SULLIVAN'S SALVOS

January 28, 2021

Sullivan’s Salvos 2/2/21

In this edition:

*Happy Groundhog Day!

*DVIP Souper Bowl

*Small Town Mayors Rock!

*Denny Hastert and Today’s News

*Did You Know?

*Happy Groundhog Day!

Hey, we need to celebrate anything we can, right? By the way – the 1993 movie Groundhog Day really is a classic, isn’t it? OK. Enough small talk. I wish you six less weeks of winter!

*DVIP Souper Bowl

The Domestic Violence Intervention Program (DVIP) is gearing up for our 24th Annual “Souper Bowl.” The event will be held on Thursday, February 25th, 2021.

This is a community event that raises funds for victims of intimate partner violence, human trafficking, stalking and harassment in eight Southeastern Iowa counties.

The “Souper Bowl” is our largest annual fundraising event and now more than ever those most vulnerable in our community need your help! Since May, DVIP has seen a 28% increase in calls to our hotline and the need is not slowing down. Many are calling for emergency sheltering since they cannot seek refuge with friends and family as they could before COVID-19. With our shelter being at capacity, our advocates have been working tirelessly to find shelter for victims/survivors. DVIP has spent 76% more in sheltering costs this year! Last year, DVIP served 1900 survivors and provided over 25,000 nights of safety.

The event was created by our current Executive Director, Kristie Fortmann-Doser, to challenge the myth that more violence occurs against women around the NFL Super Bowl. Every year, she receives calls from newspaper reporters wanting to do a story on the increase in violence against women due to the popular sporting event. Kristie and DVIP want community members to know that violence against women, men and children happen every day. 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men will be affected by intimate partner abuse in their lifetime. The Super Bowl does not create violence, abusers do.

We have spent the past 9 months reinventing how to keep you, our volunteers, and staff the safest! While we will miss your smiling faces and helping you find the perfect bowl this year, we know that you will be happy to skip the lines and enjoy your favorite soups in your 24th Annual commemorative soup mug.

We hope you can join us in supporting victims/survivors! For full event details and to learn more about how you can join us virtually this year please visit: https://littlevillagetickets.com/events/109991245/24th-annual-souper-bowl-fundraiser

*Small Town Mayors Rock!

I was thinking recently about the small-town Mayors in Johnson County. They are a remarkable group of people!

With all due respect to the Mayors of our larger cities – all fine people – small town Mayors have VERY difficult jobs! They lack the staff support of their colleagues in larger cities, yet expectations can be just as high. They serve on innumerable committees, and would amaze you with their vast knowledge!

I am not certain why these folks are not held in higher regard. Too many people think “Mayor” and conjure up an image such as the bumbling Mayor Quimby on the Simpsons. I am here to tell you, that is just not the case!

The stories are too numerous to mention. Loose dog? Call the Mayor. Incorrect water bill? Call the Mayor. Noisy neighbors? Call the Mayor. Does not fit neatly into any other category? Call the Mayor!

These folks do phenomenal work for very low pay. The headaches are many, and the appreciation rare. I believe the current group is as good as any we’ve ever had. So, a special shout out to:

Christopher Taylor, Swisher; Louise From, University Heights; Penny Jenn, Oxford; Steve Berner, Tiffin; Steve Stange, Solon; Tim Kemp, Hills; Mickey Coonfare, Shueyville; and JoAnn Havel, Lone Tree. Thank you to every member of this outstanding group!

*Denny Hastert and Today’s News

Does the name Denny Hastert ring a bell? It should. Hastert was a Congressman from Illinois who served from 1987 to 2007. He is the longest serving Republican Speaker of the House in US history, serving in that role from 1999 until 2007.

Hastert is also known for a much more horrible reason: Hastert molested at least four boys as young as 14 years of age during his time as a high school wrestling coach. At a sentencing hearing, Hastert admitted that he had sexually abused boys whom he had coached. Referring to Hastert as a "serial child molester", a federal judge imposed a sentence of 15 months in prison, two years’ supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Hastert was imprisoned in 2016 and was released 13 months later. Hastert became the highest-ranking elected official in U.S. history to have served a prison sentence.

