SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
July 6, 2008
Sullivan’s Salvos 7/8/08
When it comes to local government, Johnson County has dual roles. The floods illustrate this point.
In addition to the higher-profile flooding in Iowa City and Coralville, several rural residents (and a few rural businesses) were flood victims. About 50 properties were faced with mandatory evacuations, and about 100 rural residents have filed with FEMA. (Interestingly, these tend not to be the same people. Most of the evacuations were because roads were cut off, not because properties were in jeopardy.)
In these cases, Johnson County fulfills the same role that Coralville or Iowa City fills for residents of those cities. Johnson County is opening roads and bridges, inspecting houses, helping with cleanup, and providing all the other services necessary for recovery. For folks in unincorporated areas, we are essentially their “city council”.
Meanwhile, all Johnson County flood victims benefit from the Emergency Operations Center, Department of Public Health, Social Services, Ambulance, Mental Health, and other programs funded by Johnson County – regardless of where they live.
In an earlier edition of Salvos, I referred to state, county, and municipal employees as “heroes”. A regular Salvos reader replied with the following:
“It seems to me as though the word hero is being used a bit loosely these days. Throwing yourself on a hand grenade (like Max Cleland did in Viet Nam) strikes me as being in a totally different category than the efforts of our State, County, and Municipal employees who contributed to the flood effort. Inflation seems to have affected more than the value of the dollar. But maybe I’m just a grouchy old man.”
I agree in principal with the idea that we are more given to hyperbole than in the past. On the other hand, there were some tremendous efforts in response to the flood.
The dictionary definition of a hero calls for “selfless courage.” Does one need to take a big personal risk to be a hero? Can a hero be an athlete or entertainer, if that person inspires others? Is a person who volunteers to sandbag or clean up someone else’s place a hero? All food for thought.
So… is the term hero overused? Is our friend a grouchy old man? Both? I am curious as to your thoughts!
It is July now, and I have now completed 6 months of my year as Chair of the Board. The way things are done in Johnson County, serving as Chair does not mean much. Each Board member gets a turn, and there aren’t many fights over agenda items. I suppose a given individual might run a better/worse meeting, but that is about it.
That said, I have had one heck of a run! First there was the winter weather – the worst in years. Then we had record flooding. The Board had not held an emergency meeting as far back as anyone could remember; we have had two in the past 3 weeks– one in the lobby of the jail! Add in the unprecedented mandatory evacuations and mandatory curfews, and I have been presented with some challenges. Heck, we even had a small earthquake!
And it probably isn’t over. There will be flood-related controversies over tax abatements, buy-outs, and the like. 2008 is an election year, and looks to be a record turnout. Who knows what lies ahead in the next 6 months? I am ready for locusts, fires, and just about everything else.
I am hopeful that the Primary Election results indicate a big year for Democrats. 3,648 Democratic votes were cast for County Supervisor, while only 1,478 Republicans voted for their Congressional & Senatorial candidates.
Contrast this to 2002, which saw 3,386 Republicans turn out to select GOP Gubernatorial and Senatorial candidates. (Choosing Doug Gross over Steve Sukup and Bob VanderPlats, and selecting Greg Ganske over Bill Salier.)
Look for your next edition of Salvos just a bit earlier next week. We’ll be back to the normal schedule in two weeks.
DID YOU KNOW? The Chicago Cubs last won the World Series in 1908. That same year, women could not yet vote. Oklahoma became a State. Henry Ford introduced the Model T. Man first reached the North Pole.
Anyone interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the County website-
www.johnson-county.com.
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---Rod
posted by Rod Sullivan @ 7:56 PM
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