Just as our discussion about the possible public bailout of the Rep Theater was catching steam, it appears other arts groups in the city realized that this may be their chance to catch a break and get some help themselves. The discussion about what organizations and businesses are eligible for public funds each year, and which ones are not, needs to continue here and at City Hall. If the city continues to pour money into arts groups and public events that they feel add to our quality of life, but who don’t have solid business plans and only hope to be successful on their own some day, we could repeat the fate of the San Jose Symphony.
Why does it look like the Rep will get public money while other theater companies, who could put out a better product with more money, don’t get it? A can of worms could be opened by this sudden need to bail everyone out. What happens when a failing downtown restaurant or retail store cite this bailout and wonder why it has to be just the arts, why can’t it be businesses like theirs? Then City Hall will end up defending their good decisions with regards to arts and culture while being lambasted for not helping ailing downtown businesses.
I am all for using public funds to assist arts groups and cultural events that add to the richness of life in San Jose, even if they don’t make a lot of profit on their own. However, I think the lines need to be drawn more clearly and that decisions need to be made based on solid business principles, sprinkled with a little history and sentimentality—not according to political correctness or with a lack of vision.
Or else, I might be calling up City Hall to see if they will bail me out and pay off my credit card bill.
I can’t help by reading your posts but to think of the stupid chick dressed in pink in the movie legally Blond.
Where’s your little dog in a bag?
Unnecessary #1, you must be a real winner!
Off topic…has anyone seen the Vote for Cindy Chavez banner on the corner of Santa Clara (and 2nd)? Where Studio Eight is… I found it a kind of funny choice, creative – yet odd. Or maybe it is the idea of Cindy’s face overlooking SC St. that crosses the line for me!
Downtown San Jose was cheap and more vibrant in 1978 with more successful retail and viable theaters, where they didn’t ask for bail- outs. We had Center for the Performing Arts and Montgomery theater which were hosts to fledging symphony and Civic Light Opera, and they didn’t cost the city anything. Don’t forget those old bldgs that weren’t razed yet. There were plenty of free parking and no hassle, so people can patronize the businesses then. That was a more successful downtown than today’s which the city bankrolled $3 billion for it without major success. What a pile of waste of money and huge inconveniece to endure for this sterile downtown which has nothing to show for. Had they left downtown the way it was, it would’ve been more funky to due to many small businesses not being distrupted, and the funky nightlife would still emerge. The city would be alot richer by now and be able to bring better quality theaters to town that would not fail. People would still like to live in downtown today, albeit in stock of older buildings not being bulldozed, not the new ones from the ground up. It would’ve been a far more successful downtown, and it wouldn’t cost the city much. They blew it! What was wrong with ‘78 downtown? It had several cool places such as the Loundry works and underground bookstores; also, it had a comic strip store. The old Woolworth’s sounds, too; you gotta love those parking lots which were cheap. Hey, how about the Crepe’s shop on San Pedro Square?
Dear San Jose:
I agree with Wonder Woman #2.
Our civic institutions are in bad shape because there’s little or no accountability on the part of most of the city council and all of the mayor’s office. If we elect the right person for mayor, that will soon change.
~~I know that it’s poor blog etiquet to change the subject, but I must confess that I am still shocked by the grossly inadequate response to rebuilding New Orleans and the surrounding area after Katrina. I had no idea that so little had been done, particularly for the poorest sections of town. What is wrong with this country? (To place all of the blame on Bush is silly).
There’s all of these stupid, inane reality shows on the tube. Why doesn’t someone produce a weekly program that keeps the plight of these people in the spotlight? What about all of those Hollywood types who sponsor a telethon and then get back to their self-absorbed lives? Americans pick each other up when they are down. What is wrong with us?
Pete Campbell
Here’s the thing. Local arts groups operate under the guise of “art for art’s sake”. The popular perception is that they’re not supposed to be making money. So when they don’t make money, they can look to local civic leaders as “starving artists”. Civic leaders don’t want to be perceived as “anti-arts”, so they pony up the bucks.
Whereas businesses are supposed to be run for profit. There’s a reasonable expectation that they’ll be run in a fiscally responsible manner in order to make money. If they don’t, buh-bye!
I’m all for city subsidies to get businesses started in a particular neighborhood—seed it and help it grow. But business gets no bail out if they can’t make it profitable.
Now, clarify. Is the Rep a “for profit” arts group?
So now it’s the City Council’s job to be the CFO of non-profits? I think your expanding there authority a little far. Do you honestly think that having a new Mayor be it Chavez or Reed, that will curb spending and make non-profits develop a more sensible business plan, in my opinion the city should step back and stop giving away money to many of the non-profits. An audit of all the grants needs to be done so we can see which organizations are greatly benefitings from our dollars and cut the ties, then we would have much needed dollars for essential services like police and fire.
Irene Dalis has run Opera San Jose in the black every single year. Hers is the model for all non profits to follow.
Just in from the SJDA. The RDA budget:
$6.3 million this year and $10 million 2007-2008 to acquire land for a baseball stadium, after Lew Wolf told Downtown Rotary that San Jose was out as a locale for the A’s
$3 million over two years merely to STUDY improvements of the Tom McE Convention Center
$581k this year and $700k more in 07-08 to make sturctural uprgrades to the “historic” Fallon House; which cost us about $5.5 million to rehab and it needs upgrades??? Why? Does anyone but Judy Stabile ever go there???
