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SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
October 28, 2016
Sullivan’s
Salvos 11/1/16
In this edition:
*Happy Birthday, Rachel!
*North Liberty and the Minimum Wage
*Minimum Wage and the State
*Misogyny
*Early Voting
*Yard Signs
*Did You Know?
*Happy Birthday, Rachel!
My oldest daughter Rachel turns 25 on November 6th.
Rachel has always been fun to be around; her smile can light up a room. I am
proud of the fact that she is maturing and really starting to figure things
out.
Happy
Birthday, Honey! I love you!
*North Liberty and the Minimum Wage
I
was extremely relieved to see the North Liberty City Council stick with the
next Johnson County increase to the minimum wage. Now, when the minimum wage
goes up to $10.10 on January 1, 2017, North Liberty will be joining Coralville,
Iowa City, Hills, Lone Tree, University Heights, and Johnson County in giving
workers some much needed help.
Frankly,
I don’t think the decision was all that difficult. The evidence is clear;
businesses are not failing; in fact, profits are up. Unemployment seems unaffected,
and low-wage workers have more money to spend. The increases are working!
North Liberty City Councilor Brian Wayson voted to let the wage
increase stand, although he said he was against it. (Not completely certain I
understand that, but OK.) Councilor Wayson then suggested that the Supervisors
should “leave economic decisions to people who understand economics.”
I get it; there are some sour grapes there. That is OK. But that
comment prompts me to note – I have spoken with a few credentialed economists
throughout this process. (Those are the “people who understand economics.”)
Opponents tend to accuse the Board of a failure to do research, but that simply
isn’t true. As a matter of fact, it is the opponents who cannot provide any
data. I have yet to see opponents put forward an economist that shares the
opinion that this increase is a bad thing!
What’s more, the Governor and Republicans in the Iowa House of
Representatives have ignored economists for decades, yet they create economic
policy all the time!
I
know ideologues do not like it. But the Johnson County minimum wage increase
has been a very good thing!
*Minimum Wage and the State
Governor
Branstad discussed the minimum wage last week, and noted that he had, “signed
an increase before.” This comes on the heels of Cedar Rapids Mayor and likely GOP
Gubernatorial candidate Ron Corbett calling for a very small increase in Linn
County.
Republicans see the polls. They know that increasing the minimum
wage is a VERY good issue for Democrats! Yet their biggest funders oppose the
existence any minimum wage at all, let alone an increase. So what are
Republican lawmakers to do?
Clearly,
Branstad and Corbett have calculated a response. Advocate for a raise, but keep
it very small. Do not index it. Then try to remove the power of counties and
cities to act on their own. This would give the GOP the ability to say they did
something, take the topic off the table, and actually get more of what they
want.
The GOP needs
to do something, yet keep ABI happy. A small raise plus preemption would be a HUGE
win for the Iowa GOP! My fear is that Democrats in the Iowa Legislature give it
to them!
I
fear that the Democrats will accept a wage of less than $10.50/hour. I fear
that they will not demand indexing. And I fear that they will trade away local
control. I hope I am wrong. But I am very concerned!
*Misogyny
We
simply must acknowledge the misogyny that exists in our society. This
Presidential election, for all its’ many faults, has at least begun to
demonstrate the deep gender discrimination that exists in our society.
We
actually have an opportunity here. As a Country, can we rise to the occasion?
Can we give misogyny, discrimination, and sexual assault the attention they
deserve?
There have been over 70 female prime ministers and presidents in
the world since Sri Lanka elected Sirimavo Bandaranaike in 1960. The length of
their tenures have varied immensely, as have the powers that they have held.
Some women were in office only days or held largely ceremonial roles, while
others played a defining role in their country’s history.
Electing
an African American President did not cure racism, and in fact, perhaps brought
more racism out of the shadows. Similarly, electing a female President will not
end misogyny, and may well dredge up old resentments.
I
can hardly wait to see future generations of little girls who do not need to
use their imaginations to see a female President. How about you?
*Early Voting
Speaking
of this election, I urge everyone who can do so to vote early! It is getting to
be very late for mail in ballots, but there are many satellite voting
opportunities available in Johnson County.
*Yard Signs
It
is just days before the Presidential election, and the typical games of yard
sign stealing/yard sign defacing are well underway.
There
have actually been studies on this. While 90% of the victims are certain it was
the “other candidate’s people” who did the vandalism, that is completely wrong.
In actuality, over 90% of the vandalism is perpetrated by young people, and is
not ideologically driven.
But
when this happens to you, you feel violated. And you should! Regardless of
motivation, stealing or vandalizing signs is a crime.
