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SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
January 27, 2022
Sullivan’s Salvos 2/1/22 In this edition: *Iowa Caucuses *Moving *MLB Lockout *Perverse Incentives for Supervisors *Bowl For Kid’s Sake *Did You Know? *Iowa Caucuses The 2022 Iowa Caucuses are being held on Monday, February 7th at 6pm. Unlike the Caucus that happens every Presidential Election Year, these Caucuses are a neighborhood party-building activity. You are probably wondering about how COVID affects this event. First, I want to assure you that Johnson County Democratic Party Chair Ed Cranston, Caucus Organizer John Deeth, and the whole Johnson County Democratic Party team tried to no avail to get some type of Zoom or hybrid model. The Iowa Democratic Party said no. (UPDATE: The IDP came around! Caucuses will be virtual!) Another twist: people are going to caucus in their new precincts. This will undoubtedly lead to some people going to the wrong place. Again, this decision was made in Des Moines, and not locally. The local folks are volunteers doing their best. ALL decisions are made in Des Moines, and ALL complaints should go to Des Moines. Meanwhile, if you want more information, please visit the JC Dems webpage at https://jcdems.org *Moving As I have mentioned here before, my family and I are moving. I mean, we are talking 2.3 miles. In the big scheme of things, it is ridiculously close to where we live now. Most people wouldn’t even mention it. But remember – as I have shared on numerous occasions, I am very sentimental. I tear up every time I hear Pomp and Circumstance. I love weddings, Homecoming, holidays… I am an old softy. So it is difficult for me to leave a place I have lived for 21 years without some reminiscing. 2326 East Court Street will always be the place we raised 50+ kids. It will always be home to my children. Where we played with the dogs, played soccer, tag, basketball, and more. Where the kids and I spent hours at the dining room table, struggling through homework. Where I tucked them all into bed. Where we danced to Beyonce, Britney Spears, Usher, and others whose names I have long forgotten. We hosted a lot of great parties there. We hosted everyone from Members of Congress to homeless folks. We had particular fun every St. Paddy’s Day. We visited with people on the back patio. We plotted a lot of political actions out of that house. Some elected officials got their starts there. We ran a lot of GOTV out of there. It is where we met the World’s Best Neighbors and our dear friends Dan and Beth Daly. It will always be home. And 2326 E. Court is a great place! It is a big house with lots of storage. It is one of the few areas in the whole ICCSD where kids can easily walk to school K-12. It has a huge, fenced back yard with some huge trees. It’s just that we don’t really need those things anymore. I sincerely hope someone new enjoys it as much as we have! Meanwhile, we are very excited about our new place at 514 North Linn Street! It is also a large house, but in this case, the yard is just a postage stamp. Built in 1905, it has all kinds of great character. We have always wanted a big front porch where people could just drop by; now we have one! And we are pumped about being just a short walk from downtown! Of course, the whole moving process can be stressful. That is why I want to give a shout out to Tom Larkin with Iowa Realty. Tom is a great friend and a great realtor! We couldn’t do this without Tom’s knowledge, kindness, patience, persistence, and friendship. Thanks, Tom! Anyway, this whole process has been time-consuming, and that will not let up anytime soon. There is work to do at 514 North Linn, and we need to get 2326 E. Court ready to sell. So wish us luck! *MLB Lockout Usually right around this time of year, I let my readers know how many days remain until “pitchers and catchers report.” That is a reference to Spring Training for Major League Baseball (MLB), and a sure sign of spring. But not this year. Owners have locked the players for 2022, and no baseball can take place until the owners and players can agree to terms. As you all know, I am a labor guy. But that is even more true when it comes to this situation. Let me explain: 1. Baseball owners enjoy an anti-trust exemption. Which is bullshit. This why minor league salaries are so low. If another league could start up and compete, baseball owners would have to behave better. 2. Owners are literally among the richest few people on planet earth. The average MLB owner is worth over $3 billion. The million-dollar salaries they pay players is a lower percentage of their wealth than what I pay the kid who mows my lawn. 3. Players have been getting a bad deal for years. 