SULLIVAN'S SALVOS

April 26, 2018

Sullivan’s Salvos 5/1/18

In this edition:

*Foster Parenting

*Think Minimum Wage!

*Older Americans Month

*Good Riddance, Paul Ryan!

*Dems Hall of Fame

*Did You Know?

*Foster Parenting

It is the end of an era in the Fath/Sullivan household. After 19+ years, 50+ Foster children, 3 adoptions, and lots of great memories, we are no longer Foster Parents.

The time was right. Our latest (and last) Foster Daughter is turning 18. We now have an 11-month-old granddaughter living with us. And frankly, we are getting a bit old and tired.

I must say, serving as Foster Parents was the best decision we ever made. It turned out to be the way in which we built our family, and the way we filled our lives.

Over the years we worked with lots of great Foster Parents, and lots of outstanding social workers, attorneys, and judges. Unfortunately, every single one was fighting the lack of resources provided by Iowa’s Legislatures and Governors.

We also worked with several birth families. I hope they all know that we always did our best for their kids, and that we never disparaged them in front of their kids. I hope they know we were on their side.

And finally, the kids. They were not all easy. They were not all fun. But it was an honor and a privilege to care for each and every one of them. They all deserved better, but we did the best we could. We have always wanted nothing but the best for each of them.

Unfortunately, our timing is bad for Johnson County DHS. The need for Foster Parents is at a crisis level. Iowa ranks 6^thin the nation in the percentage of children in Foster Care. There are about 4500 children statewide in Foster Care, including almost 200 in Johnson County.

Could you serve? Could someone you know serve? They need families desperately! Please spread the word!

If you are interested in becoming a Foster Parent, contact Four Oaks at http://www.iowafosterandadoption.org/content/common-questions.

*Think Minimum Wage!

Planning an event? After work get together? Beers with friends? Before you choose where to go, please consider whether or not that business supports the Johnson County minimum wage.

Several businesses went out on a limb, and took a stand for the low wage workers of our community. If you care about this, you need to reward the businesses that have done the right thing.

So before your next after work beer, please ask the establishment if they observe the Johnson County minimum wage. If not, go elsewhere. Where you buy matters!

*Older Americans Month

May is Older Americans Month and this year’s theme, “Engage at every age,” emphasizes the importance of being active and involved, no matter where you are in life.

In celebration of Older Americans Month, Johnson County Livable Community will host a series of events throughout May:

Wednesday, May 2, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Aging in Place Successfully
Iowa City Area Association of Realtors, 847 Quarry Road, Coralville
Discover options that will allow you to remain in your home. Lunch will be provided to those who have registered.

Tuesday, May 8, 2 to 4 p.m.
Car Free and Care Free
Coralville Public Library, Meeting Room A, 1401 5th Street, Coralville
Learn how to maintain your independence by utilizing local transportation options.

Wednesday, May 16, noon to 1:30 p.m.
AARP Power of the 50+ Voter
Coralville Public Library, Meeting Room A, 1401 5th Street, Coralville
Confused about the new voter laws? Learn everything you need to know to go to the polls for the June 5 primaries. Lunch will be provided to those who have registered.

Wednesday, May 23, 12:30 to 2 p.m.
Powerful Tools and Finances for Caregivers
Johnson County Extension Office, 3109 Old Highway 218 S., Iowa City
ISU Extension and Outreach will show caregivers how to reduce stress, establish balance in their lives and locate helpful resources. Lunch will be provided to those who have registered.

Thursday, May 31, 5 to 6 p.m.
Community Dialogue
Johnson County Health and Human Services Building, Room 203 B/C, 855 S. Dubuque Street, Iowa City
What makes Johnson County a Livable Community and how can we improve it?

Registration is required one week in advance of each event. To register for an event, contact Kellbach at 319-688-5842 or jkellbach@co.johnson.ia.us.

Johnson County Livable Community (JCLC) is an initiative of the Johnson County Board of Supervisors. JCLC addresses the needs of an aging population and serves as a unifying structure that brings together common interests and collective resources to foster effective collaboration, cooperation, communication, education and direction of efforts that will build and sustain a livable community for successful aging. For more information, visit the JCLC website atwww.livablecommunity.org.

*Good Riddance, Paul Ryan!

I have always disliked Paul Ryan. This is not a political thing… it is a religious thing. He claims to be this strong Christian, yet he maintains a false idol (Ayn Rand) and has dedicated his life to hurting the poor. He is the very definition of a hypocrite.

Then I saw this on Twitter from a gentleman named Joshua Zeitz: Paul Ryan now enjoys the peace of mind that when he turns 50—in less than two years—he will enjoy a defined-benefits pension of about $79k annually for the rest of his life, funded by the same taxpayers whose Social Security he's been trying to cut or privatize his entire career.

Go away, Mr. Ryan. Meanwhile, I will pray for your hypocritical soul.

*Dems Hall of Fame

The Johnson County Democratic Party is holding our Annual Hall of Fame Awards event on Saturday, May 12 at 7pm at Brown Deer.Please join us for coffee, desserts, and plenty of old war stories! A cash bar will be available. Parking is free.

The Hall of Fame inductees for 2018 are: SenatorBob and Chairperson Sue Dvorsky.We hope you can join us in recognizing this remarkable couple! In addition, this year there will be a couple additional awards honoring local activists.

Tickets are available for a $25 suggested donation. People who cannot afford that amount should still feel welcome, but please call 354-7199 so we can get a count.

Sponsorships are available at the following levels:

$100 includes two tickets

$250 includes 4 tickets

$500 includes a whole table (8 tickets)

Checks can be mailed to:

Johnson County Democrats

PO Box 1773

Iowa City, IA 52244

If you have any questions, please contact Rod Sullivan at 354-7199 or rodsullivan@mchsi.com. We hope you will join us for a fun evening, and lend your voice to those who are honoring these very deserving people. We look forward to seeing you!

*DID YOU KNOW? Persons 65 and older is the fastest growing demographic in Johnson County.

Anyone interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the County website-

www.johnson-county.com.

"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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SULLIVAN'S SALVOS

April 26, 2018

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