This
struck close to home the other day, as our nextdoor neighbor’s Trump sign was
stolen. Despite the fact that our neighbors and us disagree on virtually every
political issue, we love them very much! They are two of the kindest, most
generous, most decent people I have ever met. I would give almost anything I
had to ensure their Trump sign is respected.
So
please – if you speak to any young people – strongly discourage this behavior.
It is illegal, and it hurts!
*DID YOU KNOW?
“Misogyny” comes from the Greek misogynia based on
misos "hatred" + gyne "woman". Gyne also appears in gynecology
and is related to Old English cwene which at various points meant
"woman", "wife", and "prostitute"—today's queen. It
also shares a source with Old English cween "woman, wife, queen",
today's queen. The Greek root is also related to the root gen-
"give birth", which we find in generate, gene and oxygen.
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
October 21, 2016
Sullivan’s
Salvos 10/25/16
In this edition:
*Vote YES on Measure C!
*Civility in Politics
*Taxes in Johnson County
*Did You Know?
*Vote YES on Measure C!
Public Measure C is on your General Election ballot. This
proposal would change the City Charter by reducing the number of signatures
required for initiative and referendum petitions, and putting it in compliance
with the Iowa Code.
Some have expressed concerns that
Measure C could “turn Iowa City into California” by creating government by
referendum. This is a red herring.
California has no subject restrictions
for initiatives. The Iowa City Charter limits initiatives in MOST circumstances,
including State and Federal matters, taxes, budget, zoning, and much more. There
is nothing to fear.
The
single biggest reason to vote for Measure C? Look at who opposes it! Measure C
is opposed by same tired group of people who ran the ICCSD, Iowa City and
Johnson County for the past 4 decades. All the privileged people who think they
know better than you. All the people who turn a deaf ear to your concerns.
They
don’t mind a small group making decisions, so long as it is their group!
Opposing this measure says, “I do not trust the people of Iowa City.” I happen
to feel otherwise. The people of Iowa City will do just fine, given the
opportunity.
I
have already voted YES on Measure C. I hope you will do the same!
*Civility in Politics
I
often hear people say that they want greater civility in politics. I agree. We
need to be able to talk about difficult issues without interrupting, etc. It
has become particularly poignant in the current Presidential campaign. People
are talking about it; I just listened to former Congressman Leach speak on the
topic – not once, but twice, in a two week period.
I
have been around long enough to see scores of local elected officials take
office. Not one has ever run a campaign saying, “I’m going to be mean and
nasty.” In fact, it is very much the opposite – everyone runs as uniter, not a
divider.
The
thing is, whether or not you are viewed as “civil” comes down to two basic
questions:
1.
Are
you actually civil?
2.
Do
you stand up for people with little power?
In some cases, the answer to #1 is simply no. And that is too bad.
There are elected officials who lack civility, and it really does make it more
difficult to get things done.
But in other cases, the elected official who is viewed as less civil
is fighting for the powerless. And you do need to fight – the people in power
never give it up willingly. I often see elected officials who go to bat for
these folks tarred as not being civil.
Here
is an example… About a month ago, I put a rather innocuous post on the Johnson
County Democratic Party webpage. All it said was that I urged supporters not to
spend any time or money on my campaign, and instead please focus their election
efforts where they are most needed. A guy who owns a local small business then
accused me of limiting free speech.
We
go back and forth several times. He doesn’t like me because of the minimum wage
increase. But it is no longer socially acceptable for him to oppose the
increase, so he has to create a different reason to dislike me. The new reason?
Civility. I am not civil.
Never
mind that it was HE who jumped on ME. The fact of the matter is, the world is
full of privileged guys who get really upset when their worldview is
challenged.
I
just wrote about this group. They have privilege of various types. They tend to
be over 30, wealthy, straight, white, educated males with no union background.
They meet almost every definition of privilege. They have been our Class
Presidents since second grade, and they are used to running things. They get
VERY testy when they are not in charge!
You
know what it is called when you challenge one of these guys? When you stand up
for the poor, or people of color, or women, or any other disenfranchised group?
You are not being civil.
Because
they think they get to set the rules. That includes any and all rules of
behavior. (And the behavior itself is not bad, just to be clear. It is only
viewed as “uncivil” through the lens of someone who dislikes being challenged.)
Muhammed
Ali was called uncivil. Martin Luther King, Jr. was accused of incivility. So
was Gandhi. So was Susan B. Anthony. Rosa Parks. The list goes on.
