Members of the Democratic National Committee will took one last gander around Philadelphia Wednesday afternoon before they go on to decide which city will host the party’s 2016 convention.
“For obvious reasons they’re going to have a great meeting and a great time,” Mayor Michael Nutter said earlier this morning.
Nutter led the small group of of the DNC16 representatives on a tour of the city, according to the Associated Press.
A representative from the group will also attend the US House of Representatives Democrats policy retreat, which is taking part in Philadelphia from Wednesday to Friday.
The retreat, which will attract President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and Gov. Tom Wolf, will be held at the Sheraton in Society Hill. The retreat is intended to help develop the Democrats political strategy for the next few years, according to The Inquirer. Obama is set to speak Thursday, Biden will speak on Friday, and Nutter and Wolf will speak Wednesday.
Nutter said it doesn’t hurt to have Obama and Biden in town the same week as the DNC16 committee is taking one more look before a decision is made.
“From my understanding, president and vice president both come to this meeting wherever it might be, but. … both have strong ties to Philadelphia.”
He said that when Biden was a US Senator from Delaware he was often considered the “Third Senator from Pennsylvania.”
Wife wife, Jill Biden, is “a huge Phillies fan,” Nutter said.
Nutter added that Obama has made important speeches in the city, and has done very well in the city during election time.
“You line up all of those things: having all of the house Democrats in Congress here in Philadelphia, having the president, having the vice president, reminds everyone . … that the democratic convention is on people’s minds as we lead into election year 2016,” Nutter said. The city is one of three finalists to host the convention, along with Columbus and Brooklyn.
A decision is expected in February, the Associated Press reported.
Show them the money
Fundraising efforts, security and logistics were the three main issues local politicos hoped to prove were not major issues when they visited in August.
Regarding finances, Amy Dacey, CEO of the DNC, said at the time that “All conventions take significant financial resources so we’re working to see what funds will be available and what the host committee would put together and how much it would cost to host an event like this.” Former Gov. Ed Rendell said the city raised $68 million when it hosted the Republican National Convention in 2000.
In August, Rendell added, the city presented $41 million in cash and $19 million in contributions for a total of $60 million.
The convention is thought to cost about $60 million to host. The convention is expected to generate more than $200 for the local economy during the week of July 25, 2016.
The federal government no longer gives convention cities $18 million to help pay the bills, but it does fork over $50 million for security.
When asked whether any taxpayer would eventually be used, Rendell said in August it would be less than a few million.
DNC16 officials take another look around before decision is final
Charles Mostoller
