rodsullivan.org
SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
September 26, 2019
Sullivan’s Salvos 10/1/19
In this edition:
*Impeachment
*Iowa City Book Festival
*CWJ Gala
*Certainty. Or Not?
*You Are a Socialist Either Way!
*Where is the Tea Party?
*STEM Event
*Did You Know?
*Impeachment
My quick take on impeachment? It is very easy to worry too much about the politics. Bottom line? If the laws were broken and impeachment is called for, do it.
As for the politics? I don’t think anyone knows. Conventional wisdom is that because impeaching Clinton hurt Republicans back in the 90s, impeaching Trump will hurt Democrats today. And that may be true. It may not be. Anyone who claims to know for certain is full of it.
On one hand, Americans in general seem to dislike the idea of a President being turned out by anyone but the voters. On the other hand, this vote could be a hard one for Senators Collins, Gardner, McSally, Tillis, and others. And the daily news will be full of Trump’s misdeeds.
Again, no one really knows how the politics will play out. I prefer to focus less on the politics, and more on doing what is right.
*Iowa City Book Festival
The eleventh annual Iowa City Book Festival runs October 1-6 in a variety of locations around the community. There are events every evening, and Saturday and Sunday are chock full of things to attend. Virtually every event is free and open to the public.
I tried to find some things to highlight, but there is just too much! So here is what you need to do:
1. Pick up the most recent Little Village, which contains an excellent program guide;
The City of Literature has outdone itself once again! There is truly something for everyone! Please check it out!
*CWJ Gala
We invite you to our FOURTH ANNUAL Gala Fundraiser event, hosted at the Unitarian Universalist Society. A night sure to be filled with great live music, authentic food from our community, and a lively celebration of another year filled with victories!
Tickets (All proceeds support the CWJ):
$50 single, $90 for 2, $350 for table of 8
Solidarity Supporter $ 250
Worker Rights Defender $ 500
Presidential Candidate $500
Economic Justice Champion $1,000
Program
5:30 pm Meet & Greet Presidential Candidates
6:00 pm Gala
Purchase tickets online here: https://cwjiowa.salsalabs.org/october5/index.html
Sponsorships available! Call (319) 499-8363 or use our online form here: https://cwjiowa.salsalabs.org/october5/index.html
E-mail questions: Rafael@cwjiowa.org
*Certainty. Or Not?
People need good information. Unfortunately, certain personality types are causing us headaches when it comes to speaking with great certainty.
Climate change is a great example. Scientists, who understand this much better than anyone else, are not in the habit of using words and phrases like, “always,” “never,” “100%” and “guaranteed.” Instead, scientists use words and phrases such as, “likely,” “probable,” and “quite possibly.” Which set of words sounds more certain to you?
Please understand, I am not suggesting that the scientists change their language. They use slightly less certain language FOR A REASON: they know it is unwise to speak with complete certainty.
But blowhards do not care in the same way scientists care. They gain their power and followings from coming out loudly and decisively. The world is black and white; gray is weak. Just keep repeating what you believe, and after enough time, it will become true.
I compare this to the little boy who cried wolf. A person who is always certain of the right answer or the right course of action is a fool. And after being exposed to this enough times, I tend to ignore their certainty, just as the boy who cried wolf got ignored.
Unfortunately, many of us do not ignore the little boy. We are often enchanted by self-professed “strong leaders.” These “strong leaders” tend to gain their strength by being decisive and certain upfront, and never admitting their mistakes on the back end. It is easy enough to see how this causes problems.
This sounds political. And in some cases, it is. But this type of “certainty” can impact a workplace, church, or any organization. The political relevance is high right now, but the concern is not exclusively political.
So beware the next time someone says something with 100% certainty. It may be a little boy crying wolf!
*You Are a Socialist Either Way!
No matter how incremental any Democratic Presidential candidates choose to be, she/he will be labelled a socialist.
Want to raise the minimum wage to $7.50? You are a socialist. Want background checks for gun purchases? You are a socialist. Want to add a few folks to the Medicare rolls? You are a socialist. Want to encourage recycling? You are a socialist.
It does not matter what you say. As a Democratic candidate, you are going to be called a socialist. So why not do the right thing?
$7.50 holds no more political risk than $15. Background checks hold no more risk than banning high capacity magazines. A few more folks on Medicare holds no more risk than supporting Medicare for All. Recycling holds no more risk than supporting the Green New Deal.
They are going to label you a socialist either way. So why not take the bold steps our country needs?
*Where is the Tea Party?
According to the group’s founding documents, the Tea Party “called for lower taxes, and for a reduction of the national debt of the United States and federal budget deficit through decreased government spending.”
So where are they now? Compared to the Tea Party’s heyday, most Americans pay higher taxes. The national debt and federal budget deficits have skyrocketed. Everything the Tea Party complained about has gotten FAR worse under Trump.
So again – where is the Tea Party? Why are they so quiet?
*STEM Event
On October 10th from 4-7:30 pm, the SE Region STEM Hub (UI/KCC) will be hosting a STEM Festival for Johnson County youth (preK-8th) at the Kirkwood Regional Center.
