Expanded answers for The Journal Times' Stephanie Brien

What do you consider the three biggest issues facing Racine?

Preserving a high level of community services — firefighting and police protection, plus neighborhood centers for young and older — while using taxpayers’ money wisely. We also must recognize that city taxes and fees, which have been rising, are difficult for many residents to pay because of these economic times. We need to face this challenge with creativity, thoughtfulness and new ideas.

The proposed Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee rail will create jobs, opportunity and a thriving economy, support our neighborhoods and promote energy conservation. Cities and communities with good mass transit are successful because people of all income levels can get to jobs easily and don't have to worry about extra costs relating to commuting -- like gas, car maintenance and parking. The rail also increases tourism and attracts new residents who want such services.

Pedestrian and street safety helps residents and visitors feel comfortable when shopping, walking, dining, bicycling and driving in the area. People notice more of the shops, theatres and attractions downtown when traffic pauses, and more people want to live and visit downtown. All of this keeps downtown neighborhoods vibrant, healthy and safe. Tourism and residents increase our tax base.

Can you elaborate on your first priority?

My first priority is winning the election to fully represent the residents of the First District. When I took the recent City of Racine’s comprehensive plan survey, it became clear to me that some of the issues relating to the First District are caused by the split of the district. At Eighth Street, the First District is split between the Downtown Racine Plan and the Southside Plan; this division in plans needs to be corrected and blended for the First District to be fully recognized and served by the City.

What experience makes you qualified for the job?

• Attended more than 250 City Council meetings through the years, frequently offering public comment.
• Long-time resident of Racine and the First District.
• Held operator license from State of Wisconsin for Water and Waste Water Treatment for 14 years.
• Extensive experience with government regulations, recycling, education and community organizations.
• Attended Wellstone Camp in Milwaukee for community leaders. For more information, see Wellstone Action.

Why do you think you are the best candidate?

I 've lived in Racine for 48 years, 25 of those years in the First District. I make a point to patronize as many businesses in Racine as I can -- restaurants, coffee shops, theatres, professional services and stores -- and I talk to as many people as I can. I love downtown Racine and want to see it thrive and grow. My resume shows that I'm familiar with many of the issues of concern in our city. Our neighborhood needs an active voice to speak up for ALL of the residents who live here and the people who work here.

Letter to editor promotes Dzindzeleta

We appreciate the letter to the editor from a Racine resident, printed in today's edition of The Racine Journal Times. In case you didn't read it yet, here it is:

In 1st District, vote Dzindzeleta

Voters can’t be blamed if they feel that good news and bad news are flying all round them, and deciding where to put their trust is not easy.In the 1st District, a new candidate for alderperson has come forward who will put the needs of the voters ahead of any other concerns.

Her name is Mercedes Dzindzeleta, and as a person who lives and owns a business downtown, she has intimate knowledge of what will work, both for her neighborhood and for the City. Dzindzeleta has made pedestrian safety, historical preservation, environmental awareness and the vitality of our small businesses a centerpiece of her campaign. But she also sees the big picture: she not only favors KRM, but can tell you why it works for all of us. She is also interested in getting feedback from the people who will be benefiting or frustrated by City Council decisions.

Check out her blog at votemercedes.blogspot.com and you will find her background, information on the true cost of commuting, and access to a user-friendly survey on land use and development decisions for Racine.

And after checking it out, I’m betting that she gets the vote of everyone in the 1st District.

Pat Kardas, Racine

Meet and greet Mercedes on Saturday

Mercedes Dzindzeleta, candidate for First District city alderman for Racine City Council, has scheduled campaign appearances this weekend:

• Community For Change Monthly Meeting from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 7, at the Blueberries Eatery, 522 Sixth St., Racine.
• Inner City Unity Meeting from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 7, at the old J&W Drive Inn Restaurant, 1701 12th St., Racine.

See http://www.yeswecanracine.ning.com/ for more information and map to each location. For more information about the candidate, see http://votemercedes.blogspot.com/. The primary election is Feb. 17.

Sustain, expand and develop with KRM rail

Thursday started very early with travel to a meeting at 7:30 a.m. I wish the trip could have been with the help of mass transit -- I would have been relaxed and ready to go.

But, alas, the trip was in my auto with a single driver to and from Milwaukee Area Technical College South in Oak Creek. Why? To hear Scott Bernstein describe “Building Wealth, Creating and Capturing the Benefits if Investing in Transit in Southeast Wisconsin.”

Whew! Those are lots of words to describe returning to a simpler style of living. In 1885 there was one electric transit line in the United States. By 1902, there was an electric transit line in every American city. And much of it was interconnected between cities -- we could work, play, and travel easily throughout the nation.

