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Please forward this email to others in Jefferson County. I hope this will be the last political email I send before the election Nov.. 3rd. Dear Jefferson County Voters, Absentee ballots have been mailed and early voting has started. NOTE: The Auditor’s office is open today (Saturday) until 5 PM, and next Saturday 9 AM – 5 PM. If you have submitted an absentee ballot request, please complete and return it. You can mail it in, but starting Tuesday, Oct. 27th, I suggest that you deliver it to the Auditor at the Courthouse to assure that it is counted on November 3rd. Note: You can bypass the tables where people may be voting and hand your ballot (with signature on the envelop) to the staff inside the Auditor’s office. If you have not submitted an absentee ballot request, just go to the Courthouse and cast your ballot. You can see a sample ballot here <http://www.jeffersoncountyiowa.com/elections.htm>. Scroll down through the webpage to find the ballot for your voting precinct. Other voting info is also on this linked page. JUDGES and CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION: On the back of the ballot are places to vote on retention of judges and a chance to indicate whether you want a Constitutional Convention. This Public Measure 1 is on the ballot as mandated by law. Please vote to retain the judges and vote “No” on the Constitutional Convention question. Rationale: We have good judges and I recommend not giving the Republican Governor an opportunity to appoint partisan judges. The same goes for a Constitutional Convention. We don’t need to amend Iowa’s Constitution and a convention would give Republicans an opportunity to inscribe their extreme agenda in the Constitution. Candidate Forums: Sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce, forums happened Tuesday, Oct. 6th for Jefferson County Sheriff and County Supervisors <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xn4Ib712ahQ>, and Wednesday, Oct. 7th for State Legislators <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzwLQVsZxVQ>. The forums start about 15 minutes into the recordings, so scroll until you see the participants on the stage. An earlier Iowa Press Debate between Democrat Rita Hart and her Republican opponent Marionnette Miller-Meeks can be found here <https://www.iowapublicradio.org/ipr-news/2020-09-11/watch-candidates-rita-hart-and-iowa-sen-marianette-miller-meeks-debate>. Miller-Meeks, a true Trumpette, is currently our State Senator. PRESIDENT, SENATOR, CONGRESSPERSON: Bernie made the case for voting for Democrats in a marvelous speech <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAAWxZGHJNo>. Basically, he argued that we must repudiate Trump and his Republican enablers and sycophants by electing Democrats for their social, economic and environmental policies. He added that we have influence with Democrats, and that he and others were working with Joe Biden’s people and will continue to work with them after Joe is elected. I’d say the same for the other Democrats — Theresa Greenfield for U.S. Senate and Rita Hart for 2ndDistrict Representative. Theresa and Rita are qualified, solid players dedicated to the wellbeing and success of all Iowans. Their opponents are dedicated Trump supporters whose attack ads have been totally Trump-ish — gross distortions and outright lies. Surely, I don’t need to say more. You can find info on Theresa Greenfield’s platform on her website <https://greenfieldforiowa.com/> and Facebook <https://www..facebook.com/GreenfieldForIowa>. Info on Rita Hart’s platform is on her website <https://www.ritahart.com/> and Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/RitaHart4Iowa>. FOOTNOTE: There are actually nine candidates for President/VP. Please don’t waste your vote on any of the other seven, either out of conviction or as a protest. Only Biden has a chance to oust Trump. STATE REPRESENTATIVE — District 82, which encompasses the western two-thirds of Jefferson County plus Van Buren and Davis Counties. Republicans control the Iowa Legislature and Governor’s Mansion. They have been passing ALEC’s bills supporting an extreme right-wing agenda. Let’s vote the Republicans out. PHIL MILLER (D): Phil is a veterinarian and former president of the Fairfield Community School District Board. He’s deeply committed to health, public education and strengthening our rural economy, which includes factories, small businesses, a large service sector, health care personnel, farmers and agricultural workers. Phil also served for one year as our representative, filling the vacancy left by the untimely death of Curt Hanson. He’s a reasonable person who listens to all. He believes strongly in treating people fairly with social justice and economic equality, and in respecting the environment. You can learn more on his website <https://www.millerforiowahouse.com/> and Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/millerforiowahouse/> pages. I respect Phil’s broad understanding of the needs of the District and his ability to take in people’s ideas. He’ll bring a calm, rational and collaborative approach in the Legislature. JEFF SHIPLEY (R): Although Jeff gained favor with many in the Fairfield community for his support for those who sought to block the rollout of smart utility meters and 5-G cellular service, and for his hippie-ish Peace and Love (or Peace and Prosperity) campaign theme, he has consistently shown a callous attitude <https://iowastartingline.com/2020/06/03/jeff-shipley-has-public-meltdown-in-follow-up-speech/> towards the novel coronavirus pandemic — even stating that he hoped he would catch Covid-19 so he would become immune — and opposition to public