Opinion: Editorial
ALRC vote must be permanent
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We had originally planned for an editorial that would encourage the student body to go to tonight’s City Council meeting to show their support for a proposal from Ald. Bryon Eagon, District 8, which would mandate a student-voting member on the city’s Alcohol License Review Committee.
This newspaper has admittedly made a lot of noise regarding this proposal. We do this because we believe student input on this issue is essential. Alcohol policy directly affects UW students as downtown residents — more so than any other constituency in this city.
But the story changed Monday afternoon following a meeting between Mr. Eagon and Mayor Dave Cieslewicz, in which the UW senior said he was backing off the guaranteed student-voting seat in favor of a different plan.
This compromise, to go in front of the council tonight, only suggests that the mayor appoint a Madison college student to the seat. Mr. Cieslewicz has promised to Mr. Eagon and us that he will appoint a student, and we take his word for it.
But the proposed seat would come into question after the three-year appointment is up, at which point a new, less student-friendly mayor could keep us from having our say on one of the city’s most powerful committees.
When asked, both Mr. Eagon and Mr. Cieslewicz said this was not a political deal — that the mayor would have appointed a student to this seat even if Mr. Eagon attempted to push the guaranteed seat through the council tonight.
So we have to ask: Why would the student alder give up so easily? It is not as if Mr. Eagon stands to lose anything by keeping the language and seeing the council’s reaction. Several influential alders seemed to have shown a considerable amount of support for the plan, and a good showing from students tonight could have swayed the final few.
We want our seat at the table to be guaranteed beyond Mr. Cieslewicz’s tenure. That said, what Mr. Eagon currently has on the table seems to be a victory in the interim and we (modestly) applaud him for that.
But this fight is not over. If the council does not support language that would recommend the mayor appoint a student, the mayor has said he will do it anyway.
Even then, if the council is not convinced that a student deserves to have a say in the city’s alcohol policy, the council could veto the mayor’s appointment, and we’d be back to where we started.
Furthermore, this debate has revealed the deep-seeded opposition of certain parties (most notably the Tavern League) to any student voice on the matter. Their poorly reasoned, vague arguments failed to sway our stance that this measure was proper, and their vehement dismissal of students’ rights and competency made us certain this measure was necessary. Now, more so than two weeks ago, the need for a protected, permanent student position on the ALRC is even clearer — which is precisely what makes Mr. Eagon’s compromise so frustrating.
It is still on the student body to show up at the City-County Building tonight at 6:30 p.m. and let the City Council know we want a say on the committee. This was never meant to be the end of student input on city issues. Instead, we must use this opportunity as a platform to present a strong, unified voice to the rest of the city that is only destined to grow with time.
That, and maybe give Mr. Eagon the stink eye on your way out.
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K, you’re not qualified to talk about city politics. How’s Sigma Chi doin’? Perfectly fine? You’re sure on a roll.
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Am I suddenly able to see into the future, or is something more than the editorials screwed up in the Badger Herald? As I am writing this comment, my clock reads 11:05 on Monday, Nov. 2, yet the time at the top of this editorial says Tues., Nov. 3, 2009 @ 1:15 am. WTF?!?
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“Furthermore, this debate has revealed the deep-seeded opposition of certain parties (most notably the Tavern League) to any student voice on the matter.”
A student voice on ALRC matters? That’s what the debate is about. So your upset that the debate has revealed that the opposition doesn’t agree with you? What do you think a debate is?
In regards to having a voice in the debate, it is the BH that has revealed an opposition to the Tavern League having a voice on the matter. Remember just a few days ago when the the BH utterly belittled a letter from the Tavern League, sending a clear message that whatever they had to say will fall on deaf ears at the BH?
“Their poorly reasoned, vague arguments failed to sway our stance that this measure was proper, and their vehement dismissal of students’ rights and competency made us certain this measure was necessary.”
Funny, I don’t remember the BH addressing any opposing arguments. The BH’s stance has been: we want a student on the ALRC and if you don’t agree we’ll boycott your establishment and ridicule your grammar.
And where is this vehement dismissal of students’ rights?
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Newsflash: Campus paper known for supporting comfortable pragmatic solutions complains about Alder making compromises that achieves a respectable victory.
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How is this being spun as a loss for Eagon? Katrina Flores wouldn’t have even focused on this. Eli Judge coudln’t get past step one. Austin King, Mike Verveer, Bridget Maniaci? Love them or hate them, they didn’t take it on. ASM? Fuck, how about any of the esteemed campus editorial writers over the past few years. Nothing but silence.
Eagon got the students the perfect first step. Appoint a dedicated and smart person. Let them show students can be serious in a city committee. This will squash any and all opposition 3 years from now.
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Second. Smathers and co. need to get back to their worthless fluff “editorials” and stop meddling in matters they do not fully comprehend.
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I don’t see how this is a question of students’ rights. The ALRC is a city entity, not a campus entity. It’d be great to have a student at the table but the city isn’t required to have a student as a voting member on the ALRC.
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A large ASM contingent will be attending the meeting tonight, and we encourage anyone else who is interested to join us. Will be leaving the SAC around 5:45!
Adam Johnson Legislative Affairs Chair
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Did the Ed Board even read their own news? How is this not a HUGE win? You guys gotta start thinking big picture: there will be a student voting member of the ALRC!
http://badgerherald.com/news/2009/11/03/mayorwantsstudent_.php
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Students drive this city. Without UW, the city would be nothing. Other groups aren’t the same, and shouldn’t be treated the same as students.
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Exactly which groups are not the same? And this would still be the state capital.
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That’s not the point. A state capital without another industry is nothing but a title. Without the UW, the city is really hurting economically and socially. While some scoff and think about all the great things around this city, they must think and realize that most of these great things a result of the UW’s presence. It’s the 900 lb Gorilla in the room.
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I wasn’t talking about other industries, I’m talking about other city residents.