Last week, the Associated Students of Madison came to Mayor Cieslewicz to convey the message that its constituents, residents of Mifflin Street, wanted to move the block party, which was mistakenly scheduled on their official study day of May 7, to April 30. Analogously, these alders often come to the Common Council endeavoring to pass legislation or approve projects important to the constituents of their district. Like the alders, ASM is an advocacy group, not an event organizer. The idea that ASM ought to pay for the Mifflin Street Block Party because they campaigned for a date change is as ludicrous as the idea that the alders should open their pocket books and fork over cash for each and every project or proposal they vote for. I doubt Ald. Zach Brandon would be willing to agree to such a suggestion. However, he makes enough money from his student-supported business, Laundry 101, that he is one of the few alders who might be able to meet this demand. Perhaps Ald. Brandon would care to put his money where his mouth is?
Secondly, insinuation that ASM has vaults of “discretionary” money lying about that it can dip into and throw around like a beneficent leprechaun is laughable. If Zach Brandon or any of the other alders signing onto this letter would have taken two minutes to research the segregated-fee system, they would have found how utterly unfeasible their demand is. These alders did not take even five minutes to go to the ASM website and find out the criteria for funding. In fact, they didn’t even take 10 seconds to send ASM a copy of this letter about billing them; rather, the letter was immediately released to the media. The alders signing onto this letter failed even to take the time to craft their letter in such a way that it wouldn’t come off as more than a transparent cry for publicity, a breath of hot air reeking of finger-pointing partisan politics and stage-setting to pull residential votes away from the mayor in 2007.
The tone and stance that the alders have taken toward students is not only extremely condescending, but downright offensive. From the tone of Brandon’s letter, one would assume that in their four-plus years in Madison, students are nothing more than free-loading squatters that leech off of the “real” residents. Brandon’s letter and statements insinuate that students contribute absolutely nothing to the city of Madison — economically or otherwise — and that chipping in for the Mifflin Street Block Party is the least we can do. To the contrary, we ask Mr. Brandon to look at the facts: students pay high rents, which their landlords use to pay property taxes, pump hundreds of thousands of dollars into local businesses, as well as work for businesses in all districts of Madison. Sorry to burst yours, Mr. Brandon, but the student population does not exist in a bubble.
As public officials, the alders could have been much more responsible, honest, and concise if they would have spared the mayor the flabby rhetoric and cut to the quick of their message: “waaaaah!” And for your information, Mr. Brandon, our fax number is (608) 265-5637. We are still awaiting our copy of the letter.
Emily McWilliams is the chair of Associated Students of Madison.