So why am I bringing up Denny Hastert? Two things related to Hastert are news right now.

First, the “Hastert Rule” is still being observed by Republicans, despite being one of the worst things ever to happen to our country. The Hastert Rule says that no legislation may move forward unless it has a majority of the majority. For an example, look at the US Senate the last few years. The GOP has held a 52-48 advantage. There are certain issues that would get the votes of 45 Democrats and 30 Republicans – 75 of our 100 Senators. But that issue, no matter how popular, will never see the light of day. That is the impact of the Hastert Rule. America continues to be hamstrung by Mitch McConnell, who is following the lead of the disgraced Hastert.

Secondly, are you familiar with Qanon? I have written about this before. Estimates vary, but somewhere around 1.5 million Americans believe this 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.

This is scary, but I have friends who hang out in very different circles from me. (They home school, for example.) These people seem to talk a LOT about child sexual abuse. Especially childhood sex trafficking. I mean, it is a concern for all of us. But they talk about it a LOT. I fear this is because they are exposed to at least some Qanon.

Through my job, I have had access to a lot of information on the topic of childhood sexual abuse and sex trafficking. I have told them about the great work done by former Johnson County Deputy and current State Senator Kevin Kinney. But they don’t seem interested in that. Clearly, they hear a lot about this in their circles. And my guess is that they don’t hear the facts.

This whole thing is interesting in light of Denny Hastert. Here you have an actual case of a very high-ranking political figure who IS a child molester. And while the details are horrific, they are not surprising. Hastert was not involved in some huge international child molestation ring. Like most offenders, he gained access to his victims while serving as a trusted adult – in this case, a wrestling coach.

I don’t understand the attraction to Qanon. And I do not understand the link to child molestation. But we certainly do have real cases that can inform us. Including Republican Speaker of the House Denny Hastert.

*DID YOU KNOW? Groundhog Day has been celebrated in Punxsutawney, PA since 1886.

Anyone interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the County website-

www.johnsoncountyiowa.gov.

"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

January 21, 2021

This is quickly becoming the number one question I am asked! Obviously, the answer depends upon several different factors: In which state and county do you live? What is your occupation? How old are you? Do you have any medical conditions? Each of these things impacts when you will get the vaccine.

In Johnson County, we have a mixed blessing. Because we are home to SO many healthcare workers, the rest of us have to wait until they are done.

Most of the answers to the questions I get about the COVID vaccine and the vaccination process are readily available on the County website. Just visit https://coronavirus-johnsoncounty.hub.arcgis.com/

The Sullivan for Supervisor team is once again raising money for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Johnson County by Bowling For Kids’ Sake.

BBBS is trying several different things to get bowlers to participate: You can bowl in person (like normal) but masked and distanced; you can get a rain check and bowl later in the year; you can bowl virtually using an app; or you can compete in an online trivia contest.

I am not going in person this year. That is sad, because it breaks a streak of about 20 consecutive years. (ironically, BFKS was one of the last things we did in 2020 before COVID hit.)

But we are still going to raise money! Because BBBS is REALLY important! Statistics show that having a trusted adult mentor makes an unbelievable difference in the life of a child. Kids with BBBS matches do better academically, are less likely to abuse drugs and alcohol, and are less likely to be involved in the criminal justice system. This simple idea WORKS.

I have heard a number of Republicans claim that the second impeachment of Donald Trump is “divisive” and will not contribute to “unifying America.”

Actually, I think some accountability will go a long way toward unifying America. I also noticed that all these things that might “unify America” are for some reason solely the responsibility of Democrats. Republicans apparently bear no such responsibility. Well, in case they want some ideas, here are a few things that Republicans can do that would help unify America.

Any or all of these things would go a long way toward unifying America. I hope the GOP will consider doing some of this.