schooling — voting against increased funding for school busing and supporting parents who favored full time in-school classes this semester by campaigning against passage of the referendum on the Revenue Purpose Statement for long-term use of tax revenues. Jeff has also published several ads attacking his opponent with misleading or outright false statements in a manner consistent with Republican strategy in this election. Furthermore, Jeff has voted for bills pushed by the Republican leadership that come directly from ALEC that serve large corporate interests, not Iowans. He strongly opposes abortion and has made chauvinist comments in public. He fails to understand the nature of transgender sexual development even after I met with him and explained it in detail. His failure to understand sprung from his staunch Catholic and Libertarian ideologies. While I personally enjoy engaging with Jeff and have done so many times, we have little common ground and I cannot support him over his opponent. Here’s his Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/peaceloveiowa/> page. STATE REPRESENTATIVE — District 84, which encompasses eastern Jefferson County plus Henry, Washington and Lee counties. Jeff Fager (D): Jeff is a retired college administrator having last been Vice president for Academic Affairs at Iowa Wesleyan University. He is chair of the Henry County Democratic Party. He feels that his experience preparing multi-million dollar budgets and managing academic departments at academic institutions was valuable preparation for setting a State budget and negotiating with others to establish priorities and make strategic plans. He recognizes that Southeastern Iowa’s greatest challenges are health care, education and the rural economy in this time of the coronavirus pandemic. He’s on Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/Jeff-Fager-for-Statehouse-102154368105541> and has this website <https://fagerforstatehouse.com/>. Joe Mitchell (R): Joe is a senior account manager at MD Orthopaedics in Mt. Pleasant. He has served two terms as State Representative. He worked as a page in the Iowa House and as a clerk in the State Senate, plus he worked in Gov. Reynold’s and Sen. Joni Ernst’s offices. Joe wants more State resources directed to rural Iowa with specific investments in broadband, child care assistance and public schools. He speaks of developing an environment friendly to small businesses. His goals are a balanced budget and strict fiscal management. He acknowledges that decreased State revenues will make achieving these goals challenging, but sees the State’s reserve fund as available to relieve some of the pressure. In my experience, Joe is a staunch conservative who supports the Republican position of lowering taxes and reducing services, which has left workers struggling and folks needing services wanting. Here’s his Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/JoeMitchell4Iowa/> page. COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS: This race is interesting because four people are running for two seats. I’ll put the two candidates I want to see elected, one Republican and one Democrat, first. I do not want either of the other two candidates elected. You can read about what the candidates said during the forum held on Sept. 24 here <https://www.southeastiowaunion.com/subject/news/jefferson-county-supervisor-candidates-answer-questions-in-livestreamed-forum-20200928>. Susie Drish is a native of Jefferson County and a partner in the Pony Farm, where they breed a special small pony known as Poas. They also have alpaca and fainting goats. (You needed to know that, right?) Susie worked for 39 years in a Federal Job Training program through Indian Hills Community College. She mentored at-risk kids, low-income adults, offenders, welfare recipients and dislocated workers. In this work, Susie related to agencies, employers and school districts. She is well known and respected in Jefferson County for her contributions to economic development. She serves on the JeffCo Extension Board and the Board of the JeffCo Mutual Insurance Agency. Susie is well qualified to serve as Supervisor and determined to do the job. Dee Sandquist is the only incumbent. A native of Jefferson County, she and her husband farm east of Fairfield with commitment to preserving soil and water for future generations. Dee has over 40 years of management experience in food, nutrition and health care. She was a national spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She works to alleviate food insecurity as a board member of Carry-on Bags and Hunger Dialogue. She is an ambassador for the Women, Food and Agriculture Network and helps farmers learn to use cover crops, no-till and crop rotation, which help preserve soil and reduce greenhouse gases. She is endorsed by the Sierra Club. Dee has worked hard in her first term as Supervisor and earned the respect of a diverse constituency. Nick Adam is a CAFO developer, operating several CAFOs and seeking to build more. He knows quite a bit about what goes on in the County, seeing issues from the perspective of agri-business. Nick has a different view of financing County development, favoring bonds over budgeting (pay as you go) for long-term needs. I cannot do the issue justice here. Keith Vlademar has no party affiliation and, judging from his debate presentation, little knowledge of or qualifications for the job of Supervisor. He is a retired surveyor who worked for the Department of Transportation. JEFFERSON COUNTY SHERIFF: You may not think about the Sheriff’s Office often, but its roles in the community are important. Beyond law enforcement, the Sheriff’s deputies assist citizens in difficult situations and