SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
August 16, 2023
Sullivan’s Salvos 8/22/23
In this edition:
*RIP Caroline Dieterle
*Starting the School Year
*Frustration with the Law
*Nonprofit Grants Available!
*Wage Theft
*Did You Know?
*RIP Caroline Dieterle
Caroline Dieterle passed away on the morning of August 10. This one hurts. Caroline and I had been friends for a long time. Below are some excerpts of her outstanding obituary from the Gay and Ciha website. I urge you to check it out, and to learn more about this remarkable woman.
Caroline’s absence also leaves a void in the lives of those she touched through her compassion, generosity, and indefatigable advocacy for the causes she believed in. Although Caroline was known for the courage of her convictions, she was ever playful at heart.
In the summer of 1967 Caroline and her husband Robert moved to Iowa City. This was when Iowans proudly funded public education and the state’s rural landscape and waterways were not ravaged by the monoculture of corporate farms, unregulated hog waste, and Round-Up-Ready-fueled super weeds. Caroline and Robert divorced in 1984 but remained close friends until his death in 2015.
Caroline entered the workforce in 1974, a time when it was very difficult for a woman to find a job. She accepted a position at the Johnson County auditor’s office from 1975 to 1977. In 1977, Caroline began working in the newsroom of the Daily Iowan newspaper and was their proud archivist until technology finally made her job obsolete in 2013. In 1980, Caroline began her other long-term career as an undergraduate academic advisor at the University of Iowa, a job she enjoyed until her retirement in 2006. During that time, Caroline also briefly worked as a pre-trial release interviewer at the Johnson County Jail, which was quite a shock for any of her advisees who had been picked up for public intoxication the previous evening. Other jobs Caroline held included taxicab driver, science test question editor for ACT, and teaching associate at the University of Iowa department of botany.
Caroline was known for her political acumen, advocacy, and support for many organizations, including the Iowa Native Plant Society, the ACLU, Seed Savers, the Johnson County Democrats, Emma Goldman Clinic, the New Pioneer Co-op Board, the Community Food Bank, and the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, among others.
Caroline strongly believed in civil rights, democracy, and good citizenship, and she lived out these values every day. She questioned authority, spoke truth to power, and built coalitions for change. Notably, she worked tirelessly to establish the Iowa City Citizens Police Review Board after the murder of Eric Shaw, a childhood friend of her daughters, by an Iowa City police officer. Caroline spoke her mind plainly and did not tolerate lies or liars. She had strong opinions, but she was also flexible enough to change her mind when presented with compelling evidence.
Caroline was practical and economical in all things and believed one could do any job with the right tools. She was also ahead of her time; she maintained an organic, biodiverse, pollinator friendly back yard garden for over 50 years. Caroline lived courageously and selflessly for others and will be deeply missed by many.
“All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.” -- Arthur Schopenhauer
RIP, Caroline!
*Starting the School Year
I know January 1 is the official New Year, but in Iowa City, the New Year always feels like mid-August. Having lived here 40 years, my circadian rhythms are set to a new academic year being the real new year.
Whether you live life by the semester or not, I hope you have a great academic year!
*Frustration with the Law
My daughter Rachel had a very frustrating incident last week. She was riding her bike east on the sidewalk adjacent to Park Road in Iowa City. This is a wide sidewalk, so it is not unusual to see bikes on it.
As Rachel was travelling east, an older lady leaving Lower City Park pulled out in front of her. Rachel slammed on her brakes, but the lady still hit her. The woman got out of her car and was frantically saying, “I’m so sorry! I didn’t see you!”
Thankfully, Rachel seems to be OK, though we are going to be careful to withhold judgement on that. She is definitely sore. An ambulance was called to the scene, and they treated her and released her.
The Iowa City Police Department (ICPD) arrived on the scene and gathered the info of all involved. I showed up and made certain Rachel was OK. So, after a wait, the officer emerged and handed Rachel a report. Believe it or not, the officer said he “had no grounds” for charging the driver of the car. The officer said had the woman hit a pedestrian, she would have been charged. Had the woman hit Rachel while she was in the street, the driver would have been charged. But the officer claimed they had no way to charge a driver who hits a bicycle in the crosswalk. “We’ve had a few of these,” he told me, “And there is nothing we can do.”
This struck me as absurd at the time, and it strikes me as absurd now. I quickly asked, “With all due respect officer – what if the driver had killed her? There is nothing you can do?” We stared at each other silently for 3-5 seconds, I said, “Thank you,” and I took Rachel home.
Here is the thing: her bike (which is new) is all bent up. It is going to cost a lot to repair. For all I know, Rachel could have lingering injuries. It is not as though there is no victim here.
I guess we will have to pursue this civilly. But I am extremely frustrated that the officer feels there is nothing he can charge in this case. Especially when the driver admitted hitting her! And I find no comfort in his statement, “We’ve had a few of these.” That is awful, and it should be addressed! Iowa City? How about a new ordinance?
