Cieslewicz' Focus On Growth Management Over Poverty and Crime Will Lead to Further Middle Class Flight

If the Isthmus report on the latest mayoral debate is accurate, the consequences of a continued Cieslewicz rule at City Hall is saddening:

In conclusion, each candidate is asked about the biggest issue facing the city. Allen says poverty and crime; the mayor says managing growth. He closes with with dig at the challenger: "It's one thing to talk about poverty; it's another thing to have actually done something about it for the last four years."

If something significant is not done about poverty, the only growth management anyone needs to worry about is the accelerated middle class flight to the suburbs.  Considering the most significant action in growth management is on the county level, poverty and crime are where mayors can have real impact.  Time management is also an issue - the allocation of staff resources to support trolleys as opposed to combating poverty, working with the schools, confronting discrimination, and making sure there is public transportation for folks without cars.

• Over 42% of Madison Public School children are living below the poverty line. The numbers are higher at the lower grades, an ominous trend.
• Madison, which once had a violent crime rate one third the national average, is now approaching the national average.
• Hospital expansions and condo development are great, especially for commuters and retirees. Ask someone In Kennedy Heights what it means to them. (Some of the hospitals made a commitment to job development but they cannot do it alone.)
• Budget additions to some poverty programs is not the muscle or commitment needed to deal with this issue. Imagine if there was a staff commitment to fighting poverty on the level on trolleys. For a comparison, look at the number of meetings, the hours of meetings, the staff time, the consultant dollars, and the involvement of the mayor in both issues.

Concern with growth management without success in handling crime (quality of life), economic & social development leads to faster suburbanization. Jane Jacobs, Andres Duany and others have addressed that issue for decades.

On January 28, I wrote:  (My opinions remain the same.)

In judging a candidate's commitment to battling poverty, I look not at the rhetoric but at the effectiveness of their position:

• There must be be acknowledgment that poverty is a major problem in Madison and that Blacks, Hispanics, and Asians are not receiving equal benefit of Madison's educational and employment opportunities.
• There must be a commitment to involving the private sector in job development and training.
• A claim to be the candidate furthest to the left does not cut it.
• A commitment to support low income housing is not sufficient.

These are the issues that Mayors deal with. If Mayor Cieslewicz really wants to focus on growth management issues, he should run for County Executive, and/or make tough demands on his friends in the legislature, who could introduce some land use controls with bite.

Comments

[Charles Hughes]

Very well put, on all counts...