SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
September 21, 2022
Sullivan’s Salvos 9/27/22
In this edition:
*Happy Rosh Hashanah!
*Mary Mascher Celebration
*JC Dems Fall BBQ
*Sutliff Bridge Revisited
*Did You Know?
*Happy Rosh Hashanah!
Happy New Year to all my Jewish friends! Sunday marks Rosh Hashanah, the beginning of year 5783 in the Jewish calendar.
Rosh Hashanah commemorates the creation of the world and marks the beginning of the Days of Awe, a 10-day period of introspection and repentance that culminates in the Yom Kippur holiday, also known as the Day of Atonement. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are the two “High Holy Days” in the Jewish religion. Shanah Tovah!
*Mary Mascher Celebration
There is a celebration planned to say thank you to State Representative Mary Mascher for her 28 years of service to the people of Johnson County. The event is Sunday, September 25 from 2-4pm at the Marriott hotel in University Heights.
It has been very easy to take Mary Mascher for granted over the years. Always showing up, always fighting the good fight. Obviously, it would have been great to have Mary in the majority more often during her years of service. But still, generations of Johnson County residents owe her a debt of gratitude for her work on education, women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights, mental health, and so much more.
Thank you, Mary, for your outstanding service!
*JC Dems Fall BBQ
The Johnson County Democratic Party is having its Annual Fall BBQ Sunday, October 9 from 4-7pm at the Johnson County Fairgrounds. Visit the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/events/470867084629350/?ref=newsfeed for tickets and more information.
This is an important fundraiser that will help Mike Franken, Christina Bohannan, Deirdre DeJear, and all our state and local candidates. Plus there is always great food and good conversation. Now is the time for all good people to come to the aid of the party! Please join us!
*Sutliff Bridge Revisited
I was talking to some folks at Sutliff recently, and a couple of us were reminiscing about the preservation of the old Sutliff Bridge. A couple others had no idea what I was talking about. I realized that many people do not know or do not remember the saga of the bridge.
The flood of 2008 knocked a couple of cabins off their foundations. Those cabins were swept into the bridge, and knocked down the eastern third of the structure. It was clear we would need to do something; the Army Corps of Engineers and Department of Natural Resources would not allow the remainder of the bridge to sit the way it was. It needed to be either fixed or removed.
FEMA gave Johnson County a choice: repair the bridge or remove the bridge. It was all federal money. But if the difference between removal and repair favored the county, we could sink the difference into roads.
Supervisors received hundreds of emails on both sides of this argument. I am very glad that the Board chose to invest in Sutliff, but it was never a done deal! It strikes me that people today fail to understand how close we were to losing the bridge. It was literally by the thinnest of margins.
The following article ran just before the Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 to restore the old bridge.
The debate over whether or not to rebuild the Sutliff Bridge raises several deep questions for both society and government. Let’s explore some of them.
As most of you probably know, I have biases here. I grew up at Sutliff. My younger sister lives within 200 yards of the bridge. My family has lived in the area since before Iowa was a state. My friends and family fought to keep the bridge in the early 80s. My senior class picture was taken on the bridge. The bridge is tied up in family, friends, childhood memories, current relationships, and more. I want to state that in the interest of full disclosure.
The Sutliff Bridge was built a couple decades prior to the advent of motorized vehicles. It is the longest Parker Truss Bridge in the US. It is listed on the National Historic Registry. To people in the area, it defines the place they call home.
As for those deep questions - What is history worth? What is ANYTHING worth? If we get rid of an old bridge because it does not function the way it used to, should we apply that logic across the board? Should we quit spending tax dollars on senior citizens, many of whom no longer function the way they used to? Should we have torn down the Old Capital Dome after it burnt, and instead built a new office building? Should we preserve the ruins in Athens and Rome? Do Iowa’s Century and Heritage Farm programs make any sense? Why do we mark graves? Should history be taught in our schools? What is history worth?
Frankly, it is impossible to place a value on history. I have been in the Old Capital probably ten times in the past year – almost certainly ten times more often than most Johnson County residents. Do more people visit the Old Capital, or do more folks visit Sutliff? (My guess is Sutliff by a 20:1 margin.) Should attendance matter? Must history focus only on government, or is there value in preserving the people’s history? What makes one thing historic and worth saving, and another less so?
The Sutliff Bridge is a destination for cyclists, motorcyclists, snowmobilers, farmers, anglers, hunters, boaters, birdwatchers, people exploring their Czech backgrounds, history buffs, and more. What is that worth? Can we accurately measure the economic impact of such a place? Is it worth more than a 2-mile road resurfacing? Is it worth more than a new Secondary Roads shed?
As of this writing, it appears there will be ZERO local match required to restore the bridge. So no County dollars will go toward the project. The cost of future maintenance would be a County expense, but given the fact that FEMA would be bringing it up to code, there should be very little in the way of maintenance expenses for 10-20 years.
Even the future maintenance looks good from a taxpayer’s perspective. The Sutliff Bridge Authority (SBA) has raised tens of thousands of dollars over 25+ years to maintain and insure this bridge. They are willing to put roughly $10,000 toward the future maintenance right now, with more to come very shortly. $10,000 should cover the maintenance costs for a long, long time. Plus, they have pledged to continue to raise funds into the future. I trust them and believe in them. History is on their side.
So the people of Johnson County are getting this replaced courtesy of the federal government. I can already hear the familiar refrain – “they are still our tax dollars!” Of course. No one wants to see the federal government waste money.
But this is an issue with any and every tax expenditure. If it benefits me, you think it is wasteful. If it benefits you, I think it is wasteful. People complain about waste in federal health programs, but ignore billions of waste in defense. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. There is little agreement as to how federal tax dollars are spent. That will not change any time soon.
Interestingly, the State of Iowa, Polk County, Des Moines, and Principal have combined forces to build a $12 million pedestrian and bicycle bridge over the Des Moines River. Local tourism and economic development folks are calling this a huge draw. The Des Moines project is 1/3 the length of the Sutliff Bridge, and spans a much smaller river. Why don’t we market our own treasure? Economic development folks talk about creating a unique sense of place. We already have that here! Why eliminate it? For a couple miles of road surfacing?
Johnson County has 59 structures on National Historic Registry, 41 of which are in Iowa City. These recognized structures include the Old Capitol, Plum Grove, Old Brick, the old Coralville Schoolhouse, the Johnson County Courthouse, the Englert Theater, Bethel AME Church, St. Mary's Catholic Church, and yes, the Sutliff Bridge. Federal, State, and local experts determined years ago that the bridge was one of 59 historic things in Johnson County worthy of saving. Can you imagine tearing any of these other structures down over a fear of future maintenance expenses?
My general inclination is to lean toward preserving things. I think we benefit from having a connection to and understanding of history. Too much of our past is gone, never to return. Do I think everything is worth saving? No. But I happen to believe that the investment in the Sutliff Bridge is worth it.
*DID YOU KNOW? Since the restoration of the Sutliff Bridge, Johnson County Conservation has invested tremendous time, effort, and money in the Sutliff area, including the Ciha Fen, Cedar River Crossings, and the North Maintenance shop.
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 @ 8:41 PM
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