22 January 2008
Republican Convention Delegates To Experience Two Cities
Each of the "Twin Cities" has its own characteristics
Washington -- When the Republican Party gathers in Minnesota's "Twin Cities" metropolitan area September 1-4 for its 39th presidential nominating convention, delegates will have the opportunity to experience both of the state's two largest cities.
Saint Paul, the capital and the smaller of the two cities, is the site of the convention. Saint Paul’s population boasts an Irish heritage. The city is home to the internationally popular radio program A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor. And it attracts tourists with its annual February Winter Carnival, founded in 1886. The city's current mayor is Democrat Chris Coleman.
One of Saint Paul's best known corporate suburban headquarters is that of 3M, which began in 1902 as Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing. At least two products the company invented -- Post-It® notes and Scotch® tape -- will be prevalent at both the Republican Convention and Democratic Convention in Denver in August.
The Republican meeting will take place at Xcel Energy Center, a downtown arena that is home to the Minnesota Wild professional hockey team and hosts major entertainment events. The arena was built with mostly public financing and was promoted by former Mayor Norm Coleman, now a Republican senator. The senator is no relation to the current mayor.
If visitors come early for the Republican meeting, they also can experience the final days of Minnesota's state fair, an annual summer extravaganza that highlights the state's agricultural best.
The larger city, Minneapolis, will host many visitors. It is separated from Saint Paul by the picturesque Mississippi River, a major U.S. waterway. With a population that has a Scandinavian heritage, Minneapolis is home of the Minnesota Twins baseball team, Vikings football team and Timberwolves basketball team. It also is home to the renowned Guthrie Theater and Walker Art Museum and hosts an annual Aquatennial festival, which highlights the city's several lakes.
Minneapolis and its surrounding area also is home to the multinational Cargill agricultural corporation; international food company General Mills, which, with its former rival and now partner Pillsbury, made Minneapolis one of the world's premier milling cities; Ameriprise financial services company; retailer Target; and several other major retailers.
Minneapolis has a history of philanthropy. In the 1940s, a group of city business leaders led by the head of the retail company that is now Target decided to reserve 5 percent of its pre-tax earnings for charity. Today, as an outgrowth of that effort, chambers of commerce all over the state are part of the Minnesota Business Gives program to encourage businesses to give to charities and involve themselves in their communities.
Minneapolis also is the site of one of the nation's largest infrastructure failures. In August 2007, a major bridge in the city collapsed, bringing to the attention of the state's voters the need for public investment in infrastructure maintenance. It is an issue in which the state's governor, Republican Tim Pawlenty, Senator Coleman, Minnesota Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar and Democratic Representative Jim Oberstar, who chairs the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak still are involved as they work with state and federal transportation officials.
An anticipated 45,000 delegates, party officials, volunteers, members of the media and guests will gather for the September convention.
