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SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
August 27, 2020
Sullivan’s Salvos 9/1/20 In this edition: *Derecho Help *RIP Mel Stahmer *Email Change *Biden/Harris Signs *Trust, Expertise, and Fake News *Did You Know? *Derecho Help Many Johnson County residents are still recovering from the effects of the derecho. If you or anyone you know needs anything at all, please call 211. The United Way helpline is at 211, and they can process any questions you might have. So please spread the word – call 211 if you need any assistance with anything storm related. *RIP Mel Stahmer Up until this point, I was lucky. Despite all the COVID-19 cases in Iowa, I had not lost any friends or family to the virus. I knew folks who had it and recovered, but no one had died. That all changed last week when Mel Stahmer of Coralville passed away from COVID. I have known Mel since the late 1980s. He was a Union brother – a member of the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC). Mel was a longtime dedicated leader of the Iowa City Federation of Labor, and a longtime volunteer for the Johnson County Democratic Party. But those things alone did not make Mel my friend. Mel was my friend because he was kind, caring, generous, funny, thoughtful, and fair. To put it simply, Mel Stahmer was a damned good guy. As good as they come. A few stories really sum up Mel. First, he knew EVERYBODY! I mean, no matter where we were, Mel knew people. From UI brass to bankers to farmers to teachers to UI students to fast food workers – Mel knew more people in Johnson County than anyone I’ve ever known. Walk into any bar or restaurant in Johnson County, and Mel knew half the people. It was amazing! Secondly, Mel had an incredible memory. Because of his work in the Post Office, he used to play a game when meeting people. He’d say, “You give me your address, and I’ll give you your name.” Then he would proceed to do exactly that! It was incredible! I saw him do it several times, and I am told he rarely got it wrong. Finally, Mel had a great sense of humor. He took tremendous pride in his job as a letter carrier, but he was also able to joke about it with people. The Post Office has always been ripe for jokes, and Mel willingly played along. He was always good for a laugh and a smile. I attended a “Save the Post Office” rally at the Iowa City Post Office last Saturday – right after Mel’s death. It was actually surreal to be doing that type of thing without Mel – the biggest USPS advocate I have ever known! I am really sad at the loss of Mel Stahmer. My prayers go out to Mel’s wife Kathy and his kids. He was truly a great guy who will be missed by many. RIP, Mel! *Email Change A reminder: I am not happy about it, but my email address has changed. The old email (rodsullivan@mcshi.com) is the only personal email I have ever had, so yes, this is stressful! If you need to email me, please use rodsullivan29@gmail.com. The old email should forward to the new one for a while, but please update your contacts. Thanks! *Yard Signs I have had a number of people ask me about yard signs. I did some checking, and the Biden/Harris campaign is not going to be providing much in the way of yard signs. (The "conventional wisdom" is that yard signs are not worth the money. FWIW, I disagree. Especially in local races. But I digress.) You can purchase one from the campaign; technically, it is in exchange for a $20 donation. I found a few other seemingly reputable vendors, but they were only a bit cheaper. I guess, given that, I'd just go with the campaign contribution. They will need the money! Meanwhile, please consider putting up signs for Teresa Greenfield and Rita Hart. Both of these women are really good people, running in races that are very tight. They need and deserve our help! Please put up Hart for House and Greenfield for Senate signs! *Trust, Expertise, and Fake News America is in crisis. Yes, COVID-19. But I am talking about the crisis of faith that is plaguing American institutions. Many people do not trust the government. They do not trust the media. They do not trust experts in a variety of fields. And our country is suffering greatly because of this. Look, I get it. Presidents and Members of Congress have told too many lies. The media has not been as sharp as it should be. Some scientists have been arrogant when it comes to explaining their research. All of that is true, and all of it is unfortunate. But the reaction to these mistakes has gone WAY too far the other direction! America has lost so much trust in our institutions that it has actually become dangerous. Tens of thousands have needlessly died because Americans do not trust medical science. I spoke to and emailed with dozens of constituents as Johnson County discussed our mask mandate. Many said such a move was unconstitutional. I assured them that the Supreme Court has taken up the legality of these types of public health measures many times before. The law is clear – this type of mandate is perfectly legal. I understand that they don’t like it. And they may disagree with the rulings of the Justices. But the fact is, it is legal under the Constitution. But most callers simply refused to believe this. Over and over I explained how the vast majority of medical experts recommend face coverings. Over and over the response was, “Well, not everybody agrees.” I suppose that is true. A certain number of people – even medical professionals – are simply oppositionally defiant. They are always going to take the contrary position. So we know we will never achieve 100% agreement. So why are we not