Ludicrously expensive political conventions

We here in Denver know first hand how badly out of control the costs of national political conventions have become. We are hosting the Democratic national confab in a few weeks, and the costs keep escalating.

Denver was supposed to raise some $40 million to underwrite the confab, and at last tally, was about $11 million short. But that doesn't mean the expenses don't continue to shoot out of control. The latest hit was the decision by probable nominee Barack Obama to give his acceptance speech at Denver's 80,000 seat Mile High Stadium, instead of the indoor Pepsi Center, where the rest of the convention is.

It will cost an estimated $4 million extra to outfit Mile High with the security, stage, media plugins, etc. for this hour and a half extravaganza. Obama just had to give the word, and somebody in Denver has to snap their fingers and spend another $4 million.

Congress appropriated $50 million to each host city for the Democratic and GOP conventions, but that is quickly spent up just in police salaries and overtime, riot gear and other security equipment. The $40 million is in addition to this, and must be begged, borrowed and stolen off private businesses seeking favors from the parties. It is a fundraising outrage, that McCain-Finegold outlawed for candidates but still allows for political conventions. It is ripe for all kinds of mischief.

The inconvenience of closed streets, congested highways and sold-out hotels and restaurants is bad enough for the host cities, but the cost is beyond the pale. It is time for someone to reign in these mass media orgies called political conventions--which are cut-and-dried, and decided in advance, anyway.