Lively Contest Forecast In City's Second Ward

The Second Ward City Council race is never dull, but this year's contest has a little bit of everything lively in the world of politics. Democrat Carol Jones, 21, an outspoken and self-described "leftist Democrat," is seeking her second term. She is studying for a master's degree in public policy at the U-M. The Second Ward, which includes much of the city's campus and student residence areas, is considered one of the strongholds of the Human Rights Party. HRP candidate Frank Shoichet, a senior Ü-M law student, won his place on the ballot only through an ordinance enacted after the February primary. The ordinance permitted his name to replace that of the HRP primary winner following the winner's withdrawal. HRP charges of a Democratie crossover in the HRP primary have heated the contest between Jones and Shoichet, regarded as a leader in the city's HRP. Not to be outdone, the GOP candidate has taken unusual positions for a Republican: he is supporting two of three HRP-sponsored charter amendments on the April 7 ballot. Republican Robert McDonough, a U-M business gradúate student, jokes abóut having "many heated meetings" with city Republicans "and I usually come out in the overwhelming minority." McDonough supports charter proposals on rent control and door-to-door voter's registration and claims only technical i factors bar him from supporting the day care amendment. Jones and Shoichet favor all three. In a spirited interview with 1 The News, the candidates talked of their (CONT'D ON NEXT PAGE) ble develöprnêntsaracularlquaïïty low and moderate income housing. I will continue to oppose more street widenings and the overcommercialization of such arteries as Plymouth Road. "I hope to see some successful results from my efforts on the Parks Committee, including the acquisition of the South University Neighborhood Park and Dther inner city sites. "The past two years have taught me much about city government, and at least one thing is obvious. No matter how hard one tries, it's difficult to accomplish much without being part of a majority. I would like the opportunity to use my experience in the next two years as part of a Democratie majority working for progressive goyernment in Ann Arbor." Jones, 21, says she was the youngest person ever elected to City Council in Ann Arbor in 1973. She has a BS in Urban Studies from the University's Residential College and is working toward a Master's Degree in Public Policy. She is a life-long resident of Ann Arbor. Jones' opponents are Republican Robert T. McDouough and HRP candidae Richard Ankli. McDonough Robert T. McDonough, a University gradúate student, is the Republican candidate for the Second Ward City Council seat. Here is nis statement of candidacy,. ' "Municipal government in Ann Arbor has been characterized over the past several years by a pervasive political polarization which has created a dysfunctional "we vs. they" climate among the City Councilpersons. Most decisions which have successfully found their way out of the Council Chambers have generally been supported unanimously by the majority, while, at the same time, have been unanimously opposed by the minority. We have seen recently both Republican and DemocratHRP majorities. The arrogance of their highly partisan positions has led to political fiascos, at the citizenry's expense, by each of the rival factions. The exile of the Ann Arbor Blues and Jazz festival on the one hand, and the attempt to ban the McDonalds' franchise on the other hand are recent examples of the City Council's bi-partisan case of political myopia. "I seek the office of City Councilperson from the Second Ward with the goal of ending a decade of divisiveness on the Ann Arbor City Council. Municipal progress proceeds not in the wake of confrontation, but in the tide of cooperation. The problems of the last half of this decade are such that the citizens of Ann Arbor can no longer afford the luxury of petty bickering in the guise of city government. "Every voice must be heard, each proposal weighed carefully and sensibly if we are to cope with the crises at hand. We must begin now to provide adequate health services for each person, maintain our fight against airTwatêrïóïsèinTF visual pollution, establiBh a plan for solid waste disposal consistent with our environmental goals, and no longer tolérate racism or sexism in any form. We must subscribe toa broadly supported city planning policy. Above all, we must kindie a climate of social justice into all policy decisions. In this regard we must endeavor to ask the tough value questions of ourselves during every deliberation lest we expeditiously rationalize our moral responsibility toward one another out of existence. "The crises above, notwithstanding, the politicians of this city must cope with an ever more