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rodsullivan.org
SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
April 26, 2009
Sullivan’s Salvos 4/28/09 I have to crow a bit… we just got home from watching our daughter Jordan run at the Drake Relays. Jordan is a freshman at City High, and ran on the 4 x 400 relay team. The weather was lousy, and Jordan’s team just missed qualifying for the finals. But Drake is a neat event, and it was pretty cool to have a child experience it. Thanks for allowing me to brag! I recently finished an interesting book on political history. “The Progressive Revolution: How the Best in America Came to Be,” by Michael Lux makes the point that bipartisanship may be overrated. As Lux points out, Lincoln had zero support from Democrats in Congress when passing his agenda. All the opponents were sure his actions would bring the US to its knees. Teddy Roosevelt had zero support from his fellow Republicans when it came time to bust the trusts, siding instead with the William Jennings Bryan Democrats. All the opponents were sure his actions would bring the US to its knees. FDR had no Republican votes in the Congress when Social Security was created. All the opponents were sure his actions would bring the US to its knees. President Obama’s stimulus plan got zero Republican votes in the House and three in the Senate. All the opponents are sure his action will bring the US to its knees. (Time will tell!) There are several additional examples. Bottom line is, bipartisanship has its place, but not if you need to make significant changes. The opposition party is just that – opposition. They are in place to stop the majority. If you are always looking for compromise, you’ll never get the change you seek. The other piece of this, of course, is we need politicians at all levels who are willing to take a stand, then accept the electoral consequences. To be an effective elected official, your platform must be more important than your own reelection. Happy May Day on May 1st! As you probably know, May Day has long been recognized worldwide as a celebration of the worker. The holiday took on special meaning for workers in the US following the Haymarket Square massacres of 1886. Unfortunately, during the “Red Scare” of the 1950s, the US quit celebrating May Day, fearing that the celebration was too closely aligned with the USSR and too anti-business. The US created “Law Day” to take its place. While Law Day is certainly a noble endeavor, the US caved in to fear when moving away from the celebration of May Day. And the only people to suffer from this change in emphasis are US workers. Some folks still do recognize May Day as a worker’s day, and they are gathering on the Ped Mall at noon on May 1. I urge you to join them! Speaking of Law Day, it is being celebrated at the Johnson County Courthouse on Thursday, April 30 from 3 – 4:30 PM. There are tours, refreshments, and many activities for the kids. The Johnson County Safe Kids Coalition is holding Safe Kids Day Saturday, May 2nd from 11 to 2 in the south parking lot of Coral Ridge Mall. There will be lots of events for the kids, plus child safety seat checks, a bike safety rodeo, tours of emergency vehicles, and all kinds of demonstrations. Call Doug Stahl at 339-3338 for more information. The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) Walk for the Mind of America is Saturday, May 2nd, at Lower City Park in Iowa City, with check in at 9 and the walk at 10. This is the biggest annual fundraiser for NAMI. For more information, contact Della McGrath at 358-8448 or dellamcgrath@qwestoffice.net. The Crisis Center Pancake breakfast is Saturday, May 2nd from 8-2 at Parkview Church. This is the biggest annual fundraiser for the Crisis Center. For more information, call 351-2726. The Mayor’s Youth Empowerment Program (MYEP) is holding its 6th annual Youth Festival Saturday, May 2nd from 10 AM -3 PM at 1060 Cross Park Avenue in Iowa City. The usual bikes, food, fun, games, auction items, and the like will be available; there is no charge for admission. All proceeds support MYEP work with Johnson County youth. DID YOU KNOW? You can look at and reserve campsites at any county park in Iowa through mycountyparks.com .
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
April 18, 2009
Sullivan’s Salvos 4/21/09
Johnson County is receiving $236,000 in Federal Stimulus money specifically for energy efficiency. This will likely go toward renovations to improve the energy efficiency of the Administration Building. And when we improve energy efficiency, we save tax dollars.
Special thanks to the staffs of Senator Harkin and Congressman Loebsack for their assistance in helping Johnson County to benefit from this program.
One year ago, Johnson County signed on to the Sierra Club “Cool Counties” program. At roughly the same time, Iowa City, Coralville, and North Liberty signed on as Sierra Club “Cool Cities”.
That is great, right? We are all green here! Regrettably, very little has happened since these agreements were signed.
One of the key components of becoming a Cool County or Cool City is the creation of a citizen advisory committee. I was one of many folks who thought it made sense to make this advisory committee regional, rather than having 4 separate committees. Most elected officials felt similarly, so it was decided that the advisory committee would be a committee of the Johnson County Council of Governments (JCCOG).
