Convention Blackmail

Have you had enough of convention blackmail?

First, it was the National Council of La Raza that canceled its 2009 convention here to protest the appointment of Frances Semler to the park board. La Raza objected to Semler's membership in the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps.

In a show of support for La Raza, the NAACP then threatened to cancel its 2010 convention. That organization has since said it will come here.

Now the National Association of Zoos and Aquariums says it may cancel its 2013 convention because of funding cuts at the zoo.

These organizations have a right to assess communities' commitment to their causes as they select convention cities. But they have no right to try to dictate local public policy. Residents and local officeholders have that responsibility.

Elected officials have a tough enough time pleasing the people that put them in office. They don't need groups of outsiders telling them how to do their jobs.