rodsullivan.org
SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
April 25, 2014
Sullivan’s
Salvos 4/29/14
In this edition:
*Do You Know These Folks?
*Congratulations Supervisor Etheredge!
*Supervisor Demographics
*Juvenile Record Sealing Day
*Did You Know?
*Do You Know These Folks?
Patrick Hughes, Joe Johnston, Carol Thompson, Dennis Ryan, David
Osterberg, and Pat Cancilla. Each of these people is a remarkable individual.
If you are a Democrat, you owe each a debt of gratitude.
These folks are the Johnson County Democratic Party Hall of Fame
inductees for 2014. We hope you can join us in recognizing this remarkable
group!
The
Johnson County Democratic Party is holding its Annual Hall of Fame Awards on
Saturday, May 17 at 7pm at the Coralville Marriott.
Please
join us for coffee, desserts, and plenty of old war stories! A cash bar will be
available. Parking is available for a small fee on either end of the building.
Tickets
are available for a $25 suggested donation. People who cannot afford that
amount should still feel welcome, but please call 354-7199 so we can get a
count.
Sponsorships
are available at the following levels: $100 includes two tickets; $250 includes
4 tickets; $500 includes 8 tickets.
Checks
can be mailed to: Johnson County Democrats, PO Box 1773, Iowa City, IA 52244
*Congratulations Supervisor Etheredge!
A
big congrats to Supervisor John Etheredge and his wife Debbie on the birth of
their son, Evan on April 17. Evan was 20.5 inches long, 7 pounds, 12 ounces,
and came into this world with a full head of hair. This is their first child,
and it sounds as though the whole family is doing great.
Congratulations,
Etheredge family! I am so very happy for you!
*Supervisor Demographics
The
birth of young Evan Etheredge got me thinking about Supervisor demographics. Go
to a statewide Supervisors meeting some time – you will not see many folks
under 60. As a matter of fact, I recall seeing that the average age of a
Supervisor in Iowa was over 65. I’ve looked for that statistic, and I cannot
find it anywhere, so don’t take it to the bank. But we can agree – state wide,
the job of Supervisor tends to be filled by older people.
The
routine in most counties is a farmer hands over the day-to-day operations to
his son, then looks around, realizes he has some free time, and runs for
Supervisor. That puts them in the 60ish range. Then they serve 3-4 terms.
Johnson
County has always elected younger Supervisors than our peer counties, but few
extremely young people have won election. That is why a Supervisor becoming a first
time father while in office is such a rare thing.
I
was 38 when I was elected; my youngest child was 6 at the time. Several
Supervisors have had high school-aged children when they were elected; not many
had kindergartners!
Supervisor
Neuzil was the youngest Supervisor in Iowa when he was elected at 30 in 2000.
There have been a few 20-somethings elected since, including Ben Rodgers in
Linn County and our own Supervisor Etheredge. But these cases are still the
exception rather than the rule.
And
in some ways, that makes sense. It is hard to have a full resume and a wealth
of experiences yet only be 30 years old. It is fair to question just how much
wisdom a 30 year old can bring to any decision-making process. Obviously
previous generations felt so strongly about this that they created minimum ages
for the offices of US Senate and US President.
On
the other hand, I hate the fact that our elected officials so rarely reflect
the people they represent. We need more women, minorities, and yes – young
people – in elective office.
Of
course, the MOST underrepresented group has been and will always be the poor.
I’d love to someday see a Board of Supervisors that consisted of four or more
poor people. Don’t hold your breath!
*Juvenile Record Sealing Day
This
has already taken place, but I thought you might be interested all the same.
Johnson
County, Iowa - On Friday, April 25, the Johnson County Youth Development Policy
Board will host the First Annual Juvenile Records Sealing Day at the Johnson
County Courthouse from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Members of the community may be
eligible to have their juvenile delinquency records sealed if they are 18 years
of age or older, two years have passed since having court or informal
supervision involvement, and the individual has had no other serious
convictions. Records can only be sealed in the county where the charges
originated; therefore only charges from Johnson County will be considered for
sealing.
In
addition to hosting the Sealing Day, the Juvenile Justice Youth Development
Policy Board hopes to raise awareness of the public nature of juvenile
delinquency records in Iowa. In the vast majority of states in the United
States, juvenile delinquency court and law enforcement records for minor
offenses are confidential and not public record. In Iowa, these records are
public documents.
