SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
April 8, 2008
Sullivan’s Salvos 4/8/08
Happy Birthday to my daughter Jordan, who turns 14 today. Jordan is a wonderful young lady, and she makes her father very proud! I love you, honey!
I have had a few people ask, and yes, I do have campaign yard signs. If you want one, just E-mail me with your address. Thanks!
I would like to hear from Salvos readers on this one. It has been a tradition in recent years that the Chair or her/his designee gives a “State of the County” address.
I love the idea, in theory. I have tried to make outreach to county residents a hallmark of my time in office. That is why I send Salvos every week. There are a couple significant problems, however:
First, nobody seems to care. Attendance at these events has dwindled from about ten to zero. That’s right, zero. No media. No members of the public. Nobody seems to care.
Linn County does a State of the County address that serves as a $25 per plate fundraiser for the Linn County League of Women Voters. I contacted the Johnson County League about a similar arrangement, and they were not interested.
So, I can’t help but wonder if this is an event that is worthy of my efforts. I have several other things I want to accomplish; perhaps I should just focus my efforts that direction.
Secondly, I am not certain that my colleagues would agree with my take on the State of the County. In many cases, we seem to value very different things. There are certainly benefits to having a range of views on a Board. But frankly, I am tired of having to explain ad nauseum that my “views are not necessarily the views of a majority of the Board.” (You’ll find similar language at the end of each Salvos.) I suspect that any State of the County address I delivered would be followed by five or ten days’ worth of these types of clarifications.
It is all too bad, really. Some good investigative reporting would look into these similarities and differences, and find some important stories in County government.
So, readers, what do you think? Should there be a State of the County address? If so, then who, what, where, when, and how?
In FY08, the Federal government spent $482 billion on the military, not including the $142 billion supplemental budget for the “War on Terror.” That is $624 billion spent on the military in a single year. This expenditure is greater than the total military spending of the rest of the world combined.
Compare that to the second-highest budget Federal Department, Health and Human Services. The FY08 HHS budget was $69 billion, about 11% of the military budget. The FY08 Department of Education budget was third at $56 billion.
Yet we hear very little about cutting the military budget. We hear LOTS of talk about “entitlements” being “unsustainable”. Has anyone ever considered that perhaps our current level of military spending is unsustainable?
Suggest a cut to the military budget, though, and you’ll be demonized as “anti-American” or worse. Hopefully this is changing a bit, due to the good works of organizations such as Citizens for Sensible Priorities.
I like the words of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Junior on the topic: “A nation that continues to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is fast approaching spiritual death.” MLK said that in 1967.
I firmly believe that King was viewed as simply a thorn in the side of the powers that be when he preached on race. But when his priorities became the military budget, the labor movement, and economic justice, he became a threat. And he was murdered.
In May of 2007, Iowa City and Johnson County held their first Great Garlic Mustard Challenge in an attempt to establish a record for the most Garlic Mustard pulled. At this one-day event, volunteers pulled a total of 1950 lbs of the weed. This year, other Iowa communities are being challenged to exceed the 1950 pounds pulled last year.
Garlic mustard is a non-native plant species that has no local natural controls, partially because none of Iowa’s native insects or wildlife rely on it as a food source. The white-flowered plant has spread at an alarmingly fast rate the past two decades, and is now degrading local woodlands by crowding out native plants such as wildflowers, ferns and tree seedlings. To control the spread, the weeds must be pulled or cut between March and June, before they go to seed and repopulate.
This year, the Iowa City/Johnson County Great Garlic Mustard Challenge will occur on April 26, 2008 from 9-noon. Area parks and private properties will have guides available to assist volunteers in identifying which plants to pull, and garbage bags will be provided. Bags of the pulled garlic mustard will be collected by City staff and weighed at the landfill for a final tally. Neighborhood Associations, service groups, youth groups, and individuals are encouraged to participate, either at one of the designated park sites or in their own backyards and neighborhoods.
To volunteer for the event, or to register your property as a site, visit
DID YOU KNOW? Recent estimates place Johnson County’s current population at 126,000. Projections back in 2000 guessed that Johnson County might reach 125,000 by 2010.
Anyone interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the County website-
www.johnson-county.com.
"Sullivan’s Salvos" is sent once per week to any interested party. It will give a brief update on issues of interest to Johnson County residents.
These messages come solely from Rod Sullivan, and neither represents the viewpoints of the whole Board of Supervisors nor those of groups or individuals otherwise mentioned.
If you do NOT want the weekly E-mail, simply reply to this message, and type "unsubscribe" in the subject line.
If you know anyone else who might be interested, just forward this message. They can E-mail me at rodsullivan@mchsi.com with "subscribe" in the subject line.
As always, feel free to contact me at 354-7199 or rodsullivan@mchsi.com. I look forward to serving you!
---Rod
posted by Rod Sullivan @ 8:00 PM
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