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WARD ONE
Segal raises the youth banner for the Greens

BY JESSICA GROSE

David Segal looks younger than his 22 years. He has large eyes hiding beneath a mop of curly hair and he blushes easily. But as the Green Party candidate for Ward One in November's city council election, Segal thinks his relative youth has worked to his advantage. "It gets people's attention," he says.

Not surprisingly, Segal is mounting a progressive campaign as a Green, focusing on such issues as affordable housing, a living wage, civilian review of the police, and an elected school board. What is unusual, at a time when many young people are largely disconnected from the political process, is that he's running at all.

The Green Party has nonetheless run quite a few youthful candidates. In Washington, 18-year-old Young Han is running for the state legislature as a Green. "At 18, [Han] the youngest among many young Greens running for office, represents the growing popularity of the Green Party among voters under 30, the age group with the highest registration in the party," according to a party statement.

For his part, "I don't really think much of being a young candidate," Segal says. "I think it helps me stand apart -- I've got complete faith in my knowledge of the issues and my abilities, so I don't think it detracts in any way." Segal believes the Green Party is popular with young people because of their relative idealism. "The Greens have the same progressive values that attracted youth to the Democratic Party decades ago," he says. "Now there has been a shift in the philosophies of the two parties, and the Greens are filling the gap."

Ward One is composed of Fox Point and part of College Hill, and Segal is focusing on affordable housing. "It's become pretty clear that affordable housing is the biggest problem facing the ward and the city as a whole," he says. He believes that one solution may be to institute rent control -- a concept that would likely face fierce opposition from property owners. "There are ways to do it that leave landlords with enough incentive to keep being landlords and also help mitigate the high rents," Segal says.

Although there won't be a primary in Ward One, the general election promises to be lively. Besides Segal, the candidates include independent Harry Bilodeau, Republican William Miller, and Democrat Kyle Diggins, who jumped in after his uncle, Robert Clarkin, resigned the Ward One council seat to take a city job earlier this year.

Issue Date: September 6 - 12, 2002