Search WWW Search GoodspeedUpdate.com
MEDIA
Michigan Daily
Ann Arbor News
University Record
Michigan Radio
WCBN, WEMU

AREA BLOGS
Goodspeed Update
Arbor Blogs
Ann Arbor Is Overrated
Black at Michigan
Richard Murphy

Past the College Grounds
Sam Woll
Steven Cherry (Ypsi)
The Bunker (Ypsi)
Larry Kestenbaum
Edward Vielmetti
Chetly Zarko
Airbeagle
Andrew Vanalstyne
Neoliberal Chopping Block
Michigan MBA
Mouse Musings
Jenny Nathan
Matt Hollerbach
Bob Goodsell
Stephen Darwall

Common Sense Liberals
John Honkala: First City (Chicago)
Washington Oculus (D.C.)
Dave Enders (Baghdad)
Jim Secreto (China)
Josh Wickerham (China)
Ben King (Atlanta)
Juan Cole (Mideast)


MORE MEDIA
Ann Arbor Indymedia
Moment
Consider
Michigan Review
Mich Magazine
Every Three Weekly
BusinessDirect Weekly

Detroit Free Press
Metrotimes
Detroit News
Crain's Detroit
Michigan Indymedia
Michigan Chronicle
Michigan Citizen
Local 4 - WDIV
DetNow 7 - WXYZ

MLIVE.COM
MI AP Wire - Freep
MI AP Wire - MLive

New York Times
Washington Post
Los Angeles Times
Chicago Tribune
Omaha World-Herald
Top U.S. Newspapers
MSNBC.com

U-M NEWS
Admin News
LSA News
ITCS News
MGoBlue.com
UMHS News
Engineering News

Michigan Today Mag
LSA Mag

CAMPUS LABOR
Borders Readers United
Graduate Employees' Organization
Lecturer's Employee Organization
American Association of University Profs.
Students Organizing for Labor and Economic Equality

WORLD
Reuters
Al Jazeera English
Times of India
The Age (AU)

BBC News
The Guardian (UK)
Times of London
The Independent (UK)

MORE BLOGS
Tom Tomorrow
Jim Hightower
Nathan Newman
Paul Schmelzer
Beyond Brilliance
Ted Rall
Aaron Hawkins
Where is Raed? (Baghdad)
Matt Drudge
Jim Romenesko

Michigan Blogs
Detroit Blog

BEAT BUSH IN '04
Wesley Clark
Howard Dean
John Edwards
Dick Gephardt
John Kerry
Dennis Kucinich
Joe Lieberman
Ralph Nader
Al Sharpton

AROUND THE WEB
ZNet
ACLU, ACLU-MI
Open Secrets
The Onion
Memory Hole
Cryptome
Snopes
WhiteHouse.org
Porto Alegre
UN
Labor Start
Arts and Letters
UnderReported.com

ARCHIVES
April04
March04
February04
January04
December03
November03
October03
September03
August03
July03
June03
May03
April03
March03
February03 (Feb. 18-22)
January03
December02
November02
October02
September02
August02
July02
June02
May02
April02
March02
February02
January02
December01
November01
Sept.-Oct01

ADVERTISEMENTS


NEWS

Saturday, November 01, 2003

City Council Elections Made Simple

Here's a quick synopsis of my take on the the city council races. These are voting suggestions, not endorsements, and I encourage people to disagree with my opinions. In selecting these recommendations, I am choosing the candidates who I believe best embody the type of city council I'd like to see: one with a progressive, inclusive ideology that actively works to include students and students views into city government. For more information about the Ward system, where and how to vote, and to read the results of my questionnaire, see my council elections page.

Ward #1: VOTE ROB HAUG
I was happy to see two student candidates in this ward, and this was probably the closest decision for me to make. Although Rick Lax should be given credit for making the issue of student representation central to his campaign, and says he supports working to re-district the city to create student-majority wards, I believe Haug and the Green Party have a more comprehensive, well-thought-out agenda for the city. In my questionnaire, Lax said about the Patriot act resolution "I don’t think the City Council can speak as the voice of the entire city," and has repeatedly claimed he opposed the State Street Area improvement project for increasing rents. While high rents are almost certainly an important issue, I don't believe the overdue street improvements are to blame.

Ward #2: VOTE AMY SEETOO
Although I've heard the council has appreciated his knowledge on some issues, Amy Seetoo's opponent Mike Reid has consistently opposed resolutions and policy changes I have supported. With strong connections to reactionary neighborhood associations, Reid was a vocal opponent of accessory apartments, which would have increased the density downtown and provided a small but much-needed increase in the number of housing units available to the student population. A university researcher, Seetoo has been active in Ann Arbor's Asian-American community, which although sizable also often goes unrepresented, and I believe she would be an excellent additon to the city council.