4. Fans don’t pay to see owners. I remain firmly in the player’s camp. This is a labor issue, plain and simple. As the old labor song goes, “Which Side Are You On?” *Perverse Incentives for Supervisors The job of County Supervisor is one big perverse incentive. The biggest culprit? The public doesn’t pay attention and doesn’t care. That creates some very perverse incentives for Supervisors. See a place where you can save $10,000? You can be the bad guy and try to do something about it, but the incentive is to ignore it, sit back, and smile. Everybody notes that you are a nice Supervisor. Recognize that a person isn’t doing his job? You can be the bad guy and try to do something about it, but the incentive is to ignore it, sit back, and smile. Everybody notes that you are a nice Supervisor. Notice a wasteful or inefficient practice? You can be the bad guy and try to do something about it, but the incentive is to ignore it, sit back, and smile. Everybody notes that you are a nice Supervisor. Every raise, every job re-evaluation, every vehicle request, everything. Just say yes to everything. None of these things – standing alone – is really a big deal. But there can definitely be a cumulative effect. Little things add up. Pretty soon, you really aren’t doing right by the people that pay you. Look, I get it – we have a $125 million+ budget and 550 employees. To some extent, you have to pick your battles. But the public needs to be assured that at least 3/5 Supervisors care about each of these items. If not, County Government just doesn’t work. But nobody pays any attention. So there is no incentive to do the right thing. This really is not about County Supervisors – it is about the public. I really wish somebody – anybody – gave a shit. *Bowl For Kid’s Sake 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 is the second year in a row after a streak of about 16 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. Please contribute to the Sullivan for Supervisor team at: https://ca-p2p.engagingnetworks.app/22705/bfks2022/129989/sullivan-for-supervisor *DID YOU KNOW? Pitchers and catchers were supposed to report on February 14, 2022. That is extremely unlikely at this point. 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 rodsullivan29@gmail.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 20, 2022
Sullivan’s Salvos 1/25/22 In this edition: *Body Cameras *The Mill *Did You Know? *Body Cameras The Board has recently discussed purchasing new body cameras for the Sheriff’s Office. I’ll give you a bit of background and my thoughts. Unfortunately, the company that sold and serviced our body cameras (Company X) was purchased by a bigger company (Company Y). Company Y simply decided they were no longer going to support or service body cameras. So it was not just Johnson County that was affected; all their customers were. Company Y did not care what agreements we had with Company X. Company Y bought Company X because of a completely different product line. In other words, we are out of luck, with no recourse. So our Sheriff’s Office and IT Department investigated possible responses. They decided the best solution was to switch to a new system. This would mean replacing all our body cameras. (For what it is worth, the cameras were still working, but nearing the end of their useful lives.) The cost of the cameras and a couple small associated pieces of technology is about $420,000. A big chunk of money, to be certain. But I feel it is money we need to spend. Some have suggested that the Sheriff’s Office needed to somehow do a better job of planning so that the cameras did not all need to be replaced at once. As I explained, this problem was created by a tech acquisition. I simply cannot see how they could have possibly prepared for this eventuality. As we know, there are some folks in Johnson County who are firmly in the “abolish the police” camp. And some of those folks do not want to see any money spent on the Sheriff’s Office, period. This includes body cameras. On the other hand, many racial justice advocates fought long and hard to get the Sheriff’s Office to adopt body cameras. These racial justice advocates do not want to see their efforts undone. We have had a few speakers at our meetings note that studies show that jurisdictions with body cameras do not experience lower crime rates. While that is interesting, I do not recall anyone ever suggesting that body cameras would lower the crime rate. The whole idea behind body cameras is getting closer to the truth. Our whole judicial system is predicated on the idea that truth will usually prevail. Most innocent people will be found innocent; most guilty people will be found guilty. In order for this to happen, defense attorneys, prosecutors, judges, and juries need