rodsullivan.org
SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
May 30, 2019
Sullivan’s Salvos 6/4/19
In this edition:
*Emergency Management Agency (EMA)
*My Top Eleven Local Elections
*Did You Know?
*Emergency Management Agency (EMA)
Rain! Will it ever stop? God, I hope so! Meanwhile, you can rest assured that the Johnson County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) is on the case!
When the sirens go off? That is EMA. When you hear about us urging the US Army Corps of Engineers to increase the flow from the Reservoir? That is EMA. When you get updates on tornados, floods, and other weather-related emergencies? That is EMA.
Whether it is disaster planning, disaster response, or disaster recovery, EMA is prepared to serve the people of Johnson County. We really do have outstanding leadership in EMA Director Dave Wilson and Assistant Director Travis Beckman, as well as lots of well-trained professionals and volunteers.
To learn more about EMA, visit the website at: https://www.johnson-county.com/dept_emergency_home.aspx?id=737
*My Top Eleven Local Elections
I was thinking recently about all the many elections in which I have been involved. I started getting active in the late 1980s. Over that 30+year period, there have been many memorable races and many memorable faces.
I have been a part of huge wins and devastating losses. I have seen people I worked against end up being excellent elected officials, and I have seen people I worked for end up being terrible elected officials. I have offered really good advice and really bad advice. So yeah, I’ve been wrong! I have also experienced several wonderful moments that I think were really good for Johnson County.
Some of the elections seem as though they mattered more than others. So I began trying to rank them in order of importance. Then I decided that “importance” may not be the correct word. I decided to stick to local elections; I am extremely proud of being a very early supporter of President Obama, but it seems wrong to try to conflate the importance of a city council race with a Presidential one. I also decided to focus on how “meaningful” the election was to local voters as opposed to how happy it made me.
In some of these campaigns, I was a key decision maker. In others, I simply knocked doors. But they are all elections in which I participated meaningfully. And try as I might, I couldn’t narrow it to just 10. So you get eleven. Like a Letterman List - here are my Top Eleven Most Meaningful Local Elections of the Past 30 Years:
11. November 2014 – Amy Nielsen elected Mayor of North Liberty. A few of the people in power in North Liberty had literally said that a young mother like Nielsen shouldn’t run for Mayor. Not a smart move in a city full of young mothers! Nielsen went on to break up the good old boy network in town, and usher in a new era of North Liberty as a real political force. She also went on to represent the area in the Iowa Legislature.
10. June 1992 – Joe Bolkcom wins Democratic Party Supervisor Primary. Like the election we just mentioned, this was the election that broke up the good old boy network. Bolkcom ushered in an era of transparency and professionalism. For the first time, the County began considering environmentalism, civil rights, and economic justice. Bolkcom, too, went on to serve in the Iowa Legislature.
9. November 2015 – Core Four elected to Iowa City Council. Despite its liberal reputation, Iowa City has only managed a progressive majority on council for about eight of the past fifty years. That changed in a big way in 2015. The Core Four addressed affordable housing through both funding and zoning, which other councils had avoided for 30+ years. They put money into things that help poor people, and stopped handing it to developers. They adopted a Climate Change Plan. Remember the fears that job growth and development would dry up? Iowa City has NEVER experienced higher growth than in the past four years. NEVER. So, yes, it matters who you elect to council!
8. September 1998 - Nick Johnson and Matt Goodlaxson elected to ICCSD Board of Directors. I think this might be the most underappreciated election on my list. Prior to this group, the ICCSD was simply an extension of the Chamber of Commerce. Banks and law firms treated Board seats as though they owned them. Johnson was the Liberal Golden Boy – a local boy candidate for school board whose incredible resume was better suited to the US Senate. The powers that be knew they couldn’t beat Nick. Goodlaxson was the real revelation here. The father of two children with special needs who managed a local Quick Trip, he was simply not who voters had been electing. But Matt was smart and earnest, and his personal story touched a nerve. This dynamic duo served the ICCSD very well, and opened doors for future candidates.
7. November 2018 - Royceann Porter wins Special Nominating Convention for Supervisor. This is the only election that was not a public election (run by the Auditor’s Office). Instead, this election was held at the Democratic Party Special Nominating Convention. Royceann defeated former Supervisor Pat Harney to become the Democratic Party nominee. She went on, of course, to become the first African American ever elected to countywide office.
