Staff editorial: Vote Catlin

The College Park City Council is far from the world's most powerful body. In the past, it has been compared to a smaller animal, battling against the 800-pound gorillas of the university, Prince George's County and the state government. The city has a budget of less than one tenth of the university's. For development projects and liquor licenses, all it can do is recommend things to the county. The county usually listens, but the decision is ultimately out of the council's hands.

But the body still does have control over a wide variety of student concerns. They will be able to influence the design and construction of the new student housing complexes being built along Route 1. They have control over the enforcement of city code, including noise violations, the bane of any student who rents a house in the city. The council funds the city's contract police program, which has significantly improved public safety. And those devilish parking meters in the College Park Shopping Center? Operated by the city.

So while the council may seem to be a distant body, it can have a profound impact on student lives. Who serves on it for the next two years could change the way students live.
The Diamondback traditionally does not endorse candidates in District 1, the city's northernmost region, because of the relatively low number of students who live there. We will continue that tradition. But it is worth noting that Patrick Wojahn, a civil rights lawyer who was elected in 2007, has distinguished himself during his first two years on the council by pushing environmental initiatives and voting pragmatically. Endorsements in District 3 and 4 will come tomorrow.

Today, we consider District 2, where voters have to choose between two long-time incumbents and a relative newcomer. Bob Catlin has been on the council since 1998, and Jack Perry has served on the council for 22 years, which is longer than most undergraduates have been alive. Both received a scare two years ago from Stacey Baca, who ran a campaign focused on K-12 education. The race wasn't decided until after election night, and the incumbents each won by less than a dozen votes.

This year, their challenger is Bob Weber, a landlord who lives in the city, and he promises he will bring a new perspective to the council affairs. This would definitely be true in one way —the council is, at times, vehemently anti-landlord. But Weber seems to be short on actual ideas to go along with the change he promises.

Perry, meanwhile, is as curmudgeonly as ever. He has lived in the city for four decades, and for half of that, he has served as the council's resident gadfly. His persistent questioning during meetings and overall demeanor can aggravate his colleagues, many of whom do little to hide their disdain.

It's difficult to imagine the council without Perry. As blunt as he is, he forces other members, including Mayor Steve Brayman, to explain and defend positions that might otherwise go unquestioned.

But Perry has taken too many retrograde positions to earn our vote. He embarrassed the city by pushing for English to become College Park's official language, drawing national scorn. His fiscal conservatism is useful, but too many other council members place an emphasis on this for his departure not to matter.

Catlin is the one no-brainer. He's a council member's council member. He is pragmatic, and as a retired economist provides fiscal expertise and has enough time to go to meetings across the state where the council's presence is required. He supports smart development, has advocated for student housing on Route 1 and seems to be the council's intellectual core. He knows the city's history and isn't afraid to tackle complex issues.

This leaves one last question: Perry or Weber? Or a blank space on the ballot? We're not sure. But for tomorrow's City Council elections, The Diamondback endorses Robert T. Catlin in District 2.