Increasingly
potential employers, colleges, and landlords conduct background checks on
applicants, and even a minor offense committed as a juvenile can remove an
individual from consideration. Lynette Jacoby, Johnson County Social Services
Coordinator, says that most people don’t understand the lack of confidentiality
laws surrounding juvenile records.
“Many
young adults who are eligible to have their records sealed don’t do so,” Jacoby
said. “They may think their juvenile record is confidential or will not impact
them in the future. They may not understand the sealing process and believe
their record will automatically disappear.
“We
want to see all young people lead successful and productive lives. It is
unfortunate when minor offenses that occurred during the formative adolescent
years have future negative implications for people. Sealing juvenile records is
an important step for young adults’ futures. The Sealing Day on April 25 is an
opportunity for eligible young adults to move swiftly to have their records
sealed,” Jacoby explained.
Applications
and procedural information for sealing of juvenile records can be obtained at www.sealingday.com. To participate in Sealing Day on April 25,
applicants must submit completed applications to the Johnson County Clerk of
Court’s office, Juvenile Division, by Tuesday, April 22. Although walk-ins are
welcome the day of the event, there is no guarantee that the sealing process
will be completed on the same day. Individuals unable to attend the event may
apply at any time; however, they will need to return for a scheduled court
date.
*DID YOU KNOW?
Travis
Nez, an 18-year-old senior at Phillips High School in Price County, WI, became the
youngest elected County Supervisor in US history when he began his two-year
term on the Price County Board on Tuesday, April 17, 2012.
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
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 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
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 11, 2014
Sullivan’s
Salvos 4/15/14
In this edition:
*Johnson County Democratic Party Hall of Fame
*ICCSD Cuts
*Iowa City Hospice Walk For Dignity
*Table To Table Fundraiser
*Did You Know?
*Johnson County Democratic Party Hall
of Fame
The
Johnson County Democratic Party is holding its Annual Hall of Fame Awards on
Saturday, May 17 at 7pm at the Coralville Marriott.
Please
join us for coffee, desserts, and plenty of old war stories! A cash bar will be
available. Parking is available for a small fee on either end of the building.
The
Hall of Fame inductees for 2014 are: Patrick Hughes, Joe Johnston, Carol
Thompson, Dennis Ryan, David Osterberg, and Pat Cancilla. We hope you can join
us in recognizing this remarkable group!
Tickets
are available for a $25 suggested donation. People who cannot afford that
amount should still feel welcome, but please call 354-7199 so we can get a
count.
Sponsorships
are available at the following levels: $100 includes two tickets; $250 includes
4 tickets; $500 includes 8 tickets.
Checks
can be mailed to: Johnson County Democrats, PO Box 1773, Iowa City, IA 52244
We
hope you will join us for a fun evening, and lend your voice to those who are
honoring these very deserving people. We look forward to seeing you!
*ICCSD Cuts
The
ICCSD recently announced a series of cuts to deal with shortfalls in the
operating budget. The cuts were clearly designed to be spread broadly across
programs and populations, so no one thing shoulders the whole burden. This
makes sense. It also gives everyone something about which to complain!
Are
you upset about one or more of these cuts? (I know I am!) What are you going to
do about it?
Here
is what I’m NOT going to do. I’m not going to call Board President Sally
Hoelscher. She’s doing the best she can. The whole ICCSD Board is doing the
best that it can. The blame for this situation lies squarely in two places:
Governor Branstad and the Republicans in the Iowa House.
You
have an opportunity to correct this situation. It comes in November – it is the
General Election! Clearly, it is not enough to just vote the right way here.
You need to give your time and money statewide, or we’ll just see more cuts.
Elections have consequences, my friends.
*Iowa City Hospice Walk For Dignity
From
Iowa City Hospice: Ask Jane Hanrahan’s children this, “Tell me about your mom,”
and the responses are quick, enthusiastic and unanimous – she was so caring,
giving, loving, kind (and amazingly) never crabby or cross with any of us!
In
addition to being the mother of eight, Jane was a nurse’s aid in the Mercy Iowa
City orthopedic unit. Somehow, she still found time to volunteer at school,
church, the hospital and later, at Iowa City Hospice.
Her
skills and love of people were a perfect fit for hospice care. Jane felt it was
a gift to be nurturing, and would sit with patients and their families, prayed
with them if they wished and even brought the comfort of a special dish
she made herself.
When
Jane became ill, Iowa Hospice Care was there for her. Her children recalled
that her face would light up when the Iowa City Hospice volunteers, staff or
Jane’s nurse, Rachel arrived.
