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rodsullivan.org
SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
May 31, 2009
Sullivan’s Salvos 6/2/09 We are approaching the one-year anniversary of the floods that affected us all so deeply. Even though my family and I did not personally suffer any losses, I will never forget June of 2009. Please be sensitive to the impact that anniversaries can have. There are several people in Johnson County who have been through a lot; we all need to be supportive. Johnson County has a critically important position available, as there is an opening on the Board of Health. The 5 members of the Board of Health are appointed by the Board of Supervisors, and serve 5-year terms. This is to fill an unexpired term, and the appointment will run through December 31 of this year. (The successful applicant could then seek reappointment if she/he chooses.) For more information on applying, see: http://www.johnson-county.com/Employment/pdf/Board_of_Health.pdf.
It seems there has been a tempest in a teapot created over the State’s new law requiring gender equity on boards and commissions at the local government level. In light of the identity politics surrounding the appointment of Sonya Sotomayor to the US Supreme Court, perhaps now is the time to discuss the issue.
The law does not go into effect until 2012, but the Board brought it up during some recent appointments.
I recognize why the Legislature passed this law. There are still far too many places where women are underrepresented on boards and commissions. I expressed my concerns that there might be unanticipated consequences to the passage of this law. The following situation illustrates one such example.
I voted to add TWO WOMEN to a commission that already had 5/7 female members. Because 3 Supervisors voted the way I did, that commission will now have 6/7 female members. I feel good about this vote, because the two women were clearly the most qualified candidates. Our vote is legal for now; as of 2012, this commission will need to have at least 3 men.
Clearly, eliminating a preponderance of women was not the intent of the folks that passed the law. I suppose they knew there would be some unintended consequences; my guess is they decided that it was worth trading a couple women in Johnson County for scores of women statewide. I can understand that logic.
I also think it is worth noting that diversity can be measured many ways. Johnson County fares extremely well as far as diversity in terms of sex and sexual identity. We do not fare very well when it comes to diversity in terms of race and ethnicity.
Just as importantly, the most underrepresented group as far as local governments are concerned are people of low income. Go through the lists of the people that are appointed to boards and commissions. Show me the people who earn below Iowa’s median per capita income of $25,000. The only appointees you will find are self-advocates who sit on Mental Health Commissions. People without money are always the least represented group.
One last thought: people talk a lot about appointing the “most qualified” applicant. Even this can be interpreted differently. For example, earlier I mentioned the opening on the Board of Health. I think Boards of Health should have several members who have a deep understanding of health – MDs, for example. Our current 5-member Board of Health has an MD; a DVM/PhD; and an RN. In my mind, this is a great mix.
While I like the credentials of our group, I feel strongly that the Board of Health should also have at least one “lay person”. The people need representation from some Jane or Joe Average who struggles with her health insurance provider, and wants clean restaurants, air and water. (We currently have that, too.)
I do not begrudge the Legislature for passing this law. It was probably needed in several places. I do not think Johnson County is one of those places. But we will certainly continue to seek out members of underrepresented groups, and we will certainly comply with the law once it goes into effect.
DID YOU KNOW? Memorial Day reminds us that one of the services provided by County government is Veteran’s Affairs. You can reach the Johnson County Department of Veteran’s Affairs in the new Health and Human Services Building at 855 S. Dubuque Street, or by calling 356-6049.
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
May 24, 2009
Sullivan’s Salvos 5/26/09
Congratulations to all the graduates! This is always such a very special time of year… granted, I am a big softy, but I get a bit misty every time I hear Pomp and Circumstance.
My son BJ is a 6th grader at Hoover, and since he is our youngest, we are basically through with our neighborhood elementary school. Last Saturday were our final Kickers soccer games after sitting out there through approximately 300 games. Then there are final concerts, final track meets, and all sorts of other “finals”.
It is not traditionally viewed as a big milestone, but I am amazed at the impact that is having on me. I will really miss Hoover! Meanwhile, congrats to all of you that have a family member completing one phase of her or his life.
I am receiving a very nice honor this Thursday… the Heritage Area Agency on Aging (AAA) has selected me as their 2009 Outstanding Elected Public Official.
For those that are unfamiliar, Heritage is one of 667 Area Agencies on Aging nationwide and one of only 13 in Iowa. The agency plans, coordinates and funds a variety of human services programs that serve the 60,000+ older adults who reside in Benton, Cedar, Iowa, Johnson, Jones, Linn, and Washington Counties. Heritage serves people age 60 and above as well as their families and communities.
