DNC “Should Not Be Our Priority,” Barrett Says
Mayor says he's focused on pandemic and city has halted work on Democratic Convention.
It’s a virtual certainty that the Democratic National Convention will not go off as planned. But whether it still happens at all is an open question.
Even the convention’s biggest champion, Mayor Tom Barrett, is admitting that the expected 50,000 visitors and $200 million economic impact aren’t likely to happen at this point. “I can’t foresee us having exactly the kind of convention as predicted,” said Barrett on Wednesday afternoon during a press briefing.
Scheduled for July 13th through the 16th, the DNC was expected to have over 6,000 delegates, 15,000 media members and countless others descending on Milwaukee. But with the COVID-19 pandemic continuing unabated, a host of warning signs started flashing in the past 24 hours.
“I think it’s a very fluid situation,” said Barrett of what will happen. He said city staff has halted all work related to permitting and logistics for the event. “In other words, this is way out on the back burner.”
He is optimistic that some form of a convention will take place in Milwaukee. “I believe the Democrats are going to choose their nominee in Milwaukee,” said Barrett. “I don’t know what form that is going to take.”
There is one event postponement that’s actually a positive at this point. The decision to reschedule the Summer Olympics for 2020 opens up a large window from July 24th through August 9th that was previously unavailable. The Republican Party had selected August 24th through the 27th for its convention, and the Democrats opted to go in front of, instead of during, the Tokyo Olympics.
Barrett said even a scaled down convention could a be “shot in the arm” for businesses, particularly the hospitality industry.
But how much time is Barrett spending on this? None, he said. “This should not be our priority right now,” said the mayor.
The city has not incurred any direct costs for the event. Private funders cover the work of the host committee and public safety-related costs are scheduled to be covered under a $50 million federal grant.
If you think stories like this are important, become a member of Urban Milwaukee and help support real, independent journalism. Plus you get some cool added benefits, all detailed here.
More about the Coronavirus Pandemic
- Evers Proposes COVID-19 Child Care Aid - Laurel White - Mar 4th, 2021
- WI Daily: 677 New COVID-19 Cases - Urban Milwaukee - Mar 4th, 2021
- MKE County: COVID-19 No Longer Declining in Milwaukee - Graham Kilmer - Mar 4th, 2021
- COVID-19 Vaccine Assistance Hotline Now Available - Wisconsin Department of Health Services - Mar 4th, 2021
- Gov. Evers, DCF Announce Plan to Support Early Care and Education Providers, Partners, and Wisconsin Families - Gov. Tony Evers - Mar 4th, 2021
- WI Daily: 539 New COVID-19 Cases - Urban Milwaukee - Mar 3rd, 2021
- City Aims To Vaccinate Every Educator In Two Weeks - Graham Kilmer - Mar 3rd, 2021
- NEW: Senator Johnson Plans to Delay COVID Relief Through Senate Stunt - Opportunity Wisconsin - Mar 3rd, 2021
- Evers Says Schools May Need Summer Classes - Shawn Johnson - Mar 3rd, 2021
- City Hires Private Firm To Track COVID-19 Violations - Graham Kilmer - Mar 3rd, 2021
Read more about Coronavirus Pandemic here
More about the DNC
- City Hall: How Much Did DNC Cost Milwaukee? - Jeramey Jannene - Sep 16th, 2020
- Get Your DNC Memorabilia - Jeramey Jannene - Aug 25th, 2020
- Murphy’s Law: Will Biden’s DNC Snub Hurt Him In State? - Bruce Murphy - Aug 24th, 2020
- Activist Coalition Holds Largest March of DNC - Ethan Duran - Aug 21st, 2020
- DNC: Last Night Brings Little Exposure for Milwaukee - Jeramey Jannene - Aug 20th, 2020
- With DNC as Backdrop, A Discussion of Black Liberation - Ethan Duran - Aug 20th, 2020
- Suburban Protesters March From Tosa to DNC - Ethan Duran - Aug 20th, 2020
- DNC: With A “Holy Mackerel” Tony Evers Kicks Off DNC - Jeramey Jannene - Aug 19th, 2020
- DNC Rural Council Snubs Wisconsin - Henry Redman - Aug 19th, 2020
- Pop-Up Poetry Protest Performs Downtown - Ethan Duran - Aug 19th, 2020
Read more about DNC here