Although I’m not usually up to date on my city council elections,
I live in district 8 and as of the February 15 primary, Kyle
Szarzynski andd Scott Resnick, two very qualified candidates, are vying for
the position of alder. To make an informed decision about District 8’s
candidates, it’s important to look beyond their platforms and press statements
to their personal behavior. 

Scott Resnick graduated from UW-Madison in 2008, and now manages a web development company he started. He was on the College Democrats‘ executive board and interned for Assembly Rep. Donna Seidel and the State Public Defenders system. His main issues, he says, are “working on issues of campus safety, housing tenant relations, alcohol policy and downtown development.”

Kyle Szarzynski is a current UW-Madison senior who has been active with WISPIRG, the Progressive Dane, the Campus Antiwar Network, SLAC and ASM. He has also written for various publications associated with UW-Madison since 2005. His primary issues include tenant rights, economic and social justice and downtown entertainment.

Overall, the two seem to have similar enough platforms. They are both progressive, young and stress housing rights improvements and downtown economic stimulus. They have both been involved in grassroots organizations that support student rights and have a relatively large amount of political experience for their respective ages. They also each have impressive endorsements: College Democrats supports Resnick and Szarzynski’s supporters include many former city council members, Ben Manski, the TAA and SLAC.

Overall, what distinguishes each candidate is their personal behavior. Todd Stevens of the Daily Cardinal calls Resnick, “one of the most impressive local politicians I have met,” and says that Resnick will take the duties of an alder more seriously than Szarzynski. Resnick believes he is the more qualified candidate, he says, because he “[has] the most experience working on local issues that impact the district, and [has] great knowledge of the city process.” Szarzynski, on the other hand, is relatively famous (or infamous) for his previous power-play moves (e.g. the Chynna Haas FACES debacle). His website mentions polarizing issues such as marijuana and unions, and in his own words, “even for those who wildly disagree with me, [agree] that I have an enormous amount of passion and energy.”

So who would I want to go out on a date with or choose for an internship? Scott Resnick, without a doubt. Who would I rather have fighting for my rights on the District 8 city council? The wildly passionate, hard-hitting Kyle Szarzynski. He will be, as he says, “not… simply a passive vote on the Council, but [someone who will] show up and actually get things done.”

If we look at his history, he really has gotten things done, albeit sometimes in a tactless way. Resnick’s qualifications, while impressive, do not include shaming the College Democrats and toppling a former ASM chair. If District 8 has the opportunity to have a demagogue representing their immediate interests, they should take it by electing Szarzynski.

Both men say they have no higher political aspirations. In Resnick’s case, I sincerely hope this is not true, and in Szarzynski’s case, I sincerely hope it is. Resnick is someone who should be looking at higher political offices, where fairness and integrity are more valuable for long-term change.

Szarzynski, on the other hand, is a self-professed hustler who will work better at the local level. He has vast experience organizing, mobilizing and generally whipping people into a frenzy, and says, ” Getting students involved on the local level is something that very few politicos have been able to do, but I’ve organized rallies, lobbying campaigns and Madison elections that all deal with local issues.” He’s a politico, no doubt, but a compelling one at that, and lists “rabble-rousing” on his website as one of his hobbies.

“There are no r?sum?-related considerations holding me back from demonstrating courage and boldness on the Council,” says Szarzynski.

If the past few years have been him holding back, then current council members had better hold on tightly. Todd Stevens of the Daily Cardinal says that Szarzynski is not a team player – but in fact, it’s all about who’s team he’s playing on. If Szarzynski is elected, the City Council is in for a tumultuous ride, but as a representative of the people of District 8, Kyle could vitally affect everyday well-being by focusing on important local concerns.

And in the end, you don’t have to like who he is to value what he does.

Taylor Nye ([email protected]) is a sophomore majoring in biological anthropology.