California Music and Culture Association

San Francisco, CA -  San Francisco is an “experiential” city.  While it is true that people come for the scenery and robust political life they moreover come to experience San Francisco’s legacy of fine food, fancy libations, fascinating people and exciting entertainment be it in a club, on the street, or attending a baseball game at AT&T Park.  This is called culture, and our “culture” is the engine that drives the tourism industry.

The proposed alcohol fee may be noble in purpose, but will be incredibly problematic in implementation – the equally, if not more, important phase of the legislation which frequently falls short.

The California Music and Culture Association (CMAC) knows and empathizes that the City needs money.  We need to look beyond what is a small part of the equation as the hospitality and entertainment industry is already being taxed to the breaking point.  Every new fee and every new tax gets passed on to us, usually with some sort of multiplier, so that we have to decide whether we need to increase our prices which turns away our customer base or reduce our already thin margins.

While the legislation is aimed at the big distributors, its impact will be most acutely felt by small brewers and vintners, local music and entertainment venues and neighborhood bars and lounges, which have been some of the hardest hit in this economic downturn.  Due to the recession, what most venues are experiencing currently is a loss of revenue per head.  People are coming out but they aren’t spending as much.  In some cases this decrease in spending is as much as $15 to $20 per head.  This has all happened in the past few years and creates kind of a double whammy for music venues and nightclubs: The overhead and associated cost of controlling the crowd remain unchanged while the overall revenue declines.  This makes everything more difficult, including bankrolling efficient and responsible practices, something that we all want, and, of course, paying all these taxes and fees.

We believe steadfastly in civic responsibility, but in many ways, we are being forced to pay for what amounts to a very small group of chronic inebriants.  This is not the solution.

The California Music And Culture Association (CMAC) is a 501(c)6 trade association of venue owners and operators, industry professionals, artists, and fans dedicated to the preservation and enrichment of music and culture in the State of California.

www.cmacsf.org

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San Francisco, CA – The incidents of random violence outside of or near San Francisco’s nightclubs are senseless and tragic.  As San Franciscans, we must all pause and reflect on the causes and consequences of violence when a fatal incident happens in our city.  Unfortunately, the 24 hour news cycle often takes over and this time for reflection is replaced with a rush to judgment and finger pointing.

One of the elements that gets lost in the media storm is the vital role that nightlife plays in shaping our shared cultural landscape, local economy, and community conscience. For decades, San Francisco’s historical music and cultural venues have brought people from across the globe to live and enjoy themselves in our city.  People come here to find their identities, to discover a sense of collective belonging, to support local economies, and to live out their passions.

Despite the positive and constant presence music and culture have played in all our lives, the challenges facing the industry are enormous.  Entertainment venues are often under-informed of the ever changing codes and regulations and the current budget crisis makes it extremely challenging for local government agencies to get entertainment venues the resources they need to educate themselves about code and regulatory compliance.  In the meantime, local venues and nightclubs are being held to blame for actions that are unrelated to their operations.

Board President David Chiu’s proposed legislation to expand the Entertainment Commission’s authority to revoke a venue’s Permit of Entertainment is an important step for the entertainment industry, which overwhelmingly employs responsible business practices and supports safe nightlife.  This legislation combined with solid security practices and plans – prior to and during events – will make for a safer club scene.

However, this legislation does not solve the root of the problem, which goes beyond a venue’s doors and to the streets, and is by no means an easy fix.  As Supervisor Bevan Dufty articulated at the Office of the Mayor’s Nightlife Safety Summit II on June 30, “clubs don’t create youth gun violence, society creates youth gun violence.”

If we are serious about making our neighborhoods and workplaces safer, we need to speak honestly and candidly and cease the “us versus them” candor.  As entertainment and music representatives, we are committed to adopting security best practices that include refusal of service, crisis and conflict management for security and management personnel, and de-escalation tactics.  We also call upon law enforcement, youth led-adult assisted groups, community based organizations, faith-leaders, and neighborhood groups to commit to real dialogue concerning the safety of our streets for sustainable, holistic solutions.

San Francisco, CA – The California Music and Culture Association (CMAC) applauds the San Francisco Public Safety Committee’s passage with recommendation of Board President David Chiu’s proposed legislation to expand the Entertainment Commission’s authority to revoke entertainment permits on issues related to public safety and public nuisance.

The Entertainment Commission works diligently to ensure San Francisco nightlife remains a safe and vibrant driver of our city’s economy.  Unfortunately, a few ‘bad apple’ venues have the ability to demonstrate both a failure to maintain adequate security measures and an unwillingness to work with the City to address possible problems before they occur, tarnishing the reputation of an industry which overwhelmingly employs responsible business practices and supporters nightlife.  If passed, the Entertainment Commission will be empowered with the tools to shut down problem venues, as a result making the club scene safer.

Through collaborative measures, CMAC believes we can address the security issues surrounding the vital nightlife economy, while remembering as Supervisor Bevan Dufty articulated at the recent Nightlife Safety Summit, “clubs don’t create youth gun violence, society creates youth gun violence.”  We, as a greater community, must commit to real dialogue concerning the safety of our streets for sustainable, holistic solutions.

San Francisco, CA – The California Music and Culture Association (CMAC) is hosting San Francisco Supervisor and Board President David Chiu at their June City Insider Lunch, offering venue owners and operators, industry professionals, artists, and fans the opportunity to hear a City Hall perspective on policies impacting the music, culture, and entertainment industries. On May 25, Supervisor Chiu introduced legislation to expand the Entertainment Commission’s authority to revoke entertainment permits on issues related to public safety and public nuisance. CMAC issued a press statement, applauding the Board President for his leadership in calling for this crucial legislative step.

What: CMAC City Insider Lunch with San Francisco Supervisor and Board President David Chiu

When: Friday, June 25, 2010 from 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm

Where: Triple Crown, 1760 Market Street, San Francisco

Supervisor Chiu was elected in November 2008 to represent San Francisco’s District 3 (North Beach, Chinatown, Telegraph Hill, Russian Hill, Polk Street, Nob Hill, Union Square, Financial District, Barbary Coast, and Fisherman’s Wharf). In January 2009, he was elected President of the Board of Supervisors. Prior to joining the Board, Mr. Chiu was a founder and Chief Operating Officer of Grassroots Enterprise – an online communications, technology company, a criminal prosecutor at the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office, and a civil rights attorney at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights. On the federal level, he served as Democratic Counsel to the U.S. Senate Constitution Subcommittee and as Senator Paul Simon’s aide to the U.S. Senate Budget Committee. Locally, he served as a Small Business Commissioner, chair of the Lower Polk Neighbors and the Chinatown Community Development Center, and board president of the Youth Leadership Institute.

CMAC’s City Insider Lunch series seeks to inform those in the industry about San Francisco’s decision-making process and garner feedback that directly impacts San Francisco’s cultural landscape and economic vitality. CMAC, a trade association for the entertainment community that launched in early May, seeks to educate its members and facilitate constructive communication and collaboration with law enforcement and city agencies.