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SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
July 31, 2015
Sullivan’s
Salvos 8/4/15
In this edition:
*Minimum Wage
*Medicaid Managed Care
*Endorsement
*Crying Wolf
*Interesting Stats
*Did You Know?
*Minimum Wage
I
know I promised more info on the minimum wage proposal currently before the
Board. That will appear in Salvos next week – promise!
*Medicaid Managed Care
Medicaid
just celebrated its’ 50th birthday. Medicaid and Medicare were among
the greatest achievements in the history of our great nation. Health care for
the poor… we have been called to provide this at least since Jesus walked the
earth. The US finally got around to it in 1965.
Iowa will soon be embarking upon a system of “managed care” for folks
enrolled in Iowa’s Medicaid program. I do NOT believe this will be a good thing
for our poorest residents.
Managed
care is a pretty simple notion. The idea is that healthcare is full of waste
and fraud, and managed care companies will root that out. Without all this
waste and fraud, the costs will go down.
The
problem is, managed care companies rarely root out waste or fraud. They take an
easier route. They simply cap services, and let the rest of the healthcare
system sort it out. The managed care companies make their millions, and
patients and providers fight over what is left. In my opinion, managed care is
nothing more than a transfer of public tax dollars to private companies who are
GUARANTEED to hurt the poor. Rather than being encouraged, managed care by
private companies should be illegal. But that is not the environment in which
we live.
Allow
me to back up a moment. Medicaid (often referred to as Title 19) is the federal
program that provides government health insurance to our poorest residents.
Medicaid was passed in 1965 as an addition to the Social Security Act, a key
component in President Lyndon Johnson’s “War on Poverty”.
While the vast majority of the funding for Medicaid is federal,
each state pays a portion based upon the relative wealth of that state.
Connecticut pays the most, Mississippi the least. Iowa is in the top half when
it comes to relative wealth; in fact, our state match just went up because of
the recent good years enjoyed by the ag industry.
Over time, states have argued for and received greater flexibility
in designing state Medicaid programs. This is where the managed care concept
began, and how it is spreading to states with Republican governors. In
fairness, over the years, Medicaid has become a bigger and bigger piece of each
state’s budget.
While many conservatives will try to tell you Medicaid has “not
worked,” the reality is a very different story. In fact, 72 million Americans
received some type of Medicaid service last year, almost 1 in 4. These services
were provided at an average cost lower than private insurance, and at an
average administrative cost MUCH lower than private insurance.
Will
managed care improve things? No, it will not. Unless you own one of the firms
that is about to suck millions of our tax dollars from our poorest residents.
If you own one of those, you’ll be fine.
*Endorsement
I
heard a rumor that I was the first elected official in the whole US to endorse
Bernie Sanders for President. Unfortunately, I cannot recall where I heard
this.
I
suppose it is possible, given that things start earlier in Iowa. But I still
find the idea fascinating. It might be a cool thing to tell my grandkids some
day.
I have searched online, and cannot find anything definitive.
Salvos readers are knowledgeable folks. Anyone out there know anything about
this?
Meanwhile,
take some time and check out Senator Sanders for yourself! It feels great to
hear a candidate speak truth to power!
*Crying Wolf
If
you have listened to anything Governor Branstad or Speaker Paulson have said in
the past few months, you know Iowa has no extra money. Right? You have heard
them say it ad nauseam.
There
is no more money for K-12 education. No money for mental health. No money for
Regents institutions. No money for anything. We require austerity!
Wait until next year! Branstad and Paulson will be advocating for
a BIG income tax cut. (The benefits of which accrue primarily to the richest
Iowans.) There will not be any budgetary concerns then! Iowa will have PLENTY
of money for an income tax cut!
Honestly,
it makes me want to puke. Our elected officials are willing to throw 3 million
Iowans under the bus in order to benefit a few huge out of state corporations.
It is truly sickening.
*Interesting Stats
From
“Occupy Democrats” comes the following set of statistics. All stats are
adjusted for inflation. All are referenced to EPI, Bloomberg, or the US
Department of Labor.
Since 1978,
the cost of:
College
tuition has increased 1,120%
Medical care
has increased 601%
Food has
increased 244%
Shelter has
increased 380%
Meanwhile, the
pay of:
Average
workers has risen 10%
Minimum wage
workers fell 5.5%
Average CEO
pay increased 937%
No
further comments. Just interesting!
