The Music and Culture Coalition of New Orleans (MaCCNO) – which just celebrated its fifth anniversary – has for years worked at the intersection of musicians and policy. With the October 14 election just over a week away, the organization has made concerted efforts to engage candidates at all municipal levels in conversation about what their proposed policies are regarding everything from culture bearers to loading zones for musicians. Recently, MaCCNO disseminated a cultural policy questionnaire to candidates for mayor, at-large seats, and city council seats in Districts A-E, the answers to which have been made public and collected for posterity here.
Watch The Mayoral Forum On Music Policy In Its Entirety
Candidates for mayor whose responses were recorded are Latoya Cantrell, Troy Henry, Desiree Charbonnet, Johnese Smith, Matthew Hill and Tommie Vassel. Questions asked of them included:
• How do you define the term “culture bearer”?
• What are your plans to make public transportation more efficient, reliable and cost effective for musicians?
• How would you ensure that a greater percentage of tourism revenue finds its way to the people and communities that create the culture that attracts these visitors?
• How will you support neighborhood bars, music venues, and small cultural businesses?
• Do you support the permanent removal of the 8 p.m. street musician curfew?
The expansive document allows users to look up responses by candidate name, though there is also the option to read all answers by question. In addition to the major candidates for mayor, responses were also collected Aylin Maklansky, Tilman Hardy, Dan Ring, and Toyia Washington-Kendrick running in District A; Timothy David Ray, Jay Banks, Andre Strumer, Catherine Love, Eugene Ben-Oluwole, Seth Bloom in District B; Kristen Gisleson Palmer in District C; Joel Jackson in District D; and Dawn Hebert in District E. Joe Bouie and Kenneth Cutno running for at-large seats in Division 1 and Divison 2 candidates Jason Williams David and Gregory Nowak also submitted responses.
