SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
March 3, 2017
Sullivan’s
Salvos 3/7/17
In this edition:
*No Salvos Next Week!
*Bobby Kauffmann
*Saint Patrick’s Day!
*Bob Sullivan
*Road Embargoes
*Did You Know?
*No Salvos Next Week!
There
will be no Salvos next week. Expect your next edition (dated 3/21/17) somewhere
around March 17 or 18.
*Bobby Kauffmann
Bobby
Kauffmann is a Republican State Representative who “represents” a portion of
Johnson County – the City of Solon, plus Big Grove, Cedar, Graham, East Lucas,
Scott, and Newport Townships.
Representative
Kauffmann has helped Johnson County with a couple pieces of legislation over
the years. Don’t get me wrong; I am very glad he did so. But really, isn’t it a
pretty minimal expectation that you help the local Supervisors to help the
folks you both represent?
Meanwhile, I have had many differences with Representative
Kauffmann over the years. The differences between us were never more stark than
when he voted against teachers, cops, firefighters, nurses, social workers,
roads crews, correctional officers, ambulance staff, and all the rest of our
public employees.
That vote is a disqualifying vote. There is no small bit of help
he can offer on another bill that will atone for his attack on public
employees. He is not deserving of your support.
So quit giving it to him! Over the next month, Representative
Kauffmann is going to get a free pass from Representative Upmeyer. He will join
Democrats on several votes, attempting to appear moderate. We saw this earlier
with Representative Andy McKean, whose Anamosa District contains a lot of
correctional workers. McKean never actually fought for public employees – he
simply got a pass, and took a free vote.
Representative Kauffmann has already been given his pass. He has
been given permission to vote against a couple of the craziest GOP bills that
are yet to come; they will pass without his vote.
You need to remember a few things – the attack on public
employees, his voting for 1% for public education, etc. (More bad votes are
still to come as of this writing. He will get a pass on many, but not all.) Small
goodwill gestures do NOT make up for this!
He’s going to be looking for tiny ways in which he can appear
bipartisan. He’s going to want to take all kinds of photos with Democrats.
Please do not let this fool you. He has already cast his disqualifying votes.
He needs to go.
*Saint Patrick’s Day!
Happy St. Patty’s Day on March 17! St. Patrick’s Day is one of my
favorite days of the year. While not an “official” holiday, this day has long
been celebrated heartily by my Irish family.
March
17 is a Friday this year, so I have plenty of time to celebrate correctly! J Meanwhile, I
hope each and every one of you is touched by a little luck o’ the Irish!
*Bob Sullivan
March
17 holds a special place in my heart that goes beyond St. Patrick’s Day. That
was also the birthday of my late father, Bob Sullivan.
Dad
was a proud union man, Hawkeye fan, and Irishman. We were father and son, but
also best friends. I can honestly say he was probably the most fun person I
have ever known.
Unfortunately,
he left this world much too soon, and never got the chance to meet any of his
grandchildren. I miss him every single day, but especially on St. Patty’s Day.
If
you knew my dad and you are reading this – send me an email some time. I could
really use a little time swapping stories and reminiscing.
And,
if you are looking for an extra toast on St. Patrick’s Day, allow me to suggest
that you raise a glass to Bob Sullivan.
Happy
birthday, Dad.
*Road Embargoes
One of the sure “signs of spring” in Iowa is the list of embargoed
roads! Winter weather – primarily cycles of freezing and thawing – can do
tremendous damage to roads. In order to allow counties to protect the taxpayer
investment in these roads, State law allows County Boards of Supervisors to
impose weight restrictions.
The chip seal/oil road systems are most susceptible to damage and
are most likely to be subjected to embargoes. Late February through early May
is a very common time for the county to post weight restrictions on county
roadways. Once posted, the restrictions may be in effect for a period of ninety
days. In the past, posted roadways have been limited to any vehicle less than 8
gross tons. Please check the county website for additional information
regarding Board approval and weight restrictions for the 2017 embargo season.
The County Engineer may issue a special permit to individuals who
demonstrate a need to move market farm produce of the type subject to rapid
spoilage or loss of value, or the need to move farm feeds or fuel for home
heating purposes. The issuance of a permit may allow certain vehicles exceeding
the weight limit to operate on embargoed roadways.
We get asked for exceptions all the
time, but please note - permits will not be issued for any other reason -
including transporting construction materials or equipment that exceeds the
posted weight limit. Operation of over-weight vehicles on restricted roads
without a permit will be at the risk of prosecution. Using alternate routes
where possible and breaking down loads into smaller units are methods
encouraged to minimize damage to these roads.
Permits for qualified participants will be issued at
the Johnson County Secondary Road Department at 4810 Melrose Avenue in Iowa
City. The following information will be needed to complete the permit: vehicle
license plate number(s), driver’s name(s), type of material being transported,
and planned route or roads you plan to travel.
Again,
for a list of embargoed roads, see the Secondary Roads page on the Johnson
County website: www.johnson-county.com.
*DID YOU KNOW?
There are 33.7 million U.S. residents who are of
Irish ancestry. That number is almost nine times the population of Ireland
itself.
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
posted by Rod Sullivan @ 4:23 PM
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