access to as much accurate information as possible. Body cameras can be a source of a great deal of information. Imagine a scenario where 4 young men are stomping and kicking another young man. A police report might state exactly that. Upon reviewing the video, however, it might become clear that only three of the men were stomping and kicking. The 4th man actually made a couple of attempts to pull the others off. This might not be evident to an officer who comes across such a wild scene. It is really difficult in that moment to pick up on something that nuanced while trying to break things up. So imagine there is no camera in this scenario. The cop’s report names the 4 men. It is not that the cop is willfully misrepresenting the situation; it was a melee. She reported what she truly believed to be the facts as best as she could. All the men get charged with the same crimes. This is serious; people could be looking at prison. Now imagine you have body camera footage. Upon further review, it is clear that one of the men never kicked or stomped, and in fact, made a couple attempts to stop the others. That footage could be the thing that keeps an innocent man out of prison! Another suggestion was to buy half of the cameras now and half next year. Frankly, I just don’t see how this would work. Half the officers wear cameras while half do not? Is that up to each officer? Do you want the officers who dislike cameras to be able to opt out? The County Attorney’s Office does not see half the officers having cameras as workable from a prosecutorial perspective. Look, I know the budget is tight. Trust me, thus far I have voted against far more spending than any other Supervisor. But some expenditures are more important than others. An expenditure that does so much to protect the civil rights of our citizens is not something I want to mess with. The Board voted to include body cameras in the FY23 budget. I am extremely happy we did so. I think it is a critical local investment in protecting the Civil Rights of our citizens. *The Mill A sad day has arrived in Iowa City, as the iconic local venue The Mill is scheduled for demolition. A bit of history: Keith Dempster opened The Mill Restaurant in 1962 as a coffee house/restaurant/folk music venue. It became the center of an Americana music community in Iowa City that achieved national and international fame. The Mill also became known for its pizza and sandwiches. In June 2003, Keith closed The Mill. In July 2003 The Mill reopened, and operated until closing in May of 2020. Since then, 2-3 separate groups have endeavored to save it, but no one has come up with the necessary cash. Like a lot of other people, I have several special memories from The Mill. When I was in college, I had a lot of friends on the Hawkeye Wrestling team. Interestingly, one of the coaches and I became buddies, and used to meet up at The Mill. He got worn down by the single-minded intensity of what they were doing. So we’d meet at The Mill once a week to talk about the news, politics, music, sports other than wrestling – anything to give him a break. I have fond memories of those days. As I got older, I attended a million political strategy meetings at The Mill. We never won every victory, but in some ways, those meetings may have set the stage for the mostly-progressive State Legislative delegation, City Council, ICCSD Board, and County Supervisors we now have elected. The Mill was, of course, also home to those Election Night victory parties. Some were truly celebrations – I am reminded of Mazahir Salih’s election to the IC Council as a recent one. Others were sad affairs, where some of my friends received the bad news that the public had chosen someone else. Lots of candidates held events there – Presidential candidates, yes, but also locals like me! Back before COVID when candidates actually held events, I always held a fundraiser at The Mill. And I vividly remember holding my son BJ, aged 7 at the time, in June of 2004 as I learned that I had squeezed by in the Democratic Party Primary and would likely get the job of County Supervisor. The Mill was also home to literally hundreds of fundraisers. Whether it be for a local kid with cancer, a local nonprofit, or for world hunger relief, the stage at The Mill was always being used to further some type of cause. And that really fit the vibe of the place – people trying to help other people. The Mill donated the space, and local musicians donated their time. It was plug and play, and it made a big difference in the community. It was also one of the only places you could see beginning comics, poets, authors, and musicians. We all start somewhere, and The Mill offered many people their first opportunity to take the stage. Open Mic nights were a