SULLIVAN'S SALVOS

September 27, 2023

Sullivan’s Salvos 10/3/23

In this edition:

*Happy Homecoming!

*Iowa City Book Festival

*Domestic Violence Awareness Month

*Sacrifice in Politics

*Can You Be Progressive Without Being Pro-Labor?

*Did You Know?

*Happy Homecoming!

The UI celebrates Homecoming the weekend of October 6&7. Happy Homecoming to all the Hawkeyes out there! I love the traditions of Homecoming; the parade, the pomp and circumstance, alumni returning from afar. Homecoming is one of the real benefits of living in a university town. Be bold in your black and gold… but be safe, too! Go Hawks!

*Iowa City Book Festival

Mark your calendars for the Iowa City Book Festival, October 8-15. We are proud to offer a week of excellent, one-of-a-kind, free, literary programming as part of the 2023 Festival.

Presenters include Sarah Cypher, Nathan Hill, Werner Herzog, John Irving, Eskor David Johnson, Chris Jones, Daniel Kraus, Jonathan Lethem, Marta McDowell, Mindy Mejia, Tracie Morris, Joanne Ramos, Kristen Roupenian, Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, Justin Torres, and many more.

Visit iowacitybookfestival.org for the full schedule.

*Domestic Violence Awareness Month

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and I want to take this opportunity to share some statistics with you.

The Domestic Violence Intervention Program (DVIP) has been serving Johnson County since 1979. Services include emergency shelter, 24-hour crisis line, support and advocacy services, youth services, and community education.

The State of Iowa mandated some consolidations a few years ago, and DVIP now serves 8 counties for most services, and 13 counties with their 24-hour crisis line. Johnson County sources make up about 25% of DVIP’s funding, but 60% of their clients come from Johnson County. They serve about 350 individuals in the shelter each year; 80% of them are Johnson County residents. Another 60 or so people annually are served through contracts with hotels. The average shelter stay is about 45 days.

There are many events scheduled for October; to see the whole list and/or to learn more about the Domestic Violence Intervention Project (DVIP), visit dvipiowa.org.

*Sacrifice in Politics

Over 70% of the people who support Donald Trump have lost relationships with friends and family over that decision. There are grandparents who will never see their grandchildren again. People have made big sacrifices for Trump.

This was part of a fascinating 20-minute-long National Public Radio (NPR) podcast. It struck such a chord with me that I feel the need to share it with you. The podcast is called On Point, with host Magna Chakravarty and news analyst Jack Beatty. The episode came out Friday, September 15, and is called “Sacrifice.” I highly recommend it!

*Can You Be Progressive Without Being Pro-Labor?

You can be pro-labor and not be progressive. We know this. There are lots of Republican union members. Some of them are anti-choice, anti-LGBTQ+, and more. They would NEVER consent to being described as “progressive.” Yet they appreciate the economic benefits that come from their status as a union member.

We hear about union members who are not progressive all the time. But we almost never ask the opposite question. What about the inverse? Can a person be progressive without being pro-labor?

We talk a lot about social justice, and we should. America has a history of intolerance based upon gender, race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, and more. We need to recognize this, remember it, and strive to do better. Social justice deserves the attention it receives.

At the same time, we do not talk enough about economic justice. America has, for about 202 out of our 247 years, catered almost exclusively to the rich and powerful. Virtually all economic benefits flow to the top 1%, with most of those benefits flowing to the top 1/100^th of a percent, or just a few thousand people.

Americans have fought back before. Just after the Civil War it was women who got the labor movement going. They were joined by recent immigrants. Many workers died throughout the late 1800s and early 1900s, and some gains were realized. But mainly, it is the Golden Age of 1935-1980 that saw workers finally achieve some semblance of economic justice. And not only did it help lower-wage workers; it helped everyone!

Consider a few of the economic justice initiatives that were instituted: child labor laws, 40-hour weeks, weekends, overtime, vacations, the minimum wage, sick leave, parental leave, OSHA, employment nondiscrimination, pensions, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, SNAP benefits (food stamps), health insurance, and so much more.

Progressives definitionally want progress; an improvement in the human condition. There was no period in American history where the human condition improved more than between 1935 and 1980. What made this progress happen? Organized labor fighting for economic justice.

But fast forward to today, and some folks seem to think they can be progressive without fighting for economic justice. Our greatest activists knew better. No one fought harder for economic justice than MLK. He was murdered the evening before a rally for striking sanitation workers in Memphis, TN.

Too many people who want to wear the “progressive” label support Uber over cabs, buy stuff from Wal-Mart and Amazon, buy shoes made in sweatshops, and fail to join unions when they are available. They feel unions have a place; just not at the place they work/own/manage.