satisfied with experts who are in 99% agreement? Or even 95%? Why do we clutch on to the 5% that are outliers? I am convinced that this is because the American right has become fully tribal. Right and wrong no longer matters. It is about us versus them. Look at Qanon. Estimates vary, but somewhere around 1.5 million Americans believe that stuff. These beliefs include the idea that there is a worldwide group of Satan-worshiping pedophiles who eat children and rule the world. They control politicians, Hollywood, and the media. The only thing stopping them was the election of President Donald Trump. Again, at least 1.5 million Americans believe this. One half of one percent of the population. In a town the size of Solon, there would be an average of 14 adherents. In Iowa City, about 400 people. And that does not count all the people who do not believe it all, but believe SOME of it. How do we turn this around? I don’t know. But we are headed down a scary path. Americans need to be able to agree to a single set of facts. Our future depends upon it! *DID YOU KNOW? 2018 Forbes Magazine listing of most accurate news sources: New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, Economist, AP, Reuters, The Atlantic, Politico, NPR. 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 rodsullivan29@gmail.com. I look forward to serving you! ---Rod
August 20, 2020
Sullivan’s Salvos 8/25/20 In this edition: *RIP Mary Anne Madden *Derecho *Big News from the Iowa Policy Project! *Congressional Wealth *Did You Know? *RIP Mary Anne Madden I apologize for the lack of timeliness here; my vacation made this remembrance unfashionably late. I still feel the need to give a shout out to Mary Anne Madden of Iowa City, who passed away a couple of weeks ago. Mary Anne was a former Executive Director of the United Way of Johnson County, and helped to raise the profile of that organization. I knew Mary Anne primarily through Democratic Party politics, where she served in many different roles. Mary Anne was smart, funny, and committed to those in need. A wonderful human being. RIP. *Derecho 2020 just keeps on giving! This time it struck in the form of a derecho, a rare but powerful wind storm. The results are devastating; 80% of the structures in Cedar Rapids were damaged; one third of Iowa’s crops are damaged. Johnson County also suffered tremendous damage, and help is available for those who need it. Just call 211 to get connected to any services you may need! On a personal note, this was unlike anything I have ever experienced. We were on vacation, in a National Park, without internet or cell service. We knew that the storm hit Iowa hard, then we lost all contact. We knew our friends and family were getting hit, but that was about it. It made it difficult to focus on relaxing, though we did our best. (The Serenity Prayer helped!) As we approached Iowa on our way home, the stories and images came flooding in. Unfortunately, those images included our own home. We have always been blessed with several majestic trees on our property. But after the derecho, our two-story house was almost completely obscured by fallen branches. We couldn’t get in the driveway, and limbs hung precipitously everywhere we looked. In the interest of full disclosure, it was evident fairly quickly that we were extremely lucky. It appears the only damage to our house is to gutters and a fence. Our cars were somehow spared. And just before we arrived back home, our power came back. So this just simply wasn’t that bad; nothing compared to CR. Still, we were buried. So just before midnight Friday, I put a post on Facebook asking for help. And the response floored me! Thanks to the incredible kindness of our family, friends, and our St. Andrew family, there are piles of branches 5' high extending 100' on both sides of the street, but the street, sidewalk, and our driveway are all clear! There are still a couple of tree jobs that will need to be handled by professionals, but most of the work is finished. I tried calculating it, and I think we were the beneficiaries of almost 120 hours of volunteer help! I am going to regret even starting to thank people, because I am going to leave people out, but please let me at least try...Our fantastic neighbors Dan and Beth Daly were hard at work before 8AM. Anthony Miller spent over 5 hours hard at work with his chainsaw. Seriously, Tony, I cannot thank you enough! Tony's wife Renee Speh and son Alex hauled wood for a few hours. My brother, sister in law, and my Mom came down from Cedar Rapids and worked like crazy, even though they have no power themselves! Then there are St. Andrew peeps – Ryan O’Leary was amazing! He showed up with an arsenal of tools, and worked his tail off for several hours! His kids even raked leaves! Doug Wildes, the DeGroot family, Scott - everyone was cutting, sawing, carrying, and working like no tomorrow! The Anderson family even helped on their anniversary! Friends Missie Forbes, Connie Moore, Megan Alter, Mark Crooks, and others all came by and pitched in. Wonderful neighbors Lynn and Ruth Crow loaned us the BIG ladder! And I am sure I have forgotten others, for which I apologize. THANK YOU ALL! The derecho was a horrible thing for Iowa. It was not a good thing for us. But it did remind us how very blessed we are! *Big News from the Iowa Policy Project! The Iowa Policy Project has joined with our longtime partners at the Child and Family Policy Center to formally create a new organization, Common Good Iowa. Look to Common Good Iowa for the solid research, rigorous policy analysis and focused advocacy that Iowans have come to expect from both organizations. Since