*DID YOU KNOW?
72 million Americans are enrolled in Medicaid – 17.3% of the US
population. They only use 16.6% of the healthcare dollars, however – which demonstrates
that Medicaid is very cost effective. Despite the fact that Medicaid covers
most of the nursing home care in the US, children are the largest group of
enrollees, at 47 million.
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
July 24, 2015
Sullivan’s
Salvos 7/28/15
In this edition:
*Happy Anniversary!
*Johnson County Fair
*Minimum Wage
*Safety on Newport Road
*Young People In Politics
*Did You Know?
*Happy Anniversary!
August
1st is my anniversary. You do not need to say it – I KNOW I am a
very lucky man! Thanks, Melissa, for everything. You continue to amaze me, even
after all these years! Happy Anniversary, Honey!
*Johnson County Fair
The
Johnson County Fair runs from Monday, July 27 through Thursday, July 30 at the
County Fairgrounds just south of Iowa City. This is a great opportunity for the
whole family to take a step back toward our agricultural roots!
I
love the way the Johnson County Ag Association manages the County Fair. I am
particularly fond of the fact that there is never an entry fee, and parking is
free. In many counties, you would pay $10 to park and $5/head admission, if not
more. That is $30 minimum for a family of four before you have even done
anything!
The
Board of Supervisors makes this possible with an annual contribution of
$95,000. We feel it is an investment worth making.
The
Board of Supervisors started a “tradition” four years ago of holding our weekly
Thursday meeting on the main stage at the Fair. While we have yet to draw a big
crowd, it has been a fun change of pace.
Another
“tradition” is a thank you breakfast to all our Board and Commission members,
held just prior to that Thursday Board Meeting at the ISU Extension Building.
This event has been going three years, and I must say, I enjoy it!
The
schedule this year features a bit more music (from great local bands!) along
with the standard fair demonstrations. It really is a great lineup, with
something for everyone.
Yes, it is typically hot out there. But that is why they sell ice
cream! So, please stop out and enjoy the Fair. You’ll be glad you did!
For the full daily lineup of events, see: http://www.johnsoncofair.com/entertainment.html
*Minimum Wage
As
you may have seen, the Board is moving forward with an ordinance to increase
the minimum wage. I’ll have a whole Salvos dedicated to this topic next week.
*Safety on Newport Road
Opponents
to anything on Newport Road were recently quoted as saying that Newport Road
was “unsafe”.
I
think it is irresponsible to claim that a road is “unsafe” when that claim is
completely unsubstantiated by any data whatsoever.
I
have written many times that I prefer that our decisions be data-driven
whenever possible. We have a great deal of data on our roads – accident rates,
injury rates, fatality rates, and more.
So
what does the data actually say about Newport Road? The DOT keeps very good
records on crash data. From 2004 to 2014, a period of eleven years, Newport
Road had 38 crashes. In 4 of the 38 crashes, a driver was cited for DUI. 4
times winter weather conditions were cited. There were no fatalities, 2 major
injuries, and 5 minor injuries.
This
average of 3 accidents per year puts Newport Road nowhere NEAR the top ten most
dangerous roads in Johnson County. It barely cracks the top twenty!
The
“Nothing on Newport” crowd will tell you that some accidents have gone
unreported. That, too, is completely anecdotal. While it is possible some folks
have not reported accidents, there is no evidence that such behavior occurs
MORE frequently on Newport Road than anywhere else.
Sure,
38 crashes in 11 years is 38 too many. But so long as humans operate machines,
you will have operator errors. And if we say that Newport is too “unsafe” for
more traffic… well, pretty much all of Johnson County is too “unsafe” for traffic.
A
couple of the folks who feel Newport Road is “unsafe” are doing a large
development on the west side of Tiffin. Compare the crash and injury data for
that stretch of road to Newport… the figures will shock you! Yet they build on,
apparently without concern for the relative safety of the people who drive that
stretch of road.
As
you can see, the data does not in any way back up the claim that Newport Road
is “unsafe”. That is just hyperbole.
Such
comments are unfair to our Secondary Roads Department, who work incredibly
hard, long hours in rough conditions, all the while with safety as their number
one priority.