provide security to all. Sheriff’s deputies are always ready to rush to any emergency in any school, business or home in the county, putting their lives on the line, if necessary, to protect our community. The person we elect as Sheriff must have experience both in law enforcement and in administration, as well as the focus and judgment to lead the deputies. This race is interesting because of divided support for the candidates. Both candidates are current Sheriff’s Deputies but they have quite different backgrounds and philosophies for leading the Office. The difference in philosophies became apparent in the last candidate forum <https://www.facebook.com/FairfieldMediaCenter/videos/1697104933787135>. In response to the question: "What was your personal response to the death of George Floyd?" Deputy Tracy Vance responded: "I was appalled. That was murder and that officer acted with malice and was inappropriate." He went on to explain that if he were Sheriff, the officer would be held accountable and his Office would be fully transparent about what happened. Chief Deputy Bart Richmond responded: "I didn't jump to any conclusions. I didn't react like the rest of the country." He went on to say that Floyd might have had drugs in his system, which is blaming the victim for what happened and letting the police officer be the judge, jury and executioner. It's clear that Bart represents the old school, good ol' boys authoritarian philosophy of policing that has suppressed minority and poor communities since the founding of this country. Tracy, on the other hand, represents community-oriented policing. He's proposed establishing a Citizen’s Advisory Council to facilitate communication and transparency between the Sheriff's Office concerned citizens in any situation. Before I discuss the candidates’ qualifications, I think I should say something about the endorsements each has received. Bart Richmond touts the endorsements of the retiring Sheriff, Gregg Morton, and many currently in the Sheriff, Police and Fire departments. Tracy Vance has been endorsed by the former Sheriff, Chief Deputy and Lieutenant. There is some question about the endorsements Bart Richmond got in the Sheriff’s Office and the Police Department. As he’s the Chief Deputy and the hand-picked successor to the retiring Sheriff, it had to have been hard for other Deputies and employees to say ‘no.’ There’s a legal issue too in making those requests for endorsement at the Law Center. I believe that Bart’s seeking endorsements from his co-workers reflects his “good ol’ boys” approach to the Sheriff’s job. Tracy has demonstrated a more professional approach in his campaign. I should say something too about Bart’s campaign manager, Wally Devasier. While I respect Wally’s right to endorse a buddy and lead his campaign, we must also remember that, in the political sphere, he is not representing the meditating community… and neither am I. Many leaders of the Movement support Tracy, though they feel that they cannot make a public endorsement because of their position. We need to evaluate the candidates on their merits. Deputy Tracy Vance is a professional who has a combination of law enforcement, community relations, administrative and budget management experience that will serve the citizens of Jefferson County well. He has over thirty years of public service as a firefighter, Emergency Medical Technician, school board member, county supervisor, Chamber of Commerce director, and economic development director. Tracy is keenly aware of the human aspects of the work of the Sheriff’s deputies, which are the biggest part of the job. I’m referring to matters like domestic quarrels and mental health crises. Tracy wants the deputies to get much more training in managing these kinds of situations because they demand mediation skills rather than a gun or a taser. He also proposes establishing a Citizen’s Advisory Council to facilitate effective communication between the Sheriff’s Office and the community. Find more information on Tracy’s Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/Vance4Sheriff/> page and website <https://www.vanceforsheriff.com/?fbclid=IwAR3r8IiDrx_dXj_HmLkJHc7B1E6AmY5wEdi1AwmGYAKsvHLhQIZgfaSrLSA>. Chief Deputy Bart Richmond is the designated successor to the retiring Sheriff. You may have seen his VW Beetle around the County. Bart has made a career in law enforcement since 1992. He has executed the duties of Chief Deputy capably. Though I have heard questions raised about his “good ol’ boys” style of law enforcement, I have not heard that his management has compromised law enforcement. He is well-liked around the County. In his campaign, claims have been made about his promoting de-escalation training. It is my understanding that he circulated information on one such course when it became available, but did not promote it, as his rhetoric suggests. His interest arose in response to Tracy’s promoting his plan for further training for deputies. There is little information about Bart on his Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/votebart/> page. JEFFERSON COUNTY AUDITOR Scott Reneker is running unopposed for reelection. OTHER POSITIONS ON THE BALLOT: County Public Hospital Trustee Soil and Water Conservation District Commissioner County Agricultural Extension Council Member There are as many candidates running to serve the County as there are seats to fill for each of these positions. I suggest voting for the candidates on the ballot just to keep some unhinged being from slipping into office via a write-in campaign. Please forward this email to others in Jefferson County. If you wish to stop receiving my political emails, “Reply” with “Unsubscribe” in the Subject pane.
