SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
July 15, 2021
Sullivan’s Salvos 7/20/21
In this edition:
*Johnson County Fair
*Election Results
*Zoom County Meetings
*Free Brittney!
*Mahanoy Area School District v. B. L.
*Local Beef
*Did You Know?
*Johnson County Fair
The Johnson County Fair runs from Sunday, July 25 through Wednesday, July 28. This is a great opportunity for the whole family to visit our agricultural roots!
I love the way the Johnson County Ag Association manages the County Fair. I am particularly fond of the fact that there is never an entry fee, and parking is free. In many counties, you would pay $10 to park and $5/head admission, if not more. That is $30 minimum for a family of four before you have even done anything!
The Board of Supervisors will be out there holding listening posts – please stop by and let us know what is on your mind.
Yes, it is typically hot out there. But that is why they sell ice cream! So, please stop out and enjoy the Fair. You’ll be glad you did!
For the full daily lineup of events, see: http://www.johnsoncofair.com/entertainment.html
*Election Results
I cannot believe I even have to print this, but as of this writing, I am still fighting to get Johnson County’s historical election results posted on the County website.
The records had always been there previously, but disappeared as the County moved to a new website. Apparently the metrics showed that not that many people were visiting old election results, so it was cut back to just the past five years.
I am tremendously upset by this, for several reasons:
First, the Board asked that all the records be maintained on the website over two years ago. Then-Supervisor Rettig had gotten word that they might be dropped, and asked the Board to vote to maintain them. The Board did so. The issue was decided. Whatever else is going on seems simply subordinate.
Secondly, there is no big cost to avoid. County staff are plenty capable of putting this information out there.
Thirdly, we are the custodians of this history. If we do not make these available, no one else will. And that means posterity has nowhere to go to learn about our County.
Fourthly, have you listened to any news lately? The Big Lie is believed by about a third of all Americans. The best way to combat misinformation is by being fully transparent will all of our election records. These are the people’s results. They deserve unfettered access.
I hope you agree with me that keeping Johnson County’s election records easily accessible is critically important. If so, please email Johnson County Auditor Travis Weipert at tweipert@johnsoncountyiowa.gov and the Board of Supervisors at BOS@johnsoncountyiowa.gov. Your advocacy may make a difference!
*Zoom County Meetings
Beginning Wednesday, July 14, 2021, in addition to the regular in-person work sessions and formal meetings, the Johnson County Board of Supervisors will provide an option for members of the public to participate via Zoom.
Members of the public are welcome to attend in person, and a livestream is available at bit.ly/jocomeeting.
To participate via Zoom visit https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84388010803?pwd=ewdruutsbkdkqitmbgv1vc9yogc0zz09
The Meeting ID is 843 8801 0803 and the Passcode is 4468. To access the meeting via phone, dial 312-626-6799.
Meetings are generally held in the Johnson County Administration Building Second Floor Boardroom, 913 South Dubuque Street, Iowa City, Iowa 52240. Work sessions begin at 9 a.m. on Wednesdays. Formal meetings begin at 9 a.m. on Thursdays, except for the second Thursday of the month, when they begin at 5:30 p.m.
For those unable to join the work session or meeting, public comments related to items on the agenda may be emailed to: sups@johnsoncountyiowa.gov or relayed via telephone at 319-356-6000 for distribution to Board members.
*Free Brittney!
You hear a lot of people saying this in jest. But in all seriousness, how in the world did Brittney Spears’ situation come to be?
My guess is that the Spears situation is going to lead several states to review their laws around guardianship and conservatorship. And reviewing these laws is a very good thing. We talk a lot about civil rights, but in these situations, courts are being asked to *literally* take rights away from people. It is very serious business and should not be done lightly.
That said, it is hard for me to imagine a Spears-type of situation happening in Iowa. I know many people who have sought guardianship and/or conservatorship over their adult daughters and sons. In each of these cases, the adult children had significant intellectual disabilities, significant mental illnesses, or both. Yet most parents have found it almost impossible to gain the type of control they feel is required to adequately help their children.
Again, none of this can be done lightly. It SHOULD be rare and limited. But from my experience, Iowa law seems to favor the individual over those seeking guardianship in a pretty overwhelming way. Any experts out there? What is your take?
*Mahanoy Area School District v. B. L.
From NPR: “In a victory for student speech rights, the Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that a former cheerleader's online F-bombs about her school is protected speech under the First Amendment.”
“But in an 8-1 vote, the court also declared that school administrators do have the power to punish student speech that occurs online or off campus if it genuinely disrupts classroom study. But the justices concluded that a few swearwords posted online off school grounds, as in this case, did not rise to the definition of disruptive.”
“At issue in the case was a series of F-bombs issued in 2017 on Snapchat by Brandi Levy, then a 14-year-old cheerleader who failed to win a promotion from the junior varsity to the varsity cheerleading team at her Pennsylvania school.”
This was a huge win for free speech. While Levy’s speech may not have been as noble as that of the Des Moines children in Tinker v. Des Moines, the school district in this case was really overreaching. They had no right to punish Levy, and allowing them to do so would have been a terrible precedent.
Standing by Levy’s side during this case? None other than Mary Beth Tinker.
*Local Beef
I served two years on the Board of Supervisors with a local farmer named Mike Lehman. You won’t find a better guy. Mike and his brothers are now marketing their local beef direct to the consumer. I know a lot of Johnson County residents want to know where their meat comes from. Here is a chance to do just that!
They have a Spring calving herd and a Fall calving herd so they have calves pretty much year round. They simply need to schedule locker appointments at the Tipton Locker. If you are interested, look up one of the Lehman Brothers (Mike, Jerry, Barry and Chris) or send me a message and I’ll pass it along.
*DID YOU KNOW? Prior to the pandemic, the Johnson County Fair routinely drew over 50,000 visitors.
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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---Rod
posted by Rod Sullivan @ 1:57 PM
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