Perched on the north end of Lake Mendota and Madison, District 18 is comprised of a diverse mix of mostly residential neighborhoods surrounded by water and parklands. Two candidates emerged from the primary -- -- to succeed the retiring three-term alder Paul Van Rooy.
Michael Schumacher, 45, has lived in the district for eight of his 14 years in Madison. He has a PhD in educational administration from UW-Madison and is the owner and CEO of Solaris Management (a leadership training and consulting firm). He also serves on the adjunct faculty at Edgewood College.
Schumacher is a member of the Northside Business Association, the Madison Rotary Club, Downtown Madison Inc. and the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce. He is also endorsed by outgoing alder Paul Van Rooy.
Jon Becker, 53, has lived in the district for two years, following six near Tenney Park. He holds a masters in education from UI-Urbana/Champaign. He's worked as an arts and education consultant for 17 years after spending more than a decade as a teacher.
Becker serves on the board of the Lake View Hill Neighborhood Association and Friends of Lake View Hill Park and represents these groups (and Friends of Cherokee Marsh & Upper Yahara Rivershed) on the Northside Planning Council.
The Daily Page conducted an email Q&A with each candidate, asking them for responses to six basic questions and eight quick-fire responses to simple choices.
Their responses follow.
Jon Becker
The Daily Page: Please identify what you consider to be the most important issue in your district and what you are going to do about it.
Please identify what you consider to be the most important issue in your district and what you are going to do about it? It is protection of Cherokee Marsh and other natural resources, while preventing sprawl. We're neighbors to a natural resource that is crucial to the health of our lakes, so we must protect it. We should create a land acquisition and protection fund, for use along with other appropriate strategies, to allow cost-effective approaches, rapid response to opportunities, and fairness to landowners.
What's one thing the city can do to address criticisms of its business climate?
We should complete creation of the one-stop center and employ other strategies that make regulation more efficient and predictable, while maintaining its capacity to level the playing field.
Two wheels, four wheels and rails. Where should the city go?
The city should move to the multi-modal system that is most energy-efficient and pollution free, while enhancing the quality of life for all residents. This includes a primary focus on workforce transportation, proper maintenance of roads, and continued expansion of the trail system, especially the Sherman Flyer and the North Mendota eWay.
What one thing can the city do that it's not currently doing to increase the availability of affordable housing?
Wouldn't this all be a lot less complicated, if we lived in a world with wages that allowed working people to afford environmentally-friendly housing at market rates? But while we work on that more efficient solution to this very real problem, let's not dismiss out-of-hand any idea that may help, and let's also fund the Affordable Housing Trust Fund as quickly as possible.
List three things you think the city should spend less money on, and three things on which it should spend more.
Less:
- Energy (by conserving)
- Salting (by use of safe alternatives)
- Mowing (by landscaping with no-grow native plants)
More:
- Green infrastructure investment: land protection/acquisition, lakes & rivers, parks & open spaces
- Cultural infrastructure investment: education, civic awareness, cultural planning towards arts that build community through creation of shared values while diversifying the economy
- Built infrastructure investment: drinking water supply, workforce transportation, etc.
Do you foresee a situation where you might vote contrary to the express wishes of your constituents?
Whenever doing so would be necessary to avoid betraying my own core ethics or the principles of our constitutional democracy.
Name the thing you like least about Madison
Our polluted lakes and beaches
Who is your favorite ex-mayor?
Is James Doty a safe choice?
Do you think rates for parking tickets are too high or too low?
Too high, if I get one
How often do you take Metro?
Never... and unfortunately it seems that, if elected, I won't be able to take Metro to Council meetings because it doesn't run late enough to get me home at 3 a.m. ;-)
Wisconsin State Journal or The Capital Times?
Both, plus the New York Times, a few magazines or research journals, cable news, and a dose of internet-based news, daily, with several mugs of strong coffee.
Madison Mallards or Mad Rollin' Dolls?
