Mayoral candidates weigh in on issues of art, nightlife

Nov. 3, Seattle will have the privilege of electing as Mayor either Mike McGinn or Joe Mallahan, whose differences of opinion on budget, transportation and the viaduct have been hot under Seattleites' eyes. However, little attention has been paid to what these two candidates think about issues concerning the arts, culture and that crazy rock n' roll and hippity-hop music that all of these whippersnappers are doing the jitterbug to nowadays.
McGinn spoke to the importance of the arts in the mayoral forum on Saturday in Seattle University's Pigott Auditorium.

"Greenwood [where McGinn lives] has its charms," McGinn said, "but there's nothing to do at night. Capitol Hill does, which is why it's such a desirable place to live."
Mallahan, also spoke on the subject at the forum.

"I think the arts are critical on so many levels," Mallahan said, "We should do everything we can to promote it."

One of the major benefactors of the arts in Seattle is the Office of Art and Cultural Affairs. This government office's responsibilities include "funding opportunities, initiatives and training for organizations, individual artists, youth arts programs, neighborhood and community groups," according to its Web site.

The Office returned a $12.3 million profit from the government's $4.4 million investment in it, proving that it is indeed a major economic driver in the city.

Both McGinn and Mallahan have promised to support the OACA, albeit in slightly different but important ways.

McGinn's Web site details how in his plan, the OACA budget will be "almost entirely funded out of Admission Tax revenues."

The Admission Tax in Seattle isan extra charge collected for admission to any entertainment establishment.

McGinn's site then explains that once the economic crisis has been handled, city funding will return to the OACA as well.

Joe Mallahan's Web site does not reveal a specific funding plan for supporting the OACA, but possible insight into this was given at the forum on Saturday.

"We have to be pragmatic [with the budget]" Mallahan said. "Let me just say, the city's investment is always leveraged many times over by private investment donors."

Another arts and culture issue facing Seattle is how to handle nightlife.

Last Thursday, a debate was held in the Experience Music Project on this very topic. Both candidates were scheduled to speak, although Joe Mallahan cancelled his appearance a mere 45 minutes before the event was scheduled to begin, ruffling the feathers of some organizers.

"We're less than happy about that, that he's not here," said Ben London, one of the event's organizers. "We'll let Joe's absence speak for itself."

McGinn plans to attack the problem of late night drunk driving by proposing that public transit like light rail and buses stay accessible until 3 a.m., as well as talking with the Liquor Control Board to stagger club closing times to reduce incidents after establishments close.
While Mallahan has not articulated a plan to combat drunk driving, he has discussed consolidating the various departments involved in nightlife policy so that less confusion occurs and more consistent information is delivered to the actual entertainment establishments.

Another hot topic is the idea of "Cultural Overlays," which provides incentives to developers building non-profit arts spaces to enhance the character of an area. Both Mallahan and McGinn support the idea, which bodes well for the cultural aspects of the city. Mallahan's Web site details how "multifamily zoning codes need to be amended to encourage […] opportunities for artist live/work spaces, galleries and performance venues."

McGinn's statement accompanies his support of cultural overlays with the notion that any "new development within the proximity of an existing bar or club should be required to build sound-proofing measures into their plans." This would cut frequent noise complaints down by eliminating them from the start.

Overall, both candidates have similar platforms when it comes to the arts, but they do differ in the details.

It's time to get nitpicky, dear voter.