Again with Planet of the Apes?
July 23, 2004 - 10:48 a.m.
Next week, the Democratic National Convention hits Boston. Our Boston office will be closing at 3:00 daily because I-93 will be closed, North Station will be closed, and roads around the Fleet Center will be closed. Inevitably, after all is said and done, the city will report on how many millions of dollars were brought into Boston because of the convention. But, will they report how much is lost due to business closings and disruptions? In the name of heightened security, all businesses surrounding the Fleet Center will be closed, including the restaurants that could have enjoyed a sizable boon.
Many of our Boston employees plan to work from home. Others (those living south of Boston) are coming to our office. And some are just saying fuck it all and taking the week off. Surely, many other Boston workers are doing likewise. So the hotels and restaurants (those on the outskirts of the Fleet Center) will make the bucks, while other businesses suffer.
I�m a bottom line kind of person. I don�t want to hear how many millions of dollars the convention brings to Boston. I want to take that figure, deduct the amount of revenue lost by affected businesses, and report that amount, positive or negative, as the economic impact. Am I crazy? Blind? Missing something? Still plagued by the ideals of youth? More importantly, why couldn�t the convention take place in Providence so I could leave at 3:00?
By the way, whenever I hear DNC, I think of DMZ, which in turn makes me think of The Forbidden Zone. Interesting how that works out, huh?
Autumn
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Autumn Has Left the Building - July 19, 2007
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Bollocks - May 29, 2007