SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
March 24, 2016
Sullivan’s
Salvos 3/29/16
In this edition:
*Sullivan for Supervisor Fundraiser!
*Community ID Anniversary
*City of Lit Humor Events
*United Way Celebration
*Abbe Open House
*Ted Cruz, Cuba, and Hypocrisy
*Did You Know?
*Sullivan for Supervisor Fundraiser!
We
are having a Sullivan for Supervisor Fundraiser on Tuesday, March 29, from 5-7
P.M. at The Mill.
Please
join us for pizza, beverages, and fun! Everyone is invited! Call 319-354-7199
or email rodsullivan@mchsi.com for more information.
*Community ID Anniversary
April
marks the one-year anniversary of the adoption of a Community ID in Johnson
County. There are over 800 people who have received IDs in this period.
First,
a bit of history – the impetus for this came from the Center for Worker Justice
(CWJ), a remarkable local organization dedicated to securing fair treatment for
immigrant workers.
Like
every other organization that has ever existed in Johnson County, the CWJ
thought they should start with Iowa City and Coralville. Soon they realized
that working with Johnson County might be a better avenue for getting this
done.
A
committee was formed, consisting of CWJ members, local labor leaders, and three
Johnson County officials: Recorder Kim Painter, Auditor Travis Weipert, and
County Attorney Janet Lyness.
We also had an ace in the hole when it comes to going through this
process. UI Law Professor Stella Burch Elias specializes in Immigration Law.
More importantly, she was centrally involved in the successful effort to create
a Community ID in New Haven, Connecticut. Having her involved ensured that
Johnson County follows applicable federal laws, and prevented us from
reinventing the wheel.
The
ID itself is a laminated card with a holographic image applied, the same size
as a driver’s license. The cost to get an ID is $8 for adults, $4 for children.
Why
do we need a Community ID? I have a very personal story. After years of doing
nothing, a few years ago, the Board of Supervisors finally began taking action
against the criminals that own Regency Mobile Home Park. State law severely
limits the ability of the Board to intervene, but there were dozens of credible
reports of fraud coming from Regency.
Johnson
County detectives swooped in, gathered all the info they could, and began
following up on leads. Then they ran into a stone wall. Most of the people they
needed to speak with refused to talk to them. These folks saw law enforcement
coming, and they went the other way – even when they were innocent victims!
I
spoke at length with the lead detective on the case, and he said that this
avoidance of law enforcement was common. When I asked why, he said it all came
back to a lack of ID.
This
illustrates the number one reason for instituting a Community ID – public
safety. We need victims and witnesses to come forward in order to solve crimes
and see to it that justice is served. The Community ID helps with this.
There
are many additional benefits: immigrants can open bank accounts and cash
checks; cardholders can access municipal services such as the library, rec
centers, etc.; it can serve as a second ID for employment purposes; it can serve
as an ID for local schools; the list goes on and on.
The
Community ID is available to anyone who can provide the proper documentation.
The bar is not as high as an Iowa Driver ID, but there are protections to
ensure that the person is who they claim to be.
Johnson
County is home to thousands of immigrants. China, India, Korea, Mexico, Sudan,
Senegal, Honduras… the people of Johnson County are increasingly diverse. We
need to do a better job welcoming these folks to our community. They are our future!
I am proud that the County recognized this, and took this important action!
*City of Lit Humor Events
The
Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature has announced two events that celebrate
Iowa storytelling and humor, both featuring “Iowa Nice Guy” Scott Siepker.
The
first event, “Made in Iowa,” features
Siepker, who will tell the humorous tale of why he has chosen to stay and
create in Iowa. Siepker is best known as the star of a series of videos that
extol the virtues of our state in blunt, often bawdy terms. The event
will be held Thursday, March 31, from 5:30-7 p.m. at the new Iowa City Brewlab,
505 E. Washington St. Tickets are $15, and are available at http://bit.ly/madeiniowa. The Brew Lab will feature drink specials during
the event.
The
second event, “Story Hour: What’s So Funny?”
will be emceed by Siepker and will feature original pieces that find humor in
the workplace, performed by the authors . A special breakfast event, “What’s So
Funny?” will be held Friday, April 1, from 7:30-9 a.m. at Brown Deer Golf Club,
1900 Country Club Dr., in Coralville. Presenters include Robyn Hepker,
Dave Parsons, and Megan Gogerty. Tickets are $30 and are available at http://bit.ly/funnyiowa.
Story
Hour is sponsored by Iowa River Products, Quality Care, Toyota of Iowa City,
and the Community Foundation of Johnson County. Tickets for both fundraising
events also can be purchased through the City of Literature office. Call (319)
887-6100 for more information.
*United Way Celebration
The United Way of Johnson and Washington Counties is holding its
campaign celebration on Tuesday, April 5 at 4:30 PM at the Hotel Vetro in Iowa
City.
Melissa
and I are longtime supporters of the United Way. We do a form of tithing –
giving 10% of our combined gross income each year. Church gets a third, certain
nonprofits get a third, and the United Way gets a third.
It
is a big commitment, but it is worth it! I urge you to do some giving of your
own – our community needs your help!
*Abbe Open House
The Mid East Iowa Community Mental Health Center was recently
merged into Abbe Community Mental Health. In addition to the new name, Abbe has
a new home!
They will celebrate with an open house Thursday, March 31 from 4-6
PM at their new headquarters, 1039 Arthur Street in Iowa City. Please stop by
and meet the folks who provide this vital community resource!
*Ted Cruz and Cuba
Ted
Cruz is a hypocrite. He is also shameless, so I suppose I should not be
surprised by anything he says. My most recent beef with Mr. Cruz is over his
criticism of President Obama’s decision to normalize relations with Cuba.
Cruz
claims that the President should make no moves toward Cuba until the Cuban
people are free. Let’s explore this a bit:
Cruz
feels “free trade” is good for every country on earth – except Cuba. This
includes both dictatorships and other Communist countries like China.
He specifically mentions Cuban prisoners, who are treated poorly
and have no right to trial. Yet look across the SAME ISLAND to Guantanamo Bay.
Cruz is fine with torture and no trials in those cases.
Cruz
believes Cubans should have greater religious freedom, yet he would deny that
same right to Muslims in the US. Cruz does not like the fact that the Cuban
government bans religion in the public square, yet he would force a single
religion into the public square in the US.
Cruz
thinks Cubans should vote, yet he consistently opposes efforts to allow more
Americans to vote. Cruz claims women are mistreated in Cuba, but he has never
once voted to improve the lives of women in the US.
Cruz
actually had the gall to call for “economic justice” in Cuba, despite fighting
every single attempt at economic justice the US Senate has discussed.
I
could go on, but you get the idea. Ted Cruz is a hypocrite. His stance on Cuba
is just one more example of this.
*DID YOU KNOW?
Of Iowa’s 99 counties, 31
gained residents since 2010. Seven counties — Polk, Dallas, Johnson, Linn,
Scott, Story and Dubuque — accounted for over 90 percent of the state’s
population growth.
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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If you know
anyone else who might be interested, just forward this message. They can E-mail
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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 @ 6:33 PM
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