Pure Madnesson

In a press release issued today, Madison Alderman Zach Brandon shocked the city with his plans to introduce an Exclusionary Zoning ordinance at the next Common Council meeting. Alder Brandon cited concerns from his constituents that "their swanky neighborhoods are being threatened by ghetto expansion" as motivation for this move.

Few details are available about the proposed ordinance. Brandon explained the basic concept at a press conference this morning. "It's like the total opposite of Inclusionary Zoning, and would only apply to areas on the periphery of the city. Any new housing built beyond a certain radius of downtown must be affordable only to those making at least 110% of the County Median Income."

Mayoral spokesperson, George Twigg, says that the mayor is surprised by the proposal but will give it fair consideration. According to Twigg, "Conceptually, Mayor Cieslewicz opposes this proposal, but he will consider supporting it, as it could be viewed as good for business. The Mayor understands the importance of shedding Madison's anti-business image."

Brandon believes that this is the first step to insuring that the wealthy in Madison can live without the discomfort of seeing poor people on a daily basis. He plans to come forth later this year with a whole package of proposals with this goal in mind and claims, "None of them will cost the taxpayers of this city a single dime!"