Monday, Nov. 23, 2009
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Groans From Delegates in Suburban Hotels
Buses Shuttle Delegates To Convention Center, But Daytime Rides Are Hard To Come By
Washington state delegate Antonia Gonzalez is beyond frustration. The conventions come only once every four years, and she was looking forward to connecting with other Latinos to discuss common issues. But Gonzalez has had to skip half of the Hispanic Caucus meetings this week, and it wasn't because she had a better offer to attend something else.
Gonzalez, like many delegates in Denver, found it more than a little difficult to get from point A to point B. "Aach!" boomed an exasperated, sneaker-clad Gonzalez. "We're staying at the Denver Tech Center. It's in Japan."
Well, not exactly Japan, but almost. Most state delegations are in fact staying in hotels in the Denver suburbs, many of them near office parks with not a lot of nightlife or transportation options.
About 15 delegations--the lucky ones--are housed in hotels downtown. They include California, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Utah, the Virgin Islands, Vermont, Virginia, and Wisconsin. Delegates there seem to be a happier bunch.
Now, getting to the main event each night hasn't been a big problem, even for the delegations far out, because buses bring folks to the Pepsi Center. No, the commuters' real problem is getting to the daytime events, such as caucus meetings and festivals, and also to and from the much acclaimed after-hours parties.
If Gonzalez doesn't want to pay $30 to get into or out of the city by cab, her other option is the light rail, and she says that's also not ideal. "It's the hotel shuttle, then the light rail, then walk, walk, walk." The entire commute takes about 45 minutes, she said.
So why doesn't she start a little earlier to get to the caucus meetings? "We have delegation meetings at [the hotel at] 9 a.m., then at 10 a.m. they give out credentials for guests, like spouses, and by that time I've missed the caucus meetings," which also begin at 10 a.m.
Larry Estrada, another Washington delegate, said that missing the meetings is a big deal. "It's important, because we get together with other Latinos and hear what's going on. Denver was a great choice, but they need to have the delegations close in."
Gonzalez and Estrada made it to yesterday's Hispanic Caucus meeting, although they both said they felt sorry for a fellow delegate who took the light-rail combo to the convention center, only to realize that she had forgotten her credentials and couldn't get in. "She had to go all the way back," Gonzalez said with a sigh.
Navigating the Denver area has also been a challenge for South Carolina delegate Gilda Cobbhunter, who is staying at the Radisson Stapleton Plaza near the airport. "Frankly, it's forced me to be very selective about what I attend. Once I leave the Pepsi Center, do I really want to get on a shuttle and go somewhere, or do I want to go back to the hotel?" she said.
But the downtown delegates aren't complaining. "I walk everywhere," said Jan-Michele Kearney, an Ohio delegate. "I took a few regular cabs at first, but the weather is so great here I take a bicycle taxi," she said.
The Ohio delegation was blessed to be booked at The Curtis, a whimsical pop-culture-themed hotel near the celebrated 16th Street Mall, the Denver Performing Arts Complex, and the Colorado Convention Center. It's just a 10-minute stroll to the Pepsi Center.