SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
September 24, 2020
Sullivan’s Salvos 9/29/20
In this edition:
*RIP Mike Hennes
*The Most Important Election in Our History!
*Supervisor Forum
*Plan Your Vote!
*Get Others to Vote!
*Truth and Reconciliation
*Did You Know?
*RIP Mike Hennes
I was shocked and saddened to learn of the sudden passing of Mike Hennes of Oxford. Mike was a longtime employee of the Secondary Roads Department, serving as Assistant Maintenance Superintendent the past 5 or so years.
Honestly, Mike was one of my favorite County employees. Fun, funny, smart, charming, hard-working – Mike was the type of person you wanted to spend time with. I will really miss him. My prayers go out to his family and friends. RIP, Mike.
*The Most Important Election in Our History!
I have said it before, but it bears repeating: I am not given to hyperbole. Some of that is probably just a personality trait. Some of it is because I am a fan of history. So phrases like, “best ever,” “worst ever,” and “most important ever” rarely enter my lexicon.
A lot of people are going to spend a lot of time telling you the 2020 election is the most important in our history. Obviously, the only way we will know for sure is with the gift of hindsight. But my guess is that the 2020 election will NOT be in the top 5 or so most consequential US elections.
Don’t get me wrong; it is important! Life and death important for many people. And it is likely the most important US election since 1940, when the vast majority of Americans were not even born. As a matter of fact, later in this same edition of Salvos, I am going to beg you to get involved because 2020 is so important.
But consider some of these elections when you think about “most important in our history”:
1940: With WWII raging, the US is split as to whether we should get involved. FDR becomes the first (and only) President elected to more than two terms, and sets about preparing for war – which comes to him on December 7, 1941. It is entirely possible that if FDR does not seek a third term here, the course of human history is changed forever. And not for the better.
1932: With the Great Depression raging, FDR is elected for the first time. They develop what we have come to know as the “Social Safety Net”, and about 125 million people slowly go from starvation to sustainability.
1860: The institution of slavery was on the ballot. Lincoln won, the southern states seceded, and the Civil War began.
1800: Almost everything we take for granted as Americans was shaped by this election. Could we have a peaceful transfer of power? Would we follow the Constitution? How do we do elections? What is the role of the Supreme Court? What is the role of state governments? What is the role of the military? The US quadruples in size. Free public education and political parties arrive on the scene.
Yes, the 2020 election is important. Critically important. But the elections listed above were pretty darned important, too!
*Supervisor Forum
The League of Women Voters of Johnson County is holding a forum for candidates for County Supervisor on Tuesday, September 29 at 6PM. The forum will be held by Zoom, and the public is encouraged to join in.
*Plan Your Vote!
We have established the fact that this election is important. So I am going to ask you to do something. Please plan your vote. That might sound silly, but it is actually really important.
Start by deciding on a method. You have three choices: vote by mail, vote early in person, or go to the polls Election Day. Obviously, any of these is ok. If you want to do the most you possibly can to help your candidate and to help those running the election, choose one of the two early options.
So, let’s say you want to vote by mail. What do you need to do? Well, you know all those absentee ballot request forms you have been getting? Send one in. You will get a ballot mailed to you that should arrive October 6 or 7. All you need to do is fill out the ballot, seal it up, and either drop it in the mail or return it to the Auditor’s Office. HINT: Vote as soon as you can! Just in case there is anything wrong with your ballot, the Auditor’s Office will have more time to help you fix any problems.
Let’s say you want to vote early in person. The County will offer drive through voting from October 5-November 2 from 8-5 on weekdays and slightly modified hours on the last two Saturday and Sundays in October. Decide what date you want to go, and what time of day. Pick a less busy time (think weekday early afternoons) if possible. Again, get it done earlier in the month helps both the campaigns and the Auditor’s Office. And be sure to bring ID!
Finally, Election Day. Research your polling place; they sometimes move. Once you know where you are going, pick a time, and figure out how you are getting there. And be sure to bring ID!
By planning your vote, you can help both the campaigns and the Auditor’s Office.
*Get Others to Vote!
Not only is it critical that YOU vote, but you need to actually step outside of your comfort zone and help others to do the same. I am not referring to phone calls here, though that is important, too. Actually engage someone who might need some help voting. Do you know any high schoolers who are 18? College students? Seniors? The barista you see every morning? The guy who mows your lawn? A coworker? Think about the people you know, and make a list of the people that might need help. Then reach out!
Above I talked about planning your vote. This is exactly what you need to do with the people mentioned above. Help them to make a plan, and help them to execute it.
*Truth and Reconciliation
The City of Iowa City recently voted to establish a “Truth and Reconciliation” Commission to address systemic racism. I fully support this idea, and applaud the Council for moving forward. Unfortunately, negotiations with the Iowa Freedom Riders (IFR) got hung up on some legal issues.
The following came directly from the Iowa City Press Citizen; I took the liberty of editing it for length.
Iowa City Attorney Eleanor Dilkes described the four requests that she found to be "problematic":
"Undefined Mandates and Budget Authority": The IFR wants to enumerate its own mandates and control the funding to carry out those mandates. Dilkes wrote that neither Iowa State Code nor Iowa City charter gives a non-elected ad hoc commission the ability to determine how public funds are spent.
"Independence from Council": The IFR called for the commission to be independent from the council. Dilkes offered that for such independence, the commission would need to be its own legal entity.
"TRC to support those witnesses who allege retaliation": In cases where a person alleges retaliation, the IFR called for the commission to take "affirmative action." Dilkes wrote that this is not defined, and its sanctions are further unbacked by the law.
"Compulsion of Witnesses": The IFR asked for the commission to compel "documents and witnesses." Dilkes wrote, "The Council has no authority to obtain private documents or require persons to speak to the TRC."
You know what? I have a few African American friends that have lived here 50+ years. Why not give them this authority? Why not give these powers to the local chapter of NOW? The local chapter of LULAC? The local Federation of Labor? The Affordable Housing Coalition? The local Veterans for Peace? The local Chamber? See how ridiculous this is?
I cannot believe Councilor Salih supported these demands. They are absurd. Good for Iowa City for moving forward using common sense.
*DID YOU KNOW? There are many opportunities to phone bank ahead of the upcoming election. Just contact me and I will put you in touch.
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.
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As always, feel free to contact me at 354-7199 or rodsullivan29@gmail.com. I look forward to serving you!
---Rod
posted by Rod Sullivan @ 1:10 PM
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