SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
March 11, 2021
Sullivan’s Salvos 3/16/21
In this edition:
*Saint Patrick’s Day!
*St. Patrick’s Day Trivia
*Bob Sullivan
*Polk County Fiasco
*Caucus Versus Primary
*Did You Know?
*Saint Patrick’s Day!
Happy St. Patrick’s Day on March 17! St. Patrick’s Day is one of my favorite days of the year. While not an “official” holiday, this day has long been considered a holiday by my Irish family.
March 17 is a Wednesday this year, but we will still find time to celebrate correctly! J Meanwhile, I hope each and every one of you is touched by a little luck o’ the Irish!
*St. Patrick’s Day Trivia
Here are some interesting St. Patrick’s Day facts:
*With 23 percent of the population of Celtic ancestry, Massachusetts has a higher proportion of residents of Irish descent than any other state, edging out New Hampshire (20 percent) and Rhode Island (18 percent). The remaining New England states -- Connecticut, Vermont and Maine -- also rank among the top 10 in this category, as do Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Montana.
*New York City has more residents of Irish descent than any city in the world, including Dublin! Boston, however, has the largest percentage of Irish residents of any large American city.
*22 - Gallons of beer consumed per capita by Americans annually. (The equivalent of 176 pints per year.) I used to bring that average way up. Now I bring it way down!
*9 - Number of places in the US which share the name of Dublin, Ireland's capital. Dublin, OH was the most populous, at 31,392, followed closely by Dublin, CA at 29,973.
*There are many more Americans of Irish origin than there are Irish in Ireland. (36 million Americans claimed Irish ancestry in 2008; the population of Ireland was 4.4 million at the time.)
*Bob Sullivan
March 17 holds a special place in my heart that goes beyond St. Patrick’s Day. That was also the birthday of my late father, Bob Sullivan.
Dad was a proud union man, Hawkeye fan, and Irishman. We were father and son, but also best friends. I can honestly say he was probably the most fun person I have ever known.
Unfortunately, he left this world much too soon, and never got the chance to meet any of his nine grandchildren. I miss him every single day, but especially on St. Paddy’s Day.
So, if you are looking for an extra toast on St. Patrick’s Day, allow me to suggest that you raise a glass to Bob Sullivan.
Happy birthday, Dad.
*Polk County Fiasco
Much has already been written about the trial of Des Moines Register reporter Andrea Sahouri, but I feel the need to add my two cents. It is a national embarrassment. We all know that she was singled out because of her skin color, and rather than apologizing, local authorities just keep doubling down.
Conveniently, police body cams were not turned on. (I think the law should be that the first time a camera is not activated, it is a warning. The second time is a suspension. The third time is automatic termination.) If a camera doesn’t work, the officer should be required to call it in immediately, and return to HQ as soon as possible to get a working unit.
I am sure officials in Des Moines and Polk County feel this prosecution will have a chilling effect. It will not. The resolve of the press and the public when it comes to Sahouri should not be underestimated. This is the stuff of Iran or Russia. Bobby Kaufmann should focus his free speech police this direction, don’t you think? Pretend Polk County is a State University!
Des Moines clearly needs a new City Council, and Polk County clearly needs a new County Attorney. This whole thing is shameful.
*Caucus Versus Primary
The Johnson County Democratic Party made national news recently with a 39-11 vote to move from caucuses to a Presidential primary. (It should be noted that the motion was silent on the issue of going first in the process.)
The argument is simple: in order to participate in the caucuses, you need to be at a set location, at a set time, and be prepared to stay for several hours. It is crowded, hot, you can’t hear, and it is often not fully accessible. There is no system of absentee voting, so anyone who cannot be there for any reason is excluded. The process is clearly undemocratic when compared to a primary election.
In my mind, this is a no-brainer. Led by Bobby Kaufmann, the Iowa Legislature just passed a horrible voter suppression bill. Democrats here have complained, and rightly so. But how can we oppose Kaufmann’s horrible bill and still support the caucuses? Both make voting difficult. The Democratic Party should never find itself on the side of making it harder to vote.
Because Iowa, Georgia, and many other states are gutting voting rights, we desperately need the US House and Senate to pass HR1, the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. If that does not happen, we are looking at the rebirth of Jim Crow when it comes to voting. America will be set back 150 years.
Again, how can Democrats in Iowa argue for the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, while at the same time supporting an undemocratic caucus process? We cannot, in good conscience.
Trust me, I understand the luster of the Iowa Caucuses. I have written at length about my own participation, dating back to the very first one, when I was just a kid. I love the caucuses. I have fond memories of the caucuses. But it is time for them to go.
Let me also comment briefly on the idea of “first.” Going first has been fun. It has allowed me to get to hang out with Dick Gephardt, Barack Obama, Elizabeth Warren, and countless other well-known politicians. I have met hundreds of really cool campaign staff people. So it has been good for me personally. But has it helped Iowa?
ISU economist Dave Swenson has pointed out that the caucuses have surprisingly little economic impact. (Most media are owned by out-of-state corporations that do little to recycle ad dollars through Iowa’s economy.) More importantly, are we better organized? I would say no. I believe the caucus takes our eye off the ball. We are worried about being first, when we should be worried about organizing.
I agree with the vote of the Johnson County Democratic Party. It is time to replace the Iowa Caucuses with a Presidential primary.
*DID YOU KNOW? Melissa and I first met at the Dublin Underground in downtown Iowa City in 1996. Definitely the Luck O’ the Irish!
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.
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---Rod
posted by Rod Sullivan @ 2:35 PM
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