Blogtown, PDX

Monday, April 28, 2008

Election 2008 Meet the Contenders: Mayor’s Race

Posted by Amy J. Ruiz on Mon, Apr 28 at 10:03 PM

This is the last regular question before closing statements—and endorsements put me behind in post it. Enjoy.

In a year with $33 million in additional revenue to work with, Mayor Tom Potter’s proposed budget did not originally include any funding for new arts related requests—like a $200,000 request for Arts Partners, which funds art programs in schools. Moreover, despite Portland’s reputation for arts and culture, we’re far behind other cities in per capita funding of arts. Are the arts a priority for city funding? Should we increase that funding? If so, what would you do as a city commissioner to make that happen?

James Lee kicks it off.

Jim Lee
Position sought: Mayor
Website: blogmayor.com

The context of Amy’s question had changed before I got it: some funding for the arts later was included in the surplus that Mayor Potter had announced. So I’ll have to wing it from here.
I’m basically an egalitarian guy. I don’t want any more money than anyone else, but I don’t want any less either. My archetype is Luke Grogatch, the protagonist in Jack Vance’s dystopian story, “Dodkin’s Job.” Luke was born into the middle-middle class, then, being exceptionally obnoxious and captious, worked his way straight to the bottom, literally, shoveling stones and muck behind a sewer boring machine as “Class D Flunky, Unskilled.” The only person below him was was old Dodkin, a “Junior Executive…”

…Read the story. It’s all about shovels.

I am a classical music fiend. I have listened in Boston Symphony Hall and Teatro Communale di Ferrara. I have no performing talent whatever, but I can solve physics problems, real problems, the kind no one has solved before. From college days I knew that the theory of reverberation time for auditoriums was completely out to lunch, for no one could build decent concert halls or opera houses with it. I set out to solve the problem, which would be the best contribution to the arts I, or anyone, possibly could make.

In April, 1970, driving my dark blue Saab 99 south on 24th Avenue in Seattle, I did solve it. I did not invent any new physics, but just picked out two pieces of physical acoustics from a couple of old textbooks I had memorized. Knowing that auditoriums cannot possibly be ergodic systems, I scrounged the proximity effect from Harry F. Olson to explain how orchestral stages work, and resonant scattering from Philip M. Morse to prove the necessity of rounded development of walls and ceilings to eliminate echoes.

It is the only theory of auditoriums based on the physics of sound as waves, and has been for thirty-eight years. It is correct because it includes the elusive effects of phase, as well as amplitude and frequency.

I have done more for the arts than anyone in Portland ever has done or will do, and I have financed it all out of my own pocket, often, as Mr. Vance has written, existing, “…in a condition barely distinguishable from poverty.” It’s been hard, and it’s
been fun. Many wonderful people have helped me along the way.

In May 2009 my friends in the Acoustical Society of America will hold a meeting in Portland for the first time. When I am Mayor we shall have a jolly time entertaining them. This is how I shall continue to fund the arts in our wonderful city.

Christopher Rich
Position sought: Mayor
Website: myspace.com/chrisrich4mayor

After I am elected Mayor, I will abolish the illegal work force center and give the $200k to Arts Partners so they can keep doing a great job with our youth! The arts are a priority in my opinion, but not as much of priority as funding for our increasing homeless families and our basic infrastructure, which is in a critical condition. Sam wants to drop $5 million on a bridge for bikes, while at the same time, he wants to raise taxes to fix the streets because he doesn't have any money for repairs. Can you see where I am going with his financial mentality? I am offering a platform of fiscal responsibility. As Mayor, I will have the authority to oversee all bureaus, to make sure they are acting in an appropriate manner and not spending taxpayer money on outrageous "pet projects"!

Bob Leonard Forthan
Position sought: Mayor
Website: rfortha.wordpress.com
Financial status: Intends to raise less than $300

Question: Are the arts a priority for city funding? No, the city is broke and their is no money for the arts, however I want to build fallout shelters for the city of Portland, and when complete the city will need lots of art. Note: all fallout shelters should house around two thousand people.

David Ackerman
Position sought: Mayor
Website: none

as a part time photographer i feel art is very important to the city. I am sure we can set down and figure what art projects to fund and with 33 million extra we can do alot to fix things

Sam Adams
Position sought: Mayor
Website: samforpdx.com

The arts are an invaluable part of what makes Portland the great city that it is. The arts deserve to be supported both publicly and privately on par with, if not exceeding, our counterparts across the country.
Since 2000, RACC's funding for services has dropped by $300,000 when adjusted for inflation--more than $800,000 if you subtract the additional programs the City has asked them to provide since then. Meanwhile, grants have increased by 67% and 10 new arts organizations have become eligible for sustained support through RACC. In other words, the pie is smaller yet there are more organizations eligible for a slice. This isn't sustainable for the arts community, and it isn't providing the kind of equitable access to arts & culture that Portlander's deserve.

We ought to set a goal of at least $15 million in annual regional funding for RACC. When RACC spun off from the City of Portland as a separate nonprofit, it was with the vision of serving the entire region’s arts and culture community in a sustainable and significant way. I support this vision and I think we can get there as a region. My belief is that as a region we should strive to provide 5-15% of all arts and culture organizations budgets (with smaller organizations receiving a larger percentage of their budget) in addition to increasing support for neighborhood venues throughout the region, helping integrate arts into the education of every student in the region, and investing in the artists and creative citizens that continue to help make Portland the vibrant city that it is.

I pledge as Mayor to continue to fight for increased investment in the arts and culture community during the annual budget process. Through the Creative Capacity Strategy underway I will also continue to help the arts community build advocacy networks that ensure that their impact on our community is understood not just by passionate supporters, but by every decision maker in the region. I will continue to help raise funds for regional efforts like Arts Partners and help build on the success of Work for Art. And I will continue to help map and plan for a multi-year strategy to get to the regional annual investment levels that our arts community deserves.

-Sam

Kyle Burris
Position sought: Mayor
Website: site not up yet