For Robbie Webber, District 5 City Council candidate, the decision to run for local public office just seemed like the natural progression of social service and peer encouragement.
“It was time to step up to the plate,” Webber said.
Webber names her 16-year civil service record as a member of a neighborhood association and numerous positions as advocate to advisories and subcommittees as her most valuable political experience.
“People think of me as just a bicycle activist,” said Webber, who described her interest in promoting alternative transportation as central to her vision for the city and her potential constituency.
Webber cited affordable housing and tenant rights as two top priorities in local politics, especially since a large part of District 5 is comprised of students looking to rent on yearlong leases on a generally limited budget.
“We need to look at shelter rental and ownership at the entry level,” said Webber, stressing the need to provide students with options regarding renting or buying housing, along with her support of mandatory acceptance and inclusionary zoning policies for landlords, which would require developers to include affordable housing in all new housing complexes.
Webber expressed concern with the role of landlords in the election itself, noting a sudden jump in contributions to the Stephany campaign from the real-estate sector.
“It disturbs me that so much money is coming from people who will be asking him to vote according to their agenda,” Webber stated.
Webber said she is concerned about students who commute long distances to classes.
“When a car becomes a necessity for every person above 16 years old, it is not affordable housing,” Webber argued. She called heavy automobile traffic a hindrance to bicyclists and pedestrians in the city, and stressed the importance of maintaining an efficient bus service and developing an efficient rail service. According to Webber, the constricting geography of downtown is to blame and requires mixed transit to maintain healthy development.
“We already have these corridors in place; we just have to use them,” she said.
Webber also argued that downtown bar drink specials should cease to be the focus of the ALRC.
“There is no law that would prevent people from acting stupid, regardless of age,” Webber said, emphasizing that individual responsibility is a problem neither new nor exclusive to Madison. She said that while high prices may deter some students, drink specials are not the primary cause of binge-drinking among the student population and thus should not be targeted by the council.
Webber also said that the City Council should exercise responsible development of Madison.
“The things I have always worked on are efficient, accessible transportation and smart development,” she said. “The student population is smart enough to look at these issues in the whole context.”
