SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
November 19, 2024
Sullivan’s Salvos 11/21/24
In this edition:
*United Way and Iowa Shares
*ICPL Stats
*What Happened to Iowa?
*Did You Know?
*United Way and Iowa Shares
The calendar has turned to November, when many of us begin to think about charitable giving. Personally, I hope you will consider gifts to the United Way and Iowa Shares.
The United Way of Johnson and Washington Counties is in its’ 105th year. It consists of 32 partner organizations that serve thousands of local residents. Meanwhile, Iowa Shares is 26 years old, and consists of 21 social justice organizations.
We hope to increase charitable giving among county employees. It is easy to give you time and money. Please consider making a contribution today!
*ICPL Stats
I have been sitting on this for some time, but I wanted to share these 2023 statistics from the Iowa City Public Library (ICPL):
67,401 people came in to use WIFI.
17,089 people visited the Bookmobile.
28,088 children attended children’s programs.
300,259 media items were downloaded.
25,051 reference questions were answered.
475,444 total visitors.
1,252,860 total circulation.
I truly believe the ICPL is a special place. It has meant a lot to me ever since I was a little boy. But it is important to note that we have several top-flight libraries in Johnson County! These stats are only Iowa City! So imagine how great these numbers are countywide!
Thank you to our librarians, volunteers, and patrons for creating such special places, and to our elected officials for providing the resources to maintain them!
*What Happened to Iowa?
This first appeared in Salvos in 2020. Unfortunately, it remains as relevant as ever.
I had a couple of Salvos readers ask me, “What happened?” regarding Tuesday’s red wave through Iowa. One was talking about just Tuesday; one was talking about the past 50 years.
While I am flattered that they care what I think, it is probably worth noting that I am no expert. But I have some explanations that I find persuasive. So let’s start there.
First, a little history is important. Iowa is a state that has typically been led by Republicans. There were only two windows EVER – one in the 1960s and one from ’06-’10 – where Iowa Democrats held a trifecta of the House, Senate, and Governor. Democrats typically did not run things, but made up a large enough minority that the GOP needed them to govern. So compromises were struck.
More importantly, the Republicans of my youth were a VERY different party. For one, they supported education almost as much as the Democrats; in individual cases, even more. Most Iowa Republicans would have been considered moderates; some, notably longtime Governor Bob Ray, would be viewed as a liberal today. Newt Gingerich had not come along yet with the idea of “zero sum game” politics. Negotiations were the order of the day, and that is what you got.
Honestly, it is pretty hard to argue the results. Iowa was #1 in education. The economy was strong. Iowa’s “live and let live” approach put us decades, sometimes centuries, ahead of other states on civil rights matters. The budget was in good shape. You could do a lot worse. But the Iowa Republican Party has changed dramatically, and with it, our state.
Now let’s move to the work of Iowa State Economist Dave Swenson. I love his work! It doesn’t always tell me what I want to hear, but it is always enlightening. A few years ago Swenson began talking about “micropolitan” areas of Iowa. These are those cities in the 15,000-35,000 population range that do not serve as suburbs to larger cities. They are typically home to a hospital, community college, and serve as a regional employment center. Iowa has several of these places – Fort Dodge, Mason City, Ottumwa, Clinton, Burlington, Muscatine, Ft. Madison/Keokuk, Marshalltown, Newton, and maybe 1-2 more. (The definition doesn’t fit perfectly everywhere.)
If you look at those cities in the 1960s, each was home to a thriving manufacturing base. And most of those manufacturing jobs were union jobs. People in these micropolitan cities (and the smaller cities near them) lived the classic American Dream.
When things were going well, voters in these areas supported Democrats. Democrats supported the unions, and made sure the schools were good. Thousands of Iowa moms and dads watched proudly as their sons and daughters got diplomas from ISU, UNI, and Iowa. All was well.
