combe, keeping an eye on what happens -- we doi mean, the maje time, that the span of the dance floor, is hours and hours. -- that they spend on the dance floor. there was the night that lady gaga when the number one in canada, and i played with her. including castro in the 21 event that i played with her, and that just shows it.

we can tell them that we wanted diversity at our events. we need five or six types of music if you what a permit to take over the city. to do a big street party. [bell] where they want to spend their time. i appreciate this dialogue. i think we all know how important it is. have a good night. director kane: thank you. >> i am an attendee at a weekly ritual at the temple in san francisco. it is a community we are putting together in a loving way. for a very long time, in my life after finishing school, finishing college, i was finding

it very difficult to immerse myself with creative people, and i found that in electronic dance music, and i am sharing that. i am also an organic farmer, and i hope to one day be growing food for all of you. i have found opportunity to network unlike anywhere else in the bay area. this is not like the smoking section of the weekly dance party that i go to. modern-day songs. having a station, everything ibm doing, i am being reinforced, and i am fighting beautiful, beautiful people -- everything i am doing. every winter, i have been depressed. this winter, i was not depressed. i had a friend who told me he was actually thinking of committing suicide not more than one month before he found out about this weekly event. we all get together now.

he is still with me. i am with him. we are very happy. these are changing lives. these are changing lives. president newlin: thank you. i would like to ask you all to line up. [reading names] thank you. >> they he for allowing me to speak. my name is augie. i am a dj and a seven-year resident of san francisco, a long-time visitor to the city. part of the reason of coming to the city is to come to ray's so i definitely have a history here. i definitely do not want to see it go away. i witnessed firsthand what

effect these events have on the youth. in santa barbara, where i threw these events, i sought a youth that did not have anything else to do greatly affected -- i saw a youth. positively contributing " to our community in san francisco. i think there is definitely a safe way to hold these events. i think harm reduction is key to doing that. defining that is hard, and i know the move to make that happen is hard. you cannot control what people are going to in just before they walk in the door, and that obviously is scary. i know places like canada do take a harm reduction role with partygoers to make sure that they are safe and to take care

of it if a problem arise. that is what i have to say. director kane: thank you. president newlin: thank you. >> my name is george davis. i am a 65-year-old grandfather and resident of san francisco. i have always loved to dance. i wanted to address the 900- pound gorilla in the mervyn king -- in the room, drugs. when i was a high school, we had parties and drove around. we knew better. my grandmother used to tell me of stories of drinking in the proposition, that they told people that drinking would make you blind. some teenagers take stupid risks. it has never solved the stupidity problem, and it never, never will.

suppressing raves in san francisco will just move them to other places, like oakland warehouses. if we have a problem with drugs, we should have laboratories. we should work on educating youths on the risks and rest in hydration at parties. the youth has a bigger obesity problem than my generation ever had. dancing brown 600 to 800 calories per hour. i do not think we want to discourage dancing. finally, it is just not a normal to have youthful energy to dance and experiment with of of and drugs and have a good time. it is just a rite of passage.

president newlin: thank you. >> hi, thank you for hearing us. my name is -- i am what i guess everybody here would call a waver -- raver, and in the last 12 months, i have attended over 100 events. to say the least, i would say i am pretty actively involved in this scene. i have come here today because we see the this has posted a problem and posed the opportunity for our events to not happen anymore. the biggest thing that i would like to do is show you a positive this community in this group of people have been on my life. i have spent the last several years dealing with several depression issues, and those are things completely unrelated to the scene, but since i have started, the people i have met

in this community that made me happier, and they have made me feel like i matter. these events change people's lives in nothing but a positive light. i grant you what most -- bring to you these. each of these is a gift from a different person, including blood relatives of mine and people but i will spend the rest of my life being close to. each one of these pieces as a story behind it, for either a different event, a different party, or a different person where i had positively affected them, where they sat there for hours to put strain through a beats just for me to wear at these events, just so i do not forget them, and they do not forget me. there has never been a single you community and i experienced in my life that has this much

positive light and gives kids something to look forward to on the weekend other than doing homework and other than cramming for finals. please, please do not take this away from us. thank you. [applause] >> good evening, members of the entertainment and his commission. i want to thank you again for being here. i am a pro san francisco resident. i am an employee and a taxpayer, i am a musician, and i am a raver. i was not raised here. i was actually note raised in alabama. my father runs a drug program. as such, i have had a lot of people who have gone through a lot of drug problems, and i see it as very much so a health