staple for the full 50+ years of The Mill’s existence. And I haven’t even started on the music! Oh, the music! There were some pretty big names that had played The Mill over the years, but the only one I saw “before they were cool” was the Drive By Truckers. But The Mill was *THE* spot for catching local stars like Greg Brown, Pieta Brown, Dave Moore, Bo Ramsey, Catfish Keith, Dave Zollo, Shade of Blue, the Awful Purdies, Big Wooden Radio, Kelly Pardekooper, Bob and Kristie Black, Rich Webster, Kevin Burt, and on and on and on. There was just so much good local music! The Mill is the home to a lot of memories, and it is really sad to see it go away. Not just because of the history, but because we now have lost the opportunity to make more memories. Iowa City desperately needs a small venue with a stage and a sound system. The Mill was arranged perfectly, where an event could go on in the back without disturbing the food and drink service up front. The fact that reserving the back room was easy (and free, if you ordered some pizza and drinks) made it so accessible. The building itself was funky and interesting, not the sterile stuff that now dominates the landscape. Add in the downtown location, and it was just perfect. The Mill will be missed, yes. Just as importantly, other places are not stepping up to fill the void. Like many of you, I read the article about Marc Moen’s plan for a new performance venue in the same spot. I hope other entrepreneurs have other ideas somewhere in the downtown area. RIP, Mill. It was a good run! *DID YOU KNOW? Supervisors Lisa Green Douglass, Royceann Porter, and myself had a fundraiser scheduled for The Mill in March of 2020, which we had to cancel due to COVID-19. 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 rodsullivan29@gmail.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 13, 2022
Sullivan’s Salvos 1/18/22 In this edition: *RIP Al Axeen *MLK *Reconsidering Build Back Better *Tough Questions From Ras Smith *Did You Know? *RIP Al Axeen I was very sorry to hear of the passing of Al Axeen of Coralville. Al was a former Coralville City Councilor and Mayor, and a really good guy. I got to know Al a couple of different ways. He was a dedicated Democrat, who always put in a lot of work for the party. Second, Al worked at the Hawkeye Area Community Action Program (HACAP) where he oversaw a wide array of services including Head Start, weatherization, LiHeap, and transitional housing. I served on his Board for several years, and I was always impressed with the work he did. RIP, Al! *MLK Monday, January 17 marks the federal holiday celebrating the birthday of the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Junior. I am so pleased that our country has chosen to honor this great man, and I hope you enjoy the holiday in his name. As usual, the Board of Supervisors did a proclamation in his honor. We would like to think America has come a long way since the 60s. After the 2016 and 2020 elections, I’m not certain I feel that way any longer. Race was a HUGE issue in the 2016 election, and the team the racists supported won. In 2020 and since, overt racists have felt emboldened to do and say almost anything. Look at America today. Black Lives Matter is a response to the epidemic of black men being killed by police. The US Supreme Court killed much of the Voting Rights Act, and they are likely to kill Affirmative Action. Black women die in childbirth at ridiculous rates. Black men are more likely to go to prison than college. The list goes on and on. Our society still has a deep racial divide. We also need to recognize that King was a radical. America grudgingly accepted racial reforms because they were less dangerous to the status quo than the other issues King championed – namely economic justice. King took seriously the Biblical teachings that the love of money is a sin, and that rich men will not be welcomed into Heaven. (King was a Democratic Socialist!) He proposed seismic changes to the political and social structures that exist in America. In addition, King was adamantly anti-war. He was NOT beloved by all in his day; he was jailed 29 times! To the status quo, he was the most dangerous man in the world. Take some time this week to read some of the great books that are out there on Dr. King. More importantly, take some time to read the things he wrote himself. And if you are so inclined, there are several worthwhile local celebrations. The University of Iowa has several events. You can see the complete schedule at: https://mlk.uiowa.edu. The annual community MLK celebration is being held, but I was unable to secure details at the time of publication. We have SO much work to do. We cannot forget that. But we also need to take the time to celebrate our