The JCCOG committee finally met in very late March. Better late than never, obviously. One would think that applying green principles to flood recovery would have made a lot of sense. What’s more, much of the Federal Stimulus Plan had a green focus. We may have really missed out by delaying so long!
Meanwhile, no big initiatives have come from Johnson County or our cities. Discussion of green ideas keeps getting pushed to the back burner.
The people assigned to this committee are great people. They can advise all they want, but at some point, elected officials need to get moving.
So, next time you hear something from Johnson County, North Liberty, Iowa City or Coralville touting how “green” they are, hold them accountable. Make sure they are doing more than lip service. What actual steps have been taken? Earth Day is coming up. Hold your local elected officials accountable when they show up for their photo ops. Let’s demand some real progress!
So… do you know any seniors or people with disabilities? Imagine for a moment that former Presidents Reagan, Bush, or Bush had gotten their way, and Social Security had been privatized. How do you think those seniors would have fared financially over the past 8-9 months?
Rest assured, the market will recover. No one knows exactly when, but it will recover. And then the cry to privatize Social Security will resume. Remember this period in our lives when those ideas are next floated.
Johnson County will have a sale of used computers, monitors, printers and other computer related equipment to general public. The sale dates will be Saturday May 2, from 9 – 12. The sale will take place at the new Health and Human Services Building, 855 South Dubuque Street. Persons wanting to purchase this equipment can find detailed information on the equipment and the terms of sale on our website at www.johnson-county.com/sale. People without web access can call us at 356-6080 for assistance.
The Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce Buy Here Business Fair is April 23 beginning at 4 PM at the Holiday Inn in Coralville.
Most of the products and services you need, you can buy locally. Please take this opportunity to check out some of our fine local businesses.
The Great Garlic Mustard Challenge is happening once again, but 2009 has a twist… we have been challenged by the Quad Cities! In ’07, 2000 pounds were pulled. In ’08, we got up to 6000 pounds. We can rise to the challenge! Time to take the gloves off (actually, time to put them on) and pull some garlic mustard!
In case you are unaware, garlic mustard is among the most problematic of invasive species. There are really only two ways to eliminate it – burning and pulling. So Johnson County, Iowa City, Coralville, North Liberty, and the UI all have identified sites where garlic mustard needs to be pulled.
That is where you come in. Volunteers can visit www.icgov.org/garlicmustard for a complete list of the dates, times, and locations. The first date is Sunday, April 26 – check out the times today!
DID YOU KNOW? Iowa City ranks #9 in the US in terms of percentage of residents who commute by bike. (Source: JCCOG.)
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
April 12, 2009
Sullivan’s Salvos 4/14/09
I find it ironic to hear the Republican members of the Iowa House demanding a vote on gay marriage. These are the same guys who claim to stand for individual liberties. I guess what they mean is you have a right to as many guns and cigarettes as you can handle. But individual rights like voting and sexual orientation need to be restricted.
Representative Duane Alons demands that “the people deserve to vote on this!” Why? Do the people deserve to vote on his marriage? I demand to vote on Duane Alons marriage! The very idea is as stupid as it sounds. According to Alons, I have no right to healthcare, but I deserve the right to disapprove other people’s weddings. Huh?
I am particularly offended when people use Christianity to oppose gay marriage. First, no religious groups are required to recognize gay marriage. It is a state issue.
Secondly, I realize that the Old Testament opposes gay marriage in a couple of places. One such prohibition appears in Leviticus, which also prohibits the eating of shellfish. Why is there no similar focus on eating shellfish? The sin of shellfish seems pretty common to me!
Thirdly, when asked about the Ten Commandments, Jesus very clearly said that two rise above all others. First, there is no God but God. Second, do unto others as you would have them do unto you. By my reading, this supports gay marriage. I am not alone in interpreting Christianity this way; several supportive local clergy appeared at the recent gay marriage rally.
But my religious beliefs do not matter here. Rest assured, the rights recently granted to Iowans under our Constitution are now UNDER ASSAULT. Prepare to fight for what is right.
Johnson County is hosting a Grand Opening of the new Health and Human Services building Saturday, April 18 from 1-4 PM. The public is strongly encouraged to join County staff people for tours and refreshments.
The new building, located at 855 South Dubuque Street in Iowa City (across Benton Street from the Administration Building), contains offices of the Department of Human Services, Department of Public Health, Mental Health and Disability Services, Johnson County Social Services, Veteran’s Affairs, General Assistance, and Information Technology.