Besides
the human touch, whatever the special need, whatever the hour, Iowa City
Hospice responded. “It was such a relief when Iowa City Hospice came on board,”
Jane’s daughter Teresa recalls, “With one phone call, they took it from there
and knew just what to do.”
Even
with her experience, Jane and the family didn’t realize the range of what Iowa
City Hospice provided. They made sure everyone’s needs were met. Teresa stated,
“the love they showed my mother – they never made her feel that she was a
burden. It really was dignity that they provided.”
In
2010, a year after Jane’s death, her son Marty formed Team Jane to pay both
tribute to their beloved Mother, and to support Iowa City Hospice; a cause she
believed in. This year the Hanrahan’s are the 2014 Honorary Walk for Dignity Family.
After
the Walk, the Hanrahan family will continue the party and pay one more tribute
to their mother with a trip to Dairy Queen, remembering her wish that they get
together to have fun and some ice cream, always available in her freezer.
Son
Marty says, “My mom took pride in seeing her values reflected in us and her
grandchildren. With the Walk, we have a great time and continue her legacy,
what she stood for – charity.”
All
are invited to join us at the 2014 Walk for Dignity Sunday April 27th, and the
special debut of the Tribute Walls, recognizing our most generous donors for
the past 30 years. For more details or to get involved, please email or call us at 319-688-4213 or 800-897-3052. You
can also visit firstgiving.com/iowacityhospice.
According
to Maggie Elliott, Executive Director, “Donations help us care for patients and
their caregivers. We are so grateful for this generous community support!”
Email or call us at 319-688-4213 or 800-897-3052 to get
more information about Walk For Dignity.
*Table To Table Fundraiser
Table
To Table, Iowa’s original food rescue operation, is holding its’ 18th
annual fundraising dinner on Thursday, April 24 at 6pm at Celebration Farm.
Called
“Amazing Graze”, this meal features food from IRP, New Pi, UI Catering, Mercy,
Hy-Vee, and more. There will also be a raffle.
Tickets
are $60 per person or a table off 8 for $450. For tickets or more info, see:
table2table.org.
*DID YOU KNOW?
I’ll have more Haiti stories soon. They take a while to write.
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
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 6, 2014
Sullivan’s
Salvos 4/8/14
In this edition:
*Happy Birthday, Jordan!
*Haiti
*Cities Paralyzed
*Pancake Day
*Did You Know?
*Happy Birthday, Jordan!
Happy
20th Birthday to my daughter Jordan on April 8th! Jordan is a sophomore at Western
Illinois University in Macomb, Illinois.
Jordan has certainly
done a lot to make us proud in her 20 years! She is a really good girl, who has
overcome many obstacles. In many ways, she is a hero to me. And I love her more
than I could ever explain here. Happy Birthday, Honey!
*Haiti
As
you may recall me mentioning, Melissa and I just returned from a mission trip
to Haiti. We went with Community Health Initiatives (CHI) based out of
Coralville, and we thank Dr. Chris Buresh and CHI for an incredible experience.
So
– where to begin? As I wrote before we went there, Haiti is desperately poor,
and the needs are enormous. I quoted all sorts of statistics, but statistics
really fail to do the situation justice.
Frankly,
I was surprised and disappointed at how many of my friends thought we were just
going on a Carribean vacation. The lack of knowledge about conditions in Haiti
shocked me. We have a lot of education to do.
Haiti
needs so many things, it is difficult to know where to begin. How about this: What
they REALLY need is a stronger business lobby! Haiti desperately needs lower
taxes on the wealthy! That would really get their economy going!
For
those of you who didn’t catch my attempt at irony: government in Haiti is
virtually nonexistent, except for the top federal level. There is a National
Assembly, a President, and a military, but almost no local government services.
So it is a Libertarian’s dream. No taxes, no government. How’s that working for
them?
In
all seriousness, we take local government – especially county government – for
granted. County governments track the ownership and sales of property. County
governments assess property, levy taxes on the property, and collect the taxes.
County governments register voters and administer elections. County governments
fund roads and bridges. County governments inspect wells and septic systems.
County governments vaccinate people and work to prevent the spread of disease
in animals and humans. County governments provide police and jails, along with court
services. County governments track births, deaths, marriages, and divorces.
County governments assist the poor and people with disabilities. County
governments register vehicles. County governments investigate deaths.
Basically
NONE of these things happen in Haiti. And the result is unmitigated disaster.
