OPINION & EDITORIAL
Voter apathy with reason
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Also by Zach Stern:
- Conservative betrayal (April 14, 2005)
- Freedom and responsibility (May 5, 2005)
- For everything else, there's bankruptcy (March 17, 2005)
- The revolution continues (March 3, 2005)
- Voter apathy with reason (February 17, 2005)
Related Stories:
- Letters to the editor -- 3/20/02 (March 20, 2002)
- District 5 dishonesty (November 29, 2001)
- We must exercise our 26th Amendment rights (February 26, 2002)
- District 5 endorsement (April 1, 2003)
- Endorsement: City Council District 5 Special Election (April 1, 2002)
by Zach Stern
Thursday, February 17, 2005
It is an embarrassment to the good people of Wisconsin and, in particular, Madison, that such child-like political mudslinging and pseudo-fascist policy is all those who would run for office can offer. The recent calamitous primary debacle for the District 8 seat on the City Council moves one to comment on the ridiculous status of local Madison politics. Each and every one of us deserves better.
After writing on this page this past Monday, Ryan Corcoran embarrassed himself out of the race with shameful comments regarding District 8 Alderman Austin King and comments regarding Native Americans.
As per the childish behavior exhibited by Mr. Corcoran, it is indicative of the tenor of debate present here in this city in general. Who could imagine a city touting its flagship university as one of the finest in the world being home to such a mockery of public discourse and debate?
Local, off-year elections in America tend to elicit small voter turnout due to both lack of interest and lack of information, and Madison is no exception. However, for once, voter apathy resulting in fewer than a couple hundred votes cast total in this seems warranted. Indeed, it should seem obvious: when Corcoran dropped out of the race, he cemented the already well-established reality that the primary race itself was at best little more than a formality, and at worst a terrible joke.
Even worse is the fact that much of the policy enacted within the city itself tends to echo discredited leftist economic theory, favoring bureaucratic and centralized regulation over local market forces as opposed to the vastly more efficient and equitable free market. These borderline authoritarian measures, such as inclusionary zoning, the citywide minimum-wage increase and the smoking ban, all of which have been debated (and rightfully lambasted by some) over the past few years.
These restrictive measures, respectively advocated in the name of low-income housing, higher income for low-wage workers and safer workplaces at bars, have noble goals in mind.
Nevertheless, noble goals do not always make effective ends.
Inclusionary zoning, without developer incentives, works to be little more than a tax on new development, stifling economic growth and preventing local entrepreneurs from seeing Madison as a business-friendly community.
Statist policies restricting the rights of free individuals to contract as they choose is the antithesis of freedom, working only to ultimately hurt those they intend to help. Of course minimum-wage earners would be thrilled to learn of their newly increased income.
That is, until they realize that this will not only be offset by higher costs to consumers throughout the Madison economy, but will also increase pressure on small businesses, particularly those on State Street already strapped for cash due to the high rents on their valuable property, forced to make do with one or two fewer employees.
Some people say that no one can make a living at $5.15 an hour. That may be so, but it’s better than no job at all. This is the choice the elected officials of Madison have presented its people, and it is no doubt a byproduct of backward thinking and progressive ideals gone awry.
There’s nothing progressive about taking away jobs.
And, of course, the smoking ban reeks of social reconstruction at its worst. When they say they don’t want you to smoke in bars because it hurts employees forced to work there, don’t believe it for a second. It’s merely an excuse to strip you of your freedoms and enforce their moral standards of behavior upon you and local businesses that thrive on providing both smokers and non-smokers a place to relax and enjoy themselves.
But hey, Madison is a progressive city, right? It is a place of freedom for all and the ideal for liberal policies.
Except, of course, if that “liberal” policy of yours happens to advocate real freedom, both economic and social, and not enforced serfdom.
And don’t forget, these people can’t even have an honest, principled debate without making a mockery of democracy. People of Madison — we deserve better.
Demand it.
Zach Stern (zstern@badgerherald.com) is a senior majoring in political science.
Anonymous (February 17, 2005 @ 6:18am):
Care to tell me how "leftist economic policies" are discredited? How? Where? Because Republicans have dissembled them? Seems like Clinton's "leftist" policies worked a hell of a lot better for the country that W's policy of free market for the poor-massive corporate welfare for business. To Republicans "free market" means: Free tax money so large corps can plunder the market.
Get a life Zach and take off your shit eating grin and Tucker Carlson wannabe shirt. You're not fighting a fight against the liberal forces of evil here, you are just plain advocating policies that are terrible for everyone in this country except the uber rich.
