The WSJ had an article yesterday in which we learned that downtown alderman Mike Verveer had a road to Damascus moment recently at the Dane County Farmer's Market and now favors or is at least wide open to the idea of licensing buskers.
But during this year’s Dane County Farmers’ Markets on the Capitol Square, a glut of street performers — including balloon hat artists and a masseuse — has made even Ald. Mike Verveer, 4th District, change his position on the issue.
I laughed when I read this. If "the Farmer's Market is too crowded" is not a tautology that screams for government intervention, I don't know what is.
I've never found street performers to be a problem at the Farmer's Market. Now we're poised to tell balloon hat artists and musicians that they have to fork over coin for the privilege of being pushed away from customers while dogs, the baby carriage equivalent of Hummers wide enough to handle the entirety of the Octomom's progeny, and wagons capable of transporting farm animals are welcomed on the sidewalks around the Square on Saturday mornings. Musicians and other performers trying to earn a few bucks in the midst of a recession are being blamed for all the crowding while parents pushing along $900 all-terrain strollers at a pace that makes evolution seem like the Indy 500 by comparison get off scot-free. There is no justice in this world.
Personally I'm surprised the city doesn't just ban buskers outright, banning being the preferred method of change here in Madison.
3 comments:
Ha! What will they think of next? I vote for taxing non-residents via random spot checks.
They will no doubt think of something.
It is the duty of government officials to protect free speech rather than looking for ways to quash it. Read the article on busking on wikipedia.
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