SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
August 31, 2008
Sullivan’s Salvos 9/2/08
The annual United Way campaign kicks off again this Wednesday. I have said it many times before, but it bears repeating: I am a big supporter of the work done by the local United Way agencies.
It is often said that the true measure of a society is how it treats those with the most need. Locally, one of the key ways we help those in need is through the work of our United Way agencies.
Stop and think about it for a moment. Imagine no UAY, Goodwill, Neighborhood Centers, DVIP, Elder Services, Shelter House, Free Med, Crisis Center, IC Hospice, Table to Table, HACAP, The Arc and all the rest. Can you imagine living in Johnson County without these agencies? These agencies make our community a great place to live.
The agencies are doing their part. Now you need to do yours. If you do not donate, start this year. Just give something. It is easy, and actually feels good. If you already donate, increase your giving by 5 to 10%.
Look, I HATE it when people talk the talk without walking the walk. So I will do some self-disclosure here. Between the two of us, Melissa and I earn right at $96,000 for our family of 5. We are blessed, and we know that. Last year, we gave about $2700 to the United Way. My goal for this year is $3000. That is not meant to be a challenge, but hopefully it will get you thinking. We can do it – so can you!
The Flood of 2008 really demonstrated the value of the local United Way. Victims turned to the United Way for help; volunteers turned to the United Way as a point of coordination. In our time of crisis, the United Way was there.
For more information on the United Way campaign, call 338-7823 or visit the website: http://www.unitedwayjc.org/
As you may recall, Johnson County donated $75,000 to help begin the United Way Flood Relief Fund. Many people have already been helped by these funds. Here are some statistics for services provided from June 16 to August 7:
Services were provided to 296 households with 794 total people, including 287 children.
$111,282 has been spent through August 7, most of it on rent and/or security deposits, though money has been used for over a dozen purposes.
I am sure there are many more needs, and I am sure that both Johnson County and the United Way will be there to help.
The recent question of Wal-Mart expansion in Iowa City has raised several important issues. One that every person ought to recognize is that Wal-Mart is the WORST corporate citizen in the US, and one of the worst in the world.
Racism? The worst. Sexism? The worst. Wage and hour violations? The worst. Crushing American (and Iowan) manufacturers? The worst. Costing American (and Iowan) jobs? The worst. Contributing to the uninsured and underinsured? The worst. Pushing corporate responsibility to public bodies? The worst? Contributing to America’s trade imbalance with China? The worst. Fighting against living wages and even the minimum wage? The worst. Supporting slavery? That’s right – SLAVERY! The worst.
Talk all you want about this being a global issue, not a local one. That is an easy way to take no responsibility.
Here is the biggest myth of all – Wal-Mart does NOT help the poor. Sure, the poor may save $100 a year on groceries by shopping there. But that $100 savings comes at a cost far greater than $100. Wages are driven down across the US by Wal-Mart’s greed with suppliers. Many of the good jobs the poor could have had are gone because of Wal-Mart. Those jobs have moved to China. Just ask folks in Centerville, Iowa – former home of Rubbermaid.
Go on all you want about how this is America, and you can shop wherever you want. That is true. You can shop wherever you want. So do the right thing, or aid the worst corporate citizen in the US. Sit back and allow children in Asia to be sold into slavery, or speak out. The choice is yours.
New from our friends at the Iowa Policy Project (IPP): The number of uninsured Iowans grew by one-third in seven years, while Iowan’s median income showed slight improvement in 2007 and the poverty rate remained high. These figures, particularly on health insurance, illustrate why Iowans may feel insecure about their economic situations. To see the full report, go to:
The Johnson County Conservation Department is once again holding controlled deer hunts. See
http://www.johnson-county.com/conservation/pdf/DeerHunt.pdf
for more information.
DID YOU KNOW? The University of Iowa Children’s Hospital ranks in the top twenty overall children’s hospitals in the US. Every other hospital on the list is in a major metropolitan area.
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 @ 10:20 PM
1 Comments:
"Just ask folks in Centerville, Iowa – former home of Rubbermaid."
Uh, those jobs didn't move to China. They moved to Kansas. Try again.
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home