SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
August 17, 2017
Sullivan’s
Salvos 8/22/17
In this edition:
*Charlottesville
*Still Fighting for $10.10!
*The Green Room
*Viet Nam War Book
*ICCSD Bond Facts
*Did You Know?
*Charlottesville
What
to say? Nazis and other white supremacists take over a mid-sized college town
in an attempt to “Make America Great Again”. People get hurt; people die. A
third of the population is aghast, a third loves it, and a third doesn’t care.
And you know who defends the racists? Our President. It is
despicable. There is no equivocating here; don’t even try. My heart aches for
this country. So many people are so very wrong. We must do SO much better!
*Still Fighting for $10.10!
As
you know, Republicans in the Iowa Legislature and the Branstad/Reynolds team
took away minimum wage increases from tens of thousands of Iowans.
Thousands of those people were here in Johnson County, where the
minimum wage had been $10.10 for six months with no ill effects, and many
benefits. Because we know $10.10 truly is a minimum here, the Center for Worker
Justice (CWJ) has been working on an effort to get employers to voluntarily
remain at $10.10.
The CWJ effort has been going well – over 150 businesses have
agreed to make $10.10 the minimum wage despite the efforts of Kim Reynolds.
So what can you do? There are several things:
1.)
Talk
about $10.10 where you do business. If they pay $10.10, thank them.
2.)
Only
shop at establishments that pay $10.10. If you stop going to an establishment,
tell them why you stopped.
3.)
Help
the CWJ to canvass businesses in Johnson County. Many have yet to be
approached.
We can still create an economy that works for everyone, but we
need your help! Contact the CWJ if you’d like to get involved.
*The Green Room
The Green Room is the latest effort from my friend
Dave Gould. If you are not familiar with his work, you should be!
The Green Room is a University of Iowa Honors
Program course based on a series of questions: How does a community become
smarter… employ that knowledge to uplift the lives of its residents… join with
cities and towns across the country… and collectively change the world? Along
the way, The Green Room will explore a new pedagogy for higher education around
issues that matter.
How will it work? For starters, imagine a series of
thought leaders, musicians, writers, and local nonprofits speaking and performing
in a historic 700-seat theatre filled with students and community members - all
inspired to make a difference.
Before each session, the class will host a “real”
green room experience, connecting students with national and local leaders.
These conversations are poised to create avenues of involvement and service.
To activate both the heart and mind, elements of
music and literature will be interwoven into each class. At the end of a Green
Room session, an activity will be revealed for the entire audience to complete
within 24 hours—a collective push intended to generate momentum – an
“aftershock” honoring our time together. In short, The Green Room is more than
just a class; it’s a community-wide learning experience.
For
more info, see: The Green Room on Facebook and Twitter.
*Viet Nam War Book
Fifty years after the Vietnam War, an
original collection of stories has been released to honor and remember those
who served. A Time to Honor: Stories of Service, Duty, and Sacrifice, and
its corresponding documentary film The Journey Home, are available, free
of charge, to any Johnson County resident who served in Vietnam.
Copies of the book are available at
the Johnson County Veterans Affairs office, Suite 109C in the Johnson County
Health and Human Services Building at 855 South Dubuque Street in Iowa City.
Veterans should bring a copy of their DD214. Books are also available to
surviving spouses of Vietnam veterans; spouses should bring proof of Dependency
Indemnity Compensation (DIC). Contact Johnson County Veterans Affairs Director Gary
Boseneiler at 319-356-6049 or gbosenei@co.johnson.ia.us for more information.
Stories in the Vietnam 50th
commemorative gift represent all states and branches of service; however, the
first several pages of this volume include Iowa-specific information. The book
is available as a state-sponsored gift to Vietnam veterans through 2017.
Supplies are limited and will be distributed on a first-come, first-served
basis
ABOUT THE JOHNSON COUNTY COMMISSION
OF VETERANS AFFAIRS: The Johnson County Commission of Veterans Affairs assists
County residents who served in the U.S. Armed Forces, their relatives,
beneficiaries, and dependents in receiving aid and benefits to which they may
be entitled. The Commission also provides temporary emergency financial
assistance to honorably discharged Johnson County veterans who meet eligibility
criteria. The Johnson County Veterans Affairs office is located in the Health
and Human Services Building, 855 South Dubuque Street, Suite 109C, Iowa City,
and can be reached at 319-356-6049 or gbosenei@co.johnson.ia.us.
*ICCSD Bond Facts
As you probably know, I am a big supporter of the upcoming bond
referendum in the ICCSD. Since this is a really important topic, I am going to
dedicate a bit of time to it each of the next few weeks.
This
week, I would like to address growth in the ICCSD. The ICCSD is home to 14,000
students k-12, making it the 4th largest School District in Iowa.
We
add an average of 300 students to the ICCSD EVERY YEAR. Think about that for a
moment. An elementary school might have 2 sections of 25 students per grade. 50
kids per grade, times K-6 equals 350 students. In other words, the ICCSD would
need to build an elementary every year just to keep up!
Of
course, we have not been building an elementary every year. What has happened
instead is schools are overcrowded. Temporary buildings surround our schools.
These temporary classrooms are notorious for poor climate controls.
If
the bond fails, over 60% of the children in the ICCSD will end up having class
in a temporary classroom. Many schools are not air-conditioned. Many schools
lack rooms for PE, art, and music. Many buildings exist in violation of the
ADA. We can do better. We must do better.
Some
claim that we are overbuilding. Others claim we are underbuilding. Frankly,
given the choice, I would much rather overbuild! Remember those 300 new kids
every year? They do not enter into a single school. They are spread across all
25 of our schools.
So adding space for a section or two at virtually every school
makes some sense. Especially considering the Weighted Resource Allocation Model
(WRAM), which creates lower class sizes in needier neighborhoods. When you hear
people claim that Alexander was underbuilt? That is because the Board passed
the WRAM. If WRAM is going to be the District policy, then we need more
capacity. (The alternative to WRAM is bussing, which the community decried!)
When my kids went to Hoover, the neighborhood couldn’t fill the
school. Many kids transferred in. Even then, there was extra space. And you
know what? That was OK!
Those are but a few of the important numbers. For more info,
please visit http://passthebond.com. And please join me in voting YES on or before September 12!
*DID YOU KNOW?
Republicans in the Missouri Legislature followed Iowa’s lead, and passed
statewide legislation that eliminated higher local minimum wages in Saint Louis
and other local jurisdictions.
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.
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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 @ 12:48 PM
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