In the Democratic Party of the 90s, Bill Clinton catered to a certain wealthier, white group. We called them “limousine liberals.” They wanted things to be better for minorities; they just didn’t want to live near them. They wanted to help the poor, but not at their own expense. They blamed the poor for making choices that were economically necessary but environmental harmful. They simply couldn’t understand “those people” who smoked, dropped f-bombs, listened to rap (or country), and had to shower after work rather than before work. Needless to say, it was a much smaller coalition.

I am also reminded of the ill-fated attempt by my friends at SEIU to unionize the Professional and Scientific (P&S) workers at the UI in the mid ‘00s. The UI workers voted the union down. Many laughed at the organizers, saying, “You don’t understand – I have a Ph.D.!” Unions were for “uneducated” people. Fast forward 20 years and that Ph.D. hasn’t gotten them jack shit. P&S missed the boat when they failed to unionize. It has been a difficult 15 years for them as a result.

Following an Iowa City Federation of Labor Candidate Academy a few years ago, an Iowa City Councilor (who always made a point of noting their registration as a Democrat) actually told Pauline Taylor and I, “People here were smarter than I expected.” How much more condescending can a politician get?

This attitude affects local politics, too. Do “progressives” care if municipal workers are underpaid? Do “progressives” overpay bosses at the expense of front-line workers? Do “progressives” care if municipalities rely upon temporary workers where permanent workers should be used? Do “progressives” care if municipal projects get built by union labor? Do “progressives” oppose sales taxes when property taxes are available? Do “progressives” oppose outsourcing? Do “progressives” support efforts to end wage theft?

Why is it that people who would draw a line at a candidate being anti-gay are so willing to look the other way when the candidate is anti-labor? Is it just an issue of social class?

We have a handful of immigrant rights activists in Johnson County who undoubtedly consider themselves progressive, but have tried to undermine local unions and the Center For Worker Justice at every turn. I don’t find these folks very progressive. I find them to be egotistical, hypocritical assholes.

To answer my own question, no, I do not believe one can be truly progressive without a commitment to economic justice. Economic justice is at the root of being a true progressive.

I leave you with the following quote from William Jennings Bryan:

“The poor man is called a socialist if he believes that the wealth of the rich should be divided among the poor, but the rich man is called a financier if he devises a plan by which the pittance of the poor can be converted to his use.”
―William Jennings Bryan

*DID YOU KNOW? Iowa's first Homecoming game was held on November 23, 1912, versus Wisconsin. Although that contest resulted in a loss, the Hawkeyes compiled a Homecoming record of 54 wins, 40 losses, and five ties in the 100 years to follow.

Anyone interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the County website-

www.johnsoncountyiowa.gov.

"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.

If you do NOT want the weekly E-mail, simply reply to this message, and type "unsubscribe" in the subject line.

If you know anyone else who might be interested, just forward this message. They can E-mail me at rodsullivan29@gmail.com with "subscribe" in the subject line.

As always, feel free to contact me at 354-7199 or rodsullivan29@gmail.com. I look forward to serving you!

---Rod

September 20, 2023

Glen Potter just passed at age 92. Glenn dedicated much of his life to serving the City of Tiffin. He spent 20 years as a city council member and volunteer fireman with the Tiffin Fire Department, then served as the mayor of Tiffin for the following 28 years. During his tenure the population grew from 300 to 2,000 residents. Some of his many accomplishments included new city water and sewer systems, the first city recycling program in Johnson County, the establishment of the Springmier Community Library, a new 65-acre city park, two larger water towers, a fire station addition, and a new 30 acre industrial park. Tiffin has now grown to over 6,700 residents. In recognition of his service, Glenn was presented with a key to the City of Tiffin on two occasions. He has both a city street and a city park named in his honor.

I remember Glenn telling me once that his graduating class from Tiffin High School was less than ten kids. The guy saw a lot of changes! RIP, Glenn.

The United Way and Iowa Shares campaigns are underway. I hope you will choose to be a supporter. Melissa and I are big supporters of the United Way and the United Way affiliated agencies. We give generously, I think. We also volunteer when and where we can.

So United Way is in our blood. Unfortunately, it does not seem to be in the blood of enough Johnson County residents.

I just heard a statistic that only 4% of all adults in Johnson County contribute to the United Way. Only 4%! And I’m sure it isn’t any better for Iowa Shares! That is simply too low, folks.

One in three families in Johnson County uses a United Way service. Let’s get at least one in three contributing to the United Way and/or Iowa Shares!

The Center for Worker Justice of Eastern Iowa Annual Gala Fundraiser is scheduled to take place on October 14th at 6:00 pm and will be hosted at the Unitarian Universalist Church, located at 2355 Oakdale Rd, Coralville. Tickets for the gala are now available for purchase on our website. Please visit us on https://cwjiowa.org/

Johnson County got some pretty cool news awhile ago that bears repeating – we were named a HeartSafe Community! We were just the 4^th community in the US to earn this designation!

What does that mean? The HeartSafe Community designation is a set of criteria and guidelines designed to improve outcomes to sudden cardiac arrest emergencies through a specific set of training, preparation and