6. June 1998 - Kim Painter wins Democratic Party Primary Election for County Recorder. It seems like a long time ago, but back in 1998, the question of whether or not voters were “ready” for a Lesbian Elected Official was very much in play. 21 years ago, Painter was an outsider and a radical. Now she is an institution.
5. November 2017 - Mazahir Salih elected to Iowa City Council. A black, female, Muslim refugee who wears a head covering and whose first language is Arabic was elected to the IC Council. The American Dream really is available in Iowa City! Mazahir is also the first Sudanese American to hold office in the whole US! Unfortunately, Mazahir continues to face bigotry on a daily basis.
4. January 1989 - Karen Kubby wins Special Election for Iowa City Council. This is the longest ago election of any on my list, and in many ways, it made all the others possible. Kubby defeated conservative GOP activist and developer Mary Jo Streb by just 100 votes. How different might our community be today had those 100 votes gone the other direction? People who did not live here pre-Kubby have no idea the stranglehold that a few powerful families held on City government. 30 years later, Kubby remains the gold standard of elected officials. She proved that progressive politics could win, and proved they could govern.
3. November 2008 - Voters pass Conservation Bond. $20 million for conservation was a bit of a pipe dream when we started. But by Thanksgiving of 2007, polling data showed 80% approval. Suddenly, the economy cratered. In the teeth of the biggest economic downturn since the Great Depression, 60.1% of the voters saw fit to spend $20 million on conservation properties and projects. We have the Ciha Fen, Cedar River Crossing, Clear Creek Trail, Solon to Ely (Hoover) Trail, Pechman Creek Delta, Schwab-Burford Property, and several other projects as a result. That 2008 vote will still be impacting the people of Johnson County 100 years from now.
2. February 2003 - Voters pass ICCSD Bond. This built Tate High School, North Central Junior High, Van Allen Elementary, and did additions at several more schools. In a test of just how strongly our community was going to support education, ICCSD voters responded positively.
And at #1 - September 2017 - Voters pass ICCSD Bond. This bond was literally the biggest in state history at $192 million. It was also a referendum on what values the voters in the ICCSD would choose to support. Voters chose to update several long-ignored schools (Mann, Longfellow, Lincoln, Coralville Central, Twain, Shimek), add a few more elementary schools, and build Liberty High. Again, voters in the ICCSD stepped up and made investments that will serve our children for many decades.
I find it interesting that the top 3 on my list were not elections about individual candidates, but elections about ideas and values. And 5/11 elections occurred in the past 5 years. Apparently things have been looking up! I hope the momentum keeps up! I enjoyed this trip down memory lane. So – what are your thoughts?
*DID YOU KNOW? This fall marks the first year that city and school elections will be on the same ballot.
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
May 23, 2019
Sullivan’s Salvos 5/28/19
In this edition:
*County Wins National Award!
*Lone Tree and Mayor Jon Green
*Rural Clean Up
*Rita Hart for Congress
*Did You Know?
*County Wins National Award!
The Johnson County Commission of Veterans Affairs has been recognized with an Achievement Award from the National Association of Counties (NACo). The awards honor innovative, effective county government programs that strengthen services for residents.
NACo recognized the Commission for its annual Veterans Appreciation Tailgate in the category of Civic Education and Public Information. Each year, area veterans and their immediate family members are invited to attend a free away-game “tailgate” event inside the historic Kinnick Stadium Press Box and watch a live broadcast of a University of Iowa Hawkeye football game. The event is hosted by the Commission to show appreciation for the area’s military veterans.
In addition to watching the game, attendees participate in the tradition of waving to the patients at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital at the end of the first quarter. Everyone is also welcome to walk out onto the field and toss around a football.
NACo will recognize award-winning counties at its 2019 Annual Conference and Exposition July 12-15, 2019 in Clark County, Nevada.
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 Commission is also responsible for the Johnson County Armory and Veterans Memorial. The Johnson County Veterans Affairs office is located in the Health and Human Services Building and can be reached at 319-356-6049 or gbosenei@co.johnson.ia.us.
*Lone Tree and Mayor Jon Green
As you may have heard, Lone Tree Mayor Jonathon Green caused a bit of a stir a few weeks ago when he called for a different form of government for the city. Green, who was elected in 2017, thinks Lone Tree ought to hire a full-time City Manager to handle city business.
