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‘State of the City’ addresses safety concerns By Abby Sears THE DAILY CARDINAL
After five years in office, Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz gave his 2008 “State of the City” speech Tuesday, declaring the state of the city as good and emphasizing optimism for future improvements. Cieslewicz said public safety topped the list of city issues, particularly after the unsolved homicides of downtown residents Brittany Zimmermann last week and Joel Marino in January. The mayor assured residents that police are actively investigating both cases and remain dedicated to protecting the public. “If any police department can solve these murders, it’s this one,” Cieslewicz said.
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Wednesday, April 9, 2008 Mayor Dave Cieslewicz gave his annual ‘State of the City’ speech Tuesday, stressing the city’s dedication to public safety, “green efficiency” and basic services, among other issues.
Despite the homicides, Cieslewicz noted a 14 percent overall decrease in violent crime throughout the city. He applauded the success of the Downtown Safety Initiative in reducing crime on busy weekends such a Badger football Saturdays and the transformation of the Halloween celebration into “Freakfest,” a lucrative and safe event. Cieslewicz also listed community access to basic services at a fair price as a priority of the city. Noting the record amount of snow that fell on Madison during the winter, Cieslewicz thanked Streets Supervisor Al Schumacher and Schumacher’s staff for their work making streets accessible after the seasonal storms.
LORENZO ZEMELLA THE DAILY CARDINAL
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City Council approves photo ordinance Council sets no-glass zone for Mifflin Street Block Party on May 3 By Abby Sears THE DAILY CARDINAL
LORENZO ZEMELLA/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Alders test drove Neighborhood Electric Vehicles before the City Council meeting Tuesday and voted to make them street legal.
The Madison Common Council voted on several downtown-related issues Tuesday, passing a tenant rights ordinance and establishing Saturday, May 3 as the date for the Mifflin Street Block Party. In October 2007, Ald. Eli Judge, District 8, proposed an ordinance requiring landlords to
Pulitzer Prize winner reflects on times of crisis By Jillian Levy THE DAILY CARDINAL
New York Times reporter and Pulitzer Prize winner Eric Lichtblau spoke at the Pyle Center Tuesday about his 2005 coverage of illegal domestic spying and government wiretaps. Lichtblau focused on the importance of a finding balance between national security and the public’s right-to-know in the heightened state of alert postSept. 11, 2001. “There was an awful lot of hype the media bought into, myself included,” Lichtblau said. “[Reporters are] trained to look at the glass half-empty. After September 11, that skepticism abandoned us.” He said a lot of reporters working in New York and
Washington were “too close to the action” and found it difficult to question the administration. However, he said 2004 was a turning point for many journalists as federal government court cases against alleged terrorists began to unravel and the motives behind the Iraq War were called into question. In 2005, Lichtblau and Times reporter James Risen revealed that the National Security Agency was using wiretaps and other forms of surveillance on U.S. citizens without their knowledge or court permission. “The White House begged the editors not to run the story based on the idea it would do irreparable harm to national security,” Lichtblau said. The story was shelved to meet
the administration’s request. A year later, when more of the story was developed, the Times editors chose to run the story. “For the editors, again there was a tough balance between national security on the one hand and the public’s right-to-know on the other. This time it came down on the side of the public.” UW-Madison professor of journalism and mass communication Katy Culver said Lichtblau’s forum came at an appropriate time with the upcoming election and the potential for renewed debate about civil liberties. “I think it is important to reinforce the idea of the legitimacy of real and powerful journalism,” she said, adding society today is seeking more information from the media than ever before.
provide photographic evidence of damage if they intend to take money out of a tenant’s security deposit. After gaining the approval of the Housing Committee last month, the photo ordinance received overwhelming support at Tuesday’s meeting. Nancy Jensen, Executive Director of the Apartment Association of South Central Wisconsin, said the ordinance protects the interests of both tenants and landlords. “This is not an issue that’s held to student housing and student rentals, it’s an issue that is showing up across the city,”
Jensen said. “Photos are already used as a common business practice … it’s not an expense, it’s not a burden on the industry.” Judge said the ordinance will not only save tenants from frivolous security deposit deductions but also help landlords avoid disagreements with difficult tenants. “This is something that most people should get behind,” Judge said. “It’s a really great best business practice.” The council voted unanimously to pass the ordinance. council page 3
Poll says 69 percent want smoking ban Bills stall over phase-in period for Wis. taverns By Hannah McClung THE DAILY CARDINAL
A poll released Tuesday showed a majority of Wisconsin residents favor a statewide smoking ban. The poll found 69 percent supported a ban, up five percentage points from a year ago. Smoking bans have recently passed in Eau Claire and Marshfield, Wis. “The question is no longer if we will be smoke-free, it is now a question of timing,” Aaron Doeppers, Midwest regional director for the Campaign for TobaccoFree Kids, said in a statement. Allison Miller, spokesperson for the American Cancer Society, said the poll shows broad sup-
port for a smoking ban across Wisconsin. “Support spans across age groups and gender to protect workers against secondhand smoke,” Miller said. According to Miller, the results of the poll are valid because the groups that conducted it are bipartisan and nationally respected. The Mellman Group and Public Opinion Strategies conducted the poll, and the American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, American Lung Association, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and Smoke-Free Wisconsin commissioned the poll. Miller said the groups commissioning the poll are not against smoking, but they favor protectsmoking page 3
“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”