This is really a tremendous honor. Thank you to the overly kind and generous local folks who placed my name in nomination. I have tried very hard to serve the seniors of Johnson County; it is really neat to have that effort recognized.
Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter was in the news recently for switching from the Republic Party to the Democratic Party. While this move is condemned by Republicans and hailed by Democrats, I’m not so sure it is good for anyone except Arlen Specter.
Don’t get me wrong; Specter is a decent man, particularly for a 30-plus-year veteran of DC politics. But he does not measure up on labor, the environment, economic justice, health care, or any number of Democratic Party issues.
Why should Pennsylvania Democrats embrace a man who has served the opposition for over 30 years and make him their standard bearer? Specter is viewed as a moderate now, but he was a typical member of the GOP when he was first elected. Should he be rewarded by Dems because his own party has moved so far to the right?
Specter has only been with Democrats on roughly 30% of his votes. Is that really acceptable to the Democratic Party? Senate Dems do not need 60 members – they need 60 VOTES! Otherwise, they will be as irrelevant as the Iowa House- 56 members, and no results.
Some moderates are truly independent thinkers, but I think there is a tendency to romanticize moderates of either party. Too often these folks are credited with being icons of the American system of government. I would argue that often moderates are gutless, intellectually dishonest, calculating self-preservationists.
The Iowa House of Representatives has been a study in the frustration of working with so-called “moderates”. They have produced very moderate results. Give me the choice between a straight shooting opponent and a false friend, and I’ll take the honest opponent.
US politics have rarely focused upon helping those that need it. I would argue that no administration has really looked out for the little guy since Lyndon Johnson was elected in 1964. Johnson, of course, forgot about the little guy as far as Viet Nam was concerned, and all his good work is largely overshadowed by that fiasco. (Rightfully so.)
Now is no time for more of the same. Now is no time for moderation. The people of this country (including this County) want a new direction. Will someone PLEASE step up and offer progressive change? Who in politics is looking out for the least among us?
DID YOU KNOW? Johnson Co. Board of Supervisors Meetings are on the web!
Local government meetings can be viewed at: http://www.citychannel4.com/video/cc4live.html
Gavel-to-gavel coverage of the Johnson County Board of Supervisors meetings. Taped for view at 5:30pm every Thursday... also live coverage on the second Thursdays at 5:30... you can also watch taped coverage on Sunday's at 1:30pm and Tuesday's at 9:30am!
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
May 17, 2009
Sullivan’s Salvos 5/19/09
Happy Memorial Day! Thanks to all who are serving and have served our country. Your service is appreciated!
The Board voted on May 14 to explore rebuilding the missing section of the Sutliff Bridge.
I thought this was a no-brainer. Granted, I am biased… I grew up at the Sutliff Store. But look at the facts:
*The Sutliff Bridge is a huge tourist attraction, with visitors from all 50 states and several foreign countries. Thousands of people visit Johnson County so they can check out the bridge. Boaters, anglers, birdwatchers, bikers, motorcyclists, snowmobilers, history buffs, and others visit Sutliff for recreation.
*FEMA will pay 90% of the cost, with the State of Iowa picking up 10%. So no money comes from the County budget.
*Liability will cost Johnson County only a couple dollars per year, and the Sutliff Bridge Authority has pledged to continue raising money for maintenance.
* If, at some point, engineering studies show that rebuilding the bridge is not viable, Johnson County can change course and use FEMA funds to demolish the remaining section. (Clearly, not my preference.)
Two Johnson County residents have recently been honored for their outstanding service on behalf of senior citizens. Congratulations to Eve Casserly of Coralville, who was honored with a Shining Star Award from Governor Culver. Even more impressively, the Reverend Bob Welsh has been honored with the first ever Betty Grandquist Lifetime Achievement Award for his years of working to improve the lives of senior citizens. Kudos to both of these wonderful volunteers!
Great news from Johnson County’s Free Tax Help Program – also known as You Earned It, Now Claim It!
This effort, a cooperation between the ICCSD, Iowa City, and numerous local agencies, brings a tremendous amount of money into Johnson County that would likely otherwise go unclaimed, including Earned Income Tax Credits. The money goes directly to our poorest residents, who tend to spend it locally.
The numbers? We held 36 clinics throughout Johnson County, with 93 volunteers providing 1800 hours of service. They filled out 954 returns (a 42% increase) and the amount coming back to Johnson County is $1.2 million, 100% more than a year ago.