Pro Arte String Quartet, Hanah Jon Taylor, Madison Symphony Orchestra, Madisalsa... and the Mallards
Would you rather spend Halloween with the crowds or cops?
In my Lake View Hill neighborhood home, answering the trick-or-treat-ers who come to my door
Name the most botched public issue in town.
School financing, here and in every municipality of the state, although lake pollution is a strong contender
Michael Schumacher
The Daily Page: Please identify what you consider to be the most important issue in your district and what you are going to do about it.
Crime is a growing concern in my district, as highlighted by recent newspaper articles. We must address some of the core issues behind crime, including the number of police officers available, unsupervised youth, and growing poverty. That's why I support training and apprenticeship programs, improvements to the Warner Park Center and a pool, and after-school programs. Some of these solutions will cost money. That's why I stress the need to prioritize core services over trolleys.
What's one thing the city can do to address criticisms of its business climate?
Don't vote for candidates who are not willing to understand and accept that businesses create jobs, pay taxes, make charitable donations, and are, simply put, an integral part of our vibrant community. The stronger our business community (and that includes home-based businesses), the more resources we will have to fund city services adequately. Madison no longer has the monopoly on the good life. Surrounding communities are welcoming businesses.
Two wheels, four wheels and rails. Where should the city go?
Madison needs to make sure that traffic flows well for all types of vehicles and that traffic patterns are safe for neighborhoods. We should invest innovatively in the Metro bus system to expand services to neighboring communities (reducing commuter traffic), use mini-buses to save on fuel costs, and provide better service for second and third shift workers. Most District 18 residents do not want a trolley. We should also become a Platinum City for bicycling.
What one thing can the city do that it's not currently doing to increase the availability of affordable housing?
We must promote quality economic development so workers have access to well-paying jobs. These provide workers with incomes that give them the opportunity to purchase or rent housing on the open market. Let's not get stuck on IZ ordinances. Instead, we should put our heads together, eliminate ideological dispositions, and develop workable solutions. United Way, for example, has identified that food subsidies and pantries permit low-income earners to pay market rents more easily.
List three things you think the city should spend less money on, and three things on which it should spend more.
The city should spend less money on trolley studies, wells that produce brown water, and TIF projects that do not meet the original intent.
It should spend more money on public protection, child care assistance, and the Metro system to meet the needs of working people who have jobs around the clock. We need to balance and prioritize our services to protect our community from crime, poverty, and pollution.
Do you foresee a situation where you might vote contrary to the express wishes of your constituents?
In a representative democracy there will always be constituents who will not like the way I vote. Part of being an alder, however, is to listen, understand, collaborate, and forge a compromise to leverage the best possible outcome for the district and city. My focus on improving public safety and transportation, protecting parks, and promoting childcare and senior services comes from listening to residents. I'm also confident we will develop the trust to respect differences.
Name the thing you like least about Madison.
I dislike the smelly lakes and beaches in the summer; a summer evening on State Street is what I like most.
Who is your favorite ex-mayor?
Paul Soglin and Joe Sensenbrenner, two genuine moderates with common sense who are still very active and care about our city.
Do you think that rates for parking tickets are too high or too low?
They're just right as long as we do not issue parking tickets excessively as a means to make money; they are too low for handicap parking.
How often do you take Metro?
As a student, I rode Metro daily but now I cannot use it.
Wisconsin State Journal or The Capital Times?
I read both in addition to Isthmus, the Chronicle of Higher Education, and the Wall Street Journal.
Madison Mallards or Mad Rollin' Dolls?
Definitely the Mallards; we don't want them to migrate.
Would you rather spend Halloween with the crowds or cops?
My wife and I prefer staying at home handing out candies to kids and admiring their creative costumes.
Name the most botched public issue in town.
Manganese problems in Well 29; it seems the Water Utility knew in August 2003 that manganese levels were higher than EPA standards for avoiding laundry staining.