In an interesting twist, a guy from my neighborhood was walking by my house. I noticed his limp, and asked him what happened. He told me he was riding his bike on a trail in Coralville. As the trail crossed the street, a woman turned into him. In his case, Coralville police wrote her a ticket for failure to yield. Makes sense to me!
One more thing. This may be inappropriate on my part, but I can’t help but wonder what would have happened if roles were reversed. What if an older white woman was riding her bike and got hit by a young black motorist? Would there have been charges in that case?
*Nonprofit Grants Available!
Johnson County is awarding $2.1 million to local nonprofits impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Interested applicants will participate in a two-part application process set to open on Monday, Aug. 14, 2023.
The Board of Supervisors is allocating $2 million to be directed towards social service, childcare and other non-arts nonprofits, while $100,00 is designated for local arts nonprofits. Funding for this grant is a result of Johnson County’s investment of funds received from the federal government through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
The Building Nonprofit Capacity Grant Program focuses on providing one-time awards to nonprofits that enhance their capacity to effectively respond to COVID-19-related challenges. Priority will be given to efforts such as increasing staffing capacity and staff training, implementing capital improvements, and enhancing internal infrastructure through software and system upgrades.
Eligible organizations primarily operating within Johnson County, holding either 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(19) status, can apply for the grant program. Demonstrating a negative economic impact due to the pandemic is a prerequisite for eligibility.
Full grant details are available online at www.johnsoncountyiowa.gov/arpagrants. To provide comprehensive information and guidance, Johnson County will host an informational webinar at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023, via Microsoft Teams.
For more information, contact Johnson County Grants staff at grants@johnsoncountyiowa.gov or 319-356-6000.
The Building Nonprofit Capacity Grant Program aligns with Johnson County's commitment to fostering community resilience, particularly in the face of the ongoing pandemic. By leveraging ARPA funding, the program emphasizes adherence to federal regulations, ultimately enhancing the vibrancy and adaptability of Johnson County's nonprofit sector.
More information about ARPA and how it impacts Johnson County is available at https://www.johnsoncountyiowa.gov/arpa.
*Wage Theft
Americans are quite divided as of late, but one thing most of us seem to agree upon is that people who commit the same crime ought to get a similar punishment. Seems fair, right? Unfortunately, that does not happen in Iowa when we are talking about wage theft.
Everyone can imagine a situation where an employee steals from their employer. If they get caught, they get fired, they have to pay back the money, they get charged with a crime, and they have a record. It is serious, and it gets treated seriously.
But what happens when the employer steals from the employee? What happens when they simply refuse to pay? The answer? Usually nothing. Even if they “get caught,” they are never charged with a crime. Nothing goes on their record. There are no fines. And they rarely pay up.
What happens when a boss steals from an employee and the employee calls the cops? They show up, listen patiently, and tell the employee – the victim – they have to leave or be charged with trespassing. Literally nothing happens to the thief.
That is correct – if the employee steals from the boss, our system jumps in to make it right. If the boss steals from the employee, we look the other way.
Common Good Iowa did a great job of laying all this out in their October 2022 report entitled A Heist in Plain Sight: Wage Theft in Iowa. According to Common Good Iowa, over $900 MILLION dollars is stolen from Iowa’s employees every year. Let me say that again - over $900 MILLION dollars is stolen from Iowa’s employees every year. This affects 250,000 Iowans, or about 1 in 7 Iowa workers.
This affects you even if you are not personally a victim. Wage theft in Iowa costs over $190 Million in lost revenue to federal, state, and local governments. Yet Governor Reynolds and Republicans in the Iowa Legislature are making it even harder for victims to get justice.
Already, only $2 of every $1000 gets collected. Why? The State of Iowa only employs two wage claim investigators in a state with one million workers. And those two work for a Governor who wants them to do nothing. Wage theft is so prevalent in Iowa that it is equal to ten times all other thefts combined!
As you might imagine, wage theft is most common in our lowest-paid occupations. Food service, hospitality, personal care, childcare, and some construction jobs are all big areas of theft. The theft is also more common from immigrants, people with language barriers, and people with disabilities.
Wage theft is a huge problem in Iowa. So what can you do? Several things!
First, you can support the Center for Worker Justice (CWJ), who often advocates in these cases locally. The CWJ needs money and volunteers.
Secondly, let your State Representative, State Senator, and Governor know that you expect them to do something about wage theft in Iowa! Write letters to local papers, and put things on social media.
Finally, give your time, money, and votes to people who are working to improve the system. Local officials have some ability to move the needle here. Hold them accountable!
*DID YOU KNOW? The total wage theft in the US is greater than $50 billion per year in the US.
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.
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---Rod
posted by Rod Sullivan @ 7:48 PM
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