SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
October 4, 2018
Sullivan’s Salvos 10/9/18
In this edition:
*Congratulations, Stephen!
*Sixteen Candles
*Congratulations Councilor!
*Now the BIG Election!
*Poverty Summit
*Democratic Party Fall BBQ
*Green Room Event
*Did You Know?
*Congratulations, Stephen!
Personally, professionally, politically… Stephen Trefz is truly one of the good guys. Stephen recently retired from Abbe Health after a long career serving those with mental health needs in Johnson County.
I have known Stephen since the 80s when he was a therapist at Mid Eastern Iowa Community Mental Health, an organization he later led. He has always been a force for good in our community, and I wish him all the best in his retirement. Thanks, Stephen, for all your great work!
*Sixteen Candles
A couple of years ago, Film Scene did a rooftop showing of the 1984 comedy “Sixteen Candles”. The movie came out after I was in college, and I never saw it in the theater. But for a whole generation of folks just a bit younger than me, it is an iconic film.
Melissa and I decided to go to the Film Scene event. But we were surprised at the results. We did not find it funny at all. It was racist, sexist, and full of glorified date rape. I felt really guilty, knowing that I had laughed at it in the past. I don’t recall when I first saw the movie; I suppose it was as a rental in the early days of VCRs. I just know that my reaction at the time was not the same as my reaction now.
Where am I going with this? The Kavanaugh hearings, of course. It surprised me, but several pundits were thinking the same things we were. One of the most quoted people in terms of the hearings has been Sixteen Candles star Molly Ringwald.
Regardless of how you feel about the Kavanaugh hearings, we are doing better in terms of women’s rights than we were in the 1980s. Things that were “funny” then are certainly not funny now. But that is small consolation. We have SO far to go!
The Kavanaugh hearings put our misogyny on full display. It was sad, hurtful, embarrassing, and creepy, and I know that we only scratched the surface.
It is not good enough to say, “I suppose you didn’t deserve to be raped.” Not good enough at all! I hope that in another 34 years, people looking back at 2018 feel we have made much greater strides. We have no choice.
*Congratulations Councilor!
Iowa City is now through the painful process of replacing former Councilor Kingsley Botchway, and the newest City Councilor is Bruce Teague.
Iowa City voters turned out at an abysmal 9% clip, giving Teague a 381-vote win over Ann Freerks. That works out to a 54-45 win.
I look forward to working with Bruce in his new role! And thanks, as always, to everyone who threw her/his name into the ring. I appreciate your willingness to serve!
*Now the BIG Election!
Do not allow election fatigue to set in! This November’s election is the most important statewide election OF MY LIFETIME. We NEED you to vote on or before November 6th!
Early voting starts October 8 at the Auditor’s Office. Please take advantage of this opportunity!
And if you want to do more than just vote? That’s great! Contact Conner Dane at (617) 959-1428. He will help you get started volunteering.
*Poverty Summit
Johnson County invites you to participate in a public forum, The State of Poverty in Johnson County. The forum will take place from 9 a.m. to noon on Friday, Oct. 12, in the Johnson County Health and Human Services Building.
More than 25,000 of your Johnson County neighbors live in poverty. Another 25,000 are struggling to make ends meet while working. In Johnson County, 31.5 percent of children were eligible for free and reduced school lunch last year. Poverty stretches across all generations and cultures in our community.
The forum will include presentations by state and local experts, including the Child and Family Policy Center, Iowa Policy Project, Iowa Women’s Foundation, and United Way. The event will kick off a series of action planning meetings focused on collaboratively developing strategies to address issues of poverty in our community.
All are welcome to attend. Space is limited. Please RSVP at https://stateofpovertyinjohnsoncounty.eventbrite.com.
More information is available at www.johnson-county.com/poverty <http://www.johnson-county.com/poverty> .
*Democratic Party Fall BBQ
The Johnson County Democratic Party Fall BBQ is Sunday, October 14thfrom 4-7pm at the Johnson County Fairgrounds.
Join the Johnson County Democrats for an afternoon of great conversation, great food catered by our own County Supervisor Kurt Friese, and getting pumped for the Blue Wave in November!
The list of speakers is outstanding, including US Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon, US Representative Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, and Washington Governor Jay Inslee. Add in Statewide candidates, and you have a great lineup!
Tickets are $25 per person, $50 per family, and available at the door. (These are suggested donations. No one is ever turned away from Johnson County Democratic Party events for inability to pay.) There will also be a silent auction, so please do bring your checkbook!
This is the JC Dems' biggest fundraiser of the year, a friendly environment for conversation, a good meal, and a great opportunity to hear from leaders in the Democratic Party. We hope we'll see you there!
*Green Room Event
Monday, October 15th @ Englert Theatre
Casey Gerald, author of "There Will Be No Miracles Here: A Memoir” and founder of MBA×America.
Featured nonprofit: Bird House
Facebook event link to share: https://www.facebook.com/events/1093635700790917/<https://www.facebook.com/events/1093635700790917/>
Casey Gerald, author of "There Will Be No Miracles Here: A Memoir” and founder of MBA×America.
Featured nonprofit: Bird House
Facebook event link to share: https://www.facebook.com/events/1093635700790917/<https://www.facebook.com/events/1093635700790917/>
*DID YOU KNOW? From the Iowa Policy Project: We have a state and federal minimum wage of $7.25, but a single mother with two children and health insurance from her employer would still need to make about $25 an hour just to meet basic needs.
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 @ 1:41 PM
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