A resident of District 12 submitted the following as a letter to the editor and cc'd me. He raises some good points, so I'm posting his letter here.

Dear Editors,

Mark Deadman, a conservative candidate running for Alder in District 12 on the north and east side of Madison, eagerly describes himself as an independent. This claim is getting harder and harder to believe. To wit:

- Conservative former alder Dorothy Borchardt proclaimed to Isthmus that Deadman is one of "her guys."
- The League of Women Voters asked all candidates about their views on paid sick leave and metro. Take a look at Deadman's answers and those of Ald. Paul Skidmore. It's hard to tell who plagiarized whom, but one thing is clear, Deadman is hardly his own man on at least these two issues.
- Most disturbingly, fully half of the $10,000+ he has raised from individuals are from prominent members of the landlord/realtor/developer (LaRD) community or intimately connected with the Chamber of Commerce. Most of these contributions have come through "conduits" a crafty tool used by special interested to get around traditional PAC limits.
- Finally, while proclaiming he will vote the way his district wants him to, he has already staked out firm positions on several issues. I guess if he gets to vote on these issues, he'll tell his constituents what they think at that point.

His opponent, Satya Rhodes-Conway, is steeped in the neighborhoods of district 12, already has a track record of bringing people together on issues that affect them, and has a long resume of work relevant to the job of an alder. Most importantly, she has laid out specific ideas and a deep commitment to soliciting the involvement of her constituents and is refusing to accept money from political parties, conduits and PACs. That's independence!

Matt Vidal
Sheridan Dr.