Another member of heady daze of 1970’s Democratic power has passed and his friend Jim Powers reminds us of his friend Robert Sivertson.
Just before Powers started his September 16, 2016 scheduled Sioux Falls Democratic Forum on talk, he reminded us of Sivertson’s place in South Dakota legislative history.
Cameraman Bruce spent many hours campaigning with Sivertson and his Democratic majority partners back then. We all should appreciate what they tried to do to move the state out or the scandals and problems of the past.
We have Open Meetings and Records laws, an updated, less confusing SD Constitution and something I know looking at the mess it is in now, a more streamlined state government bureaucracy.
Bob Sivertson was from an era in South Dakota Democratic politics when Democrats went to Pierre to fight for economic justice and not merely to whimsically increase the regressive state sales tax.
Oh, I know, we recently increased the state sales tax to increase teacher pay, which itself was a good thing, but when you realize that the Democrats initial answer to this policy issue of increasing teacher pay was to at first advocate a hybrid sales tax increase themselves, then silence for six weeks, and then finally acquiescence to the Republican plan, then we must ask ourselves as Democrats today in South Dakota, if we truly are Sivertson Democrats any more and if we are not, then what have we become?
Many years ago, I ran for the State Senate in District 12 and during an address to the local Democratic Forum I spoke of a need for tax reform in this state, and how an income tax should be on the table for discussion. Well, Bob was in that audience that day and when I started to talk about tax reform and said the words “income tax,” and the hint of advocacy for it, well, let me just say I could see Bob’s eyes light up in the audience and his body language became engaged with my thoughts and pondering that day. Later, after my speech, I had a good talk with Bob about tax inequity in this state and I have never forgot how excited he seemed to be to talk to me about it that day and how excited he was to finally have found a candidate who would publicly mention the words “income tax” once again.
This was back in 1992, keep in mind, and at the time I think I was the first Democratic legislative candidate in Minnehaha County to publicly utter the words “income tax” since the disastrous defeat that the Democrats ,including Bob, suffered in 1976. Ironically, later in my campaign that year as the race tightened up and received some notice, a race I lost 49 to 51% I might add, my opponent’s support in the prior legislative session, in fact he co-authored the bill, for a sole tax on savings interest income became an issue in our race, when I brought it to the attention of the local press. It was my belief then, as it is now, that it is not just to tax the savings income of those with a modest nest egg, when the income of the wealthy in this state goes untouched, and my experiences from that race taught me that a candidate should never fear issues, rather they should embrace them and show how political leadership does not hide or ignore, instead it engages and is willing to talk about issues and policy, its applications, its implications, and its alternatives, and only through these discussions can you win, or in my case create a real race, and show that your opponent is like the emperor who “has no cloths.”
So, that is why, in the passing of Mr. Sivertson, it becomes imperative as Democrats in South Dakota that we begin to understand not only the importance of an issue like tax inequity in this state, an issue with Mr. Sivertson definitely championed in his lifetime, but also the importance of its discussion as well and only through its discussion, whether it be with a legislator with a bill, a candidate with a speech, or a Party that offers alternatives instead of hybrids, that only then as Democrats will we ever be able to once again say that we are Sivertson Democrats and not merely Democrats in name only or an emperor without his cloths..
Firefighters and police get a bread crumbs raise this year that is less than inflation. Some (the better ones) will leave. It’s that poor. I talked to a firefighter recently who’s not sure he wants to stay 5 years to his retirement. I learned (because of Huether) their Union is weak. Fire and police chiefs have director status at the city. They don’t represent their employees and behave like the bribed Huether Council. I’ve spoken out against police because there seems to be no method to cull the misfits making it so the professionals look and find better posts in another city. Police get and often deserve a bad wrap nationally. It’s easy to fix if the chief pays attention instead of combing his hair with Huether. Firefighters are a good presence in the community. It’s sad when one leaves the city or dies. There was a time when they could be professional and political. Perhaps the Siverston era has passed.
All the above is true; however they failed to mention that Bob was a really nice guy.