What happened? Manufacturers had trouble competing with Germany and Japan. (Which, by the way, were worker-friendly nations; just not tilted toward corporate greed.) Manufacturers like Maytag that once cared deeply about these communities decided to instead put shareholder profits first. Good union jobs were lost. Then the farm crisis hit. Manufacturers like Deere made deep cuts. Unions were broken at meatpacking plants. Locally owned banks disappeared. Then NAFTA put the final nail in the coffin. Jobs that used to be in micropolitan Iowa were now in Mexico and China.
Communities did the best they could. Many made huge efforts at job creation. Unfortunately, they were often trading a $20/hour union manufacturing job for a $9/hour telemarketing gig. Bottom line? Large numbers of unemployed and underemployed people were stuck. Poverty increased, and with it, crime and drug abuse. Many of the college educated folks moved away. Properties and public spaces were less well-maintained. Property values dropped, and with them, funding for schools and roads. The community becomes a less desirable place to live, and even more people move away. It is a downward spiral.
Those that are left are now poorer and less educated. They feel as though they got screwed. Because they did. So, they go to the ballot box looking for someone to blame. In this case, Dems took the hit. Did they deserve all the blame? Definitely not. Not even the majority of the blame. But they were gutless while corporations ran roughshod over our state. Losing big was the result.
If I had to blame one person? I’d blame Bill Clinton. But it isn’t that easy. The problems began in the late 70s. Then Iowa faced amazing struggles in the 80s, before Clinton was even on the national scene. It wasn’t one thing or one person that got us here, and it will not be one person or one thing that fixes everything.
Don’t tell that to the GOP, though. They are great at casting blame. Whose fault is this? Gays, trans folks, people of color, immigrants, non-Christians, women getting abortions, welfare moms, teacher’s unions, etc. There is ample anger out there, and instead of focusing that anger on Chuck Grassley (who has overseen this shit show) they focus their anger on vulnerable minorities. It is evil, but effective.
The two Obama elections gave us a momentary reprieve from this slide. Why? An incredible candidate with a message of hope following a lackluster and corrupt Bush II administration. But then the House and Senate (including Grassley) decided to sabotage Obama at the expense of the American people. Obama could not deliver as much as people needed, let alone hoped for. This led to even greater anger.
Let’s stop talking politics and look at demographics. Look at the populations of these micropolitan areas since 1960. Most have lost people. If they have not lost population, it is only because of immigration, which many old timers resent. Talk to someone who has moved to the fast-growing cities or suburbs in Iowa. Everyone who lives in Tiffin is originally from Sigourney, or Mount Pleasant, or Oelwein, or Montezuma. You get the idea. Iowa is not growing as a state; people are simply moving from certain parts of Iowa to other parts where greater opportunities exist.
Iowa’s micropolitan areas used to reliably vote 60% Democrat. They now vote 60% Republican. Do the math: 30,000 voters in these counties. 18,000 used to vote Democratic. Now 18,000 vote Republican. That is a 12,000 vote swing each place. Multiply that by the 10 micropolitan areas. That is a vote swing of 120,000 statewide. This is where 120,000 voters switched from Democrats to Republicans. That is the ballgame, folks! Grassley won by 150,000 votes. I just found you 120,000 of them!
It is not just the micropolitan areas, either. Counties like Dubuque, Scott, and Woodbury are not as Democratic as they used to be, either. It is pretty much the same formula, just in a more populous place.
Obviously, this did not change overnight. And it will not change back overnight. Structurally, every day we spend in this deep red status makes it harder to crawl back out of the hole we have dug.
But we will get there. Someday. Democrats just have to keep fighting for the people in this story. Do what is right. That is always the answer. Sooner or later, things will turn. I just hope we learn some lessons along the way.
*DID YOU KNOW? Johnson County has never had a violation of its Human Rights Ordinance, although the County Attorney’s Office has had to explain the ordinance on a few occasions where it appeared a violation could be imminent. It has been a good deterrent.
Anyone interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the County website-
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---Rod
posted by Rod Sullivan @ 1:53 PM
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