Ethan Ris '05 and Seth Yurdin will face off in the Democratic primary for the Ward 1 City Council seat Sept. 12.
Ward 1 is bordered on the north by Waterman Street and encompasses the Fox Point neighborhood and some of College Hill, including most of Brown's campus.
All Brown students registered to vote with their University mailing addresses at 75 Waterman St. are eligible to vote in Ward 1. Many Brown students living off campus reside in Fox Point, a situation that has become of political importance in the neighborhood.
"It's obviously important who we elect for Ward 1, because that person is going to be the representative for the vast majority of Brown students on the City Council," said Tor Tarantola '08, president of the Brown Democrats.
Ris says he will make "town-gown relations" one of his top priorities should he be elected to the council. He believes he would bring "an important perspective" as the only Brown alum and youngest person (at 23) on the Council. "Somebody in the city government should be able to speak directly to (the University) population and for that population," he told The Herald.
"There are a lot of ways in which universities don't do their part," Ris said. "The question of students living off campus is a big one. ... It's the University's responsibility to keep track of who is living off campus," he added.
Ris also believes Brown's Department of Public Safety should be the first responders when students are involved in an off-campus discipline issue like noise complaints.
However, he said the "people in the neighborhood who just wish Brown and RISD would go away (are) fools in a lot of ways."
On the same issue, Yurdin, who is 38, stresses the importance of strengthening the positive connections between the student population and the neighborhood through activities like volunteering and donating computers to schools. "The first thing (is) to look for ways to build connections between the communities," Yurdin said.
Ris describes his close personal connections at Brown as an advantage in addressing the relationship between universities and the city.
"I think I would be an important intermediary between the University and the city administration," he said, citing his close relationships with student leaders and administrators. Ris was president of the Brown Democrats for a year and a half.
Rachel Sobelson '07.5, a member of the Yurdin supporters' Facebook.com group, told The Herald she supports him because she believes he is "devoting himself to community issues and progressive politics."
She added she is "inspired by Seth's new voice and very exciting vision for growing the area and making this ward and the city better."
Both candidates have purchased advertising space on Facebook.com. One of Yurdin's facebook "flyers" announces his endorsement by former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean. Ris is pictured with Providence Mayor David Cicilline '83, who has endorsed him, and former President Bill Clinton.
The mayor's endorsement led some to speculate that if elected, Ris would be too deferential to the administration, but Ris defended himself, saying "there are things that I disagree with the mayor on."
However, he added, "I would work closely with him to continue the kind of progress we've seen in Providence."
Ris said the mayor "sees me as an important link" to universities in Providence, and they would work together to improve education, a centerpiece of Ris' campaign.
Ris has also been endorsed by the Ward 1 Democratic Committee. Yurdin has been endorsed by the local chapter of the Service Employees International Union, the Clean Water Fund, Democracy for America and current Ward 1 City Councilman David Segal.
Segal is not seeking re-election, running instead in the Democratic primary for District 2 State Representative. His opponent in that race, Richard Pacheco, is running on a slate with Ris.
Early in the campaign, before declaring his candidacy for District 2 State Representative, Segal criticized Ris for not filing several campaign finance reports. Ris has since filed the delinquent reports and paid the $25 fine, defending himself for what he called a "rookie mistake."
In an op-ed published in The Herald in February, Segal condemned Ris for accepting $11,900 at a fundraiser hosted in Washington, D.C. by Ris' parents. Ris responded that though a large amount of his starting cash did come from friends and family in Washington, most of his recent funds have come from local donors. Ris also pointed out Yurdin has received much non-local support.
Ris currently teaches 11th and 12th grades at The Metropolitan Regional Career and Technical Center, a charter school in South Providence. He touts his experience as a teacher as his major credential for the Ward 1 City Council seat, making education a centerpiece of his campaign.
"My experience speaks very well to being on the Providence City Council - I would be the only schoolteacher," Ris said, adding that if he wins the election, he will continue to teach three days each week.
"The lynchpin of education is the teachers, not the parents," Ris said, pointing out that none of the school board members - who are appointed, not elected - are teachers.
Education is also a key plank in Yurdin's platform.
Although "the City Council has limited ability to influence education policy, (that) doesn't mean that the City Council can't be an advocate," Yurdin said.
Yurdin's proposal to improve education in Providence is based primarily on transferring some fiscal responsibility for public schools from the city budget, which is funded largely by property taxes, to the state budget. Rhode Island spends less money per capita on urban schools than does any other state in New England, according to Yurdin's Web site.
Yurdin also hopes to improve Providence public schools by attacking what he describes as the "root of the problem": specifically, the four out of five children living in child poverty in Providence. He suggests creating affordable housing, jobs and employment training.
"My opponent, Seth Yurdin, is a very good person and I think he's in this for the right reason," Ris said, "but I don't think we need another lawyer on the City Council."
Yurdin's campaign has also focused on the environment and growth.
Yurdin cites his legal experience as a key asset in representing his constituents' interests while guiding the growth of the city.
Referring to the relocation of Interstate 195 and the many interests involved in the redevelopment of that land, he said, "I, using my legal background, can jump in and untangle that and be someone that is advocating for the neighborhood."
Yurdin also touts his experience as a community organizer. He worked on Dean's 2004 campaign and organized lawyers in Florida to defend voter rights in the aftermath of the 2004 election. He ran a shelter for Hurricane Katrina victims in Mississippi, which he called a "very political job" that inspired him to run for office.
"It's the good part of politics - to actually be able to ... meet so many different kinds of people and work with them," he said of the experience.
Public transportation is the third component of Ris' platform.
The hub-and-spoke route model currently employed by RIPTA means that all public transportation users must travel through Kennedy Plaza, regardless of their final destination. "It's not a viable option for a lot of people," Ris told The Herald.
"I drive about 50,000 miles a year for my job, so I really believe in Ethan's stand that we need more public transportation in Providence," said Sarah Rocchio, a resident of Ward 1 who lives in Wayland Square.
Though RIPTA is a state agency, Ris said, it is "a line item in the city budget," and 70 percent of its service is within Providence. "The city is not doing its job," Ris said.
Both candidates responded when the Fox Point portion of the No. 34 RIPTA bus route was eliminated several months ago, though Yurdin acknowledged he was on his "opponent's turf." While Ris proposed a new "circle line," Yurdin pushed, successfully, for further expansion of the Green Line Trolley service to partially compensate for the cut bus route.
Ris said if elected, he will not drop the transportation issue there, if elected.
"I will certainly head the charge for reinstating bus service in Fox Point," Ris said. Yurdin and Ris agree that the city government must lobby the state to increase funding for RIPTA.
