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Monday, August 6, 2007
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Ut e Iicl ig n i1y
JOHN OQUIST I
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IMRAN SYED GARY GRACA
EDITOR IN CHIEF EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR
Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily's editorial board. All other
signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors.
THE LOCAL DEMOCRATIC THE DEADLINE TO REGISTER WAS
PRIMARIES ARE SOON... THREE WEEKS AGO!? WHY THE
ISHOULD REGISTER HELL-
AND VOT EI
t4
! GUESS I'LL JUST GO WATCH
SOULPLANE"THEN...
I
I
Vote for Briere, Greden, Woods in primary
Greden and Woods have the experience and record; Briere most qualified to catch on quickly
T he primary election for Ann Arbor City Council is this week and odds are, this is news to you the student. Make no mistake about it, that's no
one's fault but your own. Structural barriers that discourage student voters are several and undeniable, but how will they ever be torn down
if students are content to just sit out and watch? As we present our endorsements in the contested races in this primary, we ask that you pay
attention to the names here and keep an eye out for them in this and other local publications. Oh, and one of these days, register to vote in Ann Arbor
and then start voting in local races. This is a small town and students make up a third of its population. We can matter if we choose to.
Some of the issues in this elec-
tion seem to have been around
forever: increasing downtown
density to curb urban sprawl,
increasing green spaces around
the city, parking, budget crises,
affordable housing and taxes,
among others. Others like neigh-
borhood lighting, expansion of
public transportation, lease laws
and public safety directly affect
students. It's time we as students
weighed in.
It's important to note that
while every conceivable bloc
in the city is out demanding
answers for its issues, students
are nowhere to be found. Sure,
we would like to live in a world
where council members care
about all of their constituents
but frankly, why not vote and
give them a reason to care?
In Ward 1 there is a three-way
contest between John Roberts,
Sabra Briere and Richard Wick-
boldt to fill the opening left by
the retiring Bob Johnson. With
only a short period of time for the
candidates to prepare for the pri-
mary, each candidate still seems
unfamiliar with all of the issues
in this year's election.
Despite being a former Council
member and a lifelong Ann Arbor
resident, Roberts has little to
show for the 14 months he spent
on council before losing in last
year's primary. And he doesn't
have many more answers this
time around. Wickboldt is a more
recent resident of Ann Arbor and
a newcomer in politics. While
his experience as manager of the
University's Central Power Plant
cil right away. She understands
that making Ann Arbor afford-
able is important to maintaining
the diversity of the city. She also
believes that the people of Ann
Arbor are not just homeowners
and taxpayers; students make up
an important part of the city too,
and they must count.
in Lansing to repeal Rogers's law
is the type of work needed to give
students equal voting access.
Overall, Bullington would make
a fine member of City Council.
But Greden has a history with
the city that is too good to turn
down. Of the current Council
members, he is one of the few
The Daily endorses:
Sabra Briere Leigh Greden Wendy Woods
Ward 1 Ward 3 Ward 5
For the past six years, Wendy
Woods has represented Ward 5.
But this year Mike Anglin will
challenge her incumbency, con-
tending that Ann Arbor needs
a different voice on Council.
Unfortunately, that voice isn't
Anglin's. While his environmen-
taliststanceonthepreservationof
green space and the Huron River
is admirable, Woods remains the
better-qualified candidate.
Woods's resum6 boasts victo-
ries against neighborhood traffic
and violence, as well as engage-
ment with students and student
issues - particularly the lease
law she helped write. Moreover,
Woods distinguishes herself by
understanding that affordable
living in Ann Arbor extends
beyond the need for affordable
housing.
In a city dominated by Demo-
crats it is almost certain that
whoever wins this week's pri-
mary will go on to win the
general election in November
(unless a lucky Green Party or
write-in candidate swoops in
for a victory). This means that if
you want a say in who wins, this
week is the time to have it. The
information is out there. It's now
your responsibility to make your
own decision.
0
6
makes him uniquely qualified
to handle the budget, he doesn't
have plans to address the other
pressing issues affecting the city.
of the three, Briere, who has
lived in Ann Arbor more than 30
years and has a long history of
local activism, stands out as the
candidate most likely to catch
up with the flow of City Coun-
In contrast to Ward 1, Ward 3
has two uniquely qualified can-
didates: incumbent Leigh Gre-
den and the challenger LuAnne
Bullington. Bullington has
an impressive public service
record, especially with the Ann
Arbor Transportation Authority.
Recently,her work with State Rep.
Rebekah Warren (D-Ann Arbor)
whose active collaboration with
the Michigan Student Assembly
has yielded positive changes for
students. He also promises to be a
big part of reforming the faults in
the current lease law and student
housing in general. Refreshingly,
he is an incumbent with specific
accomplishments and plans that
will move the city forward.
Editorial Board Members: Cherri Buijk, Mike Eber, Kellyn Jackson, Jennifer Sussex, Kate Truesdell, Radhika Upadhyaya