SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
November 6, 2015
Sullivan’s
Salvos 11/10/15
In this edition:
*Election Results
*The “Slate”
*Veteran’s Day
*Homeless Children’s Trust Xmas Party
*Did You Know?
*Election Results
The
2015 elections are in the book, and the results are all over the place!
Write
ins appear to have won Mayoral contests in Oxford and University Heights.
University Heights has a one-vote margin and gets a recount. Two years after a
heavily funded challenge and record turnout, Coralville incumbents are
unopposed. Progressive candidates swept every race in Iowa City for the first
time in… well, ever.
Congratulations
to all the winners, and thanks to everyone who ran. I could attempt to express
my appreciation for the candidates, but I could never say it as well as the
following quote from Teddy Roosevelt:
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how
the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them
better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face
is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who
comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and
shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great
enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at
the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the
worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place
shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor
defeat.”
*The “Slate”
I
found it interesting to see how many folks were up in arms over the fact that
the Iowa City Council election turned into two slates. I heard the word “slate”
mentioned as though it were a pejorative that could not be said amongst polite
company!
Laughably,
as soon as folks finished criticizing one slate, they urged you to vote for the
other. Apparently this irony is lost upon people who write letters to the
editor.
What,
exactly, is wrong with slates in the minds of voters? Well, obviously not too
much, as slates won in both the School Board and City Council races. Plus many
of us identify as Democrats or Republicans, and vote a slate almost every time
we go to the polls. Yet a minority of voters vociferously oppose the idea of
slates. I have some theories:
First,
there is this idea that you are being “told how to vote”. Ummm…. Yes. Yes you
are. That is the purpose of any and all political advertisement – to persuade
you to vote for a certain person or issue. Municipal elections are notoriously
low-information elections. Voters are seeking cues. Slates offer those cues.
Secondly,
I think some of the resentment goes back to the League of Women Voters and the
“good government” changes that began in the early 1900s. There were large
organizations like Tammany Hall in New York City in which political bosses
controlled everything. They put forth slates, and people dutifully voted those
slates. Johnson County has long had a powerful League chapter, and many of the
members have been there a long, long time. It is entirely possible that the
legacy of the people who had fought the “anti-slate” fights of the early part
of the 20th century still resides with them.
There
have been attempts at slates before, and they have been less successful. Why is
this? I believe a slate requires several ingredients to work:
1.) The members of the slate must agree as to the key issues in
the election. In the ICCSD School Board election, you heard “accountability”
and “save Hoover”. In the recent Council election, you heard “accountability”
and “listening to everyone, not just developers”. Being a group of “outsiders”
helps. Whether you agree with these issues or not, the slates were coalesced
around them.
2.) A chain is only as strong as its’ weakest link, and a slate is
only as strong as its’ weakest candidate. Tim Conroy was clearly hurt by his
association with Michelle Payne. On the other side, each candidate brought
different constituents to the mix.
3.) The candidates in the slate have to support each other. If you
begin to go your own way, you lose the strength of the coalition. And we live
in an individualistic country, where going your own way is championed. The “Core
Four” stuck together.
Will recent successes lead to more slates? It might. I still
believe future success will be dependent upon slates being able to follow the
above rules.
*Veteran’s Day
Happy Veteran’s Day on November 11. Thanks to
all the men and women who have served our country. I appreciate your service,
and wish you peace.
Veterans For Peace
Chapter #161 is sponsoring an Armistice Day Observance to be held on Wednesday,
November 11th at the Clinton St. entrance to Old Capitol, Iowa City. Gather @ 10:45AM. Bells will be rung @
11:00 AM, as they were rung around the world at the end of WWI in 1918 and on
each November 11th for decades thereafter. Armistice Day is a day to promote
peace and to remember the victims of war, both veterans and civilians.
The event will feature Veterans for Peace from throughout the state of Iowa.
The event is free, and the public is welcome.
*Homeless Children’s Trust Xmas Party
The
2015 Homeless Children’s Trust Christmas Shopping & Party is coming up on
December 5, and many donations are needed by Wednesday, December 2nd.
Among the items
needed: Toys (ages 0-17); Stuffed Animals; Caps, Gloves, Mittens, and Scarves; Puzzles,
Books and Games (ages 0-17); and toiletry items for teenagers.
You
can drop items off at: Hills Banks in Coralville and on S. Gilbert St; Big K
Mart, Senior Center, GEICO Insurance; KXIC, all Core Fitness locations, and all
HACAP Service Centers.
MAKE
A CHILD HAPPY THIS HOLIDAY SEASON!
*DID YOU KNOW?
November is National Adoption Month.
Anyone
interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the
County website-
"Sullivan’s
Salvos" is sent once per week to any interested party. It will give a
brief update on issues of interest to Johnson County residents.
These messages
come solely from Rod Sullivan, and neither represents the viewpoints of the
whole Board of Supervisors nor those of groups or individuals otherwise
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As always,
feel free to contact me at 354-7199 or rodsullivan@mchsi.com. I look forward to
serving you!
---Rod
posted by Rod Sullivan @ 7:19 AM
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