Lost in the tragic events of the past couple of weeks is the fact that Democrats have a trifecta, with the Presidency, Senate, and House. So what comes next? What do they take on first?

Before we get into that, let’s review the playing field. The Democrats have control, but by the slimmest possible margins. I talked last week about the way in which Mitch McConnell has broken the Senate, and therefore broken our democracy. God forbid something happens to one Democratic Senator – if so, McConnell stops EVERYTHING. So everything is urgent, and everything hangs by a thread.

Even if things get passed, they will run into a hostile Supreme Court. It does not matter what the law is, if it was passed by Democrats, Alieto and Thomas want it repealed. Kavanaugh and Gorsuch might be a bit better, but not much. Coney Barrett’s reputation precedes her. And Roberts is a longtime advocate of voter suppression, among other things. So it will not be easy getting ANYTHING done.

So what should get done first? Here are my suggestions, in the form of a top ten list. And yes, these are in order, as far as I am concerned:

1. Justice Steven Breyer needs to retire, and Biden needs to replace him.
Breyer is 82 years old. We have seen this before. One thing happens to Sherrod Brown, Jon Tester, Joe Manchin, etc. and this becomes yet another GOP appointment. This needs to be done within hours of Biden being sworn in, and I am not kidding!

2. Send $2000 COVID relief checks.
Democrats pushed for this; they should follow through.

3. Do all the other COVID relief that needs to be done.
There are many common sense COVID relief measures that McConnell refused to entertain. We should get them done.

4. Improve vaccine distribution; perhaps with Defense Production Act.
The best way to save lives and fix our economy is to improve vaccine distribution. The Biden Administration can do this.

5. Confirm Biden’s cabinet selections.
No need to worry about McConnell blocking anyone.

6. Pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act.
The House will pass it. Some Republican will filibuster it. Democrats should make them do this as long as the law allows, then hold them to account. So while I don’t see this passing, at least Democrats will have given it a go.

7. Fill vacant judicial openings.
There are no longer filibusters on judicial nominations. So Biden should fill every single vacancy as fast as humanly possible. First up? Merrick Garland’s old seat on the CD Circuit.

8. Reverse the Trump tax cuts for the wealthy.
This should be brought to a vote in the Senate – again, make them filibuster it. Then pass it through budget reconciliation.

9. Reverse all Trump’s Executive Orders.
Trump has done tremendous damage to the environment, labor, civil rights, and other areas. Just as it was done by the stroke of a pen, it can be undone.

10. Forgive most student loan debt.
Like several previous issues, this should be brought to a vote in the Senate – again, make them filibuster it. Then pass it through budget reconciliation. This is TREMENDOUS economic stimulus, and good politics, too!

*DID YOU KNOW? The idea of a President’s “First Hundred Days” comes from the first Franklin Roosevelt Administration, and their 100-day effort to lessen the impacts of the Great Depression.

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 rodsullivan29@gmail.com. I look forward to serving you!

January 14, 2021

January 6, 2021 is a day that will live in infamy. My granddaughter will undoubtedly learn that date as she studies history. Donald Trump is the worst President in American history. I am so saddened by the horror this horrible man has wrought upon our country. I hope people have learned from this experience, but I’m not sure they have.

There has been a great deal of buzz in the aftermath of President Trump being thrown off of Twitter. Most of the buzz gets the law completely wrong. Here are some helpful hints:

The First Amendment only applies to government and speech. It does not apply to private businesses.

Private businesses DO have to follow nondiscrimination laws. Specifically, Twitter can ban Trump because of what he does, not who he is. An analogy: A business owner may not ban a patron because the patron is black. The owner can ban that black patron because he got into a fight in the business. The owner may not ban all black people because one black person got into a fight.

Again, you cannot be refused service because of who you are. You can be denied service because of what you do. Trump was denied service because of his behavior. Which is a totally acceptable thing for Twitter to do.