Such
comments are unfair to our Sheriff’s Office, which works 24/7/365 with the sole
purpose of keeping our residents safe.
Things
DO happen. There are rare occasions where one of our roadways DOES become
temporarily unsafe. And when that occurs, Secondary Roads and/or the Sheriff’s
Office close the road IMMEDIATELY.
When
the Sheriff’s Office and/or Secondary Roads has determined that a road is TRULY
unsafe, I can GUARANTEE you that it will remain closed until it is either
repaired or closed. Period. We WILL NOT allow traffic on an unsafe road.
Period.
I
am not interested in joking around with this. Safety is serious business. We
cannot be cavalier about it – this is life and death!
Here is how strongly I feel about this issue of safety: prove to
me that I have ignored a road situation that was unsafe, and I’ll resign my
office. The people of Johnson County deserve to be safe. I am willing to stake
my whole professional career on it.
Words
matter, especially when we are talking about safety.
*Young People In Politics
I did not attend the recent speech Hillary Clinton gave in Iowa
City. From what I hear, though, she said something with which I heartily agree
– Democrats need to do a better job getting young people involved in politics!
The
Democratic Party does a great job of getting young people to vote. But that’s
it. Young people need not apply for any roles other than voter or low-paid
campaign staff.
This has been an issue of mine since I was young myself. I have
tried for decades to get the powers that be (statewide, countywide, citywide)
to work on identifying, engaging, and recruiting young people into the party
and into elected office. But I cannot get anyone to help. Then when I take it
upon myself to recruit, my efforts are not supported. I bring a new face to a
party event, and people are automatically suspicious rather than welcoming.
Attorney General Tom Miller and Treasurer Mike Fitzgerald have
both served in office since I was in high school – and I am going to be 50!
Statewide offices are not easy to come by. It would have been wonderful if
these folks had done some work grooming their successors. Perhaps Miller did
that, to some extent, last year when he brought former House Democratic Leader
Kevin McCarthy into his office. Too bad he didn’t do that 20 years ago.
In Linn County, State Senator Wally Horn is not running for
reelection… after ONLY 50 years! Really – what was he going to accomplish in
year 49 that he couldn’t get done in the first 45? Meanwhile, how many young
Democrats went off in a different direction over that time?
The
same thing occurs locally. We make no effort at candidate recruitment, and then
we wonder why we lack candidates when we need them! And when we DO get lucky
and a young Democrat self-identifies, we do a lousy job at mentorship.
This
is an area in which Republicans are SO much better than Democrats that it
almost defies description. Look at all the young stars of the Iowa GOP, most of
whom already hold important positions.
It
is going to be a long, hard trek for Iowa Democrats. A whole generation has
been ignored. And we have created our own difficulties.
*DID YOU KNOW?
The first Johnson County Fairgrounds was located at what is now City
High in Iowa City. The curving streets in the neighborhood (Wilson and Morningside)
were actually the racetrack at the fairgrounds, and were simply paved over to
create the streets.
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
July 17, 2015
Sullivan’s
Salvos 7/21/15
In this edition:
*RAGBRAI
*ADA Celebration
*Bye Bye BJ!
*Boss Hogg Politics
*Colangelo - Newport Road
*Did You Know?
*RAGBRAI
RAGBRAI
stops in Coralville on Thursday, July 23. The route cuts through Johnson County
from Sutliff, to Solon, down Newport Road, to Coralville. Then Friday morning
it leaves through Iowa City and out of the county to the southeast.
If you are up for party, join in. (If Cheap Trick can’t get you
going, who can?) If not, hunker down for a few hours and let it pass. Either
way, rest assured that having 15,000 or so cyclists pass through is good for
the local economy.
RAGBRAI is also a bit of a strain on local emergency services
providers – if you see them in action, please thank them for keeping all of us
safe.
*ADA Celebration
The
annual celebration of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is Saturday,
July 25 from 11-2 at the Ped Mall in downtown Iowa City. There will be food,
music, info, speakers, and fun!
This
is a particularly meaningful celebration, as this marks the 25th
anniversary of the ADA. Please join us if you can!
*Bye Bye BJ!
Our
youngest child left for college this past weekend. BJ is headed to Des Moines
to attend Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC). While he is there, he will
be staying with one of Melissa’s sisters, which makes us feel really good.
