Affordable housing, transportation and regional cooperation highlighted the major issues in the mayoral debate between candidates Dave Cieslewicz and Paul Soglin Tuesday night.
WISC Channel 3, WIBA-AM and the Wisconsin State Journal hosted the debate with less than a week remaining before the April 1st election, with all questions emanating from various members of the Madison community.
Agreement, rather than dissension, accentuated the debate. Yet Cieslewicz and Soglin attempted to emphasize their dissimilarity in the race through their campaign mantras of \change"" and ""experience,"" respectively.
A major source of disagreement stemmed from questions relating to affordable housing in future city development. Soglin said he would like to see several hundred units per year made available for middle to lower-income tenants through voluntary actions of city developers and landlords. Cieslewicz said he felt that Soglin's idea of a voluntary system has failed in the past, and was adamant about mandatory inclusionary zoning to make accommodations available to the less fortunate.
Absent from the diverse aggregation of Madison residents fueling the open forum were representatives from the university community. During an interview following the debate, Soglin explained that the student vote would be imperative to victory in next week's general election.
""I'm trying to make it a point to be on campus virtually every day from now until the election. We have a very active student voting group, and there are a number of issues that are important to the students: affordable housing, transportation issues, the rebirth of the State Street mall,"" he said.
Cieslewicz echoed his opponent's sentiments on the strong influence students will have on the election's outcome, saying ""we're not going to take the student vote for granted at all, we're going to work hard for it.""
When asked why people should vote for him next Tuesday, Soglin predicted a better future for all Madison residents with his guidance as mayor.
""On all of those issues that are of concern both on and off campus, we'll get better results [with me] in the next four years. We'll have protection for affordable housing, more housing development in conjunction with the university, and we'll have a better public transit system,"" he said.
With the rallying slogan of ""The face of the city government will reflect the face of the community,"" Cieslewicz said he will stress positive, optimistic and progressive ideals when handling the city's most pressing issues as mayor.
""It's a new era, and I think I bring a spirit of optimism and togetherness, a state of innovation and a welcoming of new ideas. I just think it's time to move on; Madison needs new leadership,"" Cieslewicz said.