our founding in 2001, IPP has followed the vision of a "three-legged stool” for our work: economic opportunity (to include wages, jobs, education, wage theft, collective bargaining, economic development, pensions, and work supports including child care and Food Stamps); tax and budget issues, particularly tax fairness and revenue adequacy; and energy and the environment. Every staff member for both IPP and CFPC has a place in the new organization. Anne Discher will be the executive director of Common Good Iowa, headquartered in Des Moines. We will retain an Iowa City office, with IPP executive director Mike Owen becoming deputy director of Common Good Iowa. The merger is official now, although we will be putting finishing touches on our new brand over the next months. Until then you can reach Common Good Iowa staff at their existing email addresses, websites and social media accounts. *Congressional Wealth A few times every year I see a meme demanding that we cut the pay of our members of Congress. Frankly, I think this is just pandering to our worst instincts, and it pisses me off. What’s more, cutting Congressional pay would be one of the dumbest things we could ever do! If Congressional pay was cut, the *ONLY* people who could run for Congress would be millionaires and billionaires. We already have way too much of that! As it is, members of Congress need to maintain a home in their Districts AND find living arrangements in DC. Given the cost of that, no – these folks are NOT overpaid. I would actually like to see Congress pass a bill that links Congressional pay to the Consumer Price Index for the DC Metro. If the CPI went up 2% last year, Congress gets a 2% raise. Just take the issue off the table for good. This does not mean that we are without problems when it comes to the wealth of Members of Congress. My friend Karen Fesler recently put something on Facebook about this very topic. Karen and I certainly have our political disagreements, but she NAILED this one! Think about this for a moment: the median household net worth in the US is about $96,000. In an average year? It barely changes. Some years it goes up a tiny bit; other years it goes down a tiny bit. Basically, the net worth of most Americans has not changed in a LONG time. So what about members of Congress? Their net worth is anything but stagnant. It goes up an ASTONISHING 15% PER YEAR on average! Yes, you heard that correctly – it goes up 15% PER YEAR on average! Granted, there are a couple things that influence this a lot. Many members of Congress are already fabulously wealthy when elected. As you know, all our gains in the US accrue at the top. So a few VERY wealthy members skew the math. But neither is it a case of poor people joining the ranks of Congress and getting a big pay boost, ala Alexandria Ocasio Cortez. Because the first-year jump for a member of Congress is about 8%. So that is not the issue. The longer you are in Congress, the wealthier you become. And both Democrats and Republicans see these incredible increases. Here are just a few reforms that would help: · Stronger ethics, disclosure, and anti-corruption laws; · Ban individual stock ownership; · Close loopholes that allow foreign influence; · Ban lobbyists from fundraising for politicians; · Close the “revolving door” between industry and government regulators. I was a supporter of the Presidential candidacy of Senator Elizabeth Warren. She has introduced legislation to deal with every issue listed above. When we spoke about her campaign, she said that her anti-corruption ideas were the most well-received of anything in her platform. I hope we get a new administration in January, and these issues get another chance. Regardless of political party, this is just good policy. *DID YOU KNOW? Remember, you can call 211 to get information on any services you might need as a result of the derecho. 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 rodsullivan29@gmail.com. I look forward to serving you! ---Rod
August 6, 2020
Sullivan’s Salvos 8/11/20 In this edition: *No Salvos Next Week! *Email Change *Happy Birthday Melissa! *Happy Birthday BJ! *Thank You Terry Dahms! *Posse Comitatus *Did You Know? *No Salvos Next Week! There will be no Salvos next week. Expect your next edition (dated 8/25/20) around August 20. Enjoy your week off! *Email Change I am not happy about it, but my email address is changing. The old email (rodsullivan@mcshi.com) is the only personal email I have ever had, so yes, this is stressful! If you need to email me, please use rodsullivan29@gmail.com. The old email should forward to the new one for a while, but please update your contacts. Thanks! *Happy Birthday Melissa! My wonderful wife Melissa Fath celebrates her birthday on August 17th. I have got to tell you – Melissa Fath is AMAZING! Her ability to balance cancer research with her roles as a wife, mother, and community member – I have no words to do it justice! I guess I’ll just stick to: Happy Birthday, Honey! I love you! *Happy Birthday BJ! My son BJ turns 24 on August 22. He has already had several adventures, and there are no doubt more to come. BJ recently moved to Florida to pursue his dreams. BJ is funny compassionate, kind, and all around wonderful! I am very proud of him! Happy Birthday, BJ! I love you! *Thank You Terry Dahms! To celebrate our anniversary on August 1, Melissa and I decided to ride the Hoover Nature Trail from Solon to Ely and back. It is a beautiful trail, with many amenities, through gorgeous countryside. I am guessing that we saw at least 200 bikers other than ourselves; maybe more. All in all, it was a great ride! So