Conventional "Wisdom" - part II

So, last month, our junior senator (who, by the way, served in Vietnam - if you didn't know) had this to say concerning the upcoming DNC and its impact on the City of Boston:

"Boston will be open for business," the Massachusetts senator said aboard his campaign plane. "People will make a lot of money. We're going to have a full-fledged convention, and people are going to have a fantastic time."

Could you elaborate on that, Senator? Who exactly will be making "a lot of money"? If the DNC has their way, it won't be the local cab drivers:

Boston cabbies are up in arms over the city's suggestion they accept discounted flat-rate vouchers from 5,000 delegates needing rides to and from Logan International Airport for the Democratic National Convention next month.

[snip]

A proposal that could require drivers to accept a flat rate of $8 per delegate - with a minimum of three people to a cab - was presented to cab associations two weeks ago by Mark Cohen, the civilian director of the Boston Police Department's Hackney Licensing office, drivers said last night.

The trial balloon didn't fly with the cabbies who, when operating on a meter, can earn airport fares ranging from $20 to more than $30 depending on traffic.

The flat rate also does not appear to include the $6.25 each cab must pay for tunnel tolls and a Massport fee.

That's just great. Create the biggest traffic jam the city's ever seen, and then force the cabbies to sit in traffic with the meter off while shuttling delegates around.

And don't bother looking for any financial windfall for the surrounding communities:

Boston's northern neighbors are insisting the Hub cough up cash to pay for police details along suburban streets expected to be gridlocked by traffic diverted off Interstate 93 during the Democratic National Convention next month.

"None of the communities outside of Boston are receiving any support at all," grumbled Malden police Chief Ken Coye, who said the issue of who should pay for police details to keep traffic moving has come up several times already in meetings with Boston and DNC officials.

[snip]

Medford Mayor Michael McGlynn, who has threatened to block Route 60 at I-93 as a last resort to prevent diverted traffic from jamming Medford Square, said he and other mayors expect to meet with Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino soon to discuss "funding needs."

"Give us the resources we need in the form of manpower and/or money," Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone said. "From Somerville's perspective, this is going to cost us a quarter of a million dollars."

Somerville police will be stationed throughout the city and will be prepared to close major roads to foil cut-through traffic clogging the city, Curtatone said.

This is Kerry's idea of a "fantastic time"? I can't fault Kerry entirely for this gargantuan level of cluelessness. It's not like he's ever held a 9 to 5 job that actually required commuting through heavy traffic with the rest of the commoners. But hey, at LEAST we'll be able to get traffic updates from the news helicopters monitoring the situation, right?

BZZZZZ! Guess again.

Security planners and the Federal Aviation Administration have restricted the airspace within a 30-mile radius of the arena, with no private aircraft allowed.

That prohibition affects traffic reporting companies as well as local news stations hoping to report on traffic tie-ups.

This is getting worse by the minute. If things continue as they are, the security precautions being taken for the convention are going to wreak nearly as much havoc on the city as the terrorist activity they're trying to prevent. Gridlock, chaos, and panic minus the flying body parts.