional political ribbing in with the discussion. It's akin to the ribbing that the pedal-pushing, church of the bike receives as well.

(hehehe) No doubt there are Great Ironies and hypocrisy on both ends.

[Wizened Variations]

The Denver Post today on page one have an apologetic entry about why Denver will not host the 2016 Republican Convention.

At least the reporter noted that the RNC said it was all a matter of money- that Denver's $11 million just did not cut it. Apparently $60 million in subsidies was the expected ball park figure.

I am rather surprised on the lack of committed money by the Denver elite.

A) The money only is spent if Denver gets the RNC convention.

B) If the Denver DIA train would be completed by the dates of the Republican Convention, Lodo would have made a real killing.

C) Most importantly, again assuming the DIA line would have been completed, the DIA line would have had the opportunity to do what it is designed to do: serve the downtown convention trade.

Talk about a real estate development opportunity lost! Imagine the coverage provided by TV during slack time at the Convention on just how slick the DIA Rail line is, and, how Lodo integrates so well with the DIA line!

IMO, the Denver elite lost hundreds of millions of dollars worth of public exposure, both to the mass consumer, and, above all, to those delegates with money who might be interested in investing money in downtown urban real estate.

(I am not a fan of the DIA line in many respects, but, I do know that the DIA line and the Denver Convention business are a perfect couple.)

[Wizened Variations]

Originally Posted by bobg

If a conspiracy was capable of funneling $150 million dollars into Denver in order to attract the RNC convention one would hope they would have funneled some of that money to Coors and the convention committee. (You know the committee that was short on funds and the primary reason we got booted from the running.)

If a conspiracy was capable of manipulating the media (some have been) one would hope they would find something more desirable to your average conservative than a public transit hub.

Either this conspiracy doesn't exist or they are the most inept conspirators in the history of mankind.

In my opinion, there was some friction between members of the moneyed community. Perhaps this friction could have been the result of who gets the payoff and who does not if Denver were to get the Convention (the biggest single profit generator would have been the Pepsi Center).

The failure of the "Bright Guys"- who likely are not the rich or powerful, but, are upper middle class employees- was not their ability to sell to the public (they are extraordinarily good at that), but their failure to get enough committed money from those that have it.

This suggests to me that the "Bright Guys" had a rough time getting their "employers" to put money on the table.

Lastly, I suspect that the Major, the city council, and, elected State offices whose precincts cover Lodo and the surrounding area, did not want to publically promise money unless a certain financial threshold in promised private money was reached.

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by Wizened Variations

The failure of the "Bright Guys"- who likely are not the rich or powerful, but, are upper middle class employees- was not their ability to sell to the public (they are extraordinarily good at that), but their failure to get enough committed money from those that have it.

This suggests to me that the "Bright Guys" had a rough time getting their "employers" to put money on the table.

Denver had the same issue in 2008- private fundraising for the DNC went up to the proverbial last minute. But Denver only funded the 2008 Convention with private funding, and proposed the same for the 2016. The finalists for the GOP Convention have both promised generous public subsidies which boosted their initial commitments.

The lack of private money is indicative of CO's lack of major corporations, especially one's with a longtime presence.

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by Wizened Variations

IMO, the Denver elite lost hundreds of millions of dollars worth of public exposure, both to the mass consumer, and, above all, to those delegates with money who might be interested in investing money in downtown urban real estate.

Just how much money do you think the LoDo elite has to throw around on a dubious advertising campaign with no real impact indicators to measure effectiveness? Specifically for the properties that would benefit from investment and not the one's that are slated for development and with equity partners already lined up? Hines ain't looking for GOP convention goers as equity partners, those guys are small fish.

Do some of your storied research and see who owns a lot of the remaining, develop-able lots in LoDo. You might be a bit surprised at the decided lack of a moneyed elite.

[denconyny]

Originally Posted by wong21fr

The lack of private money is indicative of CO's lack of major corporations, especially one's with a longtime presence.

I doubt that the GOP neglecting Denver for their convention had anything to do with transportation or donations.

I don't think that they want to be constantly reminded of the last Democratic Convention that we had here in 2008. And it's probably most simply because I don't think any GOP candidate is capable of (or even getting close to) filling Mile High Stadium (or whatever the call it now) with an audience of some 70,000 plus cheering supporters the way Obama did when he gave his acceptance speech...... and that's got to be a big thorn in the side of Denver getting the GOP convention......

Just sayin' folks.....