Questionnaire Answers

Top Issues

• Keep living-wage jobs in the East Washington corridor

  The city needs an economic development plan to focus on education and job training, encourage regional cooperation, and support affordable 24/7 public transit. I support the creation of a bus pass purchasing pool for small businesses. We need to create jobs for blue collar workers, not just bio-tech jobs, that pay living wages and provide opportunities for advancement. TIF should be used to promote workforce housing and job retention. As an independent bookseller, I belong to the Dane County Buy Local campaign. Keeping money circulating in our local economy makes sense. The East Washington corridor should be a focus of economic development for the city.

• Maintain historic character.

  The 6th district is home to three city historic districts and one national historic district. In addition to many residential buildings dating from the earliest days of Madison, the district contains many beautiful commercial buildings that should be preserved and rehabbed. Older buildings provide an affordable option for existing businesses and nurture new ventures. TIF funds could be used for smaller commercial projects to improve facades and help subsidize affordable commercial space. New development should respect our historic scale and character. Community based planning helps us identify areas for new development at higher densities and areas for conservation. I support efforts to create neighborhood conservation districts.

• Keep the east side diverse and affordable

  Racism and growing levels of inequality affect our lives every day, in schools, on the street and in prisons. We need a housing strategy that builds a diverse community and doesn't just move poor people around. The inclusionary zoning program can create hundreds of owner-occupied units for residents who earn 80% of median income, but it is a market-driven program and with the slow down in new construction, we may not see many new units. We must explore other avenues to create affordable housing, such as the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, the TIF 10% Set Aside, state funded housing tax credits, Section 8 vouchers and city-developed housing. I will advocate for housing options for people who make less than $15/hr.

• Monitor the safety of our drinking water and the health of our lakes.

  Our water systems are impacted by the east side's industrial legacy. We must pursue federal, state and city funds to remove contaminated soil and underground storage tanks. We live in a densely developed area and must make a conscious effort to recharge our aquifers through responsible conservation programs such as rain gardens, rain barrels, and LEED standards for green building to manage water use and runoff. I will advocate for MGE and the State to construct a co-generation plant to reduce CO2 emissions. Insuring safe drinking water will require a commitment to investing in our infrastructure and working with the Water Utility to site a new well.

• Implement the multi-neighborhood east side traffic plan

  Four downtown neighborhood associations have adopted a joint traffic plan that explores the possibility of removing rush hour parking restrictions on Williamson and Atwood and restoring two-way traffic on Johnson and Gorham. Rush hour turns our business districts into part-time highway bypasses and makes it difficult to navigate our neighborhood streets safely. I will advocate for the city to review these ideas.

• Support community centers

  The city makes an incredible investment in community centers, which are hubs for important services like after-school programming for children, activities for seniors, and food pantries. They provide public spaces for meetings and gatherings. The relocation of the Atwood Community to Waubesa Street will require a several year commitment of city funding, and as your alder, I will work to convince my fellow alders to support these budget requests.

• Expand parks and open space - including Central Park

  We have both the obligation and opportunity to preserve natural areas. Within the district, we have several planning efforts underway for new park and open space-for Central Park and the future use of the Garver building and the surrounding land.

• Support neighborhood-based policing.

  We should be looking into expanding the popular Neighborhood Officer program, not cutting back. Face to face policing builds trust and accountability between the police and residents.

Authorized and paid for by: Friends of Marsha Rummel, 1337 Jenifer St, Madison, WI, 53703 Bert Zipperer, Treasurer