This email arrived 10 days ago.
“Hi Joe, it’s hard to believe that there are just 60 days between now and November 8th. With so much on the line in the midterms, I can’t stop thinking about everything we need to do to get our candidates across the finish line.
Our endorsed champions in Congress are fighting to restore the Iran Deal and protect the civil and human rights of Iranians everywhere. Our endorsed state and local candidates are standing up for NIAC Action’s values of diplomacy, peace and inclusive communities at every level of office. … Our endorsed candidates need your help Joe. Will you commit to a $10 donation or more so we can help our endorsed candidates get elected and continue fighting for peace and diplomacy in elected office?”
(No.)
“Thanks, Joe.
Mitra Jalali
Senior Political Advisor, NIAC Action.”
Well, not every day, but it seems like a day doesn’t go by that I don’t get a similar request from Jalali. The other day, I got a nice reminder about Grandparents Day. This has been going on for some time. At first, I didn’t pay any attention because I presumed it wasn’t our Mitra Jalali. There had to be another one. Our Mitra Jalali represents the Fourth Ward on the St. Paul City Council.
But I checked further. It’s her. Yes, our Mitra Jalali is apparently an employee of the NIAC, the National Iranian American Council, a 501(c)(4) organization based in Washington, D.C., dedicated to “electing candidates who reflect our values through a variety of activities aimed at influencing the outcome of the next election.”
I called Jalali, to no avail. You would think somebody who writes me so often would be happy to talk to me, if for no other reason than to ask me for money in person.
Under the city’s charter, council members are “part time” and thus allowed to have outside jobs. Working for a 501(c)(4) is not necessarily problematic, but these types of nonprofits are allowed to engage in issue advocacy, and include churches. Because NIAC Action promotes political candidates, Jalali would be required to recuse herself from voting on issues where her job/PAC are financing candidates or issues germane to NIAC. To date, there has been no evidence that Jalali’s NIAC duties have overlapped with her city council responsibilities.
Now, I would imagine that the concerns of Iranian Americans are the concerns of all Americans, safe streets, good schools, jobs, getting a handle on inflation. Closer to home, right here in St. Paul, we not only don’t have safe streets, we have streets that aren’t even navigable because of disrepair.
A theme seems to run through the NIAC emails and it isn’t safe streets. It’s all about what’s best for NIAC. For example, in the most recent mailing, we learn NIAC management has recognized the NIAC Workers Union and that through the union, they imagine a bright future for the organization.
Nothing suggests that Jalali’s working for NIAC has in any way pulled her away from her responsibilities to the taxpayers of Hamline-Midway, Merriam Park, St. Anthony Park and parts of Mac-Groveland and Como. Just like NIAC, a bright future is imagined for Ward 4, and all the wards for that matter.
Well, except for the crime. That we’ll just have to get used to.
Three NIAC emails arrived during the writing of this column.
Joe Soucheray can be reached at jsoucheray@pioneerpress.com. Soucheray’s “Garage Logic’” podcast can be heard at garagelogic.com.
