SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
February 13, 2020
Sullivan’s Salvos 2/18/20
In this edition:
*RIP Tom Jacobs
*RIP Jeff Cox
*Elizabeth Warren
*Democratic Party Unity
*Bowl For Kid’s Sake
*Food Policy Forum
*DVIP Souper Bowl
*Did You Know?
*RIP Tom Jacobs
I lost a good friend this week with the passing of Tom Jacobs of Iowa City. Tom was a local Labor leader, Democratic activist, and a longtime member of AFSCME.
Tom was truly one of the nicest, kindest people I ever met. He was always helping friends and family with something. He was well-known for his huge collections of political and labor buttons and photographs.
Because Tom was so kind, I think many of us take for granted what he accomplished as an advocate and negotiator. Most Iowans only know of Chapter 20 because it was recently gutted. Well, take a look at the photo from the bill signing in 1974. There is ONE Johnson County figure in that photo with then-Governor Bob Ray – Tom Jacobs, representing AFSCME.
Tom’s passing will take a while to process. He was a mentor to me, and was a tremendous help on all my campaigns. (He almost always referred to me as, “young fella.”) Tom was just a fine human being, really fun, and I will truly miss him.
*RIP Jeff Cox
Iowa City lost a prolific local lefty with the recent passing of Jeff Cox. A history professor at the UI, Jeff was a member of the Democratic Socialists of America and a former Chair of the Johnson County Democratic Party.
Though Jeff and I once had a relatively high-profile spat, we actually got along quite well, and spent many hours discussing local, state and federal politics. As a matter of fact, he frequently called me and asked me to run for higher office! I would laugh, and Jeff would laugh, and then at some point, he would say, “Damn it, I am serious!”
For about thirty years, every Johnson County Democratic Party event has had no “admission fee”. Instead, it has always been a “suggested donation.” That was the doing of Jeff Cox. Jeff was always an advocate for people with less, and his voice will be missed.
*Elizabeth Warren
So, I have to brag on our team a little. Elizabeth Warren won all three measures in both my precinct and in Johnson County – first count, second count, and delegates. We had a fantastic group of organizers and a wonderful group of volunteers who worked long and hard to make that happen. Congratulations to all!
*Democratic Party Unity
The New Hampshire Primary is now in the books. The Democratic race for President is beginning to take shape.
I still strongly support Elizabeth Warren. And I certainly see a realistic path to the Presidency. But right now, I want to talk a bit about party unity.
Remember the PUMAs? “Party Unity My Ass” was their motto. This group was upset that Barack Obama had defeated Hilary Clinton in the 2008 Presidential nominating process. That was a bad look then, and it is still a bad look now. Democrats are going to need to unite.
Politico recently ran an interesting article that I believe all Iowans should read. Rachel Bitecofer is a political science professor at Christopher Newport University, and has been extremely successful in predicting elections; much better than the talking heads you see on tv.
This is important, because we found an amazing number of Iowans making the argument that they were trying to pick the most “electable” candidate. Bitecofer’s researcher demonstrates that this approach may be all wrong. Quoting from the article – “Bitecofer’s theory, when you boil it down, is that modern American elections are rarely shaped by voters changing their minds, but rather by shifts in who decides to vote in the first place.”
You can read the article yourself at https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/02/06/rachel-bitecofer-profile-election-forecasting-new-theory-108944. Here are a few of my own thoughts:
This is not the “conventional wisdom”, but that is good, as it has typically been wrong. I honestly believe Democrats need to worry more about attracting the votes of young people and otherwise marginalized voters and less about the so-called “Obama-Trump” voters. Because of this, I think Biden and Bloomberg would be disastrous choices. (Yes, I will work my ass off for either!)
Again, whoever comes out on top, I hope you will commit to working for her/his campaign! I t is more important than ever!
*Bowl For Kid’s Sake
The Sullivan for Supervisor team is once again raising money for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Johnson County by Bowling For Kids’ Sake on Saturday, February 22.
Bowl for Kids' Sake is Big Brothers Big Sisters largest national fundraiser, raising over $20 million annually for children in need across the country. Because of Bowl for Kids' Sake, more Bigs and Littles can be paired up, more friendships can be created and improved outlooks on life can be started.
To donate, see: https://e-activist.com/page/12455/donate/1
*Food Policy Forum
The sixth annual Johnson County Food Policy Council public forum will take place from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2020, at South Slope Community Center, 980 N. Front Street, North Liberty.
This year’s forum, “Land Access and Beyond,” will offer information on the Land Access Program at the Johnson County Historic Poor Farm and encourage community dialogue to envision future farm programming. Participants will learn about farmer resources and challenges from a panel of farm mentors in the region. The panel will be followed by topic-based breakout groups to discuss what the Historic Poor Farm can do to support current and aspiring farmers.
“The Land Access and Beyond forum provides opportunities to give input for future training, infrastructure, collaborations and other resources that the Johnson County Historic Poor Farm could offer to support local food farmers on-site and in our region,” said Ilsa DeWald, Johnson County Local Foods Coordinator. “Everyone is welcome to provide input or ideas for policy and program-based solutions.”
The event is free and open to the public. A locally-sourced meal will be provided at 5:30 p.m. More information is available on the Facebook event page at https://www.facebook.com/events/2408455789371639/. Registration is encouraged.
The Johnson County Food Policy Council was created in 2012 by the Johnson County Board of Supervisors to provide guidance on food and agriculture issues. The Council is charged to provide annual recommendations on how to improve our local food system. Community input and feedback on food system issues are gathered at annual public forums and public meetings. The Council seeks to offer opportunities for discussion and education on the value of supporting a strong community food system.
The Johnson County Historic Poor Farm provides a public space for connecting to the land and local history through inclusive, community-led opportunities.
*DVIP Souper Bowl
February 20 from 5:30-7:30 is the 23rd Annual DVIP “Souper Bowl”–our biggest community fundraising event of the year! Held each year, we invite guests to join us for an all-you-care-to-eat soup supper, featuring over 40 soups, donated from area restaurants.
The “Souper Bowl” was created by our Executive Director, Kristie Fortmann-Doser, to challenge the myth that more violence occurs against women around the NFL Super bowl. Violence against women happens every day and 1 in 4 women will be affected by intimate partner abuse in their lifetime. Last year, DVIP served over 1900 survivors.
This beloved community event raises funds for victims of intimate partner abuse, human trafficking, stalking and harassment for eight Southeastern Iowa counties and we thank those in our area who help make this successful each year!
*DID YOU KNOW? Johnson County was Elizabeth Warren’s best-performing Iowa county.
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 @ 9:07 AM
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