SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
July 5, 2023
Sullivan’s Salvos 7/11/23
In this edition:
*North Liberty Blues and BBQ
*CCA Continues to Boom
*Pray for Rain
*Supreme Court Misdeeds
*Thick Skin
*Your Favorite Book?
*Did You Know?
*North Liberty Blues and BBQ
The 15th annual North Liberty Blues and BBQ is Saturday, July 8, with a little something for everyone. Check out the details at: https://northlibertyblues.org.
*CCA Continues to Boom
The Clear Creek Amana School District (CCA) continues to boom, as evidenced by a new 600-person elementary school being constructed in western Coralville.
This gives CCA schools in Oxford, Tiffin, North Liberty, and Coralville in Johnson County, and Amana in Iowa County. (They also used to have an elementary school in Cosgrove, which closed in the 1980s.) CCA expects to be at over 4000 students in five years or so, and is already one of the 30 largest school districts in Iowa.
*Pray for Rain
Despite a bit of spotty recent rain, Johnson County continues to suffer from drought conditions. We are only at about half our normal precipitation for the year, and we are hitting a key stretch for area farmers. Please join me in doing a little rain dance and hoping for some nice, gentle rain.
*Supreme Court Misdeeds
The Roberts Court of 2022-3 will go down in history as the worst Supreme Court in the history of this country, surpassing the Taney Court that upheld Dred Scott.
Undoing the 50-year-old right to bodily autonomy. Undoing Affirmative Action. Allowing discrimination against LGBTQ+ people. Denying student loan relief. Gutting the Clean Water Act. Those are just the decisions; that does not even get into all the ethical abuses.
This is the worst and most damaging Court in American history. It is truly sad. And there is only one thing the American people can do… keep voting for Democrats. We’ll need a steady stream of Democratic Presidents and Senators for the next 25 years to undo this damage. So get ready.
*Thick Skin
One important characteristic to have as a County Supervisor is thick skin. There are some folks in the community who publicly treat elected officials quite poorly. We all see that. But these public displays are not what I am talking about when I say try to have a thick skin. It is the smaller slights and perceived slights.
There are people who directly and indirectly accuse you of lying, stealing, and taking bribes. There are people who directly and indirectly accuse you of being lazy, stupid, and ignorant. There are people who directly and indirectly accuse you of playing favorites, playing politics, and acting only in your own self-interest.
These types of accusations sting. And sometimes they need to be called out. But more often than not, you are better served by simply moving on. Because here is what happens when you don’t:
I have seen Supervisors hold grudges. Sometimes because they were treated very badly. Sometimes over very small perceived slights. But I have seen it happen. More than it should. And it isn’t pretty. Those Supervisors always end up looking like fools. Nothing looks worse than a Supervisor treating a member of the public poorly. The skin needs to be a little thicker. Supervisors need to reach a higher standard.
But it is not always easy. I was leaving the office on a recent Friday afternoon. It had been a regular 8-hour day; I arrived at 8am, took a 15-minute-long lunch at about 12:30, and left the building at about 3:45pm. But it had been a LONG day emotionally. I was VERY ready to forget about work for a while.
On the way out, I ran into a guy I know. He is a Republican, and a regular critic of the Board. I greeted him heartily, and he called me a name.
Part of me thought about going back in the building and giving him an earful. But I decided it was neither the time nor the place. And you know what is the most frustrating thing there? I have never been anything other than kind to this man. We obviously have some disagreements. But I have always bent over backwards to treat him with respect.
I just kept heading home. And I thought about my next encounter with this guy. And I knew what I had to do. I had to treat him the same way I would treat anybody else who appeared in front of the Board. It is the only way to do the job right.
So, thinking about running for public office? Work on developing a nice thick skin!
*Your Favorite Book?
(This ran in Salvos in 2018. It seemed like time to ask again!)
I had the privilege of serving on the Board of the UNESCO City Of Literature at its inception. One of the best parts of being on that Board was the opportunity to discuss what people enjoy reading.
The City of Literature designation is certainly due to the presence of the UI Writer’s Workshop and UI International Writing Program, but there are other factors that are less discussed but also important.
The fantastic libraries and booksellers we have are also a key component, as are the citizens who do all the reading. Our literate citizenry played a big part in the UNESCO designation.
So, citizens… I would like to run a short and decidedly unscientific poll of Salvos readers. What is your favorite book? If a few titles outpoll all the rest, I’ll let readers know.
Personally, I have to divide it into genres. I read a lot as a child. Add that to being a father of three+ and a foster parent, and I have to acknowledge children’s lit separately.
People who know me well know that I could be described as a softy, a hopeless romantic, a sap – choose your term. This side of me is demonstrated in my favorite children’s book – “I’ll Love You Forever” by Robert Munsch. I can hardly get through it without tearing up!
Nonfiction? I am a huge David Sedaris fan. I have everything he has ever written. “The Warmth of Other Suns” by Isabel Wilkerson is another favorite.
My favorite work of fiction is “A Confederacy of Dunces” by John Kennedy Toole. I love a book that makes you laugh out loud!
So – how about you, Salvos readers? What are your favorites?
*DID YOU KNOW? On November 20, 2008, UNESCO designated Iowa City, Iowa, the world’s third City of Literature, making the community part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.
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 @ 11:14 AM
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