Ward #3
In this ward, I think Democrat Leigh Greden and independent Donna Rose are the strongest candidates, although I hesitate to strongly recommended either. Greden, an attorney and U-M alum, supports the greenbelt, said he would have voted for the Patriot Act resolution, and (sensibly) said he opposes charging U-M students for city services. However, he seems content with the organization of city government, avoiding my question about whether he thinks city wards should be re-drawn, and suggests students contact their councilpersons to have their views represented. Donna Rose, running against Greden, opposes the greenbelt proposal. I don't know enough about her to make a firm judgment, but her other ideas seem interesting: she told the Ann Arbor News her top three issues were regional public transportation, equal access for people with disabilities to city services, and emergency preparedness.

Ward #4: VOTE SCOTT TRUDEAU
First, a quick disclaimer: personally know two of the candidates in this ward: Scott Trudeau and Dan Sheill. To her credit, incumbent republican Marcia Higgins seems very moderate, and has rarely been as vocal as Mike Reid, but I think this ward provides an opportunity to elect a strong voice for students.
Although he opposes the greenbelt on the grounds it will cause sprawl farther out of the city, Libertarian candidate and U-M undergrad Dan Sheill supports a student ward, and I think some if his ideas, such as liberalized zoning laws, are interesting. That said, I think Scott Trudeau is the strongest candidate in this ward. A recent U-M grad, candidate for regent, and University employee, Trudeau would bring an excellent knowledge of both Ann Arbor and the student community. His strong commitments to the environment, affordable housing, dense development, and increasing student's political power in the city closely mirrors what I'd like to see happen in the city, and he deserves your vote.

Ward #5: VOTE WENDY WOODS
Although Woods opposes creating a student ward (like all Ann Arbor Democrats), she has made passage of the city's living wage ordinance, the Patriot Act resolution, and increasing affordable housing priorities. She is the best candidate running in this ward, and deserves re-election.

Remember: Election Day is next Tuesday, November 4!

Posted by Rob at 12:29 PM
WHAT'S HOT

Inside the Daily
U-M Earnings
Political Giving
Michigamua
BAMN
MSA
My Course

Ann Arbor Cool Cities Task Force
Our Voices Count
Anti War Action!


UMICH
Google
Daily Jolt
U-M Directory
MIRLYN
Lexis-Nexus

mail.umich.edu
ITCS Account Usage
MPrint
IFS Space

Recent Crime
Campus Information

Wolverine Access
Coursetools
(CTNG)
LSA Courseguide
Advice Online
Rate My Professor
ITCS Status (CAEN)

Construction Info
Sculptures Info
Student Policies

EVENTS

(Continue list)

Ticket Master Events: Ark, Blind Pig, Hill Auditorium, Michigan Theatre, Power Center Also see: UMS events, and Current's Lectures, Readings, and Forums

Movie Times
MUTO Events
UM Campus Events
CURRENT's Calendar Ann Arbor Observer
MChalk.com

ONSITE
Borders Strike
Campus Shame
Planada
City Council Elections (Voting)
NAKED MILE
HASH BASH
CRIME ALERTS
BOOKS
CRITICAL FILES
PERSONAL PAGE
CAMPUS TOURS
9.11.01
GU MAINE
MICHIGAN DAILY
SURVEILLANCE
NETPD
PALESTINE CONF.
HADDAD
GANNETT PROGRAM
HOROWITZ
DAILY BOYCOTT

TEXTBOOKS
DogEars.com
Online Student Marketplace
Student Book Exchange
Cordx.com
Half.com
Shaman Drum
Union Bookstore
Michigan Book + Supply
Ulrich's

DORMS
Dining Hall Menus
TV!
Telephone
FIXIT Request

JOBS
U-M Jobs
U-M Student Employment
Career Center

A2 "PLANNING"
City Planning Dept.
Peter Allen
New Course
Ecology Center

STATEWIDE:
MI Land Use Leadership Council
MI Land Use Institute

Ann Arbor
Detroit/A2 Craigslist
A2 Local Market
MLive Town Talk
Local Sites Via GeoUrl
Ann Arbor District Library
City Government

STUDENT POLITICS

Student Orgs
MSA
RHA
LSASG
EQGA
UMEC

ACLU
ADC
AWA!
Dems
CR's
GEO
Greens
PIRGM
SOLE
SSAA
SFC
Students Allied
SFL
Zionists


NEWS ALERTS
<1 email per week
SITE INFO

Rob@ Goodspeedupdate.com

Atom XML Feed

AIM: RobGoodsp

Policies

PAY/DONATE: Paypal or Amazon

Technorati Profile

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?