We
aren’t technically “empty nesters” yet, as Jordan is still here for the summer.
But starting in mid-August, things will be much quieter around our house.
The
whole thing brings up a range of emotions for me. On one hand, I am proud,
hopeful, happy, and relieved. On the other hand, I am anxious, worried, sad,
and lonely. All these feelings, all at once!
Good
luck, BJ! I am proud of you and I love you!
*Boss Hogg Politics
The
recent discussion over the Confederate flag has led to many mentions of The
Dukes of Hazard and their County Supervisor, Boss Hogg.
While
the Confederate flag looks as though it is on the way out, Boss Hogg politics
are unfortunately alive and well in Johnson County.
Where
this really manifests itself is in poor management. Let me give you an example:
Person
X is a prominent landowner. He feels there is a problem with the ditch in front
of his house. He complains to Secondary Roads. They take a look at the area,
and determine that County structures are working, County policies have been
followed; basically, there is nothing wrong on the County’s end.
Person
X then complains to Supervisor Y. Rather than talk to Secondary Roads and hear
their side, Supervisor Y sees this as an opportunity to ingratiate himself. So
he throws Secondary Roads under the bus. They are forced to go back out, redo
their work, and do extra work.
A
month later, all sorts of staff people and elected officials get to sit around
on the taxpayer’s dime, spending two hours determining that what we already
knew was true is true.
So
we spent a bunch of time and money – why? So one Supervisor could bend the
rules for one prominent person in order to get one vote?
This
happens way too often, and it needs to stop!
*Colangelo - Newport Road
The
Board of Supervisors recently received an application from Nick and Kay
Colangelo to rezone a little over 20 acres from A-agricultural to
R-Residential.
The
land in question is in a residential area, surrounded by other houses. It is in
an area designated for residential growth. Since it is within two miles of Iowa
City, Iowa City reviewed the application. The IC Council passed it 7-0.
It
is a beautiful plot of land; there is a blue line creek, steep slopes, and lots
of woodlands, all surrounding a meadow of about 5 acres. Because of the very factors
that make the plot beautiful, future development will be quite limited. The
County’s Sensitive Areas Ordinance will create enough roadblocks that really
only the 5 acre meadow will be able to be developed in the future.
Even
5 acres is not a good measure of future development, as interior infrastructure
(roads, etc.) typically takes up over 10% of the land. So there may be room
there in the future for say, 8 houses. It could easily be less. It may be that
NO houses are ever built.
But
somehow, these 8 potential future houses are a great cause for concern. Why?
Because the Colangelo’s land happens to be on Newport Road.
I
do not need to explain all the history of the battles over Newport Road. You have
heard it all before. But I do think it is important for the public to
understand this particular application.
The
County has a Road Performance Standards Ordinance. It states that once a chip
seal road reaches 2000 vehicles per day (vpd), no more rezoning will occur
until that chip seal road has been upgraded.
The
traffic count on Newport Road was 1042 vpd in 2010. Neighbors demanded a second
study in 2014. It came back with a count of 997 vpd. So this road is at only
HALF the allowable traffic count.
Planning
and Zoning took an EXTREME view of the ordinance. They took every platted (but
unbuilt) lot on Newport Road, and took it times 8 car trips per day. Then they
took every bit of zoned (but unplatted) ground and divided it by the most lots
possible. Then they took that number times 8. Added together, they got a total
of 1000 actual trips plus approximately 900 POTENTIAL trips for a total of just
over 1900 POTENTIAL vpd.
We
know that not every lot will be built upon. Some are unbuildable. Others hold
septic systems. Some are in the floodplain. In many cases, folks own two lots
because they just wanted a bit more elbow room. All of these scenarios add up
to a large number of unbuilt lots. They are very unlikely to generate ANY
traffic ever.
Yet
P&Z included these lots in their count. They came up with the highest vpd
number reason could possibly allow. And it was STILL under the 2000 vpd limit.
Yet the opponents claim that Newport Road has exceeded the Road Performance
Standards.
I
noted that we had two official traffic counts; that is the only objective data
that exists. When I asked what data the opponents were using, the response was,
“I drive out there.”
