Aaron Backer, District 1
1) I think it is very  important to recognize that diversity in the workplace creates a dynamic environment and that the goal of a wide range of diverse backgrounds benefits everyone in the workplace. This concept is true in city departments. I believe that diversity is a value highly regarded at city departments and the Office of Civil Rights has many talented employees working to make sure that all people are given equal opportunities in the workplace. I would make it a priority to introduce myself to the staff  there and re-connect with the Director Lucia Nunez and Annie Weatherby,  Education and Outreach Coordinator. I have worked with both in the past and highly regard their work. I am also interested in attending EOC Employment committee meetings to keep up with feedback and data at that level.
2) According to the City of Madison Affirmative Action office, the targeted program of expanding the level of purchasing services for Minority business enterprises (MBEs) has been very successful over the past 10 years. The City of Madison Targeted Business Enterprise Programs division seems to making significant strides in this direction and has been very successful in increasing the percentage of MBEs participating in the program. I see no  reason to implement new initiatives as long as the data coming back reflects positive gains and outcomes.
3) Undocumented workers should not be treated like second-class citizens, so I believe that they should be able to access city resources and services. This is an issue of human dignity. We cannot deny undocumented workers assistance that they need for themselves and/or their families if our city is serious about thriving and looking ahead to solving such problems, rather than ignoring them.
4) The city-owned properties on Allied Drive should continue to be revitalized utilizing the community design plan that has been developed by the City of Madison, AIA and WE C.A.A.N. The guiding principle of this framework is to meet the dynamic needs of the residents of Allied Drive.
5) Funding for the Office of Community Services needs to based upon three principles: providing solutions for the greatest and unmet needs, value to community and a rationale for funding programs based on effectiveness. For example, if we need to make investments in a program or programs that are meeting critical and unmet needs and using funds in a cost-effective way, then funding should be increased. However, if a program or programs are not meeting needs and may not be utilizing funds effectively then funding should be decreased. Again, these decisions should be based on a solid rationale, using available data on meeting objectives.
6) I think the first step in this process of providing an adequate supply of affordable housing is to look at the data coming back from the inclusionary zoning ordinance. I think it is important to look at what has worked and what has not worked and why. It is important to talk to as many stakeholders as possible about how affordable housing can be created and distributed in a cost-effective manner while providing quality and attractiveness to potential homeowners.
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Jed Sanborn, District 1
1) I would make it a high priority to identify and discrimination going on at any level of city government. I would also find as many ways as possible to recruit minority candidates.
2) The primary thing the city should be doing is making sure that MBEs know about the opportunity to compete for city contracts. The level of publicity about the opportunities available could be higher.
3) I don't believe that people that have broken the law to be here should have access to all government services. However, as long as the Federal government refuses to adopt and enforce rational immigration policy, I don't think that burden can be shifted to local governments. So I don't consider it a priority for local government to be singling out illegals.
4) The redevelopment should be done to absolutely maximize the number of long-term residents, people with a stake in the neighborhood, who can buy their own residence. Giving more power and more ownership to those who care about Allied Drive is the most important goal.
5) I think it should remain about the same. I think that it's great that the city has some of its own initiatives, but it would be counter-productive if we started duplicating things being done by other levels of government.
6) I know this is not a popular answer -- but the very best thing that we could do to make housing affordable is to keep taxes as low as possible and make the regulatory process as efficient and restrained as possible. While I fully support down payment assistance and other programs aimed at helping individuals, I think Inclusionary Zoning is counter-productive. We can't delude ourselves that there is such a thing as a free lunch. Creating an environment in Madison where developers,  builders, and landlords are competing fiercely with each other is the best way to keep prices down.
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Lauren Woods, District 8
1) I believe that it is imperative that people of color and women are represented in city agencies from top to bottom. This is fundamentally the job of the Affirmative Action Division of the Department of Civil Rights. As a citizen member of the Equal Opportunities Commission, which oversees the other half of the reorganized Department, I have some familiarity with city efforts along these lines. I strongly support the minority recruiter position with the Department of Civil Rights to aggressively court, recruit, and retain high-quality employees of color. Still, there are many city departments that are not doing an adequate enough job, and they must  be held to account for improvements, especially by the Common Council and Mayor.
2) The City currently strives to purchase from minority-owned business enterprises (as well as woman-owned, and other disadvatanged business) under its Affirmative Action regulations, but can do a better job. Especially when city agencies and departments are contracting out with firms for business, they must follow the law and require those firms to submit affirmative action plans, which unfortunately is not always the case. The other thing we can do is support programs like business counseling, microloans, and incubator spaces like Genesis to grow the number of minority business enterprises that the city has to choose from for a given service.
