Tweet
Performer Hassles in New Orleans
This is a slightly edited e-mail sent out by Roselyn Lionhart, a politically active long-time street entertainer (with her husband David). This is the first volley in a sea-change battle that may take months to resolve. Just be aware, if you plan coming to N.O. as a travelling performer, that the war we all thought had been settled by a Federal Court order back in the early ninties may be turning from cold to hot!
I'll be at this preliminary meeting (even though it is awfully early in the day) and will try to keep y'all informed. No formal action will be taken at this meeting.
"A meeting has been called for Mon Feb 7, 10:00 am at City Hall Council Chambers by VCPORA ... to report on their Task Force sponsored by Councilwoman Kristin Gisleson Palmer concerning Jackson Sq. and The French Quarter.Among their suggestions are licensing required for street performers and tarot readers and investigating applicants before licenses are allocated, outlawing amps (while horns blow us off the street?), limiting umbrellas to 6' (per person?, per group?), have all performers and tarot readers' signs pre-approved by the Vieux Carre Committee, establish a foundation to manage the Square, etc.
"See http://www.vcpora.org/article.php/20110124134731988 for more detail.
[NOTE: Notice in the list of the committee names not a single performer or musician was included even though I had urged Councilperson Palmer to get input from our community.]
"These are all ways to control the street entertainers, eliminate the ones they do not like, prevent people from out of town or the country from performing. The last time they tried licensing, they charged $25.00 the first year, $35.00 the second year, $50.00 the third year, per person, not group and arrested a group of unlicensed children who had a lawyer relative who sued the city, ending licensing.
"Another time, a Federal Judge told them no. He asked VCPORA’s rep, “If I want to go down to the Square on a Friday night with some friends and make music, would I be arrested for not having a license?” The woman stammered, “Yes.” But they'll be back again and again like a bad dream because they want the French Quarter to be their own bailiwick, a quiet country lane in the middle of a busy metropolis.
"Please come to the meeting and see for yourself. Thanks."
Roselyn Lionhart, Member of Board of Directors Coalition for the Preservation of Street Entertainment (CoPASE).
I'll be at this preliminary meeting (even though it is awfully early in the day) and will try to keep y'all informed. No formal action will be taken at this meeting.
"A meeting has been called for Mon Feb 7, 10:00 am at City Hall Council Chambers by VCPORA ... to report on their Task Force sponsored by Councilwoman Kristin Gisleson Palmer concerning Jackson Sq. and The French Quarter.Among their suggestions are licensing required for street performers and tarot readers and investigating applicants before licenses are allocated, outlawing amps (while horns blow us off the street?), limiting umbrellas to 6' (per person?, per group?), have all performers and tarot readers' signs pre-approved by the Vieux Carre Committee, establish a foundation to manage the Square, etc.
"See http://www.vcpora.org/article.php/20110124134731988 for more detail.
[NOTE: Notice in the list of the committee names not a single performer or musician was included even though I had urged Councilperson Palmer to get input from our community.]
"These are all ways to control the street entertainers, eliminate the ones they do not like, prevent people from out of town or the country from performing. The last time they tried licensing, they charged $25.00 the first year, $35.00 the second year, $50.00 the third year, per person, not group and arrested a group of unlicensed children who had a lawyer relative who sued the city, ending licensing.
"Another time, a Federal Judge told them no. He asked VCPORA’s rep, “If I want to go down to the Square on a Friday night with some friends and make music, would I be arrested for not having a license?” The woman stammered, “Yes.” But they'll be back again and again like a bad dream because they want the French Quarter to be their own bailiwick, a quiet country lane in the middle of a busy metropolis.
"Please come to the meeting and see for yourself. Thanks."
Roselyn Lionhart, Member of Board of Directors Coalition for the Preservation of Street Entertainment (CoPASE).
Comment