issue. since moving to california, i have had the pleasure of attending several electronic dance event. he's even said that a strong impact on my life, and i cherish my relationships that i have developed through them. substance abuse is a larger societal issue that will not be affected by refusing to have these events. on the contrary, cutting down the few states permitted activities will likely have an adverse effect on safety. i strongly urge you to adopt a policy that will encourage this. thank you. president newlin: thank you. next speaker, please. >> thank you, members of the entertainment and youth commission. my name is murphy. i am with an advocacy committee. with the recording academy. many of the things i wanted to say have been said by the people ahead of me. but two things that have not

been brought for the record but i want to show with you -- share with you, the first is just last week, we had a misguided youth jump off the golden gate bridge and fortunately survived that flesh out. -- that foolish act. this happens every year. we do not create laws just for the sake of particular dangers. there are lots of dangers that creating laws to prohibit them do not stop. this appears to be another one, and we need to be very careful about it. in 1985, note the city of seattle past a dance ordinance, tried to protect the use of their community. that ordinance did not provide much 64 people, and there were

lots of protests against that. the entertainment community and the music scene come in had a very detrimental effect because of that, and in two dozen to, that was repealed, so i just wanted to remind folks and have them learn from others but the dance and entertainment scene, electronic music, classical music, all types of music are thriving here in the city, and they need to be valued and nurtured and encouraged to grow. thank you. director kane: i would like to call these people. [reading names] >> thank you members of the board and you commissioners. my name is -- i am a resident of san francisco. i would like to see these protected. i frequent these events every

week, which enables myself and other citizens and out or form of expression. as said before, it is all right to assemble and dance in harmony with one another. electronic dance music and culture attracts all walks of life and creates pools of blood for everyone to bathe in. why not exercise the resources and provide the electronic dance music culture with necessary outlets in order to keep our cultural alive. they keep. -- thank you. >> good evening, commission. i am a production manager. during the day, i am a research engineer at a research center. i am a raver too.

not everyone in this scene is as bad as is portrayed in the media. a lot of this as gone without regulation. there is not enough water. it is 100 degrees in there. the sound levels of every event but i oversee and produce, i make sure that everything is in regulation, everything up to code. ago the office. i do the engineering issues at work. get off the work at 5:00. i drive to san francisco from san jose, get to the club, and i am there until 2. i am home by 3:00. then i go to bed by 4:00.

and i am up again the next day at 8:00. it is unfair for people to judge us for education. we can get more education. a lot more regulation can be done in terms of, well, this is a busy hallway. we can keep people from tripping. we need more heating and cooling. we need more air flow. we need a lot of sound. things like that could have a profound impact on the scene. i think we of the professionals in this industry, we can have a better community. thank you. president newlin: thank you. secretary: next speaker. >> good evening. my name is -- and i and listening to electronic dance music for 15 years of my life. it was something that i was brought into as a child.

these provide me an outlook korea i am not a painter or a drawer. this is the only way i feel that i can express myself peacefully and happily. i do not know how many strangers are willing to give a gift for free or to help them. whenever i see someone about to overdose or anything, i'd give them water. i did for them and pay for it. i get them to security or the bathroom. i have witnessed this a couple times, and i have been think many, many times in return because of the acts that i do out of my heart to care for people. if you take this away, this is like taking away my soul. i have been doing this since i was 15 years old. before i even went to one. i did not even know what i was celebrating. but i knew what the music meant to me. but i had a peace and love in my heart but i felt what i

listened. there are no drugs in my system at all. people do overdosed on drugs, but that is their responsibility and where they grew up from. actually, rate for me it provides a place where i can become something that i would be judged for on the street. i go to work, where i have to work professionally, and i cannot wear nail polish. i cannot dye my hair, i cannot do anything. and i want to do that, and this is the only place that allows me with open arms to be the person i want to be. so please, just consider this, because this is like my family. if you take this away, i do not know where else to go. this is my life. president newlin: next speaker, please. >> and good evening, my name is france's -- francis ho.

i go to university. i want to tell you about my parents immigrated note, and how they wanted to provide me had a better experience, a more diverse one. they took me to what was sf love. this was a huge part in creating a.m. and helping me to heal in my life. i was lucky to be protected, because i would like to see future generations of immigrants be able to come to san francisco and enjoy this culture. i would say that more than 90% of my friends are a part of this community. everybody in this room and downstairs, we share a passion for the culture and music and art. i do not feel like it is something of vlogger -- people

should be discriminated against. where i go to school at uc- berkeley, some people may and do not like mate because of what i do -- like me because of what i do. president newlin: i would like to call the next speaker, but also samantha, a mckinsey, .-- samantha, mckinsey, [reading names], they view. >> hi, name is stephen, and i am would save the rave. right now, i am a full-time

student. i currently work in retail, and i am also the son of someone on the s&p. that being said, and never really understood the allure of the rave scene, and doctrines, and even a majority of the music does not mean a lot to me. although i have found a community that has given me a whole lot. i have found numerous relationships with family members that i can point out in this room. there are others like myself who actually feel beloved also that this community has given to me. there is also a lot of benefit. when events happen in california, people actually flock to california to go to them. they fill up hotel rooms, and they pour money into the local economy. it is actually estimated that a rave in one area brought in

about $40 million for the county. there was also aid money for japan. a regulated party can be shut down, and unregulated one can be happening. it is my note important thought -- it is important that they are not shut down. thank you. note president newlin: next speaker, please. >> thank you. i am honored and humbled to be here. my name is -- and i was introduced to music and dance when i was a child.

including hip hop in the 1980's. i went to the school of the arts in san francisco. music that made me feel, touched my soul, and let me see what could be created. this is electronic music, and it has never left my heart. this is a part of my role that i share with people. the music i chose. it was the whole experience, and we fell more in love with it together. i became part of the scene over one decade ago. the moment i walked in, i knew it was made for me. peace, love, unity, respect, and responsibility is our mantra. i have witnessed a lot, the good, bad, and the ugly.

this is our culture and way of life. we come together in peace. we share our love. we enjoy our differences, and we take care of each other. i have had the honor of being part of this. our culture should never be a crime. it should be celebrated. we rejoice by having these events. rather than vanishing or illegal practices. let us help each other strengthen the community. for us to take part with our neighbors around us. this solidifies our safety and quality. president newlin: 80. sorry to cut you off. next speaker, please.

>> oh i am robert, and i am a 50-year-old republican raver, and my sons' moms went to see the beatles at candlestick park, and asking the parents, can we really have a dance. it is kind of silly, but we are doing this late in the history of the world, especially when we see freedoms are being fought for in egypt. risk. there is a perception that these are unusually risky. in 1990, i kept selling health insurance, and the question was, why are the premiums going up? and one of the dances was malpractice, with all of the deaths per year of the malpractice.

i do not see them shutting down hospitals. tragedies from 13 year-olds, they are really isolated. this is big business. i have been all of the world to raves. i deal with multimillion-dollar contracts at work every day, and people are not making rational decisions. also, my god has been -- my child has been getting perfect grades, don -- grades, in this is the best way to meet people. they are so adorable. they are so cute. oh, my god, i have been to so many raves, and they are so well behaved and cute.

thank you. [applause] >> thank you, president newlin and members. my name is mckinsey. as an incoming freshman at ucla and avid political science and intellectual list, and also a ravwer, -- raver, i am frustrated and disappointed by this. this is about self expression, freedom, and the communication between one another that goes much deeper than our spoken language. music has the ability to heal, tonight, and change one's life. america as the land of opportunity is this is shut

down. this does not seem but much of a democracy to me. not only a huge loss of revenue for the entire state of california, which is far from what we note -- needs, and drug overdoses, -you're going to experiment without the benefit of electronic music. this is a reaction to what is unfortunately a very political and public issue. it is very difficult to bring myself to oppose saving the lives of 15-year-old girls, but it needs to be done regardless. raves are not dangerous. drugs are. at some point, people that did responsibility for their actions. shedding these down is not the answer. making sure that they are safer for the attendees. the government has to realize that you can regulate everything, and in the process, you cannot take away a genre of

music that clearly society cares about. i hope you take what i see into consideration. electronic dancing informs my life and a positive way, and i hope it will continue to four generations, as well. president newlin: next speaker, please. >> hi, thank you for the opportunity, president and commissioners. my name is christina. i am 30 years old. i am an athletics coach at san francisco state university. my degree is in chemical engineering. i have been attending raves for about 10 years, and i enjoy the inspiring music. not all are drug users. the city's recent actions against the safe and permanent dance parties are unjustified

and are going to backfire. i attended a wonderful new year's eve party that was perfectly permited, peace will come and save, but officers shut it down before midnight seemingly on the basis that electronic music was being played -- permited, peaceful, and safe. instead, i moved into a fund but less a house party. -- i moved into a fun but less safe house party. i want the city to recognize that people from all walks of life and enjoy the music scene and to provide opportunities for us to meet with our friends at large outdoor public venues or a small private parties to enjoy the music we like. thank you. thank you. president newlin: thank you.