Trust me – there is no world in which I get to be lumped in with
those heroes. I know that personally I have not always behaved in the best way
possible. It requires work sometimes, and I have at times fallen short.
But
the larger point is clear: do not be fooled! When an elected official is accused of incivility, she/he
just might be hitting the powerful where it hurts!
The
great writer Charles Dickens said it best: “The civility
which money will purchase, is rarely extended to those who have none.”
After
all, the very word civility is related to civilization… the rules for the ways
in which we live together. So – we have rules. Who gets to set those rules? Is
it exclusively people of privilege? If so, are we really achieving civility?
I
spoke to Congressman Leach about this, thinking I might get a bit of pushback.
I brought up indigenous people fighting the Dakota Access Pipeline, and African
Americans protesting the killings of unarmed black men at the hands of police.
Interestingly,
he did not push back at all. Instead, he offered some words of wisdom: “Do not
confuse being polite with being civil.” He then went on to point out that there
are plenty of people who are politely lying to your face, or politely coercing
you, or politely failing to answer your question.
Civility
is a topic that bears watching. It is lacking, and we need more of it. But it
must not serve as a tool for those with privilege to shut out other voices.
*Taxes in Johnson County
Taxes
are high in Johnson County. Right? Uh, not so much. People love to hang onto
the myth that Johnson County is a high tax county, but that simply is not the
case.
According
to data from the Iowa State Association of Counties (ISAC), Johnson County
ranks:
*33rd
in General Fund tax rate. 32 counties have higher tax rates, 66 have lower.
*49th
in Rural Fund tax rate. 48 counties have higher tax rates, 50 have lower.
*35th
in Combined tax rate. 34 counties have higher tax rates, 64 have lower.
As
you can see, Johnson County does not rank particularly high when it comes to
tax rates. We are actually very close to the middle of the pack when compared
to the rest of the counties in Iowa.
Next
time you hear someone say our county taxes are “highest in the state”, call
them on their lie. I hear it a lot, and this misinformation needs to be
challenged.
*DID YOU KNOW?
In the past 25 years, there have been 6 “issues” on the ballot in Iowa
City that would not have occurred in a city without a charter. There were three
votes on the 21 Bar ordinance; 2 votes on the First Avenue Extension; and one
vote on Public Power.
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
October 13, 2016
Sullivan’s
Salvos 10/18/16
In this edition:
*RIP David Wright
*Des Moines Register Poll
*Photographing a Ballot
*Intergovernmental Relations
*Did You Know?
*RIP David Wright
The
owner of Crown Electric, David was a salt-of-the-Earth guy with a great wry
sense of humor. He served on a few Boards and Commissions for Johnson County
over the years, and his service was always exemplary. RIP.
*Des Moines Register Poll
I
like the Des Moines Register; I really do. I think it is impressive that it has
fought its’ Gannett owners as long and hard as it has. But there is one thing I
DETEST about the Des Moines Register, and that is the Register Poll.
I
get it – the poll sells papers. It also poisons democracy. We need coverage of
issues, not coverage of horse races. I am convinced that these polls reduce
voter turnout. Worse, they take the focus off important topics.
The
Register should be about informing the citizenry, not about profits. But
because it IS about profits, we get polls instead of news. And the polls are
timed perfectly to inflict the most possible damage on the democratic process.
Odds
are quite good the last Register poll will be a bust because of the timing.
Good. I hope that happens several times in a row, so these polls go away and we
can actually discuss issues.
*Photographing a Ballot
There
have been a few recent court cases regarding the photographing of voted
ballots. I have already seen a few photos of voted ballots show up in my own
Facebook feed. While this may seem innocent, I happen to believe the
photographing of voted ballots could fundamentally undermine our democracy.
Snopes ran the
following: “The answers to questions about whether it is illegal to photograph
a ballot and post the results on the Internet, and what the penalties are for
doing so, are "It depends." Regulations regarding voting procedure in
the U.S. are set at a state level (or lower), so laws in this area vary quite a
bit from place to place. In most states, however, it is the case that voters
who upload photographs of their ballots to the Internet could indeed be risking
criminal penalties.”
"It's a very
unusual case," says Jeffrey Hermes, the deputy director of the Media Law
Resource Center in New York. "Usually banning political speech would be a
violation of the First Amendment. But with photography at polling places,
there's an intersection of two fundamental aspects of democracy: freedom of
speech and the integrity of the voting process."
“Hermes breaks it
down this way: Suppose you were a nefarious character who wanted to skew the
voting process in some way. You could buy votes, but you'd want proof that
people actually voted like you told them to. You could mislead people who don't
understand the voting process or don't speak English well. You could intimidate
other voters into voting like you do.”
