The Charlotte Chamber of Commerce welcomed a room full of new members last week, and during that welcome gave the floor to Torre Jessup, the deputy executive director of Charlotte's DNC Host Committee.

Jessup used his time with the mic to poll the crowd (video). He wanted to know what the audience thought Charlotte's DNC legacy should be. Here are their answers: Diversity, southern hospitality, sweet tea, that the city is a great transportation hub with (non-existent) trolley service, that the weather's great, that we offer excellent (if now poorly funded) higher education options, that the Whitewater Center's cool, that we have "world class fine dining" and fine art, "to prove that Charlotte can host such an event," that the city is a tourist and business destination, something about economic development, and that our small businesses are growing.

Which makes you wonder, do these people actually live here? And, if they do, do they read the news or leave their offices, and do they ever talk to people outside of their own demographics ... and by "talk," I mean listen? And just, really? Those are the things we want to be our international legacy? Sweet tea? WTF?!

You people do realize neither Southern hospitality nor sweet tea are Charlotte-centric, that our public transportation system is half-ass, our biggest bank isn't exactly on an upswing, there are more homeless people than ever and that, as much as we like to talk about diversity, we still pretty much stick to our cliques, right? Though, the audience was right about the weather ... unless we're talking about July, of course.

Obviously, the Charlotte in 2012 people need an infusion of creativity. Though, the only contact information on their website is for PR staff, which isn't helpful. (Why isn't Jessop's e-mail posted?) Further, I've heard from several people that they're slow, slow, slow to respond, even to those offering to volunteer their time now and next year. Neither do they seem responsive on Facebook or Twitter.

If they keep this shit up, Charlotte's DNC legacy is going to be LAME. And, as feared, the fact that the convention is supposed to be about "the people" seems to have already been lost since, you know, the people can't get through to the planners and those tossing ideas aren't exactly clued in to "the people's" reality.

So, let's try this again: What should Charlotte's DNC legacy be? Now, this time, let's come up with something profound and meaningful, something that's about the people.

• Courtesy of Facebook
• "Charlotte in 2012" only seems to respond on Facebook when they're apologizing for not being responsive. Lame.

Further reading: Some AFL-CIO-affiliated unions say they'll skip 2012 Democratic National Convention because N.C. is "an anti-union bastion with 'regressive policies aimed at diluting the power of workers.'" - McClatchy