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rodsullivan.org
SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
January 25, 2010
Sullivan’s Salvos 1/27/10 I have never before done a special edition of Sullivan’s Salvos. Unfortunately, extreme issues call for extreme measures. In 25+ years of observing the local government scene, I have witnessed many things that disappointed me. Unfortunately, NOTHING I have seen has been as egregious as the management of the Joint Emergency Communications Center (JECC). Some background… there are two E911 dispatch centers in Johnson County; one is run by and serves Iowa City, the other is run by Johnson County and serves everyone else. These are being replaced by a joint venture known as JECC. Several years ago, a confluence of four events led to discussions that ended up in the creation of the JECC. First, the League of Women Voters pushed for consolidation. Second, the terrorist attacks on 9/11/01 demonstrated the importance of public safety agencies being able to communicate with each other. Thirdly, we had own local disaster (the tornado of ‘06) that demonstrated this need on a local level. Finally and most importantly, Iowa City needed to replace its radio system. It was decided that the two dispatch centers would be combined into one, and every public safety agency in Johnson County would get new and compatible radios. Everything would be funded through a county property tax levy. An intergovernmental (28E) organization was formed, and a 7 member Board was created to oversee the JECC. Then things began to go down hill. For starters, JECC should have been run by the Sheriff. Since every citizen in the County was paying for this thing, it made sense that an elected official accountable to every citizen have that responsibility. I made this case in E-mails to the JECC Board; I even attended a JECC meeting to make the case in person. I was promptly shut down, primarily by Councilor Bailey, who wanted to “maintain some control” for Iowa City. That “control” has cost you at least $5,000,000 in unnecessary money so far, with more to come! I tried to explain that the Sheriff represents all the people of Iowa City. In fact, the Sheriff received 28,000 votes in just Iowa City in 2008; the most any City Council candidate has EVER received is 10,000. So people of Iowa City understand what the Sheriff does– their leaders do not. I then went to a fallback position… if having the Sheriff run the JECC was unacceptable to Iowa City, then let the ICPD run the thing. This, too, was shut down. Because the JECC Board chose this route, they needed to begin creating bureaucracy. They hired a Director at a hefty salary, which would have been unnecessary under either of my scenarios. And they did not stop there! The unnecessary Director needed an unnecessary Assistant Director. One justification for this is that the Assistant would also provide tech support. Another justification – and I am NOT making this up – is that he will be needed to provide backup when the first unnecessary person is on vacation! What happens next? They hire an additional full-time tech support person. Never mind that: A) the software vendors are already charging outrageous fees for tech support; B) they said unnecessary guy #2 was a tech person; C) neither IC nor Johnson County currently have a tech person dedicated to dispatch – estimates are that 2-3 hours per week is required right now; D) both IC & Johnson County could provide the tech support on an hourly basis; E) local businesses could provide the support on an hourly basis. It gets even worse. There is an “Operations Director”. What in God’s name does he do? There is ZERO justification. Here is another. The JECC is a secure facility. You cannot just drive up, and you cannot get in. But in their wisdom, the JECC Board approved the funding for a receptionist. Who will this person receive? Your tax dollars at work! The JECC has $20,000 budgeted to replace computer equipment. All the computer equipment is brand new! Can they really be serious? How about $60,000 for negotiations? Johnson County negotiates 6 different contracts with two different unions representing 350 people and it runs about $20,000. It goes further. Each of three 8-hour shifts will have a “Lead Dispatcher”. This makes sense, but not given the bureaucracy already in place. The number of dispatchers is not being reduced through this consolidation; the number is actually increasing. The Director even advertised one position before it was approved! And now that these positions have been approved? They will NEVER go away. We will pay unnecessary salaries until the end of time. The building is too expensive. Stop out and see the three (yes, three) stainless steel refrigerators you bought. The budget was already outrageous. Now they want to increase it by 28%. That is right… an already bloated budget is going up 28%! Johnson County required all our departments to maintain flat budgets (not including negotiated raises) for the second straight year. These folks answer to no one, so they increase budgets 28%! Now for the real kicker. The JECC already has $5,000,000 of our tax dollars in reserve. Not only is that amount outrageous, they want $10,000,000! Ten million dollars! For what? To give this some perspective, Johnson County runs an $80,000,000 annual operation with about $2 million in reserve. Granted, that is a little lower than we’d like. But I cannot imagine why these folks need to sit on 4+ years’ worth of operating revenue. You are being taxed a tremendous amount so they can save 5 times the total County reserves. When asked about the amount already in reserve, the Board and staff claimed they did not know how much was there, nor how it could be spent. Is this oversight? Shouldn’t those questions be answered prior to a budget being submitted? The finances of the JECC are completely out of control. And there is nothing the Board of Supervisors can do to stop it. We are contractually obligated to accept the number they put forth. Salvos readers – you know I am not some anti-tax zealot. I believe in government. Unfortunately, this initiative will give local government a bad name. Who has been responsible for these decisions? Tom Salm, Mayor of North Liberty; Mike Wright and Regenia Bailey, Iowa City Council; Pat Harney, Johnson County Board of Supervisors; Dave Wilson, Emergency Management. All of the above are elected officials except Wilson, who is appointed by a 28E Board similar to the JECC Board. In addition, John Lundell, Coralville City Council, is a new member. Unfortunately, all his votes in his one meeting were for greater spending and greater bureaucracy. Johnson County Sheriff Lonny Pulkrabek also serves on the Board, but we should definitely not lump the Sheriff with the others. Sheriff Pulkrabek has been on the correct (but losing) side of every important vote the JECC Board has taken, including two recent 6-1 votes. It is ironic, because he is the only member of the JECC Board who has ever run a dispatch center, yet his colleagues refuse to listen to his advice. Keep fighting the good fight, Sheriff! I’m sure the rest of the JECC Board will tell you they are only doing what their high-priced consultants told them to do. Here is a news flash – the consultants are not elected to manage our money. They are. There is more blame to go around. I am extremely disappointed in the League of Women Voters on this issue. (As a matter of full disclosure, I am a dues-paying member of the League.) The League got this thing started, then walked away. There is no governmental entity more deserving of scrutiny than JECC, yet the League has taken no interest in the way it is being run. As the premiere watchdog of government in Johnson County, the League has fallen asleep on this one. I urge the League to begin monitoring JECC meetings. I also urge the JECC Board to make audio recordings of their meetings. The minutes as they are done currently say NOTHING. I am outraged. You should be outraged. So, what can we do? They already ignore everything I say and everything the Sheriff says. I see three options: A) contact these people, and let them know you expect them to run JECC differently. If they refuse, then B) we can look into dissolving the 28E agreement. This would be difficult and costly, but not as costly as allowing the JECC Board members to continue their spending habits. I really hope it does not come to this. This whole situation is a shame. A very good initiative has spun out of control. I am still a believer in the theory of joint communications, but I cannot support it in practice the way we are doing it here. Please call these folks TODAY and let them know how you feel! DID YOU KNOW? Audio recordings of Board meetings are available on the Auditor’s web page. 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
January 23, 2010
Sullivan’s Salvos 1/26/10
Congratulations to Supervisor Janelle Rettig who won a special election last week to maintain the seat to which she was appointed a few months ago.
Rettig won with 58% of the vote. I was impressed by Janelle’s ability to focus on the campaign given the unfortunate incidents of hate directed her way. Vote against her because of her record. Vote against her because of her opinions. But do not vote against her because she is a lesbian.
Unfortunately, some of the responses to her campaign demonstrated that Johnson County still has a lot of work to do. Meanwhile, the people have spoken (for now). We’ll be right back at the primaries in June!
We have recently witnessed one of the most devastating disasters in world history - the earthquake in Haiti. I hesitate to call it a natural disaster… when an earthquake of similar strength hit more densely populated San Francisco in 1989, only about 60 people perished.
Over 100,000 Haitians have died as a result of this event. Haiti was devastated by this event because of the crushing poverty that envelopes that country. Please do what you can to donate to disaster relief in Haiti.
I want to mark the recent passings of two extraordinary local women.
Dr. Margaret Emmons was a retired MD who lived at Oaknoll. Dr. Emmons was a very accomplished woman who had traveled the globe. Dr. Emmons was a Salvos subscriber, and frequently wrote me to share her thoughts. She often mailed me books or articles that she felt I should read. She was particularly interested in the best way to improve medical care in Africa; she had travelled there more than once.
Dr. Emmons was a proud Republican, and let me know that. But she was also open to having a friendship with a person of a different sex, different political party, 40 years younger, and I am a better person for it.
Also passing away recently was Peggy Stokes. Peggy was a longtime social worker at the UI Center for Disability and Development. In that role, Peggy made difficult lives a bit easier for thousands of families. When Peggy read research that indicated that siblings of children with disabilities often struggle, she founded the SibShip program. That program has reached out to siblings of children with disabilities for over 20 years now.
Peggy was also a staunch peace activist. You could see Peggy standing on the corner every Friday, holding a sign with some version of “peace not war”. I asked Peggy once if she felt her efforts were making a difference. She sighed, and said that she needed to do SOMETHING because the Iraq War was wrong. Peggy said if she converted just one person to seeing peace as the way, then she had been successful. I think Peggy was a huge success.
On a more positive note, congratulations on your retirements Dan Daly and Speedy Townsend! I wish you both much good health and happiness. Thank you for your years of service!
The “You Earned It. Now Claim It!” campaign will launch on January 31 for its fourth year of operation. This effort supports the financial security of working families by offering FREE tax preparation services.
This program is possible through a partnership involving Johnson County Social Services, the Tippie College of Business, Johnson County AARP, Iowa City Community School District, Iowa City Public Library, Iowa City Housing Authority, Neighborhood Centers, Johnson County Council of Governments, Iowa Legal Aid, and United Way of Johnson County. Funding is provided by the University of Iowa Community Credit Union, Veridian Credit Union, the United Way of Johnson County, & Hawkeye Community Action Program.
Last year over 950 households secured total refunds over $1 million. This service is available for free to people who earned less than $49,000 in 2009. Volunteers are trained to assist working families to get money back through the Earned Income Credit (EIC) and the Child Tax Credit (CTC) and, at the same time, give a boost to the local economy.
For more information on these FREE Tax Preparation sites, call the United Way toll-free at 2-1-1 or visit the Johnson County website at www.johnson-county.com/taxhelp.html.
Some interesting stats courtesy of Mother Jones magazine: to equal the amount of the $14 trillion US bank bailout?
We could provide 10 years of vaccines to all kids in the 117 poorest countries; we could give 10 years worth of $10,000 bonuses to every US public school teacher; we could send all 2009 US high school grads to private college; we could double the research spending on cancer and HIV; we could purchase 10 years worth of carbon offsets for every American; we could meet UN anti-poverty goals; we could pay for 20 years of universal preschool; we could buy a house for every homeless American; we could afford 10 years of helping developing countries address climate change; we could pay for 10 years worth of health insurance for every uninsured American; we could pay of 1/3 of all US mortgages; AND we could buy every person in the world an iPhone!
Please understand – it is not that we could do ONE of the things on that list; we could do ALL of the things on that list! Do the banks owe the American people? Yes, they do!
DID YOU KNOW? Half of the U.S. population is in the eight largest states (California, Texas, New York, Florida, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan).
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
January 17, 2010
Sullivan’s Salvos 1/12/10
Monday marks the celebration of the birthday of the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Junior. Like so many holidays, folks often forget to take a moment to recall the reason behind the day off.
I urge everyone to do some reading on the life of MLK. I felt as though I knew a lot about him, then read a new book. I continue to learn fascinating things about this amazing man! He deserves this honor, and we should take some time to consider his contributions.
In keeping with the MLK theme, the University of Iowa is once again hosting a Celebration of Human Rights, with a whole week full of events.
The Opening Celebration will be Monday, January 18 at 6 PM in the 2nd Floor Ballroom of the IMU. The evening includes performances by Voices of Soul, Charism, The Quire, and Idiris Goodwin, and a keynote address from State Representative Wayne Ford.
For a complete schedule of events, see mlk.uiowa.edu
Johnson County residents have an important election coming up on January 19. In my opinion, this election is a referendum on the role of government in our lives. That should not be taken lightly.
I strongly encourage you to learn everything you can about the two candidates, and come to your own decision. Me? I enthusiastically support Supervisor Janelle Rettig. The reasons are many, but it boils down to this: are we in this together or not?
Please do not skip this election. Your voice is important. It is an unusual date for an election, but please get out and vote.
Do not forget, there are plenty of early voting opportunities! For a complete list, see the Johnson County Auditor’s website at:
http://www.johnson-county.com/auditor/voter/1001elec.htm.
I find it amusing when I hear that Johnson County has “one party rule” or that there is a “Democratic Party Machine” that secretly runs things. I laugh when I hear us referred to by David Yepsen as the “People’s Republic of Johnson County”.
Like any persistent myth, there is a kernel of truth there. Other than a Republican Sheriff during the 80s, local partisan offices have been filled exclusively by Democrats since 1960. But what does that mean? What are the actual results? Is this a Socialist heaven?
The Democratic Party in Johnson County is a pretty big tent. It has always had a large conservative wing, and it still does. Many folks from this wing have served as County Supervisors. And THEY have not agreed on all the issues, either!
Furthermore, what does it mean to be a “conservative” Democrat? How about someone who is against abortion rights but pro-labor and pro-gay rights? (I know many people who fit that bill.) What about someone who is an anti-labor, anti-gay, pro-health care environmentalist? (I know several folks like that, too.) Every one of us would like to be in charge of the Official Litmus Test of our respective parties. But the fact remains… there is no litmus test.
Let’s look at any number of so-called Democratic Party issues, and see where the Johnson County Board of Supervisors falls:
Environmental Issues: Boards of the 50s through the mid-90s did not pay much attention to environmental issues. A few specific individuals notwithstanding, these Boards were extremely pro-development. And they were ALL Democrats. Is this some Socialist machine at work?
Labor Issues: Ask any local Labor activist how they feel about the relationship with the Board. Labor is traditionally dissatisfied with the contracts they get with Johnson County. Union Building Trades feel they do not get a fair hearing when it comes to building projects. The relationship is far from cozy. It used to be worse! And the Sups during this 50-year period were ALL Democrats. Is this some Socialist machine at work?
Civil Rights Issues: There have probably only been two or three two-year windows in 50 years where a majority of the Board supported gay marriage. I would stand by the argument that there have NEVER been all 5 Supervisors in favor. And they were ALL Democrats. Is this a Socialist machine at work?
Economic Justice: The Board has consistently preferred sales taxes to property taxes, despite a Party Platform that states the contrary. In 50 years, there have been less than four Supervisors who have spoken out against sales taxes. Scores preferred them. And they were ALL Democrats. Is this a Socialist machine at work?
Those are only a few issues. Given the choice between lower taxes and more human services, lower taxes have usually carried the day. Issues like choice and war rarely come up at the local level, but it is safe to say that most past Boards have agreed more closely with the Republican party line. And they were ALL Democrats. Is this a Socialist machine at work?
50 years of Democrats at the County level have not delivered a Socialist Disneyland. Similarly, the so-called “liberal” Iowa City Council has only had 4-5 two-year periods in 50 years where there was a truly progressive majority. Same thing in Coralville.
I am not arguing that the governments of the past 50 years have been particularly good or bad. There has been a lot of both in 50 years. There have been really good folks of all political stripes; there have been others we could have done without. The point is simply to bust the myth – the Johnson County Board of Supervisors has traditionally not been a far-left leaning body. A simple check of the facts backs that up.
DID YOU KNOW? Johnson County was created on December 21, 1837 by the legislature of the Wisconsin Territory. The county was carved out of territory formerly in Dubuque County, and was not initially provided with a civil government, instead being governed by Cedar County officials.
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
Sullivan’s Salvos 1/19/10
Johnson County residents have an important election coming up on January 19. In my opinion, this election is a referendum on the role of government in our lives. That should not be taken lightly.
I strongly encourage you to learn everything you can about the two candidates, and come to your own decision. Me? I enthusiastically support Supervisor Janelle Rettig. The reasons are many, but it boils down to this: are we in this together or not?
Please do not skip this election. Your voice is important. It is an unusual date for an election, but please get out and vote.
Do not forget, there are plenty of early voting opportunities! For a complete list, see the Johnson County Auditor’s website at:
http://www.johnson-county.com/auditor/voter/1001elec.htm.
Team registration is now open for Bowl For Kids' Sake 2010. Bowl For Kids' Sake is Big Brothers Big Sisters of Johnson County's annual fundraiser. Participants receive a free round of bowling, t-shirt, and the chance to win door prizes. This year's event, which will be held the last weekend in February, will have a Western theme. Team registration forms are available from the agency's website, www.bbbsjc.org.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Johnson County serves over 700 kids annually through its school- and community-based, one-to-one mentoring programs. Revenue from Bowl For Kids' Sake accounts for one-third of the agency's yearly budget. The fundraiser has been hosted by Colonial Lanes in Iowa City since 1984.
The Sullivan for Supervisor team will be bowling once again this year. We have room on our team for two bowlers… would you like to join the cause? If so, let me know! Otherwise, we would love to have you sponsor us. Just go to the BBBS website at http://www.extension.iastate.edu/johnson/bbbs/
And follow the links.
BBBS Bowl For Kids’ Sake – a great cause! Feel free to join us and/or sponsor us!
I have long argued for a greater use of development impact fees. I think there is a great opportunity out there right now that would allow Iowa City, Johnson County, and perhaps Coralville and Tiffin to develop in a smarter and less expensive manner.
Iowa City recently came to Johnson County with a proposal to annex 132 acres north of I-80, just west of Pearson. I believe this annexation makes sense, but only if Iowa City and Johnson County begin charging a development impact fee in the area.
Some background: Planners in local governments have long envisioned Oakdale Boulevard as the primary east-west arterial street north of I-80. Oakdale already serves this purpose through much of Coralville; what most folks do not realize is that Oakdale is penciled out from west of Tiffin all the way to Scott Boulevard in eastern Iowa City.
The fact that the road is planned is great; the implementation has left much to be desired. For example – when Oakdale was taken east of 12th Avenue in Coralville, local leaders should have required that it be connected to Dubuque Street. People who did much of the development in the area claim they would have paid for the road had they been asked. (Of course, that is easy to say now! But local electeds should have forced the issue.)
Some folks saw what was coming. Then-Supervisor Jonathon Jordahl argued that this situation would create traffic problems, and create a disincentive for future development. Jonathon nailed it. Fast forward 10-15 years, and now Johnson County and Coralville are collaborating on a completion of Oakdale from the dead end to Dubuque Street. Taxpayers in Coralville and rural Johnson County are now footing the bill.
Again, this SHOULD have been paid for; developers could have added $2,000 to each of 500 lots and extended the road. Instead, the road was allowed to dead end. Now, instead of $1,000,000 paid by developers, we have $4,000,000 paid by folks who never asked for the development in the first place.
Oakdale will soon reach Dubuque Street on the west. If Iowa City develops according to the plan in the proposed annexation, Oakdale will start moving west from Highway 1. That leaves a big gap in the middle. Who will pay to fill in this gap? If both Iowa City and Johnson County begin to charge a development impact fee now, we can save up enough money to connect the road all the way through. It would then be paid for by the development as opposed to being paid for by taxpayers.
This is particularly relevant to rural folks. County roads are paid for through the Rural Fund. It will be difficult to argue that the area in question is “rural”, yet rural landowners will foot the bill. That just isn’t fair. In addition, a full connection between Dubuque Street and Highway 1 requires crossing the Iowa River. That bridge will NOT be cheap!
I strongly urge elected officials in Iowa City and Johnson County to enter into a 28E agreement, and to begin collecting a development impact fee in this area. Johnson County, Coralville and Tiffin probably ought to be talking about the same thing heading west.
We have an opportunity to do this right. I do not have any desire to look back in twenty years and say I told you so. Let’s do this correctly now.
DID YOU KNOW? The population of Johnson County is about 17% rural.
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
January 2, 2010
Sullivan’s Salvos 1/5/10 I have been experiencing some very trying difficulties with my Mediacom E-mail. For all I know, no one is getting this! Please forgive my inability to communicate with you. And feel free to stick another pin in your Mediacom voodoo doll! Unfortunately, this edition of Salvos is going to address the losses of several notable folks. Eliot Keller was a local broadcaster and businessman who ran several successful radio stations. I got to know Eliot through the Chamber of Commerce, for whom he was an outstanding volunteer. Eliot was a real civic booster, a very good guy, and he will be missed. Johnson County lost a legend with the passing of Mary Jo Small. As a UI administrator, Mary Jo was central in the creation of a more humane workplace, with equal rights for women and minorities, decent benefits, fair hiring practices, and available childcare. I had the distinct pleasure of serving with Mary Jo on the Executive Committee of the Democratic Party. I recall a time when a colleague used the word “gravitas”, and was jokingly asked to define it. Without missing a beat, he said, “Mary Jo has it; the rest of us do not.” We all knew what he meant. Mary Jo forgot more than I’ll ever know; I’m just honored to have had the opportunity to learn from someone so smart and dedicated. Rest in peace, Mary Jo. Of all the recent losses, the most important to me is the passing of Marian Sullivan, my paternal Grandmother. When I think of my Grandma, a single word keeps coming up: selfless. Everything she ever did, she did for others. Marian (Pint) Sullivan had a big family. They were extremely poor; her father moved around Northeast Iowa working odd jobs and renting small farms. Young Marian always got something for Christmas, but to say the gifts were modest is an understatement. One year she received a doll handmade from cornhusks; another year it was a small hand carved wooden cross; yet another year it was a couple pieces of citrus fruit. She never complained. Selfless. Even though she was a good student, Marian was forced to quit high school and go to work to help support the family. Her labors even helped allow a younger brother to attend college. Selfless. Marian made a ridiculously low wage; I seem to recall her mentioning making less than a dollar a day. She was working in a general store when she met Tom Sullivan, who had a second job cutting and delivering ice. Tom and Marian were married, and tried to begin a life on the farm. Farming during the Depression was simply not working out; Tom and Marian could not afford to buy any land, so rents ate up all their income. When their first child (my father) was born, they had neither electricity nor running water. Life was hard for the Sullivans, but not any more difficult than it was for tens of millions of Americans of the day. But Marian gave her kids the things they needed. Selfless. Finally, they had had enough. A couple hours to the south, Cedar Rapids offered a new beginning. World War II had just begun, and industry was taking off in Cedar Rapids. Anybody who was willing to work, regardless of race or gender, could join a labor union. Tom joined Carpenter’s Local 308; Marian united with many other women in the workforce and joined the United Food and Commercial Worker’s Local at Wilson’s Meatpacking. I recently spoke to my Grandma about her 30 years in the meatpacking plant. She said she liked a lot of the people, but she looked me right in the eye and said, “I never enjoyed a single day there. I just did what I had to do.” Selfless. Soon the War ended, and prosperity arrived. Hard work was paying off. The Sullivans were able to buy a house, a car, and put their kids through Catholic school. They didn’t get a television right away, but because Tom was willing to put an antenna on the roof next door, he got to go to the neighbors to watch pro wrestling. Marian’s wants always took a backseat. Selfless. Despite decades of newfound wealth, not everything was perfect. Years of hard work caused Tom’s body to break down. His last years were spent using a wheelchair. Marian retired and served as his caregiver. Selfless. Because of her years of factory work, Marian suffered from repetitive motion injuries the rest of her life. The UFCW union was busted at Wilson’s, and Marian’s pension and health insurance never quite lived up to their promises. But Marian knew the union protected her. Being a union member fit her profile: Selfless. So, what is her legacy? Marian pulled her family from poverty to the middle class. They lived the American Dream. Every one of her grandkids had healthcare coverage. Every one of her grandkids had the opportunity to get a college education. Every one of her grandkids had the kinds of opportunities many Americans have come to expect, but much of the world can only dream about. Marian Sullivan was selfless. She was also a great Grandma. I love you, Grandma, and I miss you. Go Hawks! Best of luck in the Orange Bowl! You have given us a very memorable season – one of the best I can recall. The success of the football team has helped me deal with a tough year. Thanks, and good luck! DID YOU KNOW? Johnson County is bordered by seven other counties – more than any other county in Iowa. 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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