When the RNC is in Milwaukee, rental profits might turn some skeptics green | Opinion

“This isn’t about red” and “it’s not about blue." “It’s about green.”

In 2022, we heard that slogan again and again from folks advocating for the Republican National Convention to come to Milwaukee. Meanwhile, we also heard from a lot of dissenters about how no amount of green was worth opening Milwaukee’s doors to a party that regularly disparages it.

But as we are four months from the main event, any of those dissenters who happen to own their home are likely facing a bit of a moral quandary of what to do when 50,000 people descend upon Brew City for the convention that runs from July 15-18.

Do you stick around and protest the event? Do you ignore it all and just live your life as normally as possible for a few days? Do you leave town to avoid the chaos entirely? Or, do you leave town to avoid the chaos entirely while also making a profit off the people you didn’t want here in the first place?

Homes listed for pricy rents during Republican National Convention

Because, according to the Milwaukee Business Journal, there is certainly a profit to be made. There are homes listed for $4000, $5,500 even $6,000 a night. Some places are going for a whopping $42,000 for the week.

Which raises an interesting questions for the segment of people who were vehemently against Milwaukee hosting this event but who are also in the position to rent their home out. Do they do they righteous thing and defiantly reject any money that they could make? Or do they find a way to justify price gouging anyone willing to pay what basically equates to a downpayment for a house?

My guess is that there will be some very blue people out there who will begrudgingly accept the green after all.

Kristin Brey is the "My Take" columnist for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Homes for rent during Republican Convention in July fetch huge rates