SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
July 7, 2022
Sullivan’s Salvos 7/12/22
In this edition:
*Solon Beef Days
*Help for your Lawn!
*Education = Cure For Poverty?
*Iowa Democratic Party
*Liz Cheney Versus Mike Pence
*They Aren’t Here to Hurt Me
*Did You Know?
*Solon Beef Days
The 51st annual Solon Beef Days runs Friday and Saturday July 15 & 16 in Solon. Steaks, rides, entertainment, a parade, and the now-legendary hay bale toss are just a few of the items on tap.
I say this every year, and it is because it comes from a place of pride: I can honestly say that I have been to roughly 45 of the 51 Beef Days. I wear it like a badge of honor! Make this the year to start your own streak!
For all the details, including a full schedule of events, see: http://beefdays.com/
*Help for your Lawn!
Homeowners in unincorporated Johnson County and its smaller communities who would like to have greener and healthier lawns, without the use of chemicals, can apply to have 50 percent of the costs reimbursed, up to $2,000, through the County’s new Soil Health Program. Homeowners who wish to participate must be pre-approved by the County and use a contractor from a pre-selected list.
The program goal is to restore soil quality and increase the ability of lawns to absorb water, which reduces runoff into streams. The soil quality restoration process involves deep-tine aeration, which removes small plugs of earth from the lawn and allows air to penetrate the soil to promote plant growth. After aeration, clean compost is overlaid on the lawn.
Residents of unincorporated Johnson County as well as those who live in Hills, Lone Tree, Oxford, Shueyville, Solon, Swisher and University Heights are eligible to apply for the program. Residents of Coralville, Iowa City, North Liberty and Tiffin are not eligible for the County program and should check with their cities about similar healthy lawn options.
Interested homeowners can learn more and apply for the program by visiting https://johnsoncountyiowa.gov/pds/soil-health-program. Approval for program participation will be on a first-come, first-served basis.
For more information, contact Kasey Hutchinson, Soil and Water Conservation Coordinator, or Becky Soglin, Sustainability Coordinator, in the Johnson County Planning, Development and Sustainability Department at soilhealthprogram@johnsoncountyiowa.gov or 319-356-6083.
*Education = Cure For Poverty?
Conservatives and liberals don’t agree on much. One thing they tend to agree upon is the claim that education is the cure for poverty. This is a universally accepted truth. I push my own kids to continue their educations.
But does education really work? There are several studies that show a worker with a college degree is likely to earn much more money over her lifetime than a worker without. I am not going to dispute those studies. But I found this interesting data set while reading Ezra Klein:
In 1970, the educational attainment of the poor broke down like this: 56% had not finished high school. 31% had a high school diploma. 8% had some college, up to and including an AA. And 6% were college grads.
That same look at the educational attainment of the poor today looks like this: 23% have no high school diploma. 34% have a high school diploma. 28% have some college. And 15% have a college degree.
Obviously, today’s poor are MUCH more educated than the poor of 45 years ago. Yet by almost every measure, the poor today have deeper struggles than the poor 45 years ago. How do we explain this?
I think the answer is pretty simple, really. While education is a huge help to many people, it is not enough. We need to return to the values of the New Deal, and adequately fund the social safety net.
Your Neoliberal types will reluctantly support educational funding – they like the idea that with education, a motivated young person can pull herself up by her bootstraps. Heck, I like that idea, too.
But we need to acknowledge that our motivated young woman is unlikely to “pull herself up” without adequate shelter, food, medical care, etc. Education is great, but education alone is not enough.
*Iowa Democratic Party
I am REALLY frustrated with the Iowa Democratic Party right now. Unfortunately, that is a feeling that seems to come around far too often. I was furious to find out that the IDP refused to hire staff for Polk, Linn, and Johnson Counties. Please understand – they don’t need to pay a penny for this. The County Parties in each of those counties will pay the full cost. All they need to do is be the employer of record. They already employee 5-6 permanent employees and several seasonal employees. It is no big deal to add half a dozen more. But they refuse. What an unbelievably stupid slap in the face!
This is part of a bigger trend of the IDP hating Johnson County. Which is akin to Steve Jobs hating the iPhone, or Public Broadcasting hating Joan Kroc, or Ford hating the F-150. Stupid.
So, IDP, don’t hire staff for us. You just keep on thinking that you can sway a few voters in Swea City or Primghar or Coon Rapids. Make sure you don’t listen to the thoughts or concerns of the people who just keep hammering out 25,000 to 35,000 vote margins for you. In keeping with tradition, just do the exact opposite of what is required. I am SO friggin’ mad.
*Liz Cheney Versus Mike Pence
I get quite frustrated when I hear people compare the actions of Liz Cheney to the actions of Mike Pence. As I see things, there is a big difference.
To be clear – I still do not LIKE Liz Cheney. I think she has spent her whole career trying to ruin the planet so the rich can further dominate the poor. It is, frankly, a shameful record. But I am willing to give credit where credit is due. And Liz Cheney deserves credit for telling the truth. This is not telling the truth with no consequences; this is telling the truth when it can do great harm to yourself. She’s going to lose her seat. Yahoos are going to stalk her. She put herself in a bad spot, but did so for the right reasons. It is called political courage, and it is rare. Liz Cheney has demonstrated it in spades, and I applaud her for that.
Mike Pence is a whole different story. It is not heroic to NOT commit a crime. You went to work yesterday, and didn’t commit any crimes. Nobody said you deserved a medal for it. Nobody sang your praises. Not committing a crime is a very low bar. Mike Pence has had plenty of opportunities to speak out ala Liz Cheney. He will not do so. This man is no hero. He’s an embarrassment. There are no awards for deciding to NOT commit a crime. Mike Pence is no Liz Cheney.
*They Aren’t Here to Hurt Me
Speaking of the January 6 hearings, I was struck by a single quote from former President Trump. When he was told he could not go to the Capitol because there were armed insurrectionists headed there, Trump protested, “They aren’t here to hurt me.”
That sums up Donald Trump better than any single thing ever said. All he cares about is himself. The man is a liar, a thief, a rapist, a cheat, a bully, a racist, a misogynist, the most selfish person alive, and the single worst person ever to hold the Office of the President. He is pure evil, and if there is a judging God, he is undoubtedly headed to Hell.
That felt good.
*DID YOU KNOW? From the Washington Post: By the end of his term, Trump had accumulated 30,573 untruths during his presidency — averaging about 21 erroneous claims a day.
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 @ 8:05 AM
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