Dear Editor: When I read the article regarding the vote on the closure of the Dairy Drive homeless encampment by Madison’s alders, I can’t say I was surprised by the outcome. Nonetheless, I want to thank my alder, Isadore Knox, and the nine other alders who voted with empathy rather than dollar signs.
I find it telling that seven of the nine dissenting votes that carried the day came from white alders. On a council where 12 of our 20 alders are white, and where these particular white alders are serving neighborhoods with some of the highest property values in the Madison area, it’s certainly not a subtle message they’re trying to send, is it?
Sean O’Brien’s vote in particular is interesting, given that not only is the Dairy Drive encampment in his district, but he also serves on the Equal Opportunities Commission — or does poverty and class solidarity not factor into that commission’s mission?…