So
now we are making up data? Where does this stop? Do I claim that a Department
is over budget because they have spent 50% of their allocation? Do we quit
collecting taxes when we have reached 50% of our total? I believe it is
critical that Johnson County use actual data to make decisions.
This
may not be a big deal to any of you who read this. But it is a big deal to the
Colangelos. And it is a big deal to me.
It
is a big deal to me because I firmly believe every citizen of this county
should be treated equally under the law. The Colangelos should not be punished
for owning land on Newport Road. They deserve to be treated like anyone else.
*DID YOU KNOW?
Johnson County is home to just one elected official who is under age 30
– Iowa City Councilor Kingsley Botchway. There are very few electeds under 40,
and not many under 50.
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
July 10, 2015
Sullivan’s
Salvos 7/14/15
In this edition:
*Technical Upgrades
*Solon Beef Days
*Community ID
*Supervisor Race
*Other County Races
*Did You Know?
*Technical Upgrades
I
am making an attempt to improve the weekly Salvos by utilizing Mailchimp. I
hope this improves your reading experience! More importantly, frankly, I am
desperately trying to make things easier on myself. Salvos takes a lot of time
just to write; hopefully I can at least make the act of sending it easier.
In
addition, I’m rolling out a new website. You’ll find info about me, many more
photos, info on upcoming events, and links to my Facebook page. Check it out at
sullivanforsupervisor.org. I’d love to have your feedback!
This
may not seem like a big deal to any of you, but I am a bit of a Luddite. Any
change is stressful. What’s more, like most local elected officials, I have no campaign
staff of any kind. Since I have no technical skills, I have to rely on the
kindness and patience of friendly volunteers.
With that in mind, a HUGE thank you to my friend Megan Schwalm,
who designed the new website and helped me to set up Mailchimp. I could not
even begin to do this without her help!
So
– I hope you enjoy an improved Salvos and an improved website. Please let me
know if you see any places we can do things better!
*Solon Beef Days
The 44th annual Solon Beef Days runs Friday and
Saturday July 18 & 19 in Solon. Steaks, rides, entertainment, a parade, and
the now-legendary hay bale toss are just a few of the items on tap.
I
say this every year, and it is because it comes from a place of pride: I can
honestly say that I have been to roughly 40 of the 44 Beef Days. I wear it like
a badge of honor! This is the year to start your own streak!
I’ll
be marching in the parade Saturday – lineup is at 9 AM just east of the high
school. Please join me!
For
all the details, including a full schedule of events, see: http://beefdays.com/
*Community ID
Applications
for Johnson County Community IDs will be accepted beginning Friday, July 17 at
1 p.m. at the Johnson County Administration Building, 913 S. Dubuque St., Iowa
City.
Johnson
County will be the first community in the Midwest, and the first outside a
major metropolitan area, to offer community issued identification. The program
has been a joint effort of local governments, business, and labor.
The
Community ID program is designed to help people who may have difficulty getting
a state-issued ID, such as seniors who no longer drive, the homeless, people in
poverty or transition, and new immigrants. A Community ID can help these people
interact with law enforcement, local government, pharmacies and banks.
All
Johnson County residents, even people with a driver’s license or non-driver ID,
are encouraged to get a Community ID. Many area businesses will offer
discounts to people who present a Community ID.
Community
IDs will cost $8 for adults and $4 for children. Applicants will be required to
present secondary forms of identification to get a Community ID. The following
documents are enough by themselves:
US
or foreign passport; Driver’s license or non-driver ID card from any US state; US
Permanent Resident Card (“Green Card”); Birth certificate or consular ID
(“CID”).
People
who have no items from the above list may apply for Community IDs by presenting
two forms of personal identification and one document proving Johnson County
residency. A full list of accepted documents will be on the County web site, http://www.johnson-county.com. All documents will be verified before the
Community ID is issued, and Community ID cards will be mailed.
*Supervisor Race
It
appears that there is a full-fledged race for seats on the Johnson County Board
of Supervisors!
The
party primaries are not until early May of 2016, but the summer parade season
has given us a clue as to what is in store.
Three
incumbent Supervisors are up for reelection in ’16: Terrence Neuzil, Pat
Harney, and myself. In addition, Lisa Green-Douglass has been campaigning at
parades throughout Johnson County.