Government MATTERS, and until you have actually spent time in its’ absence, you
do not appreciate the role government plays in our lives.
I’ll
write much more on our trip for the next edition of Salvos.
*Cities Paralyzed
We
often hear the public say that they would like to see local governments
cooperate more.
Some
of this is due to the fact that Iowans are extremely conflict averse. In many
cases, voters would prefer to see their elected officials get along with each
other rather than stand up for what is right. (You will NEVER find me in this
camp!)
In
other cases, however, voters simply see the value in working together and
streamlining services. I am very sympathetic to this viewpoint.
It
makes a lot of sense to have similar rules and regulations. In most cases, it
makes things simpler, easier, and cheaper for most citizens and most
businesses.
Building
codes are a good example. Johnson County, Iowa City, Coralville, and North
Liberty all have building inspectors. Those entities meet frequently to make
sure they are using similar standards. This helps electricians, plumbers, etc.
by creating a single set of rules for the whole region. This is a good example
of an area in which we work together well, to the benefit of the larger
community.
I
fear, however, that we have now reached a state of self-induced paralysis. Now
elected officials seem to feel we cannot do ANYTHING unless we all do the SAME
thing.
Iowa City is terrified to make any type of change, for fear that
Coralville and North Liberty will not follow suit. Similarly, North Liberty and
Coralville claim they cannot act without Iowa City on board. Every entity fears
being put at a “competitive disadvantage” if they are different in any way.
Where
does that leave us? It creates a state of paralysis. It leaves us with policy
makers doing nothing, latched onto a single excuse: others refuse to act, so
neither can we.
Obviously,
we know this is not REALLY the case. This faux idea of creating a “level
playing field” is more commonly used as an excuse to avoid challenging
situations.
I
am going to focus on Iowa City here for four reasons: First, I have tried to
lead on these issues as a County Supervisor. I have not gotten very far.
Perhaps that means I am bad at my job. Perhaps it is the nature of county
government. Perhaps the issues are just too touchy for most elected officials.
Perhaps it is a bit of all of the above. Whatever the case, county leadership
has not taken hold. I’ll accept the blame for that. Meanwhile, the issues do
not go away. Someone else needs to do it.
Secondly, I have lived in Iowa City for 30 years. Iowa City is my
home. I am not out of line in having expectations for the people who represent
me.
Thirdly, Coralville and North Liberty feel I pick on them too
much. (I’d argue that I’m harder on IC, but since I don’t live either place, I’ll
concede the point.)
Finally, I think Iowa City has a long history and reputation as a
progressive community, and I believe the Council should embrace that.
There
are several issues where Iowa City needs to lead. Affordable housing,
homelessness, environmental issues, transportation, municipal finance, sharing
services, disproportionate minority contact with police, the approach to drug
laws… these are just a few of the controversial topics facing our local
governments.
Every one of these topics would be best addressed by a coalition
of Johnson County, Iowa City, Coralville, and North Liberty. And every one of
these topics is too important to ignore. We simply cannot allow the refusal of
a single entity to bring all discussions to a halt. If one entity refuses to
cooperate on a given topic, the other 3 should move forward. If two refuse, the
other two go forward.
Many folks reading this are parents. Think about this situation in
terms of your kids: your daughter knows what is right, but she is reluctant to
do so because no one else is acting. What do you tell her? The answer is easy –
you tell her to do the right thing, regardless of what others are doing. That
is the message local governments need to get from the voters.
It is simply irresponsible to ignore these important issues. We
must address them. Iowa City should adopt a position of leading on these
issues. Hopefully, the other entities will follow. If not – better to be a leader
and do what needs to be done.
I’m
willing to go to work on these issues. I don’t want to hear more excuses. I
hope the cities will work together as partners; more importantly, I hope
someone will step up and take the lead.
What
are your thoughts?
*Pancake Day
The Iowa City
Booster Club holds an annual Pancake Day fundraiser for the purpose of
supporting the athletic programs at North Central Jr. High, Northwest Jr. High,
Southeast Jr. High, City High, and West High Schools. All money raised by the
Booster Club helps to purchase or improve athletic training equipment,
uniforms, and facilities for all sports at each of the schools. This year’s
date is Saturday, April 12, 2014, from 6:30 AM- 3:00 PM in the West High
cafeteria.
*DID YOU KNOW?
The name Haiti comes from the Taino Indian word for the entire island of
Hispaniola – Ayiti, which means “mountainous land.”
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
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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