“In these
cases, photos from inside the voting booth would really help you, the nefarious
character, perpetrate election fraud. And so, many states have just banned
those photos categorically. In this narrow circumstance, they've indicated,
there's something more essential to democracy than free speech.”
This
is not hyperbole. I can think of hundreds of scenarios where people could be
coerced into showing someone else their voted ballot. Abusers could force
victims of domestic violence to prove how they voted. Employers could force
employees to vote a certain way or lose a job. Parents could force young adult
children to vote a certain way or be forced out of college or out of the house.
Churches, unions, and other membership organizations could begin to require
proof of a vote as a condition for membership. Buying votes would become
rampant. Who would pay the most for your vote? It is now for sale!
Sure,
we could create a law that says it is illegal to coerce a person in these ways.
Heck, my bet is such a law probably already exists. But good luck enforcing it!
Those with power will always find new ways to coerce those without. It is
simpler to just make it illegal.
I
fully understand that this conflicts with a person’s First Amendment Rights. So
I do not come to this conclusion lightly. I feel it is critical that we
maintain the integrity of our democracy, and keep voted ballots private!
*Intergovernmental Relations
Over
the past 15 or so years, there have been some high-profile spats between North
Liberty, Coralville, Iowa City, Johnson County, and the ICCSD. I think there
are a few easy explanations for this:
1.
We
have experienced a great deal of growth; growth brings many challenges.
2.
The
State and Federal governments have reduced the income coming into local
governments, meaning it is more likely we will argue over what little is
available.
3.
It
is human nature to worry about oneself (and one’s own interests) first.
4.
Elected
officials oftentimes have egos that get in the way.
5.
One
or two rogue comments by one or two elected officials can be magnified far out
of proportion.
6.
There
is no codified mechanism for communication between the groups.
7.
Media
coverage of these governmental entities is dwindling.
So it is not hard to see why local governments had some spats. The
good news? In my opinion, the relationships between local governments are the
best they have been in that 15-year period.
It is a bit ironic, as people who opposed the election of the “Core
Four” in 2014 claimed intergovernmental relations would suffer as a result. In
fact, the exact opposite has been true.
What has changed? I would have to say that meetings have made the
difference. Individual meetings between councilors and board members, joint
meetings between two entities, and joint meetings between all entities. When
people sit down and talk, they can find common ground.
I remember requesting a joint meeting between the City of Iowa
City and Johnson County way back in 2007. Johnson County made the same request,
a couple times per year, for seven years. We finally held that meeting in 2014.
The delay did not serve our constituents well. Thankfully, those days are in
the rearview mirror.
We also have to acknowledge the leaders who have made this happen.
Amy Nielsen, John Lundell, Jim Throgmorton, and Chris Lynch deserve credit for
creating a culture where governmental entities talk to each other. It sounds
easy, but it took work by these folks to get to where we are.
Relationships between these elected bodies are pretty good right
now, knock on wood. That does not mean there won’t be areas of disagreement; we
will always have areas of disagreement. But I feel good about where we are, and
good about where we are headed.
*DID YOU KNOW?
Most local governments in Johnson County participate in a quarterly
“Joint Entities” meeting.
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
October 7, 2016
Sullivan’s
Salvos 10/11/16
In this edition:
*We Are All Responsible!
*Privileged NeoLiberals
*Democratic Party BBQ
*Did You Know?
*We Are All Responsible!
You probably never heard of Chris Arteberry. Chris was an
18-year-old young man who lived in Cedar Rapids. Chris was recently murdered. I
attended his funeral Thursday. Chris had caused a lot of trouble over the past
year; I know that. But we let him down.
Who is “we”, you ask? His family let him down. The Department of
Human Services let him down. Four Oaks let him down. Our Governor and our
Legislature let him down. I let him down. And yes, you let him down.
We allow this. We allow a kid to fall through the cracks. Chris
was crying for help. Screaming for help. I did nothing. You did nothing. Our
State “systems” did nothing. And now he is dead.
Chris’ sister lived with our family for over a year. She spent her
Senior year staying with us, attending City High, and did really well. Through
it all, she said, “My brother needs help.” He spent a couple Thanksgivings and
a couple Christmases at our house, but we never really helped him. We let this
happen.
Are you OK with this? Because you are responsible. We are all
responsible.
*Priveleged NeoLiberals
There
is a group of voters that drives me nuts. But it is not the group you might
think.
