In the most crowded race in the city, four candidates will compete for the District Madison Common Council seat in the primary election, Feb. 20.
The four candidates, Joe Eastman, Robert Gibbons, Brenda Konkel and Rex Loehe, are contending for the seat being vacated by Ald. Barb Vedder.
All four candidates have expressed views about issues ranging from the location of a high-speed rail station to tenant rights.
Eastman said his main concerns center on transportation and the alleged micromanagement of downtown businesses. He said he thinks his district is \being developed into a central transportation hub without input from the residents.""
However, Eastman said he believes the proposed commuter train would be a blessing for students who do not own vehicles because they would be able to visit out-of-town family members more often.
Gibbons, a district resident since 1993 and past president of the Emerson East Neighborhood Association, said residents need to have more of a say in the decisions that affect them.
""[Citizens] deserve to have someone representing them who has been involved in their neighborhood and knows the issues that affect the district,"" he said.
Gibbons said he was also concerned by the proposed train station, which he feels should be constructed near the airport to prevent high-speed commuter trains from racing through residential areas.
Loehe works in the state Capitol as an aide to Rep. Timothy Carpenter, D-Milwaukee.
In addition to concerns about the affordability of downtown housing, Loehe said he feels the greatest threat to the city's welfare is a ""pending fiscal crisis.""
High fuel costs, soaring premiums for
employee health insurance and last month's record snowfall have added to the cost of maintaining basic city services, Loehe said.
With regards to a high-speed rail station, Loehe said he believes that the Penn Station site, on Madison's near-east side, should not be chosen unless it has the backing of the voters in his district.
Konkel, who serves as director of the Tenant Resource Center, said she would focus on fair and affordable housing issues if elected to council.
In addition, Konkel said she hopes to make it easier for citizens to speak on issues at council meetings by allowing them to register to speak at any time during the meeting. Currently, speakers must register at the beginning of the meeting.
Konkel also said high-speed trains in Madison should be accompanied by ""quiet zones"" in which trains would be banned from blowing their whistles.
""I think high-speed rail is a tremendous opportunity for the city of Madison,"" Konkel said, ""but I think we have to be respectful of our neighborhoods.\
