PORT TOWNSEND–The harpist who was evicted from his perch on the MV Klickatat in 2007 will not be able to resume performing on its replacement, the MV Chetzemoka, as decided by the ferry’s chief officer.
Assistant Transportation Secretary David Moseley sent an e-mail to David Michael denying the request to perform on the Chetzemoka for security reasons, but did not address Michael’s broader idea to allow ferry buskers to sell CDs and other goods while on the ferries.
Moseley wrote that he consulted U.S. Coast Guard Chief of Inspections John Dwyer, who said the ferry system would need to amend the Alternate Security Plan, or ASP, to allow busking on state ferries, which would in turn require review and approval by the Coast Guard Marine Safety Center in Washington D.C.
“I am not prepared to request a change to this critical comprehensive security plan to accommodate busking,” Moseley wrote.
Michael’s response, which he supplied to the Peninsula Daily News along with Moseley’s letter, received Friday, said there was no need to amend WSF’s security plan and asked Moseley to “just officially drop the restriction concerning buskers receiving donations for their CDs.”
“You can do [this] with the least amount of effort; less work for you than selling busking permits, the proceeds for which wouldn’t amount to a drop in the bucket of WSF’s budget woes anyway [and] would be invaluable for your public relations.”
Michael called playing music on the ferries “a First Amendment right,” but acknowledged that “professionals cannot survive on tips alone.”
Moseley did not respond to a request for clarification of his position Monday.