Willow Glen Resident

News

Candidates say more culture in downtown benefits everyone

By Monica Heger

Five San Jose mayoral candidates took to the San Jose Stage on April 10 at a debate where the arts was the star.

Cindy Chavez, Chuck Reed, Dave Cortese, Michael Mulcahy and David Pandori all expressed support for arts education and a downtown that focused on more than technology and retail.

Since all five said additional money should be invested in the arts, differences were defined more along the lines of how they would support the effort and who was best qualified to do so.

Mulcahy, as former executive director of the Children's Musical Theater, was the candidate with the most experience in this area.

"My life has come completely full circle in the arts," said Mulcahy, citing the chronology, from his acting career to becoming executive director of the Children's Musical Theater to having daughters of his own who are involved in the theater.

Mulcahy supports building more live-work spaces in downtown San Jose in order to attract and retain artists. He also said bringing business to downtown was critical because CEOs recognize the importance of the arts and will be likely investors.

Pandori used the debate to criticize the current administration's alleged misuse of money, saying the $4 million Grand Prix subsidy was twice the amount made available to arts education.

"How are we going to have a discussion when you have that type of a budget?" he asked.

Like Mulcahy, Pandori said the local arts scene is tied into bringing business downtown, which he said would stimulate the economy and bring people and their money into downtown San Jose.

Cortese saw the business-arts relationship from a different vantage point, saying businesses will come to downtown if the downtown has a vibrant arts scene.

Reed said what the arts needed could best be described in the words of Daman Wayans: "Mo' money, mo' money, mo' money." He said there were three places the money could come from: transit occupancy tax, the redevelopment agency and the private sector.

Reed, who has pushed for further development of North San Jose, said the jobs and businesses created there would stimulate San Jose's economy so more money is available to invest in the arts.

Chavez focused more on what had been done to assist the arts rather than what should be done.

"I've personally taken a leadership role in the arts," Chavez said. "We used affordable-housing dollars to build artist lofts, and we built an art park in partnership with San José State University."

Chavez also said she supported partnering with nonprofits to increase art education programs like summer camp and after-school programs.