3) Undocumented workers should be allowed to access and utilize all goods and services provided by city government. Undocumented workers are part of our community's fabric, and pay property taxes just like everyone else (including through their rent if they are renters). Further, we should follow the lead of Takoma Park, Maryland in sharing the vote with all adults that reside in our community, including those who are not UW citizens. There are many foreign students in the 8th district that attend UW whose lives are just as affected by city government as the rest of the student body, but they are denied a voice. The same goes for immigrants throughout Madison, whose children are in our schools and whose lives are affected by the decisions made by city government.
4) I fully support the motto of the Allied Drive Neighborhood Association -- "Move Forward.  Not Out." I think that the City's first obligation must be to listen. Any strategy that results in massive displacement of existing Allied residents should be seen as a failure I support Ald. Brenda Konkel's resolution to create an  "Affordable Housing Plan for Allied Drive" so that we can have a conversation about what percentage of the redeveloped units should be rental, what should be owner-occupied, how many bedrooms they should have, and at what prices they will rent or be sold for.
5) I support increasing the funds for the Office of Community Services, especially to provide a Cost Of Living Adjustment (COLA) to the wonderful non-profits that provide these serivces and have seen their budgets shrink in recent years (in real dollars). Investments in community services also pay back in the long run to the  taxpayer, as youth programming has the very important effect of reducing the number of teens and young adults that get into trouble with the law. Mayor Cieslewicz was correct in his most recent budget when he asserted that wise investments in community services can actually be seen as pro-public safety.
6) This is an important question. First, there is the question of code enforcement for existing properties. I strongly support Building Inspection's work to bring existing properties up to code and improve the quality of life for tenants, and I am a big proponent of the recently adopted Tenants' Right to Repair and Deduct Ordinance that allows tenants to make needed repairs that landlords have refused to make, and then deduct the cost from their rent payment. Second, there is the question about how to increase the supply of affordable housing. I am proud to have earned the edndorsement of the Affordable Housing Action Alliance for my candidacy because of my strong stand on affordable housing. I support Inclusionary Zoning, and was saddened that special interests succeeded in overturning the rental half of this important law in the courts. I will fight to ensure that every new development includes affordable housing, in all neighborhoods in the city. Further, I will prioritize the Affordable Housing Trust Fund in the budget so that we can finally capitalize the fund and begin to use the interest it generates to create high-quality, permanently affordable housing. I will also push to ensure that the TIF 10% set-aside for affordable housing is actually funded and is accomplishing what was meant for it.
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Larry Pasha, District 9
1) I would advocate for improved employment notification system that informs and attract the most highly qualified applicants. I would also advocate for more entry-level job training opportunities for persons with high potential but in need of preparation to access broader job promotion. Equally important with notification and recruitment is the attention we must place upon retainingqualified workers.
      I would encourage the city Human Resource to continue outreach to job fairs; minority news outlets. The Department of Civil rights and EEOC has a role in training, development and informal mentoring.
      The city must address the disproportionate and disparate effects of high rates of arrest and conviction occurring in certain segments of our population. Should a conviction or pending charges forever stop a person from legal employment?
2) The city should continue its current strong outreach and collaborative efforts with such groups as African-American Black Business Association, Latino Chamber of Commerce, and Asian Chamber of Commerce.
3) Currently, federal law is the standard and preempts local government initiatives. The use of goods and services provided are guided by law.
4) Allied Drive should be redeveloped with the goal of improving quality of life on Allied Drive. It should be done in such a way that displacement does not occur  because of affordability issues and too high rent.  Other guiding principles are economic adversity, appropriate population densities, accessible public transportation and crime prevention by environmental design.
5) The Office of Community Services provides vital help for a broad range of family needs such as child care, senior programs, youth services, domestic violence and sexual assault. The Office of Community Services directly affects segments of our population which must be given the highest degree of compassion as revenue streams continue to decline. Where possible we should increase. Where necessary, funds should remain the same.
6) We have to put new focus on using our existing housing stock as opposed to new. What may be characterized as affordable housing is higher in only certain areas of the city. I would like to see  the city make a serious commitment to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund. In addition to taxpayer dollars, we should look to raise funds privately also. I would like to see the fund reach its $10 million goal in the shortest time possible.
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Satya Rhodes-Conway, District 12
1) Ensuring diversity among city employees, in all departments and at all staff levels, is key to improving the effectiveness and responsiveness of our city government. If elected, I will work with fellow Alders and city departments to prioritize the recruitment and retention of people of color in the city's workforce. The City Council can have a positive impact by publicly flagging the need for greater diversity, by stressing diversity goals in its review of upper-level staffing decisions, and by providing adequate support and oversight of the Department of Civil Rights. While the formation of the Department was controversial, we must now help it live up to its promise. The Department has the ability and responsibility to ensure that job openings are promoted widely, that new staff are chosen from a diverse applicant pool, and that the city provides a healthy and supportive workplace for all its employees, including by recognizing and rewarding their contributions.
