Madison has a very unique relationship with our university — our school’s proximity to the downtown area and its influence on local culture make it a key element of Madison’s celebrated character. The student body, being such a huge segment of the area’s population, helps make Madison what it is. For this reason, I take serious concern in seeing what little amount of attention is paid to the concerns of students by the Madison City Council. My interest in running for alderperson is fueled by how I see the current state of students’ issues on the council’s agenda.

I’m originally from Wisconsin Rapids, a small industrial city in the middle of the state, and I came to the university as an All-State Scholar. I’m currently a junior, and, if elected, I’ll be a full-time student for the entire term. I think it’s important to have a strong student voice representing this district for the purpose of advancing the concerns of the city’s student population.

There are a number of issues in this race that are important to me and the rest of the student body. Most pressing is that of affordable housing and the rights of tenants.

Students come to our university for an affordable education. While I take great pride in the fact that my home state of Wisconsin places such a great value on higher education and supports the UW System as it does, I feel that we, on the local end, have a responsibility as a community to ensure that those students choosing to pursue their studies here are able to do so affordably, especially in the face of growing rental costs and constantly rising property values in the downtown area. If we want to make a UW education a possibility for students of all economic backgrounds, it’s essential that we make the downtown and campus areas affordable places to live for all residents.

Incoming developers targeting the luxury housing market are not going to solve the housing crunch. There is a huge demand for low-rent housing on campus, and builders coming into our district should be required, as a condition of their development, to provide a substantial number of units at an affordable price level. It’s called inclusionary zoning, and I think it’s the first step in working to increase the number of reasonably priced housing units in our area. In addition, we need to work to break up the large housing monopolies taking hold in our area in the interest of keeping rents down and forcing competition between property holders.

Rental companies also need to be held accountable for their actions toward their tenants. Even with all of the laws we’ve gotten onto the books, renters are still being taken advantage of by landlords. Tenants need to know their rights, and, when those rights are abused, enforcement by the city must be swift and effective. The registration of landlords is an excellent way to make sure that landlords are immediately responsible for their actions. Information about abuses and code violations by landlords should be easily available, both on paper and on the city web page.

Another issue important to students is that of the city’s alcohol policy. The “voluntary” drink-special bans for downtown bars have had little effect on the level of drinking by students, and, if anything, have pushed more students into house parties — an even more dangerous situation. We can’t be so naíve as to think that students won’t be drinking; they will — it’s a matter of culture on this campus. Medical help needs to be available for students in danger. I would support lowering or eliminating legal consequences for individuals calling in for medical attention on behalf of themselves or others. We want to encourage students to call for help without fear of legal repercussions.

We want to save lives. When it comes to alcohol, student safety is our primary concern, and the policies currently in place are not helping.

Also, as far as the downtown cultural scene goes, I feel we need to fight for more entertainment options. First, we need to force the ALRC to allow a more diverse set of establishments, namely ones specializing in live music. Second, we need to make sure that there are also entertainment options available for those that are not 21 and cannot get into the bars. The university has made strides towards this goal, but I feel there are things the city can do as well.

Nathan Naze ([email protected]) is a junior majoring in political

8 Alder.