Thank-you so much for printing this! I was one of the concerned SF Street Artist's at the hearing. Mr. Lazar has done a very good job as manager/staff for the Art Commission. However, As our fee's go directly to pay his $85,000.00 a year salary which is 85% of our budget we feel enough is a enough. The Manager of the San Rafael Farmers/Art market only earn's $31,000.00 and does twice the work. In order to pay for Mr.Lazar's and his assistant's salary they need to licence more artist's. Which makes it difficult for the senior artist's to obtain a selling space.

Thank you for your article. However, we are disappointed you did not mention anything in your article about the fact that at the hearing we presented evidence in support of our claim that there is $237,004 plus interest in the City's General Fund from Street Artist Certificate fees which has never been used to defray the cost of administering and enforcing the Street Artist Ordinance. It was impossible for us to present all of the evidence in just 4 minutes supporting that claim and our other claim that the City is required by Law to use that money to defray the cost of the Street Artist Ordinance before raising the cost of a Street Artist Certificate fee. If this money is transferred from the General Fund into the Street Artist Special Fund, as is required by Law, then it will not be necessary to raise the cost of a Street Artist Certificate this year.