A bit of background: Lone Tree sits in the “panhandle” of Johnson County, just south of Highway 22. Lone Tree is about 15 minutes from Iowa City and 20 minutes from Muscatine, making it a great location for a “bedroom” community. Unlike many cities its size, Lone Tree has its own K-12 school all on the same campus on the south side of town. The city enjoyed some decent growth from 1990-2010, but has stayed right around a population of 1350 for the better part of 10 years. Recently, the town’s only grocery store closed, its newspaper went away, and many locals fear for the ongoing viability of the school. Clearly, there are strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats.
Mayor Green has handled the role of Mayor admirably. Serving as Mayor of a small town is the single toughest elected office to hold. You get to listen to every complaint, and there isn’t a staff upon which you can lean. After doing this for a while, Green decided the best way to move the city forward was to hire a city manager.
A city manager would be a professional with experience in areas such as sewer and water facilities, road maintenance, economic development, and more. She or he would be dedicated to advocating for Lone Tree for 40+ hours every week – something Green admits he cannot do.
Sounds great, right? Well, not all citizens are jumping on board. The problem appears to be the price tag. A decent city manager is going to cost at least $100,000 annually, and may be closer to $150,000. That is a lot of money in a small town with a small tax base.
Here is where I get frustrated. If you are one of the people who is concerned about growth and maintaining the school, then you should either: A) embrace Jon’s plan, or B) come up with another idea. But simply complaining without action is worthless.
If you think it would cost too much? That is fine. That is a totally legitimate position to hold. Come up with something cheaper that gets a similar result. Or stop complaining. But you don’t get to have it both ways.
This ongoing debate will be interesting. Certainly Johnson County wants to see Lone Tree thrive. And we are willing to consider helping where it makes sense.
*Rural Clean Up
Many Johnson County residents do some spring cleaning. For those who reside in unincorporated Johnson County, make sure you’re disposing of your waste properly through the Rural Cleanup Program.
Johnson County’s Rural Cleanup Program allows residents of unincorporated Johnson County to dispose of up to one ton of waste per household per calendar year at no cost at the Iowa City Landfill and Recycling Center. The program is provided to encourage proper waste disposal and recycling and discourage burning and dumping of waste in rural Johnson County. Funding for this program comes from the Rural Basic Fund, which is a tax on unincorporated Johnson County for County-provided rural services.
Participation is limited to those who reside in unincorporated Johnson County. A residential structure must exist on the property of the resident wishing to utilize the program. To dispose of waste at the landfill through the Rural Cleanup Program a resident must either be listed in the property information database as the legal deed holder of the eligible property or present a state-issued ID which indicates that the individual wishing to dispose of waste resides at the eligible property.
If you are unsure if you are eligible for the program, contact the Johnson County Board of Supervisors Office before you go to the landfill at 319-356-6000 or bosoffice@co.johnson.ia.us.
Garbage must be separated from appliances, electronics, yard waste and recycling. No commercial business waste is allowed. The following materials are banned from entering the landfill: yard waste, cardboard, computer and TV monitors, tires, appliances, lead acid batteries and oil. These items must be properly recycled and handled through programs offered at the landfill. The County will not pay for or reimburse for the cost of these materials or any fines incurred. Hazardous materials waste disposal is not covered under the program. All hazardous waste taken to the landfill must be scheduled by appointment with the City of Iowa City by calling 319-356-5185. More information about disposal fees and recycling at the landfill is available at www.icgov.org/landfill.
*Rita Hart for Congress
Personally, I like the choices I have in the Democratic Party Primary race to replace Congressman Dave Loebsack. Most well-known among the candidates is former State Senator and Lieutenant Governor candidate Rita Hart.
I hear that some Democrats have been criticizing Hart. That is stupid, plain and simple. Don’t like her? Fine, work for someone else. Run yourself. Beat her in the primary. But don’t call yourself a Democrat and help the other side.
Meanwhile, I DO like Senator Hart very much! If you have not had the opportunity, please reach out to her on one of her many trips to Johnson County.
*DID YOU KNOW? Lone Tree’s 2018 population of 1399 ranks #218 of the 742 incorporated cities in Iowa.
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
May 16, 2019
Sullivan’s Salvos 5/21/19
In this edition:
*Solon Fire Breakfast
*Foster Care and Adoption Month
*Bad Roads
*More Whining…
*Are You Rich?
