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Candidates deal 1-2 punch

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Also by Bridget Roby:

Riding out the storm (April 10, 2008)
Break in the action (March 13, 2008)
No business like snow business (February 21, 2008)
12-Story Makeover (January 31, 2008)
Fumbling for a solution to high textbook prices (January 21, 2008)

by Bridget Roby

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

It was two against one in the mayoral debate Sunday, as candidates Ray Allen and Peter Muñoz both criticized Mayor Dave Cieslewicz for his decision to condense two separate departments promoting diversity into one — the Department of Civil Rights.

Although this change occurred about a year and a half ago, both Allen and Muñoz said the merger of Madison's Equal Opportunities Commission and the Affirmative Action Department remains an issue that needs to be addressed.

"They serve different functions," Muñoz said. "The Equal Opportunities Commission is an outward-looking department, and the Affirmative Action Department is internal."

However, Muñoz said his main reason for opposing the merger is the way in which Cieslewicz brought about the change.

"The mayor had determined that it was going to be done right after the election, and then he created a staff committee to look at it and recommend it, and then he created another community group, and, lo and behold, it was recommended," Muñoz said. "It was basically a ruse; it was a done deal."

Allen offered a slightly different reason for his disapproval.

"I thought they were effective as they stood," Allen said. "[We had] two position heads to advocate for civil rights issues, and now we only have one."

But according to Cieslewicz, the money saved by combining the two departments was used to put into operation three major improvements for Madison, including the implementation of fair housing testing — to protect against discrimination — and an increase in translation services.

"For the first time in history our website is available in Spanish and English," Cieslewicz said.

"The savings also allowed the city to hire a recruiter to ensure the government has the opportunity to hire minorities.

"We were able to do that without spending any more money. … I think we're heading in the right direction."

Despite these changes, Muñoz and Allen agree there have been tremendous repercussions for the Madison community as a result of the merger.

"The debate divided communities and there has been nothing done to bring them back together," Allen said. "The message this sent [the community] was that the mayor was concerned more with the imagery than the substance of civil rights."

Muñoz said he has observed similar consequences since the combination of the two departments.

"[Cieslewicz] has managed to divide not only African-Americans and Latinos, but he has managed to divide Latinos within Latinos and African-Americans within African-Americans, according to whether they are with him or against him," Muñoz said. "He has done a lot of damage."

In regard to the efficiency of the new Department of Civil Rights, Allen said it is too early to judge.

"The jury is still out on how it's going to function," he said, adding that many of the positions in the new department have just recently been filled.

Muñoz remains skeptical of the results, stating that the Affirmative Action Department has now lost its specific focus.

"What the mayor has done is brought [the issue of affirmative action] down one level instead of raising it one level," he said.

Cieslewicz, Allen, Muñoz and Will Sandstrom will face off in the mayoral primary a week from today. The general election will be held April 3.

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Anonymous (February 13, 2007 @ 2:07pm):

Ray Allen = REPUBLICAN

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