SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
July 11, 2023
Sullivan’s Salvos 7/18/23
In this edition:
*Solon Beef Days
*Johnson County Fair
*Perspective
*380 Express
*Education = Cure for Poverty?
*Credit and Blame
*Did You Know?
*Solon Beef Days
The 52nd annual Solon Beef Days runs Friday and Saturday July 21 & 22 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 46 of the 52 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/
*Johnson County Fair
The Johnson County Fair runs from Sunday, July 23 through Wednesday, July 26. This is a great opportunity for the whole family to take a step back toward our agricultural roots!
I enjoy the fair. Yes, it is typically hot out there. But that is why they sell ice cream! So, please stop out and enjoy the Fair. You’ll be glad you did!
For the full daily lineup of events, see: http://www.johnsoncofair.com/entertainment.html
*Perspective
You have probably seen these types of things before, but they continue to amaze me. So get this:
1980 is as far away from today as 1937 was from 1980. 1937! So what do we know about 1937?
The world is in the middle of the Great Depression. John Steinbeck just published The Grapes of Wrath. FDR is in the second of his 4 terms. Social Security just started. It is four years prior to the bombing of Pearl Harbor. It is two years before the debuts of The Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind. Jackie Robinson will not break baseball’s color barrier for another 4 years.
It is wild to think about how much history we have witnessed firsthand!
*380 Express
I used to sit on the Board of the East Central Iowa Council of Governments (ECICOG). I have mentioned ECICOG in Salvos previously, but I recognize that it probably deserves another explanation.
The East Central Iowa Council of Governments (ECICOG) is an intergovernmental council established in 1973. Governed by a board of directors comprised of elected officials and private citizens, ECICOG was created to promote regional cooperation and to provide professional planning services to local governments in Benton, Cedar, Iowa, Johnson, Jones, Linn, Tama, and Washington Counties (all services are not offered in all counties). A portion of the operations are supported by a per capita assessment paid by these counties.
One recent undertaking of ECICOG is the 380 Express. This is regular, fixed route bus service between Iowa City and Cedar Rapids. Stops include the Ground Transportation Center in downtown CR; Kirkwood; the Coralville Intermodal facility at the Iowa River Landing; University Hospitals; and Iowa City’s Court Street Transportation Center.
A one-way ride costs $3.50. Children under 6 are free, and Seniors (60+) and people with disabilities ride for $1.75. Ten-punch passes sell for $32.50, and a monthly unlimited pass is available for $125. All tickets can be purchased online.
The busses are full of amenities: All coaches in the 380 Express service are equipped with free WIFI, 110V power outlets and USB ports, restroom, and reclining seats with 3-point seat belts. There is also a wheelchair lift with two wheelchair securement areas on each coach.
380 Express provided about 4,000 rides per month in the first 8 months of its existence. 74% of the rides originated in Cedar Rapids and ended in Iowa City. 66% of the riders were travelling for work and 12% for education. Interestingly, 67% of the riders have been female.
I have not yet ridden the 380 Express, but I plan on doing so sometime soon. I hope you will do it, too. More importantly, spread the word! This is an important step in the fight against climate change!
*Education = Cure For Poverty?
This ran a year ago in Salvos. It is just as relevant today.
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.
*Credit and Blame
The Board recently had a discussion that riled me up! We were talking about something that went wrong, and whether the Board shared in any of the blame. My answer is an unambiguous YES! The buck stops with the Board. Whatever happens – good or bad – the Board has some responsibility.
Obviously, the level of responsibility can vary greatly depending upon what specific thing we are talking about. Say one person on an Ambulance crew punches the other in the nose. On one hand, there isn’t very much I could have done to prevent it. I wasn’t there. I might not even have met both of the employees. So how could I possibly be responsible? Lots of ways!
Was the hiring process good? Was something missed in a background check? Was adequate training in place? Is the use of physical violence covered in the employee handbook and/or union contract? Was the response by management swift and appropriate? What discipline, if any, was handed out, and was it appropriate? What follow up will be necessary? Do either or both employees need something additional? These are just a few of the ways in which I can be responsible for what happens in that scenario.
I guess the part that gets under my skin is when we are hypocritical about our role. We pose for pictures when departments win awards. We get certificates when they achieve accreditation. We get compliments when county employees do their usual great work.
We can’t rightly bask in the glow of all the achievements without taking at least some of the blame when things go wrong. That is simply unfair. You can’t have it both ways.
I stand by our employees. And I stand 100% ready to accept responsibility for whatever happens in Johnson County. You should expect nothing less.
*DID YOU KNOW? The Clay County Fair is held every September in Spencer, Iowa, United States. It is the largest county fair in the state of Iowa. It has the largest agricultural exposition in North America. Bringing in over 310,000 visitors a year, the Clay County Fair is one of the largest county fairs in the United States.
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 @ 3:00 PM
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