Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Fund-raising for 2004 event in Boston slows down

From: [email-masked]
Date: Tue, 11 Nov 2003 10:25:46 -0500

Fund-raising for 2004 event in Boston slows down

Tuesday, November 11, 2003

BOSTON - The Democrats in Boston are behind the Republicans in New York in
raising money for their respective 2004 national political conventions.

In the year since it was awarded the Democratic National Convention, organizers
in Boston have attracted about $3 million in cash donations - two worth more
than $250,000 - according to a list of corporate sponsors posted on the host
committee's website.

Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino and Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., had secured
$20 million in private cash commitments before winning the convention.

Republicans in New York, meanwhile, already have obtained more than $60 million
in pledges for their convention, The Boston Globe reported on Tuesday.

"We're struggling to piece it together, and we're going to make it happen,"
Menino said in an interview with Globe. "Fund-raising's going well, but we're
not like New York, where they have all these billionaires."

Under an agreement with the Democratic Party, Boston promised to have private
funding commitments in place by this past July 1, although there was no penalty
for missing the deadline. The Boston committee has said it is seeking to raise
at least $28.5 million in private financing.

The committee hired a fund-raiser last spring.

The Boston convention originally was budgeted to cost $49.5 million, but
increased security measures are expected to boost that total upward by as much
as $15 million. If the committee reaches the $28.5 million mark in private
donations, the remaining $30-plus million would be funded by a mix of public
dollars, in-kind contributions such as computers and other equipment and
services from the city, state and federal governments.

Boston organizers have brought in well more than $4 million in donated goods and
services so far, according to the website. IBM has provided $2 million in
computer equipment, Nextel is providing $500,000 in cellular phones and Daimler
Chrysler has committed about $250,000 worth of electric carts for use around the
downtown FleetCenter, the convention's site. Fidelity Investments is providing
$700,000 in office space, besides a cash commitment of $1 million.

Among those who have contributed cash since last year is the Heinz Foundation,
which is run by Teresa Heinz, wife of U.S. senator and presidential candidate
John F. Kerry of Massachusetts, and AT&T. An official at the Heinz Foundation
said his group promised $250,000, and an AT&T spokeswoman said the company will
donate between $500,000 and $1 million.

Menino has said he will avoid using city money, although he is committing city
police and other services.

Stephanie Cutter, communications director for the Democratic National
Convention, said convention officials are confident that fund-raising targets
will be met.

"It's important to remember that we are still nine months away from the
Democratic convention,"Cutter said.

http://www.cmonitor.com/stories/news/politics2003/0c0c38cb%5F2003.shtml

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