SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
April 8, 2021
Sullivan’s Salvos 4/13/21
In this edition:
*Rita Hart
*Conservation Annual Report
*THE Way to Understand Income Inequality!
*Reopening County Government
*Did You Know?
*Rita Hart
By now you have all seen that Democrat Rita Hart stood down in her challenge to the election of Marianette Miller Meeks in Iowa’s Second Congressional District.
I could write about it here, but the definitive piece has already been written by my good friend John Deeth. You can read his commentary at: http://jdeeth.blogspot.com.
Rita is a really good person, and she deserved better. But it was not to be. I congratulate her on a fine effort, and I wish her well in whatever comes next.
*Conservation Annual Report
Below is a link to the Conservation Board’s FY20 Annual Report:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-zf9frOqESBbjr0eLXxuvVUj7ON5Pj2Q/view?usp=sharing
FY20 was an incredible year in terms of visitation, projects we accomplished and dealing with the pandemic. Congratulations to the Conservation Board and staff!
*THE Way to Understand Income Inequality!
Income inequality is the highest it has ever been. 60 people now have wealth equal to the poorest half of the people on earth. If the United States had the same income distribution it had in 1979, the bottom 80 percent of the population would have $1 trillion – or $12,000 per family – more. The top 1 percent would have $1 trillion less.
Remember when I mentioned perspective? I find the following comparison helpful in terms of understanding the difference between a million and a billion: A million seconds is 11 days. A billion seconds is 32 years!
That last statistic has always been very helpful. People have a very difficult time wrapping their heads around the concept of a billion. Comparing a billion seconds to a billion dollars really helps.
So, if you are reading this? You are likely pretty well off. And there is a small group of people hoarding the world’s resources!
*Reopening County Government
Johnson County has been discussing reopening county government. Let’s have some conversation as to what this means.
First, it is important to recognize that even during the COVID pandemic, much of county government never closed. The Sheriff’s Office has operated 24/7/365 throughout the pandemic, just as they had before. The jail has remained in operation. Ambulance, Emergency Management, Medical Examiner, and dispatchers at the JECC have also operated 24/7/365. Obviously, each of these groups had to take precautions, with careful use of PPE.
While it is far from 24/7/365, there are also a number of county employees who have reported for work regularly throughout the pandemic. I am proud to count myself among the people who have been in the office almost every day since this hit. Obviously, Public Health personnel have worked overtime during the pandemic. Some offices have seen upticks in business; others have seen downturns. Again, each of these employees had to take precautions, including social distancing and careful use of PPE.
Other county employees have managed to keep up with work through a combination of coming into the office and working remotely. This was a big change for county government, which had actively discouraged work from home options pre-pandemic. Once the pandemic hit, the County responded quickly, and about half of our 500 employees entered into some sort of work from home arrangement. The IT Department provided the equipment and technical know-how, the Attorney’s Office drafted a “work-from-home contract,” and HR handled all the various complaints and concerns. I am very proud of the efforts and teamwork that went into this undertaking!
So, as we begin to see a larger and larger number of county residents vaccinated, the public has been asking for us to reopen. Obviously, we cannot just reopen without planning. That planning process is now complete, so I thought I would fill you in as to what is being considered.
Johnson County is planning to bring back all county employees on Monday, April 26. Then, two weeks later, on Monday, May 10, the public can return to county buildings. We will still require masks, and still require social distancing. And, needless to say – if things get substantially worse, we reserve the right to return to more restrictive measures.
The Board voted 4-1 to make this move, with Rettig in the negative. In voting no, Rettig claimed that the decision was “unscientific.” I think it is important to note that our Public Health Department has been involved in the decision-making every step of the way. They believe the science supports this set of decisions. Personally, I would not support anything without the approval of Public Health. Science matters here.
It is just so easy to vote “no” without trying to address the problem. I have been in hours of meetings on this topic. Some of the people in the room believe we should have never closed. Some believe we are opening way too early. Public Health brings the science to the table. In the end, you make compromises, and you make decisions. This is the hard work of governing. The easy part is voting yes – or no.
I also think it is important to consider the individual motives of each Supervisor in this situation. Rettig has not set foot in a county building during working hours in 13 months. That just might influence her vote.
Some employees may have special circumstances to address with HR. They can obviously do so. Some employees may have additional concerns. To address this we have two options – one is Synchrony, our employee assistance program. Their counselors will be available. In addition to that, Public Health will be making some staff available to assist their fellow county employees by answering questions and fielding concerns.
Next, let’s discuss the numbers. As of 8AM on April 8, about 10% of Johnson County adults have had the disease. About 35% have been fully vaccinated. 45% have received at least one dose. We continue to see a couple thousand more residents vaccinated every day. So we can certainly see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Some may ask: Why not wait until everyone is vaccinated? There are a few answers to that question.
First, Johnson County is providing a free Moderna vaccination clinic for county employees on Friday, April 9. Every county employee is eligible. (If enough vaccines remain, county employees will also be able to sign up household members over the age of 18.) Since Moderna is a two-shot regimen, the second vaccine clinic is already scheduled for Friday, May 7. That should give every county employee an opportunity to be very well-protected prior to the public returning to county buildings.
Secondly, some residents and some employees will never get vaccinated. We will never hit 100%. Obviously, we cannot simply never open again. So we need to look for something resembling a herd immunity number. While estimates vary, some say this will be achieved at 60%. Others say it could be as high as 80%. So let’s just say 60-80% is required. We are close to 60% as we speak. By the time employees return, we may be at 80%. If not by then, we should hit that milestone well before the public returns.
Finally, we are still requiring the use of masks and social distancing. Couple with the people who are already vaccinated, these precautions should keep the public and employees safe. And again, if trends change, we reserve the right to change.
There are people who believe we never should have closed. There are people who believe we should not reopen. We will never please everyone. I think the important thing is using science to make decisions that protect our employees and the public. I believe this plan does so.
*DID YOU KNOW? Iowa has approximately 3.1 million residents. 55% of those, or 1.7 million, live in just ten counties. (Source: US Census.)
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!
---Rod
posted by Rod Sullivan @ 8:23 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home