SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
February 5, 2016
Sullivan’s
Salvos 2/9/16
In this edition:
*Caucus Process Thoughts
*Bernie Sanders
*RIP Tom Hancock
*Free Tax Help!
*Bowl For Kids’ Sake
*Did You Know?
*Caucus Process Thoughts
The 2016 Iowa
Caucuses have come and gone, and Iowans are breathing a collective sigh of
relief. It is a fun but taxing time! Personally, I have been involved in
several spirited discussions regarding the good, bad, and ugly of the recent Iowa
Caucuses. Below are my thoughts.
First, as you
may or may not know, caucuses are party events, not governmental elections.
They are run by volunteers. It is not a vote. It is not an election. It is not a
straw poll. It is a party building activity designed to elect delegates to the County,
District, and State party conventions. The media wants it to be something else.
It is not.
Secondly, in the interest of full
disclosure, I was the person who arranged all the caucus locations in 2000 and
2004. I got a bit of help, but for all intents and purposes, it was just me. So
I have been there, done that. The people in that role in 2016 were Bill Keetel of the Johnson County Republican Party
and John Deeth of the Johnson County Democratic Party. Yes, I am protective of
their efforts! Rather than complaints, I believe they deserve a YOOGE thanks!
The caucus locations are too
small, too crowded, too hot, not on bus lines, inaccessible to people who have
to work, and lacking in seating, parking, and childcare. Registration takes too
long, it is hard to hear speakers, the voting is archaic, and vote totals are
not released. Yes. We know. Guess what? You are not the first person to ever
mention this. The people who put together the Caucuses get it. They have honestly
tried very hard, for several years, to address these concerns.
Want to complain? First, I hope
that means you’ll volunteer. Secondly, direct any complaints to school district
officials and the UI, who despite very specific State laws, do not make all their
facilities open to the parties.
Bottom line – most complaints
about process are forced upon the parties by the agreement between Iowa and New
Hampshire. If you want to change these things, you sacrifice First in the
Nation status. I know I am biased; I have enjoyed tremendous personal benefits
from Iowa's First in the Nation (FITN) status. I have met many candidates and
Presidents; I have played a meaningful role in choosing the leader of the free
world. I have been incredibly blessed; I get it. Not everybody cares about
FITN; I also get that.
Fact is, we have a
choice: deal with our existing set of problems and make the best of it, or move
to a June primary and never see another Presidential candidate again. That may
sound harsh, but trust me, it is realistic.
Ask someone from North or South Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming,
Alaska, etc. how many Presidential candidates they have spoken to. The answer
is ZERO. In 16 years of their Presidencies, George W. Bush and Barack Obama set
foot in those 5 states 8 times total. Total. I have personally spoken to those
two Presidents 5 times MYSELF.
It is a trade off. As a friend eloquently put it, “The
other choice is Iowa has no input and the result, though fair, is completely
irrelevant.”
I
know a young woman who has a child with a serious mental health issue. She has
spoken face to face with all 3 Democratic candidates at least twice each. She
handed them notes on her concerns. And you know what? All 3 candidates have
position papers on children’s mental health. That has never been the case previously.
My friend made an impact FAR beyond a single vote in a primary.
Once again - is a person more disenfranchised by the
caucus system, BUT having the opportunity to speak to a given candidate
face-to-face 2, 3 or more times? Or is it better to have that same person
never, ever see a candidate but be able to vote by mail? I just don't think
most folks understand in full what they would be trading away.
Anyway,
the debate will rage on, I am sure. My own Caucus site was wonderful - a great
Chair; outstanding accommodations; wonderful, helpful custodians; and lots of
friendly Democrats who campaigned passionately but remained Iowa nice. 591
electors showed up, with 306 for Clinton and 285 for Sanders. We split the 11
delegates 6-5. It was good. All good.
*Bernie Sanders
If
you read Salvos, you know I am a proud Bernie Sanders supporter. I want to take
this opportunity to say thank you to all the great young people with whom I had
the opportunity to work. It was a pleasure and a privilege. Don’t ever quit
dreaming!
*RIP Tom Hancock
Dubuque County
Supervisor Tom Hancock died suddenly last Saturday. This came as quite a shock;
I had just been working with Supervisor Hancock on some legislation intended to
help our two counties. I did not know him well, but he certainly seemed to be a
nice man. My condolences to his family and friends.
*Free Tax Help!
Don’t
pay a fee to get your refund! The IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA)
Program provides trained volunteers that will help you file your taxes. This
service is available FOR FREE to people who earned less than $55,000 in 2015. E-filing
is available, and interpretation services are available at many sites or by
appointment.
“You Earned It. Now Claim
It!”
Sites
are the Iowa City Public Library, SEJH in Iowa City, NWJH in Coralville, and
Garner Elementary in North Liberty. Services are available Monday, Tuesday,
Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday – see http://www.johnson-county.com/dept_soc_ser.aspx?id=275
for
the complete schedule.
Spanish
interpreters are available; interpreters for other languages can be scheduled
by calling 356-6090.
*DVIP Souper Bowl
Thursday, February 11
marks the 19th Annual Domestic Violence Intervention Program (DVIP) Souper
Bowl! The event is 5:30-7:30 PM at the Sheraton in downtown Iowa City.
For $25 guests can
enjoy all you care to eat soup and the bowl of your choice to take home! This
is DVIP’s biggest community event of the year! Be sure to mark your calendars!
*Bowl For Kids’ Sake
I chose to get involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters' Bowl for
Kids' Sake because too many young people are struggling at school and at home.
But kids served by Big Brothers Big Sisters get great results!
- 98% of our Littles have avoided the
judicial system
- 63% of our Littles feel more socially
accepted
- 76% of our Littles have increased their
scholastic confidence
- 92% of our Littles who did not believe
they would finish high school before meeting their Bigs now believe they
can and will
- 63% of our Littles who did not believe
college was an option before meeting their Bigs now hope to attend and
believe they can graduate from college
- 69% of our Littles have improved their
grades from the time they began meeting with their Big
- 47% of our Littles have improved their
sense of risk behaviors and do not approve of their peers engaging in
risky behaviors
- 65% of our Littles have improved their
relationships with their parents or caretakers
- 47% of our Littles have improved their
truancy from the time they began meeting with their Big.
We can keep this going. Help me reach my Bowl for Kids' Sake goal
by making a donation today. Your donation will help change a child's life for
the better, forever.
*DID YOU KNOW?
The Johnson County Joint Emergency Communications Center (JECC) is the
lone dispatch in Johnson County. In 2015, JECC answered 82,000 routine calls, and
46,000 E911 calls – 85% of which came by cellphone. 93% of all calls were answered
in under ten seconds
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
mentioned.
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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 @ 7:25 PM
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