Today you have the chance to elect Bryan Post, a young, smart, progressive University of Wisconsin alum to the Madison City Council. After four years of serving as the District 2 alder, I can emphatically say that by voting for Bryan, you have the chance to vote against backwards, small-minded ideas and a candidate that continually has taken positions against renters, students and creating a balanced and vibrant downtown.
Bryan Post understands better than his opponent, Ledell Zellers, what it means to make the campus community great. For more than four years, I have seen Ledell Zellers take hardline positions on issues of housing, alcohol policy and the nighttime economy. Ledell was president of Capitol Neighborhoods Inc. in 2008 when CNI pushed a draconian downtown policy committee that advocated for the city to spend extra police resources on bar raids and house party patrols. They also advocated for mandating ID scanners at bars and creating a beer tax.
Members of the Greek community and the State-Langdon neighborhood repeatedly felt helpless and railroaded under Ledell’s leadership as president. They seceded from CNI and created their own neighborhood association.
Many months later, I find myself at the Mansion Hill Neighborhood Association meetings, and it’s the same club of between six and eight people that come every month. I have no confidence that if elected, Ledell will pursue any agenda outside of her own interests, which in the last 10 years is basically limited to historic preservation and anti-alcohol efforts.
Want expanded transportation? Next spring the Associated Students of Madison and UW will be negotiating the SafeRide bus contracts. Bryan has made a commitment to fight to restore the service cuts that UW made.
Want access to housing? Bryan was endorsed by the Affordable Housing Action Alliance because as a renter, he understands the issues students have to deal with in finding well-priced housing and the many rental terms tenants face.
Who will help student organizations or fraternities pull a street-use permit? Or fight for the Mifflin Street Block Party? After refusing to get involved in other years, Zellers and CNI eventually got involved with Mifflin in 2011 when the Majestic Theatre needed a nonprofit to hold the beer license. Mifflin went out of control that year because the event organizers didn’t understand the community, and Zellers was right in the middle of it. Because CNI did such a poor job of organizing, the entire future of Mifflin is threatened with extinction. Thanks, Ledell.
I would like to send someone to City Hall that’s going to succeed and be an effective advocate for District 2. Zellers is not new to City Hall, and over the last ten years, she has burned significant bridges with major decision-makers whom this district needs to succeed.
Having served the campus community for the last four years, I can confidently say the differences between the two candidates couldn’t be clearer.
Bryan has continually impressed me with his intelligence, pragmatic nature and positive attitude. He’ll support students and I couldn’t ask for a more competent, exciting candidate to take over District 2. Give him the opportunity.
Vote Bryan Post for City Council.
Bridget Maniaci is the outgoing District 2 alder.