Green-Douglass,
of rural North Liberty, is not new to this: she ran in the ’14 Democratic
Primary, finishing behind current Supervisors Janelle Rettig and Mike Carberry.
Lisa made a run at it, finishing just 126 votes behind Carberry for the second
spot.
I
have known Lisa for quite some time. We met through Democratic Party politics
in the early ‘90s, when she and her husband Tom Douglass were quite active in
party business. That changed a bit, however, when Lisa had triplets in the late
‘90s! The triplets, the youngest three of her 5 children, are entering their
senior years at Clear Creek Amana.
I
have always liked and respected Lisa – she even got a “Salvos Salute” way back
in 2006 for her work on tax fairness issues in the CCA District. Her volunteer
work in that school district is well respected. Add in her professional career
as a Spanish teacher and consultant to law enforcement agencies, and you can
see that she has an interesting background.
Of course, with both of us running in the same primary, it can get
a bit awkward. Obviously, Lisa could easily out-poll me for a seat on the
Board!
I have not formally announced a campaign for reelection; neither
have Terrence or Pat. But all three of us are behaving as though we want to
keep our jobs. So that makes 4 candidates for 3 seats.
There
may be more candidates, of course. There is a group of 5-6 Newport Road folks
that will likely put forth a candidate in the Democratic primary, and fund him
or her handsomely. And I have not even touched on the GOP side.
But
you know what? This is a very good thing. You deserve choices. We deserve
choices. Just because a person is an incumbent does not mean she/he is entitled
to that seat forever. Every one of us should have to prove ourselves every day.
We should be able to stand in front of you and articulate why we are worthy of
the Democratic Party nomination.
Personally,
I’m very proud of my record, and I look forward to discussing it, along the
records of the other candidates. And I welcome Lisa and her ideas to the
campaign.
Meanwhile,
I urge you to spend the time between now and May learning about the candidates.
What have they done to deserve the Democratic Party nomination? What do they
plan on doing in the next term? Have they earned your vote? Now is your
opportunity to shop for candidates!
*Other County Races
The
other County elections that will be held in 2016 are for Sheriff and Auditor. I
am not certain that Sheriff Lonny Pulkrabek and Auditor Travis Weipert are
running for reelection, but I certainly hope they are!
I
can honestly say that I cannot imagine finding two better public servants. We
are SO lucky to have them in office! I hold both Lonny and Travis in the highest
possible regard. They are great at their jobs, and they are even better people.
Let’s hope both these outstanding elected officials announce
campaigns for reelection soon!
*DID YOU KNOW?
Supervisors Harney and Neuzil were first elected in 2000, and have been
elected four times each. Supervisor Sullivan was first elected in 2004, and has
been elected three times.
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
July 2, 2015
Sullivan’s
Salvos 7/7/15
In this edition:
*SEATS History
*Talking When We Disagree
*Blues and BBQ
*Shaking My Head, Part 1
*Shaking My Head, Part 2
*Shaking My Head, Part 3
*I Know You Are, But What Am I?
*Did You Know?
*SEATS History
Johnson County SEATS Director Tom Brase recently
shared this brief history of his department. I thought you might find it
interesting.
East Central Iowa Transit was established in 1975
to provide demand-responsive, rural transit service in the counties of Benton,
Iowa, Johnson, Jones, Linn, and Washington. In earlier years, transportation
services, if available, were provided informally by human service agencies on
behalf of their respective clients.
In 1973, Heritage Area Agency on Aging (HAAA)
received a Federal Highway Administration demonstration grant to provide rural
transportation services for elderly persons in a seven county area (Benton,
Cedar, Iowa, Johnson, Jones, Linn, and Washington counties). The service was
named Senior Elderly Area Transportation Services (SEATS). Following the
expiration of the grant in 1975, individual counties chose to make their own
arrangements for providing transit services, and ultimately decided to
coordinate a regional service know as East Central Iowa Transit.
The role of the transit service was also expanded
to include general public riders. Since that time, ECICOG has served as the
administrative agency and contracted with a provider in each county to operate
service. Providers include: Benton County Transportation, Iowa County
Transportation, Johnson County SEATS, Jones County JETS, Linn County LIFTS, and
Washington County MiniBus.
In just the past decade, SEATS has provided almost
1.2 million rides. Thanks for the history lesson, Tom!