it was ironic when upon arriving in Ely, we ran into a couple of old friends, Terry and Laurie Dahms. It was then that it hit me… no one deserves more credit for our fantastic system of trails than Terry Dahms. I mean that sincerely. There were all sorts of crazy machinations about this trail over the years. Hundreds of hours of speaking to property owners, the DOT, the DNR, and every other regulatory body. State and federal funding was there, then it wasn’t. Landowners passed away. Solon city leaders came and went. For a while, the Linn County Trails Association owned land in Johnson County. And finally, we passed the Conservation Bond! The whole process was 25 years. I’m not kidding – 25 years! And Terry Dahms was there every step of the way. He really, truly is the Godfather of our system of trails! If you know Terry, he has done many good works over the years. In addition to being the County’s longest-tenured trails advocate and chairing several trails committees, he served a long time on Johnson County’s P&Z Commission, served as Chair of the Johnson County Democratic Party, is an active beekeeper, a beloved member of First Christian Church, and much more. Residents of Johnson County are truly lucky to have had him among us. Terry – the trail is wonderful! Thanks for all of your work in making it happen! *Posse Comitatus I have been horrified by the recent events in Portland. Unidentified federal troops in unmarked vehicles have been attacking civilians, using tear gas and other weapons that are not allowed during times of war. This is illegal, and Republicans in Congress need to help stop Trump from this obviously unconstitutional action. Why is it illegal? Posse Comitatus. This law, passed to stop federal troops from protecting African Americans, is now being ignored as federal troops attack African Americans. A quick history from Wikipedia: Posse Comitatus was a response to, and subsequent prohibition of, the military occupation of the former Confederate states by the US Army during the twelve years of Reconstruction (1865–1877) following the Civil War. The Constitution places primary responsibility for the holding of elections in the hands of the individual states. Maintenance of peace, conduct of orderly elections, and prosecution of unlawful actions are all state responsibilities. However, in the former Confederate States, a number of paramilitary groups sought to suppress, often through intimidation and violence, African American political power. Although African Americans were supported at first by the federal government, as Reconstruction went on, that support waned. Following the bitterly disputed 1876 Presidential Election, Congressmen from the former Confederate States returned to Washington and prioritized prohibiting the federal government from reimposing control over their states. After President Hayes used federal troops to end the Great Railroad Strike of 1877, there was sufficient bipartisan support to pass what became the Posse Comitatus Act. In the mid-20th century, the administration of President Eisenhower used an exception to the Posse Comitatus Act to send federal troops into Little Rock during the school desegregation crisis. The Arkansas governor had opposed desegregation after the US Supreme Court ruled in 1954 in Brown v. Board of Education that segregated public schools were unconstitutional. The Enforcement Acts, among other powers, allowed the president to call up military forces when state authorities were either unable or unwilling to suppress violence that was in opposition to the citizens' constitutional rights. In modern days, Posse Comitatus has become a favorite topic of the fringe Right. They accused Obama of numerous violations, though none ever made much sense. In fact, it was George W. Bush who tried to use federal troops during Hurricane Katrina over the objection of his Generals. Posse Comitatus has been mentioned in all sorts of situations that seem to indicate a significant misunderstanding of the law. At least two Johnson County residents write to the Board regularly and bring up Posse Comitatus every time. The Sheriff’s Office is aware of an actual Posse Comitatus group in the County. What is unclear is A) what they actually want, and B) how what they want actually relates to the Act. Look at any authoritarian regime, and you will find some type of secret police. In the police and military, your name and rank are out there for all to see. Not in Portland. With regular law enforcement, you have to tell a person why she is being arrested. Not in Portland. In civil society, you do not have to answer any questions without an attorney present. Not in Portland. Journalists are supposed to be left alone to report on conflicts. Not in Portland. The fact that this is happening in Oregon sets up a particularly stark contrast for the right wing here. A group of far-right extremists led by Ammon Bundy occupied the Malhuer National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon for six weeks in 2016. At that time, the right was up in arms over Posse Comitatus. What is different this time? I will tell you what is different. Laws are different depending on whether you are black or white. White people get to “stand their ground”; black people get killed. The use of federal troops is no different. *DID YOU KNOW? Maps of Johnson County trails are available online (https://www.iowa-city.org/weblink/0/doc/1525152/Electronic.aspx) and at many public buildings. 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 rodsullivan29@gmail.com. I look forward to serving you! ---Rod
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