It is free for families to attend and will host a range on interactive booths for the students. Last year the attendance was over 1400 students!
*DID YOU KNOW? The Center for Worker Justice has collected over $80,000 in cases of wage theft 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
September 19, 2019
Sullivan’s Salvos 9/24/19
In this edition:
*Congratulations Janet Martin!
*Paying for Jobs?
*Wage Theft
*Shelter House Fundraiser
*Reminder – We Have Apples!
*Did You Know?
*Congratulations Janet Martin!
Johnson County is full of quiet heroes. One of those is retiring in short order. Janet Martin is retiring from the Johnson County 4H program after many, many years of quietly shaping our young people.
Janet is one of those people that simply puts a smile on my face every time I see her. She really cares about our children, and really works hard. She will be missed!
Congratulations on your retirement, Janet! Thanks for all your great work over the years!
*Paying for Jobs?
Let’s talk about jobs. Unemployment in Johnson County was 2.3% in July of 2019. It was as low as 1.5% in April of 2019. People in Johnson County clearly want to work. And they are working.
Federal, state, and local politicians always talk about jobs. They want to maintain and create jobs in their communities. They want to take credit for numbers like 2% unemployment. And too often, they are willing to pay wild sums of taxpayer money to achieve these numbers.
This may sound unbelievable, but Johnson County does not need new jobs like most of the ones we have. There is already no one to take orders, change the sheets, and pound drywall nails. We do not need jobs for the sake of jobs. What we need is an influx of GOOD jobs!
What do I mean by a good job? I mean a minimum of $20/hour, plus employee-provided healthcare equal to or better than the ACA, a retirement program, sick leave, and vacation. That, my friends, is my definition of a good job. And businesses are not creating many good jobs!
Most of the new jobs created in Johnson County do not approach these standards. So why are we putting so much effort into attracting jobs? More importantly, why are we putting so much MONEY into attracting jobs?
I have spent the better part of twenty years bemoaning the use of TIF. Oftentimes, TIFs only create taxable value. Those are very bad deals. A TIF should create increased taxable values PLUS offer public benefits. Sometimes the value of these “public benefits” is quite dubious. One public benefit upon which we have typically agreed is job creation.
But again – we are not creating the right kind of jobs. And that includes through the use of TIF. We are giving money to developers and companies, but we are not seeing good jobs come to our community and stay here.
So what can we do differently? Maybe we need to look at our local private sector employers who DO provide good jobs. Not a company looking to relocate. A company that has a track record in Johnson County. Perhaps we simply need to go to ACT, Oral B, Heartland Express, and others, and say, “How many good jobs can you create if we give you money?”
It sounds almost dirty, right? It feels wrong because it IS wrong! It is not supposed to be this way. But the current system is badly broken. It amounts to a rush to the bottom. We need to consider doing things differently.
There is another option, of course: the public sector can create jobs. We need cops, firefighters, and social workers. We need people to care for children, care for seniors, take care of parks, and so much more. We could simply hire more people into good government jobs. So long as public need exists, this makes sense.
This approach can work, up to a point. There still needs to be a private sector base. The problem is, nationally, the private sector has abdicated its duty to local communities. They are motivated by profit and profit alone, and it simply does not matter who gets hurt in the process. They do not care about anything but the next quarterly earnings report. As a matter of fact, that is the ONLY thing they are incorporated to do! Big business is REQUIRED to earn everything they can, everything and everyone else be damned! And smaller, local private firms cannot pick up all the slack.
I am not a supporter of Presidential candidate Andrew Yang. But his focus on the future of work is right on the mark! I hope a Democrat wins the Presidency, and I hope she brings Yang into the Administration! We need to talk about the future of work! Because paying for jobs the way we do now is poor public policy.
*Wage Theft
Wage theft is a huge problem in the US, and that includes right here in Johnson County. Luckily, the Center for Worker Justice leads the fight to ensure that workers get the pay they are owed.
There was a recent action against an employer in North Liberty that FINALLY resulted in workers being paid. My friend Robin Clark-Bennett recently posted about it on Facebook. Her post was so well written, I felt the need to simply repost it here:
“Congratulations to these workers and the Center for Worker Justice for holding lawbreaking companies accountable. Not paying your workers is theft. It's theft of the worst kind - stealing people's time, their labor, and the income they need to survive and thrive. Workers who experience hard economic times still face criminal prosecution if they steal from a business. But a business owner who repeatedly and fraudulently gave workers paychecks that he knew would bounce expects public sympathy. Shameless. We need stronger laws that penalize crimes against workers.”
Robin is absolutely correct! If poor Latinx workers stole thousands from a business, people would expect them to go to jail. But when a business steals from poor Latinx workers? Well, times are tough!
We really do need new laws to address this problem! Thank you, Robin, for writing this, and thank you for your efforts in this area!
*Shelter House Fundraiser
JOIN US for the third annual BBQ Bash to benefit Shelter House on Friday, September 27, 5:30pm - 8:30pm. Follow your senses and the savory smell of smoked meats in the air to the Fairgrounds and gather for a fun-filled Friday evening. The event features kid-friendly activities, backyard games, and live music in the entertainment hall. Dive into mouth-watering BBQ accompanied by your favorite side dishes, desserts, and local beer in the dining hall.
