Iowa Senate Democrats v Zach Wahls

Johnson County Supervisor Rod Sullivan wrote in his newsletter Wednesday that Johnson County Democrats should “stop the flow of all money from Johnson County to Des Moines until we are represented on the Steering Committee.”

Here is the excerpt from Sullivan’s Salvos. Posted with permission.

###

*Giving to Democrats
I want to talk to any of you Johnson County Democrats out there who donate money to the Iowa Democratic Party (IDP), Iowa Senate, or any other non-Johnson County political entity.

Things have changed. A while ago, the Iowa Democratic Party made the decision that Johnson County was going to have to be on its own. I actually agree with this decision. Johnson County is one of five or so counties (Polk, Linn, Blackhawk, Story, and us) that can probably be entrusted to handle their own fundraising, staffing, and GOTV. We can suck it up and do it. That leaves resources for the micropolitan places that up until recently, made up a big piece of the Democratic Party base in Iowa. We are talking Mason City, Ottumwa, Fort Dodge, Marshalltown, Muscatine, Clinton, Burlington, Lee County, etc. So the plan is a good one. The problem has been what comes next.

With the ouster of Senate Leader Zach Wahls, Johnson County is now unrepresented on the IDP Steering Committee. The committee has 9 members – none from Johnson County, the most Democratic County in Iowa. Frankly, I see the IDP treating Johnson County the way a coal company treats West Virginia – extractive. We are going to take their money and their votes, but the people left behind get nothing. I am not going to stand back and let that happen to the place I love.

So what to do? I say we stop the flow of all money from Johnson County to Des Moines until we are represented on the Steering Committee. Stop your automatic withdrawls. Stop writing checks. Stop attending fundraisers. We need to make a stand.

Besides, the JC Dems are going to need every dollar you have. Remember, all the money you send to Des Moines? This year, ZERO of it comes back. ZERO. So if we do not give locally, local results will suffer significantly.

The IDP can fix this. Just add someone from Johnson County to the Steering Committee.

The Iowa Senate? I am not giving ANYTHING to anyone in the Iowa Senate except Zach Wahls. And I’m giving him more than ever. We need to teach the rest of the Democrats in the Iowa Senate who is boss. Most of the Democrats in the Iowa Senate and much of their staff need to go. They CLEARLY do not give a shit about Johnson County. They will take Zach’s money, and that’s it. Well, I refuse to give them a single dollar. Our money is our power. It needs to stay locally or go to Zach. Those are the only acceptable choices.

Iowa House? With all due respect to our wonderful House delegation, I think we need to send a signal. No money until we are taken seriously. House members need to push to get Johnson County represented on the committee.

To summarize: give locally, and nowhere else, until we see results.

Rod Sullivan

###

Friday love to all our loyal readers!