Professor running for council

Mark Brostoff, the associate director of technology at the Kelley School of Business Placement Office, announced Friday he is seeking office for Bloomington City Councilmember At-Large. Brostoff has been a resident of Bloomington for 15 years. In addition to being an IU faculty member, he served 20 years in the U.S. Navy as a highly decorated Naval Commander, was a local business owner in Bloomington, and served as the chair of the Bloomington Ice Rink Task Force.\nBrostoff calls himself a "new Republican" and is running under the slogan "Local Issues First." He ran four years ago as a Democratic candidate but changed his party affiliation after he felt that city council members failed to keep their word. \nHis campaign is focused on getting all aspects of the community involved in local issues. The current city council, which has centered on issues such as the war in Iraq and the I-69 debate, has motivated Brostoff to bring the focus back to the streets of Bloomington and get things accomplished for the community. \n"My campaign is about being proactive," Brostoff said. "It's not lip service. It's action." \nUnlike previous council members, Brostoff wants students directly involved in his campaign. Already almost half of the people involved in his campaign are IU students, whom Brostoff considers a significant part of Bloomington. \nHe plans on holding open forums so the student population at IU can have a voice. He expressed concern over the relationship with students and the police and questioned whether the riots that occurred after the men's basketball run into the NCAA Final Four were handled properly by the city.\nBrostoff is the first openly homosexual candidate ever to run on the Bloomington Republican ticket. Along with having a large student-supported campaign, Brostoff is welcoming all people to join his effort, regardless of their affiliation. Essential to this is the idea that he will speak the voice of the person who is underrepresented. He said he hopes his openly homosexual candidacy will not work against him in this election. \n"A gay person knows what it means to be a minority and to be discriminated against," Brostoff said. "Being gay should not affect anyone's job status."\nOne IU student, sophomore Jordan Schweigel, is working for Brostoff's campaign and readily embraces his challenge to diversify. \n"The fact that he's gay proves that he's not just talking rhetoric," Schweigel said. "He is diverse." \nSchweigel and the rest of Brostoff's committee plan on working closely with organizations like OUT and the College Republicans to help coordinate his exposure to students. He is convinced Brostoff's decision to reveal parts of his personal life will work for him. \n"I think it's about time," Schweigel said. "Bloomington is a diverse place and needs someone to represent that diversity. " \nLike Schweigel, Jason Kay, who has worked under Brostoff for the past two years in the BPO at the Kelley School of Business, is happy for Brostoff. \n"It's nice to see someone being honest and open about a significant part of their life," Kay said. "It's a good thing for him."\nSome of the main problems Brostoff would like to address if elected are the survival of small businesses, incorporating student involvement and making infrastructure improvements. He said he feels many decisions made by the city do not take small businesses into consideration and more emphasis needs to be placed on protecting and communicating with small business owners. \nBrostoff is also pushing for improvements to be made to the streets in Bloomington, like fixing potholes or building sidewalks in neighborhoods that lack adequate places for its residents to walk.