San Jose Promoter Ordinance
San Jose’s beleaguered entertainment community, already reeling from a multi-agency crackdown on downtown San Jose clubs, now faces a new threat in the form of a well-intentioned ordinance to bring promoters under the umbrella of the City of San Jose’s regulatory apparatus. Currently, promoters escape many of the requirements that club operators face in bringing entertainment to the public, so not everyone thinks it’s a bad idea to have these pied pipers show some accountability. However, the 15-page ordinance drafted by the city’s legal department would have them carrying city-issued photo identification cards, meeting two-year record-keeping requirements and indemnifying the city for any liabilities incurred by the city through its own actions. The licenses would be issued by San Jose’s Chief of Police, expanding further the powers of that office, which the council already granted powers to shut clubs without due process. Some club owners, promoters and musicians also think the ordinance inadvertently targets performers. Though the draft ordinance specifically excludes performers, it also defines a promoter as someone engaging in “advertising or otherwise holding out the event to members of the general public” and “inviting participants to the event.” San Jose Downtown Association’s Blage Zelalich says the definition is problematic because “the nature of the entertainment business in San Jose necessitates an entertainer or performer to promote the fact that he/she is performing at a certain venue on a certain date in order for an audience to show up.” Zelalich says that requiring performers to jump through the hoops of getting licensed, paying annual business license taxes along with the bi-annual promoter licensing fee, which could be as high as $500, and getting fingerprinted at the sheriff’s office (another $50-$75) “is sure to prevent any entertainers from performing at venues that fall under this ordinance.” And downtown’s actual promoters don’t have anything good to say about it, either. “The proposal on the table now would virtually eliminate live music in downtown San Jose,” says Bruce Labadie. There’s still plenty of time to clean up the wording, but just in case, stakeholders are holding meetings and considering the possibility of lawyering up to fight the ordinance. Downtown councilmember Sam Liccardo says he won’t endorse the initiative until the wording’s right. “I will not support an ordinance that incorporates within the definition of a regular promoter, a musician or band playing in any of our downtown venues,” says Liccardo. “I’ve made that position very clear to various folks within City Hall, and so they can either produce a draft that reflects our need to keep the tentacles of government away from imposing these restrictions on live music—or else I won’t support it.”
I don't care to get into this "fuck the safest city southbay shit".....if this passes it will affect all of YOU/US who promote whatever it is we are doing. This means Shows, Clubs, Events, CD Releases, Clothing Lines, New Stores...whatever it is your promoting and passing flyers out for. This WILL kill the BIGGEST market in the Bay Area...PERIOD. You should be concerned and if you'd like to be heard...please post a comment on the link:
http://sanjoseinside.com/sji/blog/entries/1073
This is for all you "REAL" business minded folks...I see too much kid shit on here these days and ain't no real shit being discussed anymore.
San Jose’s beleaguered entertainment community, already reeling from a multi-agency crackdown on downtown San Jose clubs, now faces a new threat in the form of a well-intentioned ordinance to bring promoters under the umbrella of the City of San Jose’s regulatory apparatus. Currently, promoters escape many of the requirements that club operators face in bringing entertainment to the public, so not everyone thinks it’s a bad idea to have these pied pipers show some accountability. However, the 15-page ordinance drafted by the city’s legal department would have them carrying city-issued photo identification cards, meeting two-year record-keeping requirements and indemnifying the city for any liabilities incurred by the city through its own actions. The licenses would be issued by San Jose’s Chief of Police, expanding further the powers of that office, which the council already granted powers to shut clubs without due process. Some club owners, promoters and musicians also think the ordinance inadvertently targets performers. Though the draft ordinance specifically excludes performers, it also defines a promoter as someone engaging in “advertising or otherwise holding out the event to members of the general public” and “inviting participants to the event.” San Jose Downtown Association’s Blage Zelalich says the definition is problematic because “the nature of the entertainment business in San Jose necessitates an entertainer or performer to promote the fact that he/she is performing at a certain venue on a certain date in order for an audience to show up.” Zelalich says that requiring performers to jump through the hoops of getting licensed, paying annual business license taxes along with the bi-annual promoter licensing fee, which could be as high as $500, and getting fingerprinted at the sheriff’s office (another $50-$75) “is sure to prevent any entertainers from performing at venues that fall under this ordinance.” And downtown’s actual promoters don’t have anything good to say about it, either. “The proposal on the table now would virtually eliminate live music in downtown San Jose,” says Bruce Labadie. There’s still plenty of time to clean up the wording, but just in case, stakeholders are holding meetings and considering the possibility of lawyering up to fight the ordinance. Downtown councilmember Sam Liccardo says he won’t endorse the initiative until the wording’s right. “I will not support an ordinance that incorporates within the definition of a regular promoter, a musician or band playing in any of our downtown venues,” says Liccardo. “I’ve made that position very clear to various folks within City Hall, and so they can either produce a draft that reflects our need to keep the tentacles of government away from imposing these restrictions on live music—or else I won’t support it.”
I don't care to get into this "fuck the safest city southbay shit".....if this passes it will affect all of YOU/US who promote whatever it is we are doing. This means Shows, Clubs, Events, CD Releases, Clothing Lines, New Stores...whatever it is your promoting and passing flyers out for. This WILL kill the BIGGEST market in the Bay Area...PERIOD. You should be concerned and if you'd like to be heard...please post a comment on the link:
http://sanjoseinside.com/sji/blog/entries/1073
This is for all you "REAL" business minded folks...I see too much kid shit on here these days and ain't no real shit being discussed anymore.