Racine was part of this massive network of community. We all had a sense of place, yet expanded because of transit possibilities. We let it go. Today we have the opportunity to rebuild that sense of place and community by investing in the essential transportation system with the KRM rail. Our transportation (car/truck) costs have greatly increased from 1900 to present-- from 3 percent in 1900 to about 16 percent of our disposable or expanding income. Nationally recognized speaker Scott Bernstein, founder and president of the Center for Neighborhood Technology, Chicago, told how transit investments build wealth, support thriving neighborhoods and create jobs and economic prosperity. The other part of the program included an overview of the status and the next steps of current transit proposals, including the KRM rail. The Greater Milwaukee Association of Realtors and the Associated General Contractors of Greater Milwaukee also sponsored the event.

Listen to an online interview with Scott Bernstein at Smart City Radio here where he talks about the true cost of commuting and the toll it takes on your wallet and your time. See more about his group, the Center for Neighborhood Technology, here.

Mass transit is an essential service for the community, both urban and suburban. We need to fund mass transit as we do with roads, hospitals and schools. We need dedicated funding for transit the same way that we have dedicated funding for roads and parking.

We also need to go "green" and overcome our dependence on the car and petroleum-based fuels. It is time-consuming to drive, park, shop; get in car to drive, park, shop; get in car to drive, park, shop over and over again. Then drive, park and go to a gym to work out since we have not walked about!

We can buy cars OR build wealth. Our personal savings accounts go down as car sales go up! As we decrease the use of our vehicles, we increase our disposable income by 10 to 15 percent.

Give your feedback about the city's future

How should the City of Racine develop and invest its resources during the next 25 years?

That is the question the Department of City Development is asking the public to help answer through an online survey available through Feb. 5.

Information from the survey will help guide the preparation of the city’s comprehensive plan, which will determine land use and development decisions through 2035, according to Matt Sadowski, principal planner for the Racine Department of City Development. The survey is available at:

http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/survey-intro.zgi?p=WEB228PTTLA8DG

This user-friendly survey will take about 15 to 20 minutes to complete. The last few items allow for a written response. You can also look at http://www.cityofracine.org/ and scroll down, find the link and offer your feedback. I've already completed it, and I hope you do, too.

Mercedes Dzindzeleta calls for care in erasing city documents related to former mayor

Mercedes Dzindzeleta, alderperson candidate for the City Council’s First District seat, cautions about the wholesale removal of the mention of former mayor Gary Becker in the city’s Web site and other locations.

“It is good that he has resigned his office,” says Dzindzeleta. “He will have to atone for bad judgment and behavior offensive to the human community. He will have his day in court, and I hope that he seeks the psychological help that appears to be needed.”

However, Dzindzeleta also cautions the wholesale removal of the mention of Becker in the city’s Web site and other locations for two reasons. Records of the mayor’s work within the community should be preserved so that current and future leaders can be address city issues properly and with perspective, she says. Secondly, voters and others in community positions should have such information available as well.

“My great concern is the pushing aside and suppressing the past activities, actions and words of Mr. Becker – the community projects that he supported, the government actions he took and the speeches that he gave.

“Documents relating to city business must be preserved. I call for the calm recognition of the problems that Mr. Becker has caused for the city as well as the importance of keeping comprehensive government records.

“They are part of our political history and need to be maintained for the future community leaders. Much of what he did for the city as mayor is considered good by many good people in Racine. Mayor Becker brought us recognition throughout the Midwest – and indeed the world – for more than his human faults.”

Dzindzeleta especially believes that the documents of Becker’s budget address and the state of the city should be returned to the city’s Web site as soon as possible. “These are documents that discuss city concerns and problems that are of importance to the voters, especially in the next election” she says.

Recognizing that many people are uncomfortable with the sex-related charges placed on Becker, she maintains, “It is important to be looking for the truth, no matter how much it hurts.”

Mercedes Dzindzeleta in the race for First District alderperson

Mercedes Dzindzeleta is in the race as alderperson candidate for the Racine City Council’s First District. Dzindzeleta (pronounced DIN-ze-let-ta) is a Seventh Street resident and a business owner who has filed as a candidate for the Feb. 17 primary election.

A nationally certified massage therapist in private practice, she has been a regular instructor for the adult continuing education program at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside on topics of health and wellness and has taught massage therapy practices at a professional massage school in Illinois.

A longtime community activist, she has regularly attended city council meetings for the past nine years, supporting the issues of pedestrian safety, historic preservation, environmental awareness, the KRM rail, and the importance of keeping downtown businesses healthy and vital.