Guest Column: City wrong to ban artists, merchants from Plaza

Guest Column: City wrong to ban artists, merchants from Plaza



DAVID THUNDERSHIELD QUEEN
St. Augustine
Publication Date: 11/26/07


Shame on the St. Augustine City Commission for voting unanimously, 5-0, to ban all visual artists, other artists and "vendors" from the downtown Historic Preservations districts (HP-2 and HP-3) in St. Augustine. This includes the Plaza de la Constitution that has fostered street artists and commerce for centuries.

About a dozen people spoke out against the ban with none speaking in favor of it but the commissioners enacted their callous, if not downright-fascist, ordinance anyway.

The 8 a.m. meeting time which I'm sure was chosen carefully by the commissioners to make it difficult for most working people to attend certainly made attendance problematic.

The public hearing was likely only a legally-required protocol for a decision that had already been made behind closed doors.

The City Commission at a previous meeting voted 3-2 to push all non-agenda public comments which had been formerly allowed near the start of meetings, to the end of meetings.

This is a big slap-in-the-face to participatory democracy and public input.

With Ordinance 2007-23, street artists if they continue to want to work in St. Augustine will now be pushed out to peripheral, un-trafficked areas of the city where it's unlikely they'll be able to make a living.

In a market economy, sales are essential for artists to keep practicing their craft.

They'll also be legally-confined to a 3 foot by 3 foot square of space that's barely large enough to stand in.

The commission's decision is a sad chapter in St. Augustine's long-history. It begs for a reversal.

The once colorful Plaza that served art, culture, commerce and fun from paintings, jewelry and sculpture; to professional, seated chair massage, to hair wraps and eclectic entertainment now lies bare and lifeless.

Commerce has been monopolized by the wealthy-few.

Dozens of hard-working locals, who made a decent living or just enough extra income to get by in this low wage, tourist-factory town, will now find themselves either unemployed or under-employed while local arts and culture suffer further.

This especially hurts local families during the holiday season and reeks of a scrooge-mentality.

Before January 2007, the Plaza was overcrowded on certain weekends and holidays with merchandise-vendors not artists.

To address that legitimate concern, the City Commission could have simply and legally limited the number of permits for non-artist "vendors" to a manageable size.

Or they could have prohibited merchandise-sellers (sunglasses, etc.,) while supporting all artists and a few service providers.

Professional seated chair massage was loved by countless visitors and locals who left de-stressed and pain-free.

Many other towns encourage street-artists and some commercial vending of goods and/or services.

Those towns are lively and fun like St. Augustine used to be.

Following Judge Charles Tinlin's court ruling, the commissioners had pursued that course for the past month with no problems.

The City Commission's most recent attack on even the visual artists is outrageous and likely unconstitutional.

After 442 years we've had our local, public commons stolen.

This follows an earlier ban on music, art and "buskers" on St. George Street that thrilled multitudes.

That action semi-privatized and culturally sterilized St. Augustine's main thoroughfare due to pressure from a few greedy, monopolistic, downtown landlords and their political allies.

Unfortunately the City Commission's action has made further legal challenges and public protest necessary while robbing St. Augustine of much of its former local charm.



David Thundershield Queen lives in St. Augustine and is a writer/activist. He is a former Plaza permit holder.


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