*SOTA
*Did You Know?
*Solon Fire Breakfast
The Solon Firefighters will host the 56th Annual Solon Firefighter's Breakfast from 6:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sunday, May 26 at the Solon Fire Station, 131 N. Iowa St.
The breakfast is all you can eat and the menu includes: pancakes, scrambled eggs, fried eggs, patty sausage, sliced ham, milk and coffee. Cost is free for preschool children, $4 for children 12 and younger and $6 for adults. For more information, call 624-2386.
*Foster Care and Adoption Month
May marks National Foster Care and Adoption Month. As many of you know, Melissa and I have 3 adopted children, and served as foster parents for another 50 + children. We surrendered our license last spring after 20 years.
Unfortunately, the need did not go away. In fact, it may be greater than ever. Even if you do not feel you can serve as a foster parent, help us to recruit others. We need families!
You can learn more by visiting Four Oaks Family Connections at: https://iowafosterandadoption.org.
*Bad Roads
Gravel and dirt roads in Johnson County are in bad shape. I would go so far as to say the roads are in the worst shape since 2008. We are not alone – roads are even worse along the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. All of our neighboring counties are struggling with their roads. Counties from Minnesota to South Dakota to Nebraska to Missouri to Illinois are all dealing with ruined gravel roads.
So, we know the roads are bad. What will help the situation? Good weather is number one, two, and three.
I can tell you what will NOT help: Calling the Supervisors and asking if we have “ever even driven on this road.” Emailing the Supervisors and telling us that the County Engineer is incompetent. Calling the Supervisors and noting that your road is “always last” to receive maintenance. Emailing the Supervisors and explaining how the road maintenance worker in your area does not know what he is doing.
Look, I get it. The roads are bad. Do you REALLY think we don’t WANT to fix them? Do you really believe we could just wave a wand, but we are choosing not to? Is this really a conspiracy?
I will admit, if my road was in this shape, I would be pissed. But is there actually anyone to blame? Just Mother Nature. So blaming County employees and getting angry with County Supervisors does not help. We just need a combination of good weather and time.
Please try to be understanding as we work through this situation. I know it is bad. Just understand, we are doing everything we can!
*More Whining…
I guess this edition of Salvos is the edition in which you get to hear me complain! I really don’t want that to be the focus, but I feel the need to share this tidbit:
Twice in the last two weeks, I have been accused of only caring about rural residents. That is mind-boggling to me, because for YEARS I have had to deal with rural residents accusing me of only caring about urban residents.
I would love to get a few of the people who think I only cater to the rural together with a few of the people who think I only cater to the urban. You can compare notes and come up with a consistent reason for hating me!
*Are You Rich?
Are you rich? Is that a crazy question? It is easy to answer, right? You are not rich. How could I even suggest such a thing?
Except – most of us are. When you talk about income, you need to talk about income relative to everyone else. Let me explain using my household as an example.
My household income last year was about $130,000. Of the 7 billion people on planet earth, we have greater income than 6.6 billion. We are truly among the wealthiest households on earth. Only about 6% of the people on earth earn more.
When you compare us to the US only, the numbers change. We are in the top 18% or so of American households. Still pretty rich! 82% of households have less – amounting to 272 million people!
In Johnson County, we fare about the same – we have more income than 85% of all households. We have more than roughly 130,000 of the 150,000 residents of our county.
In Johnson County, 20% of the households had income between zero and $22,000. 20% were from $22,000 to $43,000. 20% were from $43,000 to $73,000. 20% were from $73,000 to $113,000. And 20% earned over $113,000. So when we talk about being “middle class”? Not if your household earns over $73,000!
Why am I laying this out? Several reasons. First, we need to have greater perspective. Secondly, we need to have more appreciation for all we have been given. Thirdly, we need to recognize that there are a lot of people out there who have it worse than we do.
There is also room for perspective on the other end of the spectrum. My income may be in the top 18% of all US households, but it is much closer to the 99thpercentile than the 1%. The statistics here are sobering:
Income inequality is the highest it has ever been. 60 people now have wealth equal to the poorest half of the people on earth.If the United States had the same income distribution it had in 1979, the bottom 80 percent of the population would have $1 trillion – or $12,000 per family – more. The top 1 percent would have $1 trillion less.
Remember when I mentioned perspective? I find the following comparison helpful in terms of understanding the difference between a million and a billion: A million seconds is 11 days. A billion seconds is 32 years!
So, if you are reading this? You are likely pretty well off. And there is a small group of people hoarding the world’s resources!
*SOTA
Nothing says Summer like the festivals produced by Summer of the Arts! I joined the SOTA Board two years ago, and have really enjoyed being a part of it all.
Here are the 2019 Festival Dates:
*DID YOU KNOW? Johnson County spends the maximum amount allowable by law on Secondary Roads.
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
May 9, 2019
Sullivan’s Salvos 5/14/19
In this edition:
*Happy Birthday, Zuri!
*Happy Mother’s Day!
*Johnson County Sheriff News
*Funding Center for Worker Justice
*Did You Know?
*Happy Birthday, Zuri!
Friday, May 10 marked the second birthday of my granddaughter Zuri Foote! I simply do not have words to describe how much I love this little girl! Happy Birthday, Zuri! Papa loves you!
*Happy Mother’s Day!
Sunday, May 12 marked Mother’s Day. Thanks to all the moms out there for all you do! A special shout out to my own Mom and my wife, who is a really remarkable mom in her own right!
*Johnson County Sheriff News
You may have seen two news items last week. Sheriff Lonny Pulkrabek announced that he will not seek reelection when his term is up in 2020. Also, Deputy Brad Kunkel announced that he will be running for Pulkrabek’s Office.
I am sad to see Lonny go. He is a great guy and a great Sheriff. But I wholeheartedly support Brad Kunkel. He will do a fantastic job, in my opinion.
I will write more about this in the future. But for now, all my best to both men!
*Funding Center for Worker Justice
The Board recently received a request for funding from the Center for Worker Justice (CWJ). By now, most of you are familiar with the CWJ and all its good work. They serve local immigrant communities, providing translation and support. The CWJ hooks them up to vital services and helps them to find work. The CWJ has done a remarkable job of wage recovery, assisting workers to get the pay they are owed.
On top of all that, the CWJ has played a critical role in many local victories for low income workers. They helped pass the Community ID. They helped pass the increase in the minimum wage. They helped get the displaced residents of Rose Oaks more fair compensation for their losses. They helped create the first-of-its-kind development agreement for Forest View Mobile Home Park. In just 6 years, the CWJ has amassed an amazing record!
Unfortunately, the CWJ has run into tough financial times. Some grants that once funded the organization are gone. It is a membership organization, but the members only have so much to give. They have a solid annual fundraiser, but that only gets you so far. Organized Labor and various religious communities have been generous, but it is still not enough. So the CWJ came to Johnson County requesting funds.
There were a couple problems with this. We just finished our annual budget. It would have been much better if we could have considered this during the budget process. Additionally, we are getting close to the end of our fiscal year, and we have to be careful to be sure that adequate funds remain to cover every expense.
That said, we spend money outside of the budget all the time. As a matter of fact, we have done it three times in the past few weeks: we decided to extend a contract to address disproportionate minority contact; we voted to contribute to the Englert/Filmscene capital campaign; and we voted to complete window repairs at the Health and Human Services building. Those all took place in the past month!
And that is not unusual. The Board spends money outside of budget a few times every year. It is impossible to anticipate everything that might come up. If you aren’t flexible, you miss critical opportunities. Anyone whose attitude is, “I would NEVER spend money out of budget!” is too rigid, and costs the taxpayers of Johnson County money in the long run. Flexibility is a virtue.
Four members of the Board appreciate the CWJ and see the value in funding the agency. Unfortunately, one Supervisor has decided to play politics with this issue.
Supervisor Rettig is demanding that the County issue a Request For Proposals (RFP) for the funding. Just in case another agency wants to provide the same services as the CWJ.
First, that is absurd. If another agency was capable, we would know it. Secondly, why create a dozen hours of work for our staff to create the RFP, and a dozen hours of work for CWJ staff to fill it out? What a waste! Most importantly, we were not asked to fund a certain set of services. We were asked to help save a specific agency - an agency that has done incredible good in our community!
Again, we were asked to help a specific agency. Governments regularly redeploy resources where they see fit. The fire department does not take RFPs; they go to what is burning, and put it out. We don’t fix roads based upon RFPs; we repair what needs to be repaired. RFPs have their place. This is not it.
And let’s be VERY clear; Rettig has voted to spend money outside of the budget process DOZENS of times in her career, including THIS MONTH. For her to insinuate otherwise is hypocrisy, plain and simple.