pressing problem, the crisis of confidence in government. The time has long since passed when party politics can be allowed to take precedence over the necessities of the people. City councilpersons must be committed to the people of Ann Arbor, and not to its political organizations. The purpose of a city council is not to rule, but to serve. I am committed to the service of this City. I offer an open minded, common sense approach to city government. I am running as a Republican because I have I been assured that I will have the I cal independence of my convictions I I which must be demanded oí a public office holder. "I have been a resident of this city for five years, and am enrolled in the U-M gradúate Business School. My qualifications lie in my contact over the past few years with all areas of the Ann Arbor community, my knowledge of management techniques, my concern for the vitality of Ann Arbor, and my visión of a new era of genuine cooperation among the various segments of our community. This visión may seem inachievable in light of the current state of political polarization, yet I firmly believe that our duty as human beings is to proceed as if such human frailties did not exist. McDonough's opposition is Democrat Carol Jones and Human Rights candidate Richard Ankli. Ankli Second Ward voters considering casting a Human Rights Party ballot for the council seat there have two candidates to choose f rom. ichard Ankli won the Feb. 17 primary (OVER FLEASE) FOUP. CANDIDATES L 5EK SEATS IN SECOND WARD . . . election. But he has decided to disavow his candidacy and has endorsed the man he defeated, Frank Shoichet. The HRP's general membership also has voted to support Shoichet in a write-in campaign. But Ankli's name will still be on the ballot and he is legally the party's candidate. In a campaign statement prior to the primary, Ankli acknowledged being a fooi in the same way a comedian is a fooi. But he quoted comic George Carlin as saying comedians are sensitive and intelligent. "Sensitivity and intelligence are the main qualities that I think I have to offer as a city councilman. Beyond that I feel very naive," he said. "To me, the HRP is for libera tiön (equal rights) for blacks, women and gays, and all minorities. I'd like to be sure to add to this list liberation for 'fools'," he said. Ankli is 32 and lives at 1314 Broadway. Shoichet Shoichet has directed most of his attention tö increasing the supply of housing and decreasihg the cost. "In America today, 90 per cent of the new residential contruction is beyond the price range of 64 per cent of the people. Even in 'prosperous' Ann Arbor the 'free I prise' system has failed. The city is too expensive for many of its own workers to live in . . .", he said. Shoichet also said: "To protect the immediate interests of tenants, the HRP has placed an improved rent control program on the ballot. It meets many of the criticisms leveled at last year's plan, while toughening restrictions on landlord abuses. It deserves support. "So do specific, detailed proposals I will submit to HRP to aid tenants, including: controls against apartment referral agency ripoffs, a tenant controlled code enforcement board and an antidemolition law based on some positive West Coast experiences. I also support the bill in the Legislature to toughen penalties against landlord tax dodgers. "The most important step we all can take is to work with the new group revitalizing the Tenants Union. Only organized tenant militancy has the political power to force substantial changes in city and university policy. Mobilizing that power is the most important element of a rent control strategy. "The HRP day care funding proposal (1.7 per cent of the city budget) appearing on the April ballot can be an important step in giving priority to human needs. The 993 Ann Arbor day care spaces do not meet the needs of the 2,400 young people in single parent families, the 2,100 women in the labor forcé with children under six, the people in the 1, 500 Northwood apartment units that have no day care facility at all. Passage of the day care proposal is critical to meeting needs such as Northwood's, which I regard as an important priority. "Manipulating such 'rules of the game' as voter registration has long been a favorite tactic of those in power, especially with such critical votes as rent control and day care coming up. To insure that voting remains a right, not a privilege, the HRP and I have supported : with our actions (not just our words) the charter amendment for door-to-door registration." Shoichet, 25, is a third year law student at the University. He wrote the city charter amendment establishing a $5 fine for marijuana possession and the preferential voting amendment approved ! in November, and the rent control and day care funding amendments on the April ballot.