“*If we want to get things done, I’m already working with the people I would as alderman. No on-the-job training is needed.*”
– 3rd District candidate Sam McGovern-Rowen

Sam McGovern-Rowen says that in order to be a successful alderman, you have to love helping people with garbage complaints, parking issues and working long hours for not a lot of money.

“I love it though,” 3rd District Aldermanic candidate McGovern said. “The satisfaction of knowing you helped someone makes it all worthwhile.”

For the past three years McGovern-Rowen has been working as 3rd District legislative assistant under current Ald. Michael D’Amato. He said that he’s already been doing the job and making the contacts, something that has prepared him for the job better than any of the other candidates.

McGovern-Rowen said that his grandfather, former South Dakota Sen. George McGovern, was an inspiration to get involved in public service and remembers growing up hearing about politics at the dinner table his entire life.

One issue McGovern-Rowen said he wishes was brought up more is the importance of education at public schools, and said this is especially significant to him because his children will eventually be going to schools in the area, and because his wife is also a public school teacher.

“It sounds cliche, but we need to keep kids off the street and make sure they have something to do and something to eat,” McGovern-Rowen said.

Another issue McGovern-Rowen said he feels strongly about is taking steps to protect Lake Michigan from outside interests.

“If people from Georgia or New Mexico want to use water from the Great Lakes, they should move here,” McGovern-Rowen said. “Don’t build your McMansion on land with no water.”

McGovern-Rowen also said that the “ripple effect of urban sprawl” is another important concern and emphasized the importance of attracting people to live in the city; something he said would result in cleaner air and water from less commuting.

One program McGovern-Rowen worked on under D’Amato, the Residential Preferred Parking regulations, has received criticism from some students who say it has made finding parking harder and is “anti-student.”

RPP limits parking on certain streets around the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee campus to those who live on those blocks and have a permit. The restrictions occur between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, according to the UWM Web site.

McGovern-Rowen said that this criticism is unfounded and that the regulations have actually resulted in less traffic and congestion, streets that are easier to plow, and an increased use of public transit, resulting in less air pollution. He also added that a good number of students that live in the affected areas benefit from the regulations.

McGovern-Rowen said that it really comes down to the fact that these neighborhoods weren’t designed for a lot of cars.

“We could give permits to everyone and it would still be hard to find a place to park,” McGovern-Rowen said.

McGovern-Rowen said that he hopes to due away with the notion that the alderman is at odds with students.

“I’m going to be around and bring my office to you,” McGovern-Rowen said. “Let’s get together and talk about bad landlords, parking tickets and any other issues you may have.”

Students and everyone else will have chance to vote in the 3rd District Aldermanic Primary on Feb. 19.

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