2) The city's purchasing decisions must reflect the needs and priorities of our community. I'm a strong supporter of  "buy local" initiatives, and of the city's current programs to support minority- and women-owned businesses. I believe that the city must do more to pursue "high road" economic development, by recognizing the value of small and locally owned businesses, targeting job training for local residents, and promoting worker policies that encourage productivity and long-term investment. These initiatives must be designed and implemented in a way that fully involves and benefits minority- and women-owned businesses. While private entities have their own purchasing procedures, city policies can help make minority- and women-owned businesses stronger competitors in the private market.
3) It is not the role of local government to enforce federal immigration policies. Attempts to do so are likely to divide and harm our community. For instance, when a crisis occurs, everyone -- including undocumented workers -- must feel completely comfortable with contacting the police or calling an ambulance. Moreover, it is simply not fair to deny local services to people who pay city taxes.
4) The most important principle is that we respect the desire of the residents of Allied Drive to "move forward, not out." The city must involve Allied residents in every step of the redevelopment process. To prevent gentrification and displacement, the city must retain quality affordable housing in the area, produce new affordable housing, and help build the assets of current residents so they can remain in the area, even if housing prices rise. I disagree with proposed benchmarks for homeownership, as I believe the focus should be on ensuring that current residents can stay in  the area, either as renters or homeowners. I also believe that the city should not just develop the physical properties in Allied, but also invest in the community. We need to work with the community to provide childcare and after school programming, job training, public health and other needed services. Lastly, having efficient and affordable public transit service to the area is key, as transportation is often the second largest household expense, after housing.
5)The programs funded by the Office of Community Services help build healthy communities by meeting the needs of  children, families, seniors, and survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence, as well as strengthening neighborhood associations and other community groups. I support increasing the city's funding of the Office, as long as its programs continue to be effective and serve unmet  needs, instead of duplicating services. While it is true that city finances are tight, the Office's programs actually save taxpayers money, in addition to being the right thing to do. That's because investing in these programs now helps reduce the need for costly services, such as law enforcement, later.
6) There are a number of ways to provide more affordable housing for low-income families. We should start by fully  funding the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, so that it can work as intended.  I supported the Inclusionary Zoning (IZ) ordinance, and worked in supportof its passage and opposed the attempt to repeal it. I also supported ending Section 8 discrimination at the county level. The city should explore using TIF funding to encourage the creation of permanently affordable housing units. The city should also support programs that help people find and keep housing by preventing discrimination and reducing evictions. In addition, we need to do more to increase local economic and workforce development, so that residents can better afford housing.  Lastly, we need to realize that what's affordable in terms of  housing for any family depends on their other expenses. Transportation is often the second largest household expense, after housing. That's why one of my campaign priorities is an affordable,  accessible public transit system. I also support high quality, affordable childcare.
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Julia Kerr, District 13
1) As the Madison community continues to grow and diversify, it is increasingly important to ensure that minority groups are adequately represented in city departments and employment classifications. As Alder, I will support programs and ordinances that will address this issue.
2) If elected, I would seriously consider any proposal to increase the city's purchasing from MBEs and WBEs. As a beginning point, Madison should research the policies that other cities have implemented to achieve this important goal.
3) I would oppose any attempt to prevent any Madison resident from accessing the basic government goods and services that ensure the overall health, safety, and welfare of the community.
4)The city should help form and support a community-based development corporation to coordinate redevelopment; provide job training, counseling, and placement; and to empower current residents.  A key goal should be the preservation of affordable      housing and the active involvement of residents and property owners
5) The Office of Community Services primarily serves children and the elderly and assists neighborhood centers that are extremely important to many neighborhoods, including several in District 13. I do not support decreasing funding for these important services.
6) Elected officials should take the lead in advancing a comprehensive and realistic plan to increase available housing for low-income Madison residents. The plan should identify specific and achievable goals, timelines, and funding mechanisms. At the lower end of the income spectrum, the focus should be on preventing homelessness perhaps through the construction of single room-occupancy (SRO) developments with associated social services. At the other end of the income scale, the focus could be on      encouraging affordable homeownership with programs such as inclusionary zoning, which I strongly support.
Decision 2007:Candidates for Madison Alder
Questions
1.  What steps would you advocate for to ensure that people  of color are proportionately employed in all city departments and      employment classifications?
2. What initiatives should the city undertake to expand the level of the purchasing of goods and services of minority business enterprises (MBEs) by private and public decision makers?
3. To  what extent should undocumented workers be allowed to access and utilize goods and services provided by city government?
4. How should the city-owned properties on Allied Drive be redeveloped and what would be the guiding principals that would influence the decisions you would make.
5.  In light of its historical funding levels in an age of declining public  revenues, should the funding of the programs funded by the Office of  Community Services be decreased, remain the same or increased? Why?
6. What initiatives and programs would you undertake to ensure an adequate supply of affordable housing for low-income families that meet or exceed  city housing codes?
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