Politics
in the US has been a binary system for a long time. Two parties, winner takes
all. Frankly, I do not believe this is the best system out there; it isn’t even
close. Just about any type of Parliamentary system would make more sense for
more people.
But
we have the system we have. There are Democrats, Republicans, and “No Party”
voters. And within that system, we get subgroups of Democrats, Republicans, and
No Party voters.
Within the GOP, you will hear folks discuss Evangelical
Republicans, Country Club Republicans, Ron Paul Republicans, Nelson Rockefeller
Republicans, Strom Thurmond Republicans, Rural Conservatives, Masters of the
Universe, and much more.
Within the No Party group of voters, you find Swing Voters,
Suburban Soccer Moms, Wal Mart voters, true Independents, Greens, Libertarians,
Socialists, and large swaths of Cubans, Catholics, Military Veterans, senior
citizens, the poor, and much more.
Within the Democratic Party, you will find African American
voters, Latino voters, Asian voters, Native American voters, Jewish voters,
LGBTQ voters, People with disabilities, Union members, young people, highly
educated voters, Atheists, and much more.
Obviously,
these groups are not hard and fast. You can be an African American Republican,
or an Evangelical Democrat. I personally know people who fit those
descriptions. Additionally, many voters move between these groups, or fit
multiple categories. The point is simply that political parties are made up of
VERY diverse groups of people!
I have been involved in Democratic Party politics for a long, long
time. I have held just about every role you can hold. I know how things work.
This is why I have such great respect for my counterparts in the GOP. I know
that they are doing the same things, fighting the same battles. We are both
recruiting candidates, finding volunteers, raising money, maintaining lists,
making calls, knocking doors, finding speakers, etc. We are getting criticized
for the same things. It is the exact same work.
I know my GOP friends care deeply about this country. They are
willing to stand up for something. As Teddy Roosevelt put it, they have “thrown
their hats into the ring.” They want a better world for their kids and
grandkids, and they are willing to work hard for it. How can I have anything
but respect for that?
So yeah, I’m pretty OK with my GOP pals. We disagree on many
things, but we are committed to many of the same goals.
There
is one particular subgroup of the Democratic Party that drives me nuts. I’m not
really certain how to refer to them; my term of choice right now is “Privileged
NeoLiberals”. (I also thought about calling them Omega Theta Pi, fraternity of
Greg Marmalard and Douglass Niedermeyer, but I decided OTP were Republicans.)
Who
are the Privileged NeoLiberals? Well, first off, they have privilege of various
types. They tend to be over 30, wealthy, straight, white, educated males with
no union background. They meet almost every definition of privilege. They have
been our Class Presidents since second grade, and they are used to running
things. They get VERY testy when they are not in charge!
This
group is also conservative. Not as conservative as more conservative
Republicans, but more conservative than some Republicans. Privileged NeoLiberals
and their peers own businesses. They see their job as to funnel public money to
their friends. They do not see this as wrong; it is simply how you perpetuate
privilege. They oppose the basic Democratic Party Platform on economic issues.
They are sympathetic on some social issues, but would much prefer to get back
to business.
But
basic democratic principals are getting in their way: their demographic group
is outnumbered. Their ideas are outnumbered. Unless votes are suppressed, they
will not be running the Democratic Party. This is beginning to sink in, and
their whining is deafening.
It
is not new to have struggles over the infrastructure of a political party. As a
matter of fact, it is constantly occurring. Both Democrats and Republicans are
seeing things shift. This phenomenon too, shall pass. Meanwhile, keep an eye
out for the leaders that emerge from these struggles!
*Democratic Party BBQ
The
Johnson County Democratic Party is holding its’ Annual Fall BBQ/Fundraiser on Sunday,
October 16, from 4pm - 7pm at the Johnson County Fairgrounds, Buildings B and C.
Join
us for some good food, good camaraderie and some great speakers! A cash bar and
vegetarian option will be available.
SPONSORSHIP
LEVELS - each includes 2 free tickets: Platinum Sponsor, $500; Gold Sponsor,
$250; Silver Sponsor, $100.
TICKETS:
Individual, $25; Couple, $35; Family, $40.
EXHIBITOR
6-FOOT TABLES: Local candidates $25; Statewide candidates $40; National
candidates $50; Non-profit organizations $25; For-profit organizations $50.
The
purpose of this event is twofold: 1.) Raise money to elect Democrats, and 2.)
Have fun! We hope to see you at the 2016 JC Dems Fall BBQ!
*DID YOU KNOW?
Johnson County is shooting for 100,000 registered voters for the 2016
elections. That number was 87,000 earlier this year.
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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