Chelsey Dequaine
Dylan Brogan, center, emcees mayoral debate between Mayor Paul Soglin and Satya Rhodes-Conway at the Central Library.
A debate between Mayor Paul Soglin and challenger Satya Rhodes-Conway was mostly collegial, with the two candidates addressing affordable housing, police use of excessive force, academic achievement gaps, climate change and talent retainment. Other issues inspired more contentious debate, including the city’s racial climate, the possibility for a regional transit authority, and the priority of the Madison Public Market.
A sharp contrast revolved around whether Madison is a racist city, a claim Soglin has rejected. He was asked why he rejects the label. “I look around this room and I’m having a real hard time identifying somebody who is a racist,” Soglin said. “When you look at what the city’s values are, when you look at the commitment that so many people and institutions have made in regards to racial equity, social justice, making changes to the criminal justice system — I do not believe this is a city that’s racist.”
Soglin did acknowledge that racial inequities remain and there are systems in place that perpetuate them.
Rhodes-Conway countered that the historical and structural problems of racism need to be acknowledged before they can be confronted. “I don’t think you should ask two white people whether Madison is racist or not,” Rhodes-Conway said, drawing applause from the crowd. “Saying Madison is a racist city isn’t saying that everybody who lives here is a racist or acts racist on a regular basis...We have to be able to name the problem and understand it if we’re going to work on it.”
The March 18 debate was sponsored by Isthmus, WORT 89.9 FM, and The Progressive magazine, Downtown Madison Inc., Capitol Neighborhoods Inc., and the Madison Central Library, where it was held. Hinckley Productions live-streamed the debate, which can be seen here.
Soglin has helmed the city for eight non-consecutive terms; Rhodes-Conway is managing director of the Mayors Innovation Project at UW-Madison and a former three-term alder. The election is April 2.
Transportation was also raised as an issue of equity. Rhodes-Conway said she has been a daily bus commuter since she first moved to Madison 20 years ago, but said the same opportunity isn’t afforded to everyone in the city.
“I’m lucky to be able to do that because of where I bought my house and where I work. The system does not work for people who…need to go out of town instead of into downtown or campus, and it does not work for people who work second and third shifts,” Rhodes-Conway said. “Our transit system should be a regional transit system and we should build it as such because people’s lives don’t stop at the [city limits].”
She added that she sees very few people in public office take the bus; she argued she is committed to the issue because she understands what it needs as it is her method of transit.
Soglin contended he is more committed to expanding the bus system but said he takes a “realistic” approach to the issue. Up against municipal spending limits, Soglin said the city does not yet have the money to implement a bus rapid transit system although it’s working towards one.
“Even if we remove a portion of the police and fire department budgets, park maintenance, we would not get near to the revenue source we need to make bus rapid transit work,” Soglin said. “I am just a firm believer that with my leadership we will get the state to give us the new financing authorization that we need that comes with a regional transit authority, and that’s how it’s worked elsewhere in the country.”
Affordable housing was also a recurring theme for Rhodes-Conway’ Monday night. She called affordable housing and transit “basic needs” and said that if she had to choose they would trump the Madison Public Market. Although she thinks the market would be a great asset to Madison, she is concerned about its long-term financial self-sustainability.
Soglin believes otherwise.
“This is where the vision of the city really differs between the two of us,” Soglin said. “This public market is going to provide opportunities for 60 vendors, two-thirds of whom have gone through the [MarketReady] program and are qualified and are from communities of color and are women — that’s the key to the public market. It’s also an entrepreneurial venture for people to start businesses and become economically independent. And $4 million of public money is nothing compared to $200 million for Bus Rapid Transit or the $5 or $7 million we may put in a year into affordable housing.”
Soglin said it is “one thing to espouse progressive values, it’s another thing, another challenge, to make it work.”
The two also debated over who has the better temperament for the job. Rhodes-Conway said she’s willing to pursue collaborative relationships to address the city’s challenges.
“I see everyone as a potential ally,” Rhodes-Conway said. “I was always committed to having a working relationship because the point is to serve the people in the city. And if you let personality or relationships — or lack of relationships — get in the way of that, you’re not serving the people in the city very well.”
Soglin defended his at-times acerbic personality, saying he cares more about constituents than political allies.
“There is a trend among politicians — there is a socialization process. You’re expected not to do anything to disrupt relationships. You’re supposed to be a really quiet person when it comes time to deal with these kinds of issues,” Soglin said. “I made a commitment and a decision early on in my political career that when it came time to making a choice between people that I serve and other politicians, I was not going to abandon the people.”
Ronald Luskin — a DMI board member — was among the 350 people in the audience for the debate. Admittedly “a hound” for local politics events, Luskin had already made up his mind and voted in the library, just before the event began. But he acknowledged that many people will have trouble deciding.
“I think we’re blessed with two great candidates,” Luskin said.