Congratulations to Johnson County Finance Director Dana Aschenbrenner, who has achieved the designation of Certified Public Finance Officer from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA). GFOA is the gold standard when it comes to public finance; if a governmental unit has awards from GFOA, you can rest assured that they are doing things well.

Johnson County has received GFOA awards every year for the past 6 years or so; our Finance Department was only created in mid-2013, with Dana at the helm. As for the designation - Dana had to study long and hard for this, all the while doing his regular volume of work. It is a great achievement by a great guy. Congratulations, Dana!

I have been sending Salvos out since I began as a Supervisor in January of 2005. (Actually, the first couple editions came out in December of 2004, just before I took office.)

The newsletter was not named “Sullivan’s Salvos” at that time; that name came from my friend Charlie Funk. Meanwhile, over the past 832 weeks, subscribers have received around 800 issues of Salvos. (I have taken a few editions off for deaths in the family, vacations, etc.)

I really wasn’t certain that I would be able to maintain this volume of writing. And I’d be lying if I said it was easy. But it is a bit of a labor of love.

Hopefully, folks have found it interesting. I have been intrigued by the responses. A few dozen folks have unsubscribed in protest over one issue or another; some have returned, but not all. There are a handful of folks who offer their thoughts frequently; I really appreciate this! Two or three people actually respond at length on occasion; I feel as though I have made a couple of friends this way! Most subscribers stay subscribed, but I don’t really know if they read it or not. And that is OK.

I have not done much to increase readership since those earliest weeks. The number of subscribers quickly grew to 500, dropped off to around 480, and has remained within about ten of that number ever since.

Johnson County is a very transient community, and it is truly remarkable how many people come and go. Unfortunately, many readers have died during this span. Many of my readers no longer subscribe because they moved away. And just as people go, new people arrive. I know there are people new to Johnson County who might be interested in subscribing. Given that, I decided to reach out a bit – hence this article.

I ask that you please do me a favor. Forward this edition of Salvos on to a few friends. Encourage them to sign up. I’d like to add a few new readers to the mix.

Thank you for sharing, and thank you for reading! I look forward to your feedback in the future! It has truly been a pleasure!

As you know, the Board of Supervisors has had significant turnover the last few years. The two most recent additions to the Board have now served two years each, and have become the Chair and Vice Chair. And I thought it was a good time to write a bit about how much I enjoy working with them both.

One thing that is obvious right from the beginning is that there are a number of differences between the two of them. Pat Heiden grew up on a dairy farm in western Iowa. She came to Iowa City to go to college. Pat sees things through the lens of a successful businessperson, and brings some much-needed management skills to the group.

Royceann Porter grew up in the projects in Saginaw, Michigan. She came to Iowa to work at a meatpacking plant. Royceann sees things through the eyes of the very first person of color ever elected to countywide office. This perspective has been sorely lacking for a long time, and serves as a critical addition to the Board.

After reading that, you are probably thinking, “Wow. These women are so different. They must not get along.” Actually, nothing could be further from the truth. They get along very well, and I have discovered a surprising number of similarities.

Foe example: Both women keep their ammo dry. They don’t talk just to talk. But when they do speak up, they mean business. Both women have great senses of humor. Both look out for others.

There are other interesting similarities. Both women lost their fathers (one permanent, one temporary) when they were young. In both cases, things looked grim. But in both cases, their mothers stepped up, took charge, and saw things through for the families. Their mothers are gone now, but in both cases, they had heroes for mothers. You know that helped shape them into the women they are today.

I really, really like working with Pat Heiden and Royceann Porter. They bring good things to the Board. And I am certain they will handle the leadership of the Board just fine.

*DID YOU KNOW? Four times in history has the outgoing President skipped the inauguration of his successor. Those were John Adams in 1801, John Quincy Adams in 1829, Andrew Johnson in 1869, and Richard Nixon in 1974. Donald Trump will become the 5^th.

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 rodsullivan29@gmail.com. I look forward to serving you!

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January 14, 2021