SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
April 19, 2014
Sullivan’s
Salvos 4/22/14
In this edition:
*NAMI Walk
*County Attorney Race
*ACLU Dinner
*Did You Know?
*NAMI Walk
We
are pleased to announce that the Johnson County Board of Supervisors has been
selected as the 2014 Honorary Co-Chairs of the National Alliance on Mental
Illness Johnson County (NAMIJC) Community Walk.
“The
Power of 10 – Celebrating the NAMIJC 10th Annual Walk” will take place on
Saturday, April 26th at the Terry Trueblood Recreation Area, off of South Gilbert
Street in SE Iowa City. Check-in begins at 9am and the walk starts at 10am.
The
purposes of the walk are to raise funds for NAMI projects and programs, raise
awareness of mental illness and those affected by it, and encourage people to
think and talk about mental illness as they would any other illness that
requires treatment (such as diabetes or heart disease).
NAMI
provides educational programs and classes about illnesses, symptoms, treatment
options, and available services for those living with a mental illness, as well
as for those with whom they live and work. NAMI advocates for access to
services, treatment, supports and research… and is committed to raising
awareness and building a community of hope for all those in need.
*County Attorney Race
The
race is beginning to heat up in the contest for the Democratic Party nomination
for County Attorney.
In
one corner, you have Janet Lyness, a 20+ year employee of the office who was
elected County Attorney in 2006 and again in 2010. In the other corner, you
have relative newcomer John Zimmerman, a recently minted grad of the UI College
of Law and a social justice activist.
I
am backing Janet in this race. The reasons are pretty simple.
Let
me begin by saying I like John Zimmerman. We have had a few conversations, and
he seems like a good guy who really cares about those who are less fortunate.
That is a good thing! We need more people with John’s values in our community.
I’m glad he is here, and I hope he stays. I also hope people who support Janet
will choose to treat John with respect.
John
has also raised some very important issues. If you have read Salvos long
enough, you know that he and I share many of the same concerns.
Disproportionate Minority Contact, excessive bond amounts, too many arrests for
marijuana, tactics of the ICPD… I could go on. I plan on continuing to work on
these issues regardless of who wins the race for County Attorney. I hope you
will join me!
So
why do I back Janet? First, experience. I think many folks operate under the
misperception that the County Attorney’s job is some podunk Mayberry-type of
position. Nothing could be further from the truth. The County Attorney’s Office
has a budget of almost $3 million annually, and is home to dozens of staff people,
students, and volunteers. In addition to serving as the State’s Attorney on
capital cases and other important criminal trials, there are hundreds of local
charges being filled, plus many civil cases. They are working with victims,
witnesses, judges, the Clerk of Court, and juries. The Attorney’s Office
reviews every contract Johnson County enters into (there are thousands) and
reviews every bit of legislation. In addition to all that, you get to defend
County Departments and Elected Officials. Managing an office of this size is
NOT a simple task!
Janet
has the experience to handle the job. It is not easy. And I think she’d admit
she had her struggles in the beginning. There are still areas where we can do
better. But she has grown into an outstanding County Attorney. Janet is not
good at tooting her own horn when her office does well. But they DO do well.
They frequently do great things. You just don’t always hear about them. We have
a County Attorney’s Office of which we can be proud. That does not just happen
– that is because of Janet!
But
the main reason I back Janet is simple and personal. Janet Lyness is a really
good person. Is this a good reason for electing someone to office? Not on its
own. But when combined with her experience, I do not know how you could
possibly ask for more.
I
have gotten to know Janet fairly well over my nine years in office. I am proud
to call her a friend. You will not find a person more kind, caring, humble,
gentle and honest. Janet has a heart of gold. She is very hardworking, yet also
finds the time to be a great Mom and a super volunteer. She is a great person,
plain and simple. I honestly do not know many better people. I would trust
Janet with my life. I cannot say this type of thing about everyone with whom I
work, but I can say it adamantly in this case. I am very fortunate to have her
as a friend, and we are very fortunate to have someone of this character in
elected office.
Voting
begins April 24. Please join me in voting for Janet Lyness in the Democratic
Primary for County Attorney.
*ACLU Dinner
The
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Iowa is holding its’ annual dinner
Saturday, May 3 at 6pm at the University Club in Iowa City.
Tickets
are $50 in advance, $55 at the door. The featured speaker is Ann Naffier, one
of Iowa’s leading immigration attorneys. The ACLU will also be honoring Des
Moines attorney Dan Johnston, who represented the students in the famous Tinker
versus Des Moines Supreme Court case.
*DID YOU KNOW?
County Attorney in Johnson County used to be an office that turned over
frequently. Most attorneys were reluctant to surrender lucrative private
practices, so individuals often only served a single term. This practice and
the professionalism of the office changed dramatically with the 1982 election
of J. Patrick White, who had already worked for several years in the office.
White served as County Attorney from ’82 until his retirement in 2006.
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 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
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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 @ 8:33 AM
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