*Talking When We Disagree
Recently
I mentioned the ability to talk across ideological lines. I really cannot
emphasize enough how important this is!
I
recently met a guy through work. This man had decided ahead of time that we
couldn’t really spend any time talking, because I was a Supervisor in liberal
Johnson County, and he was a Libertarian from Western Iowa.
I
just wouldn’t let him get away so easily. I learned that we both have children;
his two are a bit younger than my three. I learned that we were both farm kids.
We both love the Hawkeyes.
Then
the real topper – his wife is a breast cancer survivor. (My wife Melissa is
currently undergoing treatment for breast cancer.) As we parted ways, the guy
was almost in tears, saying, “Let me know how I can help.”
He
is a good guy. I know that, now, because we spoke. I’d like to think I’m a good
guy. I hope he feels that way now.
My
guess is that this gentleman and I would disagree on a lot of political issues.
But now I think we could actually discuss these differences with mutual respect
and understanding. And wouldn’t that be a wonderful thing?
*Blues and BBQ
North Liberty is gearing up for a ninth year of
live music, great food, family fun and great brews on Saturday, July 11 in
Centennial Park. The purpose of North Liberty Blues & BBQ presented by
South Slope Cooperative Communications is to bring the community together for a
free, family-friendly event under the umbrella of live, Iowa blues music and
remarkable food.
The
festival is coordinated by the North Liberty Community Betterment Group with
the goal of providing North Liberty residents and visitors an opportunity to
enjoy the beauty of the area without spending money. The festival is paid for
by local business sponsorships and donations.
For
more information, visit: http://northlibertyblues.org.
*Shaking My Head, Part 1
I
am aghast at the terrorist attacks on black churches throughout the south. At
last count 7 black churches have been burned, while others have been
vandalized.
Let’s
be very clear. If ISIL did this, we would cease all air travel, call out the
National Guard, and every Presidential candidate except Sanders and Paul would
demand that we bomb a couple Middle Eastern countries.
But
these acts of terrorism are not even called terrorism! The violence has barely
been covered on the news. Why? Because the victims are black, and the
perpetrators might be white.
What
type of country ARE we? We need to act! The whole thing just leaves me shaking
my head.
*Shaking My Head, Part 2
Pope
Francis recently came out strongly in favor of addressing climate change.
Catholic Presidential Candidate Rick Santorum says, “The Pope should stick to
morality, and leave the science to the scientists.”
OK…
did you read the encyclical? THE MAIN POINT Pope Francis makes is that climate
change IS a moral issue! So… no.
Secondly,
NOW Santorum wants to leave science to the scientists? OK, let’s do just that!
Over 98% of all climate scientists agree that climate change is man made and
needs to be addressed. So yes, Rick – let’s leave the science to the
scientists!
One
last thing. Pope Francis IS a scientist! He has an advanced college degree in
Chemistry!
Shaking
my head. Just – shaking my head.
*Shaking My Head, Part 3
Americans
are furious over the fact that our government has been spying on us without our
permission.
Michael
Hayden, the man who headed up these programs, repeatedly lied to Congress while
under oath. He lives freely in the US, enjoying his government pension. Hayden
also works for the Chertoff Group, which gets all sorts of government security
contracts.
Edward Snowden, the man who let us know what the government was
doing, lives in exile. If he ever returns to the US, he will spend the rest of
his life in jail.
Does
this make sense to you? Me, either. Once again, I’m shaking my head.
*I Know You Are, But What Am I?
There
is a disturbing trend amongst local governments. These governments are
justifying their mistakes by saying, “It could be worse! We are better than our
neighbor.”
Let’s
look at some other examples where this type of justification gets used:
Sure,
I slap my wife around a bit. But my neighbor really pounds his wife!
Sure,
I steal money from my employer. But my neighbor takes much more from his boss!
Sure,
I use cocaine and heroin on occasion. But my neighbor is a meth head!
Is
this really all the better we can do? We can only strive to be a little bit
better than the guy next door?
Personally,
I think the public deserves better.
*DID YOU KNOW?
Because they offer fixed rate bus service, the cities of University
Heights, Coralville, and Iowa City are required to provide paratransit
services. All three cities do so through contracts with SEATS.
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
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