SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
May 20, 2008
Sullivan’s Salvos 5/20/08
Congratulations to all the graduates out there. I know I am a big softy, but I get a lump in my throat every time I hear Pomp and Circumstance.
Graduations are big events in our lives; I hope those involved this year cherish the events. All my best to all the grads and their families.
The Johnson County Democratic Party is hosting a first-annual Awards Banquet Saturday, May 31 at 6:30 PM in the Richey Ballroom at the IMU. Tickets are $35; to reserve your seats, visit the website at www.jcdems.org.
Award winners being honored include Activist of the Year John Deeth, Rookies of the Year Dawn Suter and Geoff Seamens, and Pioneer Democrats Claudine Harris, Carol Spaziani, Dwight & Pat Jensen, Verne & Pat Kelley, Edith Hargrave, Mori Costantino, and Jean Martin.
Congrats to all these worthy recipients!
I have no idea how many people out there are fans of country music… if you are, the following analogy just might work. If not, bear with me.
George Jones is one of the all-time greats of country music. In 1985, he did a song called “Who’s Gonna Fill their Shoes?” The basic premise is that he looks around the country music scene and notices that a lot of good people are already gone, and lots of others are getting up in age. The future looks uncertain. George asks a simple question: Who’s gonna fill their shoes?
Unfortunately, I find myself empathizing with George. When I look around at the groups to which I belong, people 60 and over play very important roles. Many are 75 and older. When I look at the people I respect and to whom I go for advice, people 60 and over play very important roles. Many are 75 and older. When I look at key participants in civic life, people 60 and over play very important roles. Many are 75 and older. Same goes for my church, my neighborhood, my political party, my section at Kinnick – I am concerned about the future.
So I ask… who’s gonna fill their shoes? I’ll be 42 this summer, and all too often, I’m the youngest person in the room. I realize that many people in their 40s are busy raising kids, and I know personally that doing so is one heck of a time commitment.
In addition, I think we have a very problematic increasing lack of respect for our elders. There are many younger folks who are unwilling to sit back and allow their elders to be the leaders. Instead, they choose to start their own groups and organizations.
On the other hand, perhaps seniors need to do more to recruit and mentor younger people. We need to build the bench. We need people 50 and younger to step up and get involved in pretty much every facet of our lives.
Clearly, we all need to work to build the next generation of leaders. Let’s not wait to answer the question - Who’s gonna fill their shoes?
Johnson County has road atlases for sale in the Auditor’s Office. I have found mine to be very useful; I urge you to check it out.
I had the occasion to read through some past Board Meeting minutes recently, and I was really struck by the outstanding work of former Supervisor Mike Lehman. Mike has a great ability to cut through all the fluff and get to the heart of an issue. I read three completely different discussions, and Mike was totally on point in each one. I hope I am able to serve that well.
We got some great statistics on the County’s Free Tax Help program – “You Earned it – Now Claim It!” Get this:
56 volunteers did 960 hours of work. They put on 31 clinics in 6 locations. Volunteers provided Spanish translation. Volunteers helped complete 660 returns, which is a 100% increase from one year ago. Tax filers got $651,000 in total returns, including $352,000 in Earned Income Tax Credits.
I am very proud of this program – I brought the idea home from a conference I attended in 2005. It costs Johnson County very little, and helps many of our poorest residents. The IRS is even using the Johnson County program as a model for other programs!
Thanks to County Social Services Coordinator Amy Correia for her outstanding work in this area!
Just in case you are interested, the AARP forum with candidates for Supervisor and Auditor will be replayed on Thursday, May 29 at 1:51 AM. Set the VCR! (Or TiVo, if you are cooler than me.)
DID YOU KNOW? You can vote now in the June 3rd Primary; see the Auditor’s website (http://www.johnson-county.com/auditor/) for early voting locations.
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.
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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 @ 6:37 PM
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