Anonymous (February 17, 2005 @ 8:07am):
Zach, Inclusionary Zoning does have subsidies.
It must suck to be a right-winger in Madison where you're not in power, but think about how if feels to be one of us in this country right now!
Anonymous (February 17, 2005 @ 8:08am):
Corcoran is not "indicative of the tenor of debate" anywhere. That was a freakishly bad choice he made, and it was an outlier.
Anonymous (February 17, 2005 @ 8:16am):
OK. So remove the minimum wage. I'm sure people making $2.00 a hour would be thrilled at the "sudden drop of prices" and the establishment of greater personal freedom everywhere, probably changing their political affiliation to Republican in the process. While we're at it, they can put 25 cents of that two dollars into a medical savings account, so when they have a massive medical expense, they'll be able to pay for 2 or 3% of it.
Zach is right to point out the limits of such a process--Madison having a hirer minimum wage out of tune with the state (or the nation) is a dumb idea. However, we used to have a nation with a greater degree of economic freedom. We also had tremendous poverty, horrible working conditions, and the recurring threat of political revolt. There's a reason why the civilized world has adopted some degree of "statist" policies. The Fountainhead does not create a viable society, Zach.
Anonymous (February 17, 2005 @ 8:33am):
Statist policies ARE the antithesis of freedom. Statist policies IS the antithesis of freedom is incorrect. Nice editing, editor.
"Who could imagine a city touting its flagship university as one of the finest in the world being home to such a mockery of public discourse and debate?"
You only provided one example where someone was out of line. Aside from that instance, what are the others?
Anonymous (February 17, 2005 @ 9:00am):
As a sidenote, if we had instant runoff voting, this primary wouldn't have been necessary, and would have saved the city thousands of dollars.
Anonymous (February 17, 2005 @ 11:40am):
Oh yeah....the old "If we raise the minimum wage we'll lose jobs argument."
I don't see dishwashers, bartenders, bagging clerks, and convenience stores closing overnight because they can't afford the couple of bucks wage increase. And, as always with Republicans, Zach has no proof to back his retarded assertions.
Anonymous (February 17, 2005 @ 11:45am):
Re: "Inclusionary zoning, without developer incentives, works to be little more than a tax on new development."
IZ DOES have developer incentives, moron. At least educate yourself on the facts of the ordinance before letting loose your neocon windbaggery.
Anonymous (February 17, 2005 @ 1:05pm):
"Inclusionary zoning, without developer incentives, works to be little more than a tax on new development, stifling economic growth and preventing local entrepreneurs from seeing Madison as a business-friendly community."
Are you retarded? There's an entire menu of incentives for developers to pick from. Shit, developers were at the table throughout the entire process adding shit in there that they liked. And damn those libruhl media types at Forbes for naming Madison the best place to do business, damn them to hell!
Anonymous (February 17, 2005 @ 1:06pm):
Please, people. Obviously when one writes in the sweeping, knowing method that Stern employs in this article, readers are going to bristle. But lets stick to reasonable assertions.
No Republican asserts that a raise in the minimum wage is going to trigger mass layoffs in low wage industries. It is simply a matter of the bottom line. In any business labor costs can only be so high. If there is an arificial wage floor, that pie must be split up among fewer people.
Make no mistake about it: raising the minimum wage, especially when it is unlocked from the national minimum wage, costs lower income people jobs.
Anonymous (February 17, 2005 @ 1:14pm):
That all works out nicely in a textbook world measuring happiness on two axes, now where's your real-world evidence?
Anonymous (February 17, 2005 @ 6:20pm):
nobody ever rated madison a best place to do business. madison is very hostile to business.
Anonymous (February 17, 2005 @ 8:06pm):
"nobody ever rated madison a best place to do business. madison is very hostile to business. "
Nobody...besides Forbes magazine. You may have heard of it.
http://www.forbes.com/2004/05/05/04bestplacesland.html
How well would you like your crow cooked?
Anonymous (February 17, 2005 @ 9:30pm):
"How well would you like your crow cooked?"
Let's make sure Zach gets a hefty serving of humble pie too.
Anonymous (February 17, 2005 @ 11:57pm):
You must be a smoker yourself huh?
Anonymous (February 23, 2005 @ 7:29am):
Zach you are a self proclaimed pothead and you represent very little or nothing close to true conservative values so stop acting like you do. You write these silly articles to make yourself look smarter than others, but all people really see is that you are a nerd and a loser. Get a life and a clue.