Thank you to everyone who has been involved in this outstanding effort!
There are many critical decisions facing the ICCSD Board of Directors. In my opinion, the key issue here is not local at all. The problem lies with the Iowa Legislature. Here is the problem: the Legislature has decided that there is a maximum that can be spent per pupil. It does not matter if the money comes from the Feds, State, or local taxes – school districts are capped at a maximum per pupil amount. When you hear Dr. Plugge talk about “Spending Authority”, he is referring to the fact that we are capped by the State.
I can empathize. Johnson County faces the same dilemma when it comes to Mental Health & Disability services. Even though we want to spend more, we can’t. I fear that we are going to be faced with the same scenario as it applies to several Public Health programs.
While I understand the State’s desire to equalize per pupil spending, I think the approach is wrong. We should not penalize local governments who want to exceed State expectations. The proper role of State government is to set MINIMUM expectations, not MAXIMUM outcomes. Why hold people back?
Every child in Iowa deserves a great education; great should be the baseline. But local communities should be able to do better than great! I hope the ICCSD Board will enlist the citizens of Johnson County and crusade for the right to exceed state standards.
DID YOU KNOW? 68 Iowans died on the job in 2008, including 3 members of the US military.
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
May 14, 2009
Sullivan’s Salvos 5/12/09
We went through a trying time the past two weeks, as our computer quit working. That explains why there was no Salvos for a couple of weeks.
Thankfully, all the information from our hard drive was salvaged, and the repair was not too expensive.
It is a pretty scary proposition to lose your hard drive. For me, it means family photos, home movies, my calendar, all my music, hundreds of E-mail addresses, and much more. It certainly reemphasized the need to back things up more frequently!
If I needed a dose of humility, two weeks without Salvos provided it! While over 400 people receive Salvos on a weekly basis, less than ten asked where it was after missing two weeks!
The biggest news of the past couple weeks was the vote on the local option sales tax. Regardless of how you felt about the outcome, I hope every citizen appreciates the work of the Johnson County Auditor’s Office. They handled a complicated and contentious election extremely well. Kudos!
I stood by a couple weeks ago and watched as dozens of our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters filed for marriage licenses. What a wonderful day! It felt good just being around so much love and happiness.
I challenge anyone to convince me how the Bible and/or the Iowa Constitution should be used as a blunt instrument to harm our fellow citizens. Do unto others, as you would have others do unto you…
There are so many bad things in our world today. Poverty, hunger, disease, unemployment, pain, death… why not embrace the little things that bring joy into our world?
In a related matter, you may have heard that some county governments have opined on the implementation of the Iowa Supreme Court decision in Varnum vs. Brien. Johnson County wrote a letter in support of following the law. Nine out of the ten countywide elected officials signed this letter.
Frankly, I wish the letter had been more strongly worded. Rather than, “we urge others to follow the law,” I would have preferred a letter that said, “we support full equality for all people.” But what we sent was better than nothing.
I was very disappointed in a recent Board action. We decided not to allow the third floor of the new Health and Human Services Building (HHS) to be used as a temporary location for the Homeless Overflow program.
Run by the Consultation of Religious Communities, the Homeless Overflow program provides overnight accommodations when Shelter House is full. Regrettably, Shelter House is full all winter – the Overflow provided 1,700 nights of shelter this past season.
Unfortunately, several churches will be unable to participate this upcoming winter. Plus, moving the cots and equipment from place to place is wearing out the volunteers. The new and expanded Shelter House will not be built in time. So the Consultation needs a location for one more winter. The HHS building is perfect – a big, empty space with restrooms, near downtown, where cots could just sit all day.
I have served as a driver several nights per year for approximately the past 4 years, so I have seen the Overflow firsthand. Volunteers stay awake and monitor every guest all night long. All guests have passed a breathalizer test. No one is allowed in, and once you leave, you may not return. Local churches have been doing this for years, and they have incurred no expenses. Problems have been very minimal. Johnson County had little to fear.
And consider… a program serving the homeless was asking to use the HEALTH and HUMAN SERVICES building! Am I the only one who sees the irony here? The HHS building may be managed by the Board of Supervisors, but it belongs to the public – even those with nowhere to stay.
The Board instructed our Facilities Manager to work with the Consultation to find an alternative location. I thought this was ironic, too, given the group with whom we were working – we basically said there is no room at the inn, but we may have a manger you can use.
DID YOU KNOW? Campsites are now open in Johnson County! Please check out the wonderful facilities provided for public use by the Conservation Board.
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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