SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
February 1, 2018
Sullivan’s
Salvos 2/6/18
In this edition:
*We’re Number One!
*Supporting Candidates
*Consistency With Candidates
*Did You Know?
*We’re Number One!
Johnson
County was recently named No. 1 in the state for workplace safety by the Iowa
Municipalities Workers’ Compensation Association (IMWCA).
As
an employer, Johnson County has the best Experience Modification Factor (EMF)
out of 79 counties in the IMWCA program and the second best overall EMF of the
nearly 500 entities and organizations in IMWCA. The EMF is based on an entity’s
workplace injury history—both the number of injuries and the severity of those
injuries.
Johnson
County employs more than 550 individuals who provide a variety of services to
County residents, including law enforcement, ambulance, road and bridge maintenance,
public transportation, elections, social services, conservation, among
others.
“By
continuing to be a leader in the safety of its employees, Johnson County has
not only reduced its annual premiums by 40 percent of the national average per
NCCI, but IMWCA has provided additional credits because they felt it wasn’t
enough of a discount. After all of the credits are put together, Johnson County
is only paying a third of the national average for a similarly sized entity,”
Kyle Austen, agent and partner of Insurance Associates of Iowa City, said.
“While commitment to safety can be measured in a dollar amount on the policy,
what can’t be measured in this figure is the improvement of the employees’
quality of life as they go home each night safe and happy.”
Each
year, more than four million workers suffer serious job-related injuries or
illnesses and 4,000 Americans die in work-related incidents. These incidents
not only hurt workers and their families, but also negatively impact business
and the economy. Safer organizations enjoy increased productivity, higher
employee satisfaction and a better reputation, while lowering workers’
compensation and healthcare costs and reducing the amount of lost time.
*Supporting Candidates
What does it mean to “support” a candidate? I was
part of a Facebook discussion on this topic, and thought it was an interesting
exercise. Obviously, one type of “support” you can offer a candidate is your
vote. Personally, I have never viewed *just*
voting for a candidate as “supporting” that candidate. (I have friends who
disagree.)
To me, “supporting” a candidate means going beyond
just voting. It means doing something public. Doing something public means you
are taking a personal risk. You are willing to be held accountable. That is a
big step for some people – a very bright line.
And this makes sense. The public nature means you
are opening yourself up to criticism. You have to really believe in the person
to be willing to open yourself up. You risk disagreements with family, friends,
and neighbors.
In my mind, writing a letter to the editor, putting
up a sign, making a financial contribution, knocking doors, making phone calls,
putting your opinions on your personal social media, putting your name on a
public list, attending public events, serving on a committee, volunteering in
other ways – these are the ways in which you “support” a candidate. (I’m sure
my list is not exhaustive, but you get the idea.)
Perhaps this is too personal for me. I have my own
campaigns, and I definitely remember when a person offers support above and
beyond voting. I have worked on scores of Federal, State, County, City, and
School campaigns, and I definitely pay attention to the people who do more than
vote. To me, the people who make those extra efforts are the “supporters”.
But, “supporter” is just a word. Perhaps you
disagree. Perhaps you feel I have the right idea, and the wrong word. What are
your thoughts?
*Consistency With Candidates
There
is another topic related to supporting candidates that deserves some
discussion. I often hear people criticizing others over a lack of “consistency”
when choosing which candidates to support. And I agree, because we are pretty
much all inconsistent in this area to some degree.
I
spent years arguing for the Iowa Democratic Party to nominate a woman for
Governor and/or Federal office. I really hoped Sally Pedersen would run after
Governor Vilsack stepped down.
But
you know what? Iowa HAS a female Governor now. And I am horrified! I think
Governor Reynolds is taking us down a disastrous path that might take a
generation from which to recover. I wanted a woman for Governor, but I didn’t
want THIS woman.
There
were lots of people who were adamant supporters of Hillary Clinton in 2016
whose reasoning was, “It is time for a woman.” Hard to argue. Except that many
of the same people supported Obama over Clinton in 2008. Wasn’t it “Time for a
Woman“ then?
Of course it was. This simply illustrates that our number one
reason for voting in 2016 may not influence our 2018 vote at all. There can be
perfectly good reasons to go a different direction. I just wish we were all a
bit more honest about it.
Most people say something very similar to this: “All things being
equal, I would choose an African American candidate.” But “all things being
equal” is a completely subjective concept. That leaves it wide open as to
whether or not all things ARE in fact equal. When you want the African American
candidate, you will claim things were equal. When you want the white candidate,
you will find an explanation that allows you to support the white candidate.
I
have typically voted for more progressive candidates. That is probably the
first filter through which I look. And I would say I have been more consistent
than most. But I do not ALWAYS choose the most progressive of the bunch.
Sometimes the most progressive of the bunch is a terrible candidate!
We
are all hypocrites when choosing candidates. We say we want someone young; the
next cycle we vote for someone in her 70s. We say we want someone smart; the
next cycle we vote against a Princeton grad. We say we want people of color;
the next cycle we overlook qualified African American candidates. We say we
will only vote for a candidate who endorses universal health care; then we vote
for someone who believes otherwise.
We
ALL do this. We are ALL hypocrites. The only questions are A) How big a
hypocrite are you? And B) Will you admit it?
I
do wish the people supporting political candidates would be more honest about
WHY they support the candidates they do. It would help eliminate a lot of the
hypocrisy, and we wouldn’t have to walk around in this bubble of cognitive
dissonance.
That
said, you can see why supporters do not do this. It is much easier to stand up
and give a speech saying, “It is time for a woman on the Council” than to give
a speech saying, “I absolutely hate that guy.” It doesn’t matter that you voted
against the last seven women who ran for Council; it sounds better.
When
it comes to politics, Johnson County can be pretty “small town”. We all know
who cheated on his spouse. We all know who fired whom. We all know whose kid
went to jail. There are lifelong friendships, lifelong hatreds, and all
different types of perceived slights. Candidates know who has worked against
them in the past. Our politics can get quite parochial.
My
advice? People are going to vote for whomever they wish. If you are trying to
convince someone to vote for your candidate, understand that the person you are
speaking with is under no obligation to be consistent. Then be as honest as you
can be. I think that is the best we can do.
*DID YOU KNOW?
Former Johnson County Supervisor Betty Ockenfels was involved in the two
closest primary victories in modern Johnson County Supervisor history. Ockenfels
defeated Bob Lynch by 37 votes to secure the final Supervisor nomination in the
1980 Democratic Party Primary, then defeated former Iowa City Mayor and Iowa
State Senator Mary Neuhauser by 71 votes to secure the final spot in 1984.
Anyone
interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the
County website-
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Salvos" is sent once per week to any interested party. It will give a
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---Rod
posted by Rod Sullivan @ 2:10 PM
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