Two months after executive director Suzanne Jones Pranger jumped ship to work for fellow Burke native Senator Billie Sutton’s campaign for governor, the South Dakota Democratic Party tells Sam Parkinson to move over one desk and run the show. Parkinson has been finance and events director since August 2015. He served as interim director after Jones Pranger’s departure and now gets to be permanent office boss under party chair Ann Tornberg.
A couple good things about Parkinson’s promotion:
- Keeping the pick in house means we have a party chair who knows what’s been going on for the past couple years, who’s been grinding axes for whom, and where the printer cartridges are.
- Sam’s already on message: “The Party is seeing a new surge of interest and energy from South Dakotans looking for a change from the corrupt and out-of-touch political establishment in Pierre. I am committed to build upon this great new energy so Democrats have a successful election in 2018.”
- We almost don’t have to change the monogramed towels in the executive washroom…
- …but if we do get fancy and stamp our new exec’s full initials on things, Sam brings us the great South Dakota Proud abbreviation of SDP!
Now, back to registering voters and calling donors….
The SD Democratic Party needs to stand for something meaningful. It is not enough to say it is against Trump. It is not enough to say it is against corruption. Now is the time to be bold!
1. Health Care is a human right for all South Dakotans. Call for a Medicare For All plan to insure everyone.
2. Free Tuition for all South Dakota residents. Our kids deserve the right to an affordable K-16 public education.
3. Sustainable Economic Growth. Stop the public handouts to corporate interests. Promote small businesses. Encourage the development of green energy.
4. Solve our systemic revenue shortfall. Relying on a regressive sales tax is not meeting the needs of our people. Allowing excessive sales tax exemptions leaves our state short when it comes to making investments in our people. Shift the burden of taxation from the working class to the wealthy. I would call for an income tax on people making more than $200,000 per year.
I would guess that those proposals would have a 60% approval rating. Health care, education, and sustainable economic growth are popular ideas.
Good luck, Sam.
I didn’t interact with the SDDP staff much this last cycle. I hope they make it a point to be more present and participate in these new groups that are forming.
Sam Parkinson will do a great job! SDDP is fortunate to have a young feller like Sam that can do the hard work necessary to keep it all together.
Anne W., flesh out that presence and participation. How can SDDP add value to what those groups are doing?