$1.3 million to replace trees and tiles @ The Tech
$2.1 million to improve the Civic Auditorium
$900k to upgrade the fountain???, improve the sidewalks of the Childrens Discovery Museum
$822,500 for an as yet UNIDENTIFIED dowtown streetscape project.
Yes, SG, more bailouts and boondoggles, and that’s just the RDA.
Since when has San Jose city council resembled a body that should be entrusted with billions of dollars?
But, but, we just have to have this fabulous showcase downtown because only then will our lives be complete and only then can we live life to the fullest and only then will we be able to be all we can be.
Anyone by chance have a guess as to how many more billions it’s gonna take to get SJ downtown off the ground? 5 billion? 10 billion? 20 billion?
All the gnashing of teeth and downtown elitist rantings are symptoms – symptoms of a chronic case of little sister-itis and the inability of our citizenry to cope with SF’s shadow.
Dr Phil, Dr Phil where art thou?
#9 JMO
Thanks for the 411.
BTW, I think Judy Stabile stopped going to the Fallon House years ago. Two months ago, I tried to book a tour for a 4th grade class. Schools were backed up on the waiting list for the whole school year. The people at History San Jose were helpful, but it is clear they have a hard time meeting the demand. As for the weekends, it is a ghost town. And it is open free to the public! This great resource is poorly marketed. It should be used by non-profits, businesses, the city and tourists (if we had any).
Gil
That was a very entertaining story. There is much hope in our city. Read my blog tomorrow and you will be reminded how people like you and Leonard McKay can still live to see a much better city – keep speaking out. TMcE
#9 JMOC –
You’ve got to get into the spirit of this RDA thing:
The $3 million to study improvements at the convention center is well worth it.
You wouldn’t want them to go down to Mel Cotton’s and just buy ANY old tent, would you?
These things take PLANNING!
Tom, I do not want to see a much better city, I simply want to experience a day with out greed, coruption, nepotism, and good ole boy bullshit. Do these political masons, really think that no one knows, and no one cares? Collectively, those that have forgotten their true identities, really have much more to say. I certainly do. It was essential that I be kicked out of the Mexican Heritage Corp. People needed to know that I was not as them. When that occured, The support that ensued gave me volumes of stories I did not wish to know about. Yet , here I am watching the parade behind my anvil, as I pound out horse shoes for the horses that will come. Good strong horses that will carry us to the next generation.
“Where I choose to start defines my journeys”
I love my Village. Those that would terrorize us must be stopped. We all must choose the moment to say , ENOUGH!
The Village Black Smith
Once upon a time in the little village of San Jose, there lived a woman that wanted to build a Rep Theater. Only there was not enough money to go around, so she got some of the Mexicans that were building the Gardens in the East Side to ask their board to pospone their building of their Garden Plaza by 10 years so she could build her palace. The Village Black Smith, seeing the Mexicans were playing in the wrong Plaza, forced the play and the Kings of the Land, had to concede that the plaza was to be built NOW.
Unfortunately the Mexicans of the Plaza wanted to rule the sacred ground and make hay. They got rid of the Village Black Smith and as a result their horses could not go any where. The hay was eaten up and they went with out.
Now the Rep woman wants her choice of mayoral picks to rule the land. Rapunzel, or was it Pinocio, darn fairy tales, so confusing.
The Mexicans mean while, alienated the folks that would have made their success. Now, every one in the Little Village of San Jose, wants to be rescued by the Kings of the land. The kings of the land are all walking their shoeless horses. the horses have turned to stone, er, bronze and nobody wants to stop and smell the horse s*it.
The curse of Quetalqualtle is visiting us once again. The old Indian woman that put a curse on the pavilion property, can not be found.
The only thing that will save the city now, is to bless the Mexican Plaza with the plastic Snake. Blanca should have paid tribute to the Snake with a bushel of corn. Their went the Fair ground project. What will befall our little village next. The curse of Quetzalqualtle, has made all of the bloggers forget their names. Now nobody knows who is whom. Soon the whole little village will forget who they are and we will be known as the
“Valley of What’s His Name” We will be the “People of the Serpent, God of Corn.
Where is Mighty Mouse, will he come to “Save The Day”.
I’m getting sleepy. I love fairy tales before bed time. Nite Nite.
The Village Black Smith
We need all these subsidies to accomidate all you complainers.
Why don’t the Rep’s and AMT’s scenes shops move in with Christmas in the Park’s shop at the central service yard? They could share equipment, workforce and free rent. Anyone here have the ear of “the powers that be”?
Enough of the past community politics.
I want to acknowledge the new leadership now forming within the Mexican Heritage Corp.
Having met with Marcela upon her arrival, I found her a very dedicated CEO. She along with board members like Dan Fenton have made a world of difference to that great community plaza concept. Having been a Board member for the first 10 years and one of the founders of our International Marichi Festival, my family is returning to support our festival once again. My confidence has been restored in what should become a world class venue. I urge all of our community to join in supporting one of our premier events of the year. Our International Mariachi Festival. A great kick off for the City’s Founders Day Celebration November 27, 2006.
I pledge my support and my continued interest in the use and growth of a positive Community venue, that will be shared by all of San Jose and surrounding communities.
The Village Black Smith
Number 12 ( Gil Hernadez) was that little old woman Susan Hammer along with that little old man Phil trying to justify poor mangement in the Mercury the other day.