The 90,000 square foot building opened in mid-January, and includes a two level parking ramp. The building is LEED Silver certified, and will be completely paid off by June of 2010.
Johnson County recently changed a policy to allow individual property owners to have chip seal applied in front of their homes. The individual landowners will be required to pay all the costs, including maintenance, so there is little expense to taxpayers.
This used to be allowed, but the County ran into issues with people refusing to maintain the road surfaces. There were long battles between residents and County staff over what maintenance was needed. Others refused to pay after work was completed. These possibilities remain, but I feel the benefits outweigh the risks.
Dust is probably the single biggest quality of life issue facing rural residents. I ran on a platform of reducing dust, and I want to give rural residents some more options.
Yes, this will be more work for Secondary Roads staff. Yes, this will undoubtedly create hassles for the Board of Supervisors. I think this is worth it to allow folks to improve the quality of life in Johnson County.
Ed Failor and Iowans for Tax Relief are demonstrating their hypocrisy. When Democrats in the Iowa Legislature push a plan that will CUT taxes for 60% of Iowans, keep taxes the same for 14%, and raise them on the RICHEST 26% of Iowans, it is termed a tax increase.
Huh? Ed – 60% of Iowans are getting a tax cut. The 60% who need it most! Of course, Failor only represents the richest 26%.
He is such a hypocrite. His organization should lose any credibility it might have. The name of the organization ought to be “Iowans for Tax Relief for the Rich Only.”
The Hospice Walk for Dignity is this Sunday, April 19 at 12 PM at Willow Creek Park in Iowa City. (The walk itself begins at 1 PM.)
100% of the money raised supports the mission of Iowa City Hospice. For more information or additional materials, please contact Iowa City Hospice at 688-4219, 800-897-3052, ext. 160, or margaret.reese@iowacityhospice.org.
DID YOU KNOW? Johnson County leads the State of Iowa in tissue donation. (Source: Medical Examiner’s Office.)
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
April 5, 2009
Sullivan’s Salvos 4/7/09
Happy 15th birthday to my daughter Jordan on April 8! I do not have the words to describe my feelings toward this wonderful young lady. Every day Jordan makes me more and more proud. I love you, honey!
The big news this past week was the Iowa Supreme Court’s unanimous decision allowing for gay marriage.
I could not be more proud to be an Iowan. I could not be happier for my LGBT friends and their families.
Most Iowans do a pretty good job of following the Golden Rule – Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. This ruling reaffirms that most basic of tenets.
Happy Easter to those of you who celebrate it. I hope everyone has an opportunity this weekend to spend quality time with family and friends.
Congratulations to Andy Johnson of Iowa City, who was recently hired to serve as the Executive Assistant to the Board of Supervisors. Andy has spent the last 5 years as Executive Director of the Housing Trust Fund of Johnson County, and was selected from a tremendously deep and talented pool of candidates.
Andy will begin work May 1st. I am confident that he will do a great job. Please join me in welcoming him to County government!
I attended the community meeting on high schools held at Parkview church, and I came away pleased. I went to a similar meeting a few years ago, and the sides were much more polarized then. This group was very civil, which makes tackling difficult issues much easier.
There are two very interesting things I noted. One change is that the same old battles over the east-west divide no longer rule the day… the north has arrived, and must be taken seriously!
The other thing of note is who is in attendance. I lost my place after awhile, but I was keeping track of the people that spoke. Professor, doctor, professor, lawyer, teacher, nurse, professor, lawyer’s wife… you get the idea. The parents of poor kids were not there. The ICCSD needs to really work to ensure that all voices get heard.
I feel good about things moving forward. There are HUGE issues to address. Decisions MUST be made, not avoided. People WILL be angry. I just hope we can act as a single community dedicated to doing right by all our kids.
As you know, Iowa City was recently awarded the designation of UNESCO City of Literature, only the third city in the world to be so designated.
Edinburgh City of Literature Director Ali Bowden will be part of a program entitled “City of Literature – Prologue – the Vision” Tuesday, April 7 from 5:00-6:30 at the Englert.
Questions and RSVPs can be directed to the Iowa City Coralville Convention and Visitors Bureau at 337-6592.
Shelter House is holding its 7th annual Spring Gala Saturday, April 18 at the Hotel Vetro. Doors open at 5:30, with dinner at 6:30 and a live auction at 7:30. Music will be provided by pianists Maggie Mowery and Benjamin Weideman.
Tickets are $50 each. Call 338-5416 extension #101 for more information.
DID YOU KNOW? Over half of all foreclosures have happened in only 35 counties. (Source: USA Today.)
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
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