successes. Happy MLK Day! *Reconsidering Build Back Better Like many of you, I had high hopes for President Biden’s Build Back Better program. There is no question that BBB is the direction our country should be heading. Unfortunately, it looks as though we are not going to get there. So what now? I have an idea, but it may not work, either. I think there have been three problems with Build Back Better. First, all the focus has been on the cost. Secondly, there has been little discussion of who bears that cost. It is NOT the average person! Thirdly, the components are so numerous and ever-changing that it is hard to keep track of what is in the bill. My solution? A simple suggestion: Free universal childcare, paid for by the wealthiest. Available to every single American family. We treat 0-4 the same way we treat 5-18. Does the money work? God yes! A one cent wealth tax on the richest 1% of Americans would generate about $180 billion per year. Estimates for universal childcare come in somewhere around $70 billion per year. We would have almost three times the revenue necessary to provide childcare for every child who needs it. Think of the life-changing impacts this would have! No more children left alone, or left in substandard care. Women able to enter the workforce. Women free to take whatever job they desire versus what works with daycare. Families saving somewhere around $1000 per month per child. Increasing the salaries and benefits for millions of childcare workers. This would be a game-changer, folks! I can see a huge problem here, though, with our two usual suspects. Joe Manchin will not vote for anything unless it is “paid for.” In other words, it cannot add to the debt. Fine. The “pay for” here is easy – the top one percent richest individuals and wealthy corporations can easily fund it. Easily. So the program is paid for. But now you run into Kirsten Sinema. She refuses to tax the rich. If you do not tax the rich, you cannot pay for the program. If you cannot pay for the program, Manchin is a “no”. It is the classic Catch-22. Perhaps one or both of them could adjust their thinking if we were talking about something so clear, easy, and popular. There would not be a bunch of smaller programs to criticize. Just one, simple, life-changing bill. I hope the Senate can pull off something like this. *Tough Questions From Ras Smith In light of MLK Day, we should spend some time talking about State Representative Ras Smith of Waterloo, who recently suspended his campaign for Iowa Governor. Why has he suspended it? Smith spoke about it to the Gazette’s Todd Dorman: “The Chair of the Party said Ras Smith is the future of the Democratic Party. There’s a narrative among Democrats that we can’t be competitive, without seeing what dollars are on hand, I’d put up my legislative resume’ against anybody’s, from Nate Boulton’s to Todd Prichard’s to Fred Hubbell. The only difference is I’m not wealthy enough to self-fund my race. […] “I’ve been struggling,” Smith said. “And I believe in being transparent and authentic in the work that I do. I’ve been struggling to have sit-down conversations about my campaign with institutional donors to this party historically. I’ve been struggling to get them to answer a phone call and have a meeting with me. And I wonder why? I wonder what I’ve done to make these folks not want to entertain a Ras Smith candidacy? “I wonder along the way what misstep did I make? Did I not shake a hand at the right event? Did I not pass the right policy to not show up? I’ve got a case full of plaques that they said I was doing a dang good job. But when it comes to the fact that I call to have a conversation, I don’t even get a return phone call back. No answer back,” Smith said. Smith is right. His record is damn near perfect. He is young (but not too young), whip smart, with a perfect background story. He deserves better. More importantly, the fact remains that in Iowa, about 100 wealthy people essentially get to choose our nominee for Governor. Those 100 people have a piss-poor track record. We need to find a way to seize the power from these people. *DID YOU KNOW? King was such a gifted student that he skipped grades nine and 12 before enrolling in 1944 at age 15 at Morehouse College, the alma mater of his father and maternal grandfather. Although he was the son, grandson and great-grandson of Baptist ministers, King did not intend to follow the family vocation until Morehouse president Benjamin E. Mays, a noted theologian, convinced him otherwise. King was ordained before graduating college with a degree in sociology. 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 rodsullivan29@gmail.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
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