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Show Chances look slim P1! J' F1 M I lit "' 1 J I -- i A . V J The Railroad Exchange is the headquarters of Ben Woodsen, an ex-University fO0tbi By RANDY DRYER Chronicle Staff (Editor's note: This is the last of a two-part series on University students stu-dents in politics.) When you think of confection-aries, confection-aries, mayor candidate Ben Wood-sen's Wood-sen's Railroad Exchange doesn't always come to mind. Indeed, the Railroad Exchange isn't your typical typi-cal confectionary; but then Ben isn't your typical candidate for city mayor. Both are loose and free wheeling. One day I visited the Exchange in search of Ben. As I entered the building, I was immediately surrounded sur-rounded by acid rock and thick smoke. There were people crammed into every available space, and it was hot. I edged myself through the crowd and yelled, "Where's Ben?" to the small blonde behind the bar. She motioned go to back of the building unable to raise her voice above the din. I edged my way past a row of pool tables and came to an open trap door in the floor. Rickety wooden stairs led downward into a small, dingy cubicle. The floor and walls were cement, and the unfinished ceiling exposed black pipes and bare wooden rafters. A bare bulb hanging hang-ing from the ceiling revealed Ben at his desk. And so I got my first look at the "Woodsen for Mayor" headquarters. Ben Woodsen, a former professional profes-sional football player, has a well-muscled well-muscled physique that belies his congenial manner. Most of the rnoiosj time he is an e, spoken individual, f talks politics. "Most issues thataifc up are political issuesi-; issues only; they're s the people," he saysi sen's intention is to! people's issues out into: One of these "peopf alleged discriminator r I by city government: segments of society ii ; the young, the poor arc ority groups. Admitting that his winning are very sfc j running to prove tali-run tali-run for mayor and t; r others to do likewise. V ; sen's original idea wis'; , joke, but he found the: , allowed him a good pi speak out on the & n speaking out is wta: a best. 11 ii "It's time totaM'-'c the hands of the cfc: v begins, "and put it to A hands of the people. !: w Salt Lakers havers: politics in the city te Pl what it should be,"he- w "but they've never hi' man. I think I cant' M man. I can be therein , man. because I to' " invested in the s): ja sequently can work' out being affected by Th 0! Ben is all business Cc quickly rattles offsi'-'oti provementshisele1' continue ...but fine posters (from page 4) 1. Recreational centers in all parts of the city. 2. Breakfast programs for all citizens citi-zens funded by OEO. 3. Improved, mass transit system by reverting back to either the trolley car or the mini-bus. 4. Instate collective bargaining for all city employes. 5. Encourage low-cost housing through the Federal Housing Administration. Ad-ministration. 6. Make city government more 'efficient by utilizing the state's educational institutions as an intellectual in-tellectual think tank. A graduate student at the University, Univer-sity, Ben classifies his political ideology as "Radical-Conservative" which he defines as "as working man's birds-eye view of politics." Ben is originally from Oroville, California, and came to Utah in 1964 to attend the University and play football. Ben considers himself a prominent businessman owning both the Railroad Exchange and the State Street Breakfast Shop. "I've run both my businesses smoothly and efficiently for the past year, and that's how I would run City Hall." Suddenly the beer man appeared and interrupted Ben, wanting to know how many kegs to leave for tomorrow night's party. Ben excused ex-cused himself and got up to leave. "Hey Ben," I yelled as he walked up the stairs, "how about a campaign cam-paign poster?" He turned to me grinning and said, "I'd love to, but they were so groovy I've wallpapered wall-papered my bedroom with them." Mww lwe-" ..yg ! ;Vj 2 U f n i r n I' J STATES TRI Candidate Woodsen stands in front ot his other establishment, the State Street Exchange. He hopes to bring the election back to the people. |
