The Student News Site of University of Wisconsin-Madison

The Badger Herald

The Student News Site of University of Wisconsin-Madison

The Badger Herald

The Student News Site of University of Wisconsin-Madison

The Badger Herald

Advertisements
Advertisements

Mayoral candidates face off in debate; address digital divide, gang violence

Mayoral+candidates+face+off+in+debate%3B+address+digital+divide%2C+gang+violence
D. Bauer

Tackling topics such as the digital divide and the recent increase in gang violence in the city, Madison mayoral candidates incumbent Paul Soglin and Ald. Scott Resnick, District 8, faced off in a debate Monday evening hosted by Madison’s Cap Times.

Audience and community members raised the most questions on the issue of crime, to which Resnick and Soglin took different approaches.

Resnick said the city needs a new police station in Madison’s west side, and to create a task force of community members and city officials to address gang violence in the city. He also noted the importance of providing options for individuals seeking to escape gang influence.

Advertisements

“We need to ensure that when talking about re-incarceration rates and gang members entering our community, that we can provide them with the resources so they don’t have to go back into the cyclical issues having to do with gang violence,” Resnick said.

https://badgerherald.com/news/2015/03/02/police-investigate-attempted-homicide-possible-link-to-west-towne-mall-shooting/

Soglin disagreed, and said a new police station would not solve the issue. He said an additional station would not add more officers on the streets and would not do anything in terms of restoring justice.

Soglin also stressed the importance of community engagement partnership, mentioning the city’s current partnerships with Madison Area Urban Ministry and Centro Hispano of Dane County.

https://badgerherald.com/news/2015/02/20/mayor-announces-initiatives-on-immigration-practices/

Following a less than 15 percent voter turnout in the mayoral primary, both candidates also noted the importance of community engagement in local politics.

Soglin said two critical elements to increase citizen participation are access and trust. He said citizens must have access to basic needs such as childcare and transportation and they must have trust in their government to feel comfortable playing a role in city politics.

Resnick said transparency was a major issue facing local government. He said there is room for improvement in terms of communication between city officials and Madison residents.

Resnick and Soglin continued to clash on how to bridge the city’s digital divide.

While Soglin said he did not know exactly how to tackle the issue, he said he hopes to work with public and private sectors to come up with a solution. He said he was confident that Madison’s vibrant and growing community will attract the right type of partners for the city to work with to address the issue.

“We’ve got a great challenge and opportunity before us,” Soglin said.

Resnick continued to advocate for implementation of 4G LTE networks, which he said would be more cost efficient for impoverished Madison residents.

The candidates found common ground when addressing the make up of Madison’s City Council, agreeing the public should determine the structure of the council.

Soglin suggested examining practices of cities similar to Madison in terms of size and demographics.

Resnick agreed the City Council should reflect the demographics of the city. However, he said he is excited about future community engagement in city government and is hopeful change can be made.

“I’m encouraged that we’re seeing more diversity in City Council,” Resnick said.

In one of the final and most offbeat questions of the night, the candidates were asked what they admire in each other. Resnick said he learned a lot from Soglin during his time serving as a city alder. He said Soglin has accomplished a lot during his time as mayor that others may not have been able to do.

Soglin said he respected Resnick for his decision to stay in the Madison area after completing his undergraduate studies at University of Wisconsin, as well as his decision to locate his company, Hardin Design & Development, in the downtown area.

https://twitter.com/bgodar/status/572568288061984768

The candidates will meet again Wednesday at a forum hosted by the Dane County Democratic Party.

The mayoral election is April 7.

Advertisements
Leave a Comment
Donate to The Badger Herald

Your donation will support the student journalists of University of Wisconsin-Madison. Your contribution will allow us to purchase equipment and cover our annual website hosting costs.

More to Discover
Donate to The Badger Herald

Comments (0)

All The Badger Herald Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *