SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
May 10, 2013
Sullivan’s
Salvos 5/14/13
In this edition:
*Justice Center Results
*Politics of the Justice Center
*Justice Center – Next Steps
*Doing the Right Thing?
*Bike to Work Week
*Ag Fest
*Did You Know?
*Justice Center Results
Voters in Johnson
County went to the polls last Tuesday, and the Justice Center Measure failed by
a margin of 54-46. (Because Iowa requires a supermajority for bond issues, 60%
is required. So despite twice getting a clear majority of the public support,
the issue fails.) Turnout was disappointing at 13,648 (15.2%), but much better
than the last County election.
So now what? As you
might imagine, there is a great deal of work to do. The problems do not go
away. Where we go in terms of solutions is very up in the air.
We have tasks that
continue regardless of our facilities. We must hold the people we are presented
with, regardless of what public safety agency is charging them. We must serve
as the prosecution arm of the State. We must attempt to provide safe space for
everyone involved. Our jail faces several million dollars worth of repairs. We
must maintain our commitment to jail alternatives. We must work on the issue of
disproportionate minority contact in the justice system. Those issues do not go
away, and much work remains.
Thanks to all who
voted; by the way, we simply must find a way to get more people to the polls!
Meanwhile, we will need your feedback as we proceed. Please let us know what
you think!
*Politics of the Justice Center
The two Justice
Center campaigns have been somewhat draining. The politics of such an effort
create fissures within the community, and exacerbate old divides.
Party politics gets
thrown out the window. Both the Democratic and Republican parties are split on
the issue. While much of the funding for the NO campaign came from people on the
right, much of the NO campaigning was done by people on the left.
Unfortunately,
these divides have not happened without casualties. Friendships have ended.
Personally, I have felt the sting of many slings and arrows during this
process. It is not fun, frankly.
It
is really difficult to hear the hatred in people’s voices when they say things
like, “They’re all crooks.” I don’t even know how to begin to respond to something
like that. To 30% of the people, I’m too liberal. To 20%, I am a conservative
tool. And neither group cares what I actually have to say; they want to create
a caricature.
It
is tough, because I know Lonny and Janet. These are two REALLY good people! It
may sound cliché’, but these are the people you’d like to have marry your own
kids. They are that good. It is hard to hear people make baseless and
unwarranted criticisms of them. You may disagree with these two, but they
should have earned your respect. If you do not respect them, you’d better look
in the mirror!
This
environment provides an excellent opportunity for the haters to hate. They can
pile on, spew their bile, and be supported rather than challenged. Worse, it
pits you against some people you really like and respect.
I
think it is important to note that there are many Justice Center opponents that
I like and respect. Nick Johnson is a person I have long admired. Caroline
Dieterle has been a tireless progressive voice in this community for a long
time. Karen Kubby set the bar for every elected official that followed her.
Frankly, it is difficult to find myself on the opposite side of an issue from
them. Those are just three of many good people holding that opinion.
Similarly,
while I don’t really know Martha Hampel and Aleksey Gurtovoy, I really
respect their passion. There are several things upon which we agree, and
several things we don’t. But they are passionate, and walk the walk. They work
hard, and they try to work with you. In addition, they seemed to fight fair for
the most part. I do not dislike these folks; I tip my hat to them.
There are other opponents I
dislike but respect; as well as opponents I neither like nor respect. But the
same can be said of the Yes camp. The Justice Center is not the single issue in
this community. I don’t choose my friends based upon their vote.
It is my hope that we can
mend the divides that have arisen as a result of these referenda. We are NEVER
going to find issues where 95% of the people agree. That will simply NEVER
occur in Johnson County. But we CAN make an effort to understand each other. I
plan on doing just that. Our community works best when we have mutual respect.
*Justice Center – Next Steps
So
– what are YOUR thoughts? I’m going to do an unscientific poll of Salvos
readers. I do not want to hear praise of or complaints about the recent measure
– it is over. What do you think we should do next, and why? Thanks in advance
for your input!
*Doing the Right Thing?
I
just mentioned people I respect. A big part of that respect comes from the way
they stand up for the issues in which they believe. One of my biggest
frustrations is elected officials who do not seem to stand for anything.
We all want our elected officials to be just like Jimmy Stewart in
”Mr. Smith Goes to Washington”. That is the way government is supposed to work,
right? We want principled people taking principled stands, with no “politics”
involved.
As an elected official, there is a much easier route to take. It
is actually quite easy to sit back, keep your head down, and stay quiet. If
asked about an issue, say that you “can see both sides”. When it comes time to
vote, look serious and say that the decision was hard. Then vote, and avoid
speaking about the issue again.
If
an elected official behaves exactly as I described above, she will easily be
reelected. She can probably serve as long as she likes. She will also be a
TERRIBLE public servant!
Too
many elected officials just fill a chair. Yes, the job can be very difficult.
We desperately need good people, yet the rewards are few. But we cannot stop
trying. We simply must get good people into elected office.
“Strong
convictions precede great actions.” – James Freeman Clarke
“I would
rather be a coward than brave because people hurt you when you are brave.” - E. M. Forster (1879 - 1970)
*Bike to Work Week
Bike to Work Week is
May 12-18 in Johnson County.
There are lots of
great local events all week long, including some that are County-sponsored. See
http://www.thinkbicycles.org/bike-to-work-week/ for more info.
*Ag Fest
Ag
Fest is Saturday, May 18 from 9:30-noon at the Johnson County Fairgrounds. This
is a great event for all ages, but particularly children. Check it out!
*DID YOU KNOW?
Johnson and Van Buren are the only Iowa counties
who currently comply with the state gender balance laws. (Source: Des Moines
Register.)
Anyone
interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the
County website-
"Sullivan’s
Salvos" is sent once per week to any interested party. It will give a
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serving you!
---Rod
posted by Rod Sullivan @ 3:24 PM
4 Comments:
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This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Rod: A good way to prove that you're thinking level-headed and don't have your fingers in your ears, would be to stop continuing with the "we need to get more people to the polls" meme as an excuse to how this referendum lost. It's blatantly obvious that the more County officials and the YES Campaign "educate" voters on this, the more they want to reject it. It lost during a general election vote (A TON of people came to the polls), and it lost during the revote this time around by a wider margin.
Anonymous: Getting people to the polls has nothing to do with who won or lost; it is simply important to our democracy.
You are correct, it "lost", but it had the support of a majority twice. It seems to me that it would be wrong to ignore this, too.
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