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
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.
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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 @ 11:11 AM
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