SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
April 14, 2022
Sullivan’s Salvos 4/19/22
In this edition:
*Happy Easter!
*Earth Day
*Ketanji Brown Jackson
*Closing Glenwood
*Tony in the House!
*ARPA Funds at Work!
*Did You Know?
*Happy Easter!
Happy Easter to those of you who celebrate it! I hope you enjoy the holiday!
*Earth Day
As usual, Johnson County passed a proclamation noting Earth Day, and urging the people of Johnson County to act in defense of our planet.
But did you know the history of Earth Day? First, there was a photo. The iconic “Earthwise” image snapped by Apollo 8 astronaut Bill Anders from lunar orbit on Dec. 24, 1968, showed our planet as it really is: a lonely and fragile outpost of life suspended in an endless, inky-black void. That new perspective jolted many people awake and lit a fire under others, helping the nascent environmental movement gain cohesion and momentum, experts say.
That photo led to Earth Day. The rest of the story, from Wikipedia: In 1969 at a UNESCO Conference in San Francisco, peace activist John McConnell proposed a day to honor the Earth and the concept of peace, to first be observed on March 21, 1970, the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere. This day of nature's equipoise was later sanctioned in a proclamation written by McConnell and signed at the United Nations. A month later, United States Senator Gaylord Nelson proposed the idea to hold a nationwide environmental teach-in on April 22, 1970. He hired a young activist, Denis Hayes, to be the National Coordinator. Nelson and Hayes renamed the event "Earth Day". Denis and his staff grew the event beyond the original idea for a teach-in to include the entire United States. More than 20 million people poured out on the streets, and the first Earth Day remains the largest single-day protest in human history. Key non-environmentally focused partners played major roles. Under the leadership of labor leader Walter Ruether, for example, the United Auto Workers (UAW) was the most instrumental outside financial and operational supporter of the first Earth Day. According to Hayes, "Without the UAW, the first Earth Day would have likely flopped!" Nelson was later awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in recognition of his work.
*Tony in the House!
Democratic voters in House District 89 have a choice to make in the upcoming Democratic Primary. In my opinion, the choice is easy: I support Tony Currin for the House!
I have been very intimately involved in Democratic Party politics in Johnson County for the past 35 years. I know who does the work. And in this case, you have one of the hardest-working volunteers I know versus someone I have never met.
Voters can choose Tony, who goes to every fundraiser, volunteers for every good cause, and works his ass off for Democratic candidates. Or they can vote for someone who does not. Participation MEANS something, people! Tony puts in the time, and he deserves your vote!
But that is not all! Tony Currin is a great candidate! Tony is incredibly intelligent, extremely passionate, and very empathetic. Tony has a wide variety of life experiences that I want to see represented in Des Moines: Tony is a black man. He is a gay man. He is a Labor Leader. He is a Veteran of the US Army. He has worked for a women’s right to choose. Tony grew up in the foster care system, and did not grow up with all the advantages. Tony knows what it is like to be the underdog. He will fight for the underdog.
I really do love Tony Currin. He’s damn fine human being. And he will do a great job representing HD89 in the Iowa Legislature! Please vote to send Tony to the House!
*Ketanji Brown Jackson
Justice Katanji Brown Jackson was confirmed to the US Supreme Court recently by a 53-47 vote in the US Senate. Only three Republican Senators voted for Jackson.
It is easy to get caught up in the way the GOP has broken this country. It is an existential problem, and on display whenever a Court opening is discussed. We cannot ignore it; we must fight against it at all times.
But right now, I want you to just take a breath and think about the impact of the confirmation of Judge Brown Jackson.
There have been 118 Supreme Court Justices over the history of this country. Only TWO were public defenders – Thurgood Marshall and Ketanji Brown Jackson.
Justice Jackson has tried more cases in her career than all the other members of the Supreme Court COMBINED!
Justice Brown Jackson is the first Justice from the State of Florida.
There have been 118 Supreme Court Justices over the history of this country. Only 3 have been black; two serve now (Brown Jackson being one).
There have been 118 Supreme Court Justices over the history of this country. Only 6 have been women; four serve now (Brown Jackson being one).
Right now, tens of millions of little girls – millions of them black – recognize that they can achieve anything if they work hard enough. Let that sink in a bit. My 4-year-old granddaughter is one of those girls. I am very pleased.
*Closing Glenwood
Governor Reynolds sent shockwaves through the disability community with her recent announcement that she was closing the Glenwood State Resource Center, home to about 200 Iowans with a variety of significant disabilities.
Let’s be very upfront here – virtually every person on planet earth *CAN* live in the community. Very, very few people *NEED* to live in an institution. (I would argue only those who present a specific harm to others.) The problem is that as a society, we have failed people with significant disabilities. We have not provided the resources they need to live safely in the community. Those resources could be medical; they could be equipment; they could be highly trained staff; they could include other things. Whatever the case, we, as a society, have decided these folks are not worth it. It is more important that the rich get richer.
So, from a purely philosophical standpoint, I’m glad the Glenwood Center is going away. People need to live in the community, close to family. Here is the problem: Reynolds will not do right by these people. Look what happened when the Mount Pleasant Center closed! Iowans LITERALLY died! But very few people noticed, and even fewer cared. Look what happened when she privatized Medicaid! Iowans LITERALLY died! But very few people noticed, and even fewer cared.
Unfortunately, in Kim Reynolds’ Iowa, the future for these 200 people is very grim. So the closing of Glenwood, while long overdue, will likely be a death warrant for a number of our most vulnerable citizens. We must do better.
*ARPA Funds at Work!
Johnson County is pursuing a study to assess broadband internet capabilities, needs and deficiencies in the county. The study is a result of Johnson County’s investment of funds received from the federal government through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many Johnson County residents needed to or were required to work from home. Additionally, a number of area schools suspended in-person instruction and transitioned to online or hybrid learning. Many healthcare providers moved to online appointments to conduct non-emergency medical appointments. The increase in online use and demand caused a significant strain on area broadband internet capabilities.
Though Johnson County does not own broadband infrastructure, the pandemic illustrated the need for a more robust system throughout the county. The study, which will be conducted by a qualified third-party consultant, will provide localized, accurate and actionable data regarding internet speeds and service area coverage. There will be an emphasis on the County’s smaller towns and rural areas. The study will:
·Conduct an analysis to better determine what areas are underserved;
·Recommend strategies to achieve coverage for the entire county; and
·Investigate partnerships with existing service providers.
The Board of Supervisors voted to allocate $50,000 to fund the study in Fiscal Year 2022, which ends June 30, 2022. The County intends to use the study to pursue additional funding opportunities at the state and federal levels.
More information about ARPA and how it impacts Johnson County is available at https://www.johnsoncountyiowa.gov/arpa.
*DID YOU KNOW? Eight future Supreme Court justices clerked at the Supreme Court, including 5 current members. Byron R. White, William H. Rehnquist, John Paul Stevens, Stephen G. Breyer, John G. Roberts, Elena Kagan, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Ketanji Brown Jackson were all clerks. Brown Jackson clerked for Breyer, the Justice she replaced.
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.
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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 @ 8:46 AM
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