Proceeds from ticket sales directly support Shelter House programs to provide safe emergency shelter, case management services which connect people with necessary resources to move beyond homelessness, and mental health recovery programs through successful supportive community living.
*Reminder – We Have Apples!
We have apples! Please feel free to take all you want! Just e-mail me and we’ll arrange a time. We have a picker; bring your own bucket (BYOB)!
*DID YOU KNOW? If you want to learn more about Tax Increment Financing (TIF) visit the Iowa Policy Project website at: https://www.iowapolicyproject.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
September 12, 2019
Sullivan’s Salvos 9/17/19
In this edition:
*Warren in Iowa City!
*Apples!
*Honoring Bob Welsh
*Kent Park Lake Grand Opening!
*In MY Day…
*Did You Know?
*Warren in Iowa City!
Elizabeth Warren is coming back to Iowa City! She will be hosting a town hall in Iowa City on Thursday, September 19 as we build our movement for 2020. We’d love to see you there!
Elizabeth knows that to create real change – to rebuild the middle class and save our democracy – we need to dream big and fight hard. That's why she’s in this fight: to have a real conversation about how to level the playing field for working families, and who is best to lead that fight.
Doors open for the event at 5:15 PM and the event will begin at 6:45 PM. This event is free and open to the public, so feel free to bring your friends and family along too. Tickets aren’t required, but an RSVP is strongly encouraged. Admission will be first come, first served.
*Apples!
We have apples! Please feel free to take all you want! Just e-mail me and we’ll arrange a time. We have a picker; bring your own bucket (BYOB)!
*Honoring Bob Welsh
The Johnson County Board of Supervisors and Social Services Department will honor longtime community advocate Bob Welsh and proclaim Sept. 19, 2019 to be Bob Welsh Appreciation Day in Johnson County. The event will take place on Thursday, Sept. 19 beginning with a morning reception in Room 203 B/C of the Johnson County Health and Human Services Building, followed by a proclamation at the Board of Supervisors’ formal meeting beginning at 9 a.m. in the Johnson County Administration Building. The public is invited to attend.
“I am not a young man, yet right around the time I was born, Bob began a crusade to improve the lives of Johnson County's neediest residents,” said Rod Sullivan, Board of Supervisors Vice Chairperson. “Over the decades, thousands of people have lived better lives because of his work. No one has given more to the ‘least among us’ than Bob Welsh.”
Welsh, a retired minister, is well-known in the community for his work advocating on behalf of others. He has spent decades advocating for older adults, caregivers, children and individuals with disabilities, and has been instrumental in local affordable housing efforts. He has served on numerous boards and commissions at both the state and local level, including the Johnson County Task Force on Aging, Johnson County Livable Community, Johnson County Consortium on Aging, Children’s Agenda and Older Iowans Legislature.
“Bob has been a tireless advocate for all marginalized populations in Johnson County for more than 50 years,” said Lynette Jacoby, Johnson County Social Services Director. “We are recognizing him not only for his decades of service to our county, but also for his dedication and love for this community.”
*Kent Park Lake Grand Opening!
Help us to celebrate the reopening of Kent Park Lake! We will be hosting a Grand Opening on Saturday, September 21, from 1:00 to 4:30 p.m.
The event is complete with educational tours about water quality, the restoration, and environment surrounding the lake, a fish trailer and casting station hosted by the Iowa DNR, and free checkout of canoes and kayaks. Guests are free to come and go as they please. Hope to see you there!
*In MY Day…
“Back in MY day, we walked to school uphill both ways!” We all know this old joke. Yet it comes from a place of dark truth. Unfortunately, there are many people who have the attitude, “I suffered through this, and so should you.”
Like every parent, I have some guilt here. We feel our children are less grateful and perhaps more spoiled than we would like them to be. I think that is a feeling that is almost universally shared by parents. It is also not new!
My father was born in a house with a dirt floor, no electricity, and no running water. And he had it MUCH better than his father, who was forced to leave his home at age 11 with little more than the clothes on his back. Compared to Dad, did I have it easy? Oh, yeah! Compared to Grandpa, did Dad have it easy? Oh, yeah!
The important thing in my family is that they always wanted their children to have it better than they did. And they worked to make it happen. More importantly, they wanted EVERY kid to have it better than they did. And they voted to make it happen.
We could use a good dose of this attitude in our current environment. I hear the following things spoken way too frequently:
*I worked for years before I got healthcare. Why should they get it now?
*I worked for years to pay off my student loans. Why should their loans get paid off?
*My family immigrated to this country the “right” way. Why should they get in so easily?
This is not the way my father and grandfather viewed the world. They would gripe about their kids, just as I do today. But they would work for an America that is BETTER than the one they inherited. We need to get back to that attitude!
If you have ever spent any time in a county, state, or national park, you will have heard this message: Leave it better than you found it. I think that motto can apply to everything we do as a society.
*DID YOU KNOW? Red Delicious apples are original to Iowa! They were first bred in Madison County, Iowa in 1856.
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
|
