SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
September 29, 2021
Sullivan’s Salvos 10/5/21
In this edition:
*Harvest
*Women’s Wrestling
*Debt Ceiling
*Guns Versus Butter
*Volunteer for a Board or Commission!
*Did You Know?
*Harvest
Fall in Iowa means the harvesting of crops, and that means large machinery is out in the roadways. Please exercise caution as you navigate our roads!
*Women’s Wrestling
I was excited to see that the University of Iowa is adding women’s wrestling as a sport. That will be great for the many young Iowa women who have begun competing in the sport.
But we must not lose sight of why this is happening. The UI settled a lawsuit over Title IX, which forced them to add a sport for women. So yes, the addition is wonderful. But if you are going to thank someone for it, thank the courageous young women who sued the UI.
*Debt Ceiling
If you have been listening to the news, you know that the Federal government is in yet another fight over the debt ceiling. I think this topic gets horrible coverage from the local and national media. It is really a matter of one party acting responsibly and paying the bills, while the other threatens to do great harm by refusing to pay the bills. (Unless you give them something.) It is unbelievably irresponsible, but the media just treats it like a minor disagreement with “two sides”.
Republicans used to act responsibly around this issue. Then we elected a black President, and suddenly votes over the debt ceiling were no longer perfunctory. The GOP went so far as to close down the government, hurting the US economy in the process. Once Trump became President, Republicans decided the debt ceiling was no longer an issue. Democrats, being the only party concerned with responsibly governing the country, stayed consistent and voted to pay the bills through both administrations.
To my Republican friends: don’t give me the line about Republicans being fiscally responsible. As noted above, the hypocrisy is unbelievable. This is akin to giving your kid a credit card, letting them go crazy, then refusing to pay the bill. That is not fiscal responsibility. When the GOP has pushed for a shutdown, it has always harmed the US economy. For what purpose? Republicans continue to add more to the debt and deficit than do Democrats. So quit pretending this is anything other than a blunt political weapon.
We have a similar process in county government. We pass a budget each year, but we also approve claims weekly. It is very unusual for a claim to be denied. As a matter of fact, I think it has only happened two or three times in my whole time at Johnson County. In each case, there were very extenuating circumstances. In each case, one single payment (out of about a thousand) was singled out and voted down separately. The remaining 999 claims were all approved.
Imagine for a moment that Royceann and Jon wanted to pay the bills as we usually would. But Pat, Lisa, and I refused to pay the bills unless they let the three of us choose the best 3 offices. Then the next week, we demanded three special parking spots. The week after that, yet another demand. Royceann and Jon give in, because if they do not, County Government shuts down. None of it is related to paying the bills; it is simply hostage taking.
If that actually happened at the local level, I would hope those three Supervisors would be voted out immediately. That behavior – I hope – would be seen as completely inappropriate. Because it IS completely inappropriate! Yet we allow Republicans to do it at the federal level a couple times each year without consequence.
Because the GOP has proven to be so irresponsible in these votes, I believe Democrats should seize this opportunity and eliminate votes on the debt ceiling. It is my understanding that they would still need to vote at some point, but could kick the process years down the road. I think they should do this, and quit giving Republicans a chance to do harm.
It is like having a flare gun in your camping stuff. Mom and Dad are responsible; they will never use it. But if the kids get a chance, they will shoot it off. What is the solution? Take the flare gun away.
Republicans in the Congress have proven to be less trustworthy than little kids out camping. Democrats, being the adults in the room, cannot afford to keep leaving the flare gun out. They should act now to do away with votes on the Debt Ceiling until after 2024, if not 2028.
*Guns Versus Butter
The recent discussion of President Biden’s Build Back Better (BBB) Plan is driving me crazy. Here are some points I think everyone should understand:
1. The BBB costs $3.5 trillion over 10 years. Not in one year, mind you. Over ten years. It is $350 million per year.
2. The $3.5 billion is fully paid for, and not by you! It will not add one penny to the debt or deficit. Increased taxes on the wealthiest corporations and wealthiest people in the US pay for the whole thing!
3. The $3.5 billion price tag is BEFORE savings are figured in. Economists predict that many of the projects included in the BBB will pay for themselves and then some. Childcare improvements alone could pay for half of this investment in just a few years.
4. We need to look at the BBB in comparison to the annual US Military budget.
The US Military budget is almost $8 trillion over 10 years. That is more than double the BBB. It has doubled since late ‘90s.
Half of the Pentagon budget is paid to contractors. The US has 800 military bases across the globe; no other country has more than 20. Must we police the whole world?
There is an old debate – guns versus butter. Frankly, the answer has pretty much always been the same. We have more than enough guns. It is time to take care of Americans!
*Volunteer for a Board or Commission!
The Johnson County Board of Supervisors is seeking volunteers to serve on various County boards and commissions. Board and commission members serve in an advisory role to help direct policy by making suggestions and recommendations to the Board of Supervisors and County staff. Vacancies are available on the following Johnson County boards and commissions:
·Board of Health (two vacancies)
·Compensation Commission (28 vacancies)
·Conservation Board (one vacancy)
·Historic Preservation Commission (three vacancies)
·Swisher Library (one vacancy)
·Medical Examiner (one vacancy)
·County Case Management Advisory Board (three vacancies)
·Zoning Board of Adjustment (one vacancy)
Information about specific boards and commissions, vacancies and application forms are available on the Committee/Board Openings webpage of the Johnson County website at: www.johnsoncountyiowa.gov/vacancies and in the office of the Johnson County Board of Supervisors, second floor of the Johnson County Administration Building, 913 S. Dubuque Street, Iowa City. Questions can be directed to the Board of Supervisors Office at 319-356-6000 or applications@johnsoncountyiowa.gov.
Completed applications must be returned to the Board Office by 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 20, 2021.
*DID YOU KNOW? “Americans make more trash than anyone else on the planet, throwing away about 7.1 pounds per person per day, 365 days per year. Each of our bodies may only occupy one cemetery plot when we’re done with this world, but a single person’s 102 ton trash legacy will require the equivalent of 1100 graves. Much of that trash will outlast any grave marker, pharaoh’s pyramid, or modern skyscraper.” Source: St. Andrew Presbyterian Church bulletin 9/26/21.
Anyone interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the County website-
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---Rod
posted by Rod Sullivan @ 4:13 PM
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