Posted on 08/19/2008 7:46:09 PM PDT by Libloather
Denver cabbies fear being stiffed by delegates' vouchers
By Daniel J. Chacon, Rocky Mountain News
Updated 07:45 p.m., August 19, 2008
The 5,000 delegates coming to Denver for the Democratic National Convention will each be getting $40 transportation vouchers.
But the vouchers may be worthless in the eyes of some taxi drivers.
City Councilman Michael Hancock said some taxi company owners are concerned that their drivers won't accept the vouchers out of fear that the Denver 2008 Host Committee won't reimburse them.
"We want to make sure that taxi drivers feel confident that they'll be taken care of ... and that we don't have uncomfortable taxi drivers out there," Hancock said Tuesday. "They don't make very good ambassadors."
Hancock revealed the taxi drivers' reservations about the voucher program during the final City Council briefing on the DNC.
**SNIP**
"The city should not believe that the whole cab world is going to thumb their nose at the DNC host committee on this," he said. "I don't believe for a minute that it's more than 100 guys ... If those 100 guys don't take the vouchers, there's 900 others who will."
At a "celebrity car wash" for taxi drivers Tuesday, Alexander said every driver that he talked to said they were going to accept the vouchers.
Chris Lopez, spokesman for the local host committee which is responsible for raising the money to put on the DNC, said cabbies will be made whole.
"We will make good on every voucher," he said.
**SNIP**
Mitchell, who helped bring the taxi companies together with the host committee, said he has no reason to believe that drivers wouldn't be reimbursed.
"These vouchers are almost like a credential," he said.
**SNIP**
(Excerpt) Read more at rockymountainnews.com ...
Why aren’t the delegates expected to pay for their own transportation expenses? What are they, children?
If the delegates have their cab fares paid for, what else do they expect to have paid for them? Their airfare to Denver? Their hotel bill? Their food costs during the convention?
“What a great week, and it’s only Tuesday!
And the freak-fest hasn’t even started! (I’m waiting for some pictures - in full Kodachrome...) “
I am afraid you may have to settle for pictures in full KommieKrome. These are Democrats, after all.
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