Gothamist doesn't know what the local papers would be covering without the Republican National Convention coming to town, because as the days go by, the stories pile on. The hot button issue is, as ever, security. Mayor Bloomberg had a press conference with Police Commissioner Kelly to hype the pros of having the convention here ("This will be a unique opportunity for NYC to advertise itself"), although it came after they spoke to private security workers about security measures at the end of the month. Even better is the Mayor getting into a spat with Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, as Bloomberg pointedly referred to Boston's "barbed wire around protestors" move during the Democratic convention, saying, "[New York] is a city that values its reputation as a place where people can come, congregate and say what they want." Um, yeah, as long as it's on the West Side Highway! Speaking of, United for Peace and Justice is rumored to be making another attempt at securing the Great Lawn for a protest rally.
More:
- Truck checkpoints are being set up around Madison Square Garden with barriers "strong enough to mangle a large truck trying to break through," according to the NY Times. Sigh. Good thing all those area businesses, from the big fashion houses to the small mom and pop businesses are shutting down!
- It might get stinky too - private trash collectors are banned from the area, and the Department of Sanitation will only pick up plastic bags, not dumpsters as some businesses use.
- Robots are also helping out at the Convention, and they don't seem to be the evil I, Robot or HAL 2000 kind: The Coast Guard will be using new sonar to scan for suspicious activity underwater. Underwater - man, a new place to worry about.