We are told this will “set precedent”. That is a legal term, and it has a very specific meaning. This action does NOT “set precedent”. Last week we sent resources to our flooded neighbors in Scott County. Are we now somehow obligated to send them resources annually? Are we now somehow obligated to send resources to flood victims in Mills County? Obviously, the answer to both questions is no. Because we are NOT setting a precedent.
Rettig referred multiple times to this being a “good old boy” decision. First, that totally minimizes the incredible work of the CWJ. Secondly, it impugns the character of the other 4 Supervisors. And finally: “Good old boy”? Yeah. Right. Nobody is connected quite like an Arabic-speaking dishwasher or a Spanish-speaking maid!
I am literally laughing at the image of CWJ members hobnobbing with the County’s elite. I sincerely HOPE we reach a point where immigrant women of color who speak little English can be in the same room as the real “good old boys”. Actually, they often ARE in the same room – bussing the tables. Let me change that image to “sitting at the same table” as the County’s elite.
There is more. This is the last straw for me. This is just another regrettable instance of Rettig using her position to bully and intimidate others. She is a master at punching down – attacking custodians, secretaries, and bus drivers. (All represented by organized labor.)
She will not actually discuss any issues; when someone stands up to her, she storms out of the room. It is classic bully behavior. And I am sick of it.
Now she has turned her anger toward immigrant communities. This is shameful, frankly. But every day we are forced to deal with another embarrassing incident.
Thankfully, the Board of Supervisors is just that – a Board. There are 5 members, and you need to get 3 votes to take any action. In this case, 4 people agreed to do the right thing. So long as that is the case, we will continue to do good things for the people of this County.
*DID YOU KNOW? The Center for Worker Justice has accomplished a lot in a very short time. For more info, visit https://www.cwjiowa.org.
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
May 2, 2019
Sullivan’s Salvos 5/7/19
In this edition:
*Dems Hall of Fame Event
*Farm Roots
*The Candidates – Pete Buttigieg
*Did You Know?
*Dems Hall of Fame Event
The Johnson County Democratic Party is holding our Annual Hall of Fame Awards on Saturday, May 11 at 7pm at Brown Deer in Coralville. 2019 marks the 9thconsecutive year that the Johnson County Democratic Party has held a separate Hall of Fame event.
Please join us for coffee, desserts, and plenty of old war stories! A cash bar will be available.
The Hall of Fame inductees for 2019 are: Sarah Swisher and Gary Smith, Valerie Kemp, Orville and Billie Townsend, and the late Kurt Friese. We hope you can join us in recognizing this remarkable group!
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)
*Farm Roots
Anyone who has known me long knows that I grew up on the family farm. It is not just any family farm; both my maternal grandmother and maternal grandfather came from families that settled in Iowa prior to statehood. We have two family farms that have been in the family seven and eight generations, respectively. My family has been on the same land since 20 years before the start of the Civil War! So yes, I am proud of my family farm roots.
After growing up out on the farm, on a gravel road, miles from the nearest town, I moved to Iowa City. And while I love the things city life offers, I often miss the farm. One small connection that I maintain is my screensaver.
Both home and at work, my screensaver is a photo of my Grandpa, Ed Jack, winning the 1960 State Corn Picking Championship. I love the photo for a lot of reasons, but primarily the way in which he holds his hat in his hands. Though he had become quite wealthy through farming, he was a very humble man. The photo really captures that. And despite the fact that he had been using a mechanical combine for several years, he obviously had not lost his touch when it came to picking corn.
We used to pick a lot of sweet corn when I was a kid. If you have ever seen anyone pick corn by hand, you know that it is not easy. And my Grandpa was a perfectionist – you had to do it right! I knew intuitively why he won that contest – he had the cleanest row and fewest deductions. Sure enough, that was true.
My Grandpa loved to enter contests. He liked to experiment, and he had a competitive spirit. So his house was full of trophies and plaques. Only one, however, was first place. That was the State Corn Picking Championship.
Also on a shelf were about a dozen trophies earned in various statewide competitions. There were 5th, 4th, 3rd, and 2ndplace trophies – in some cases, multiples. Most of the awards were in yield competitions.
He got second in a highest yield contest in the late ‘50s, and once averaged 200 bushels per acre, which was the farming equivalent of breaking the 4-minute mile. The Eastern Iowa average now is 222 bushels per acre, so technology has certainly caught up.
