District 8, usually known as the “student district” covers a portion of Langdon St, the Spring St. area and the dorms.
CHRISTIAN VON PREYSING-BARRY
No answer.
KYLE SZARZYNSKI
QUESTION ONE: What are the top three issues in the city that need to be resolved and what specifically would you propose to resolve them.
1) Economic inequality: Quite simply, working people, including public sector workers and unionized employees, do not have enough allies in local government. Over the last two years, the Common Council has not come through on crucial votes and ended up shafting employees involved in large projects like the Edgewater and Overture Center. I would be an unabashed ally of organized labor on the Council and ensure that organized labor gets a seat at the table in local politics. I will also tirelessly fight for measures to ensure the dignity and welfare of working people, including a paid sick-leave policy.
2) Social services: The city needs to do a better job of funding those services which provide an essential impact on the community. The Rape Crisis Center, for instance, is in the midst of a financial crisis due to lack of funding from the city; this is totally unacceptable, especially to many of the people in my district. There are always tough decisions to make, especially in tough economic times, but it seems that all too often those services needed by those most struggling in our community are the first to be cut; meanwhile, few on the Council express a determination to seriously question new funding requests from the Police Department.
3) Social justice: Many seem to buy into the idea of Madison exceptionalism, or the notion that our city is somehow immune to serious problems of inequality and unfairness. We live in a great community, but such ideas provide serious impediments to addressing structural and systematic problems of discrimination and marginalization. For instance, Dane County has one of the worst black-to-white incarceration rates in the country, this in spite of our progressive reputation. As an elected official, I will ally myself with movements representing people of color, immigrants, poor people, the homeless and others treated unfairly in our community. The Common Council should not be afraid to think big and propose bold policy changes in addressing these issues.
QUESTION TWO: What are the top three issues in your district that need to be resolved and what specifically would you propose to resolve them.
1) Tenant rights: As an overwhelmingly tenant district, issues relating to the interests of renters are of top concern to the neighborhoods of District 8. I will work to more vigorously enforce existing law, as well as propose new policies to protect the welfare of tenants and hold landlords accountable. I support pushing back the legal date by which landlords can show prospective tenants one’s apartment, giving student-renters a more reasonable schedule to figure out their living situation for the following year. I also support reforming the process by which landlords return security deposits in order to 1) hold them accountable for tardiness and 2) place the burden for proving damage occurred on the landlord and not on the tenant.
2) Public safety: Everyone deserves to be and feel safe, and we can make this happen in a responsible and progressive way. Most people in my district are in agreement that many of the current police priorities – raiding bars, busting house parties, criminalizing marijuana possession – are destructive uses of law enforcement resources. I support more funding for the Neighborhood Officer program so that better relationships between students and the police can be cultivated. I believe that the police should be walking the streets and getting to know the people of the community, as well as their public safety concerns. Finally, I will support full funding for all anti-sexual assault resources, including the Rape Crisis Center.
3) Downtown entertainment policy: Many students currently feel disenfranchised by many of the entertainment policies of the downtown/State St area. For one, I believe more 18+ venues should be available in the campus area, especially considering that most of the nearby undergraduate population is not of drinking age. We also need to reverse the anti-hip hop bias that hovers over many entertainment discussions, especially on the ALRC. Finally, I will work to ensure that students have more of a voice in constructing the city’s alcohol policy.
SCOTT RESNICK
QUESTION ONE: What are the top three issues in the city that need to be resolved and what specifically would you propose to resolve them.
1. Economic development: In 2010, Forbes declared Madison the 7th most innovative city in the county. However, the City of Madison has not developed a unified approach to promote our entrepreneurial community. Madison must develop an economic strategic plan to attract additional venture capital firms from outside Wisconsin to Madison. Also, the city must support existing services such as Capitol Entrepreneurs, High Tech Happy Hour, Accelerate Madison, and Thrive. Madison has the potential to become a hub for Midwest start-ups providing the city long-term economic stability.
2. Protecting our lakes and environment: Madison’s lakes are an attractive feature for our city. We must protect our lakes by using environmentally friendly salts to reduce algae blooms during the summer. Additionally, we need to promote the use of solar panels and energy-efficient foam insulation for new development projects to address long-term energy consumption for new construction projects.
3. Protecting our social services: As a community we must protect critical social service programs that curve long-term behavioral and socio-economic problems for our most vulnerable citizens. This includes (but not limited to) services that directly and indirectly address issues of mental illness, drug rehabilitation, homelessness and youth issues.
QUESTION TWO: What are the top three issues in your district that need to be resolved and what specifically would you propose to resolve them.
1. A Safer Campus: For the residents of District 8, the most important issue is campus safety. If you cannot walk home from the library or gym without feeling safe your experience on the university campus is impaired. I will work to secure funding for new lighting in the Spring Street neighborhood, I will push to enforce housing laws that require landlords to replace locks and change pass codes on all exterior doors when new tenants move-in and work with property managers to install better lighting on community paths between easements. Student safety is my number one priority.
2. Hold Landlords Accountable: Students on campus are often susceptible to poor living conditions and unfair landlord practices. Many students are first-time renters and often unaware of their rights as tenants or proper recourse when their rights have been violated. The city needs to continue to work with the University to fund services that offer education first-time renters information, legal advice, host housing fairs and provide mediation services to protect students. Moreover, I will re-introduce random minimum property inspections in the downtown area to address the safety and quality of student housing.
3. A Better Madison Nightlife: We must refocus our alcohol policy to address safety concerns rather than prohibiting drinking downtown. I will fight against ineffective practices, such as bar raids, in favor of more officers patrolling State Street. Through my experiences as an entrepreneur, I will promote policies that encourage new alternative entertainment venues downtown.
