Here are the politicians who are going to be there:
Opening Remarks by
Jimmy Van Bramer, City Council Member and Chair, Cultural Committee
Keynote Address by
Keynote Address by
Scott Stringer, Manhattan Borough President
Tom Allon (Mayoral)
Kevin Coenen Jr. (Mayoral)
Robert Jackson (Manhattan Borough President)
Julie Menin (Manhattan Borough President)
Peter Vallone, Jr. (Queens Borough President
Letitia James (Public Advocate)
Jenifer Rajkumar (CC Manhattan 1)
Corey Johnson (CC Manhattan 3)
Yetta Kurland (CC Manhattan 3)
Ben Kallos (CC Manhattan 5)
Hill Krishnan (CC Manhattan 5)
Marc Landis (CC Manhattan 6)
Mel Wymore (CC Manhattan 6)
Mark Levine (CC Manhattan 7)
Cheryl Pahaham (CC Manhattan 7)
Angel Molina (CC Manhattan/Bronx 8)
William Russell Moore (CC Bronx 18)
Matthew Silverstein (CC Queens 19)
Laurie Cumbo (CC Brooklyn 35)
Kimberly Council (CC Brooklyn 37)
That's right, from across the city, these candidates are going to be telling us why the League of Independent Theater should endorse them.
And if you attend, you can vote and tell us who should get the endorsement.
They're going to be discussing this platform:
As a pro-performing arts elected official, I will work to:
1. Create access to low-cost and/or no-cost Community Facilities Spaces that are currently available and remain unused throughout the City through the creation of a Community Facilities Space Database.
2. Create access to empty and unused City property to be re-purposed as temporary rehearsal, office and (if appropriate), performance space.
3. Include non-profit performance venues in the favorable electricity and utility rates enjoyed by religious institutions and the VFW.
4. Implement a proposal that would reduce or eliminate property tax assessments for those non-profit organizations that have an artistic mission and/or rent performance space to similar non-profit performing arts groups with artistic missions of their own. This proposal was unanimously ratified by all twelve (12) Manhattan Community Boards.
5. Secure affordable permanent low-cost housing for working artists. In addition, work to provide access to affordable healthcare for these artists, depending on the status and reach of the Affordable Care Act at the time of negotiations.
6. Support the commission of an economic impact study for the independent theater territory.
7. Work with the Department of Cultural Affairs to expand the Cultural Institutions Group to include the independent theater sector’s anchor venues.
8. Install plaques at sites of historical import and rename streets after the founders of the independent and Off-Off Broadway community.
It's all there -- clear, immediate ways that these politicians can make an impact for our local artistic community. And you can't influence unless you come.
Please RSVP now -- we've had to turn away candidates and we will be packed from floor to ceiling. The initial response has been overwhelming, and if we follow through on this, we can actually have a big political impact this election.