I remember the importance he placed on watching the markets. The guys who were working on the farm came into the house every day at EXACTLY 11:55. They washed their hands with Lava soap, filled their plates, and started to eat dinner. There was no “lunch” – dinner at noon, supper for the evening meal!
Then they put on the WMT noon news, with the volume cranked, because years on the tractor (no cab) had ruined my Grandpa’s hearing. (KCRG showed a soap opera at noon and had no noon news. That was an unforgiveable heresy in the eyes of my Grandfather!)
They would intently watch the markets, then decide what to do that afternoon. Maybe you got things ready to go to town and sell. Maybe not. The whole plan for the next 24 hours depended upon the market.
Nowadays, the commodities are presold on contract. There is no need to closely monitor prices and react. It is probably a lot less stressful. But at the time, it certainly seemed exciting to a kid watching it all unfold!
My Granny played a different role, and we kids were her helpers. Each family had HUGE gardens – between the 5 families, the garden space (not counting sweet corn and fruit trees) was probably an acre. We spent all summer picking strawberries, asparagus, beans, peas, carrots, tomatoes, potatoes, apples, pears, lettuce, cabbage, radishes… then Granny showed us how to clean them, cut them, and store them.
Farming has changed a lot since I was a kid. I was recently asking my Mom who was renting the family’s various plots of land. She reported that there are only 3-4 people farming in the whole area, and that these operations have become so large that what used to be considered a sizeable farm (say, 200 acres) is barely worth their time to rent!
I never wanted to go into farming – I realized right away that I was a people person, and agriculture could get lonely. But I miss those days, and remember them fondly.
*The Candidates – Pete Buttigieg
Today we are going to take a look at Pete Buttigieg, the Mayor of South Bend, Indiana. The man known as “Mayor Pete”is also a Lieutenant in the US Naval Reserve and a veteran of the War in Afghanistan. Buttigieg is the first openly gay man to seek the Democratic Party nomination, and if elected, would be the youngest President (37) in our history.
I will admit, I think I have not adequately weighed the importance of Mayor Pete’s sexual orientation. It really is groundbreaking, and the fact that I pay it very little mind is pretty remarkable. We have come a long way in a short time!
A number of my friends are very impressed by Pete Buttigieg. And I understand why. You only need to hear him speak for a few minutes before you are struck by his intelligence. This makes sense; Buttigieg is a Harvard Grad and a Rhodes Scholar. He is clearly bright, and he does not talk down to the public.
The main concerns I hear from Buttigieg detractors is that South Bend is smaller than Cedar Rapids and not much bigger than Iowa City – about the size of Davenport. Does the experience as Mayor of this small city really qualify a person to be President?
Honestly, the answer is, “It depends”. Could some of the Mayors of our mid-sized cities serve well as President of the US? I have no doubt that some could do so. Is the number large? I am guessing it is not.
The other big concern you will hear about Buttigieg is his age. Can a person this young really do the job of President?
Again, the answer is, “It depends”. Could some 37-year-olds serve well as President of the US? I have no doubt that some could do so. Is the number large? I am guessing it is not.
Buttigieg does have a couple question marks in his otherwise-stellar resume – one being his management consulting work for McKinsey and Company. This company’s list of misdeeds is long and appalling. Buttigieg will need to answer for any role he played in their bad works.
In addition, some feel Buttigieg has not done nearly enough to address poverty, disproportionate minority contact, and other issues at home in South Bend. Mayor Pete talks a lot about Democrats ignoring middle America. But what, as Mayor, has he actually done to improve the lives of South Bend’s neediest residents? Many in South Bend say not nearly enough.
In my mind, the biggest issue is pretty simple: there are better candidates – including a few women. You will notice that the first 5 candidates I featured were all male. There is a reason for that. So long as these qualified women remain in the race, I see no reason to spend a lot of time on Mayor Pete, or the other male candidates I have featured to date. It really is time to break the glass ceiling!
Would Pete Buttigieg be a better President than the current occupant of the White House? There is no doubt. And if he wins the nomination, I will work my tail off for him. I just think America has better choices right now.
I will be writing about more candidates in the very near future! Stay tuned!
*DID YOU KNOW? The July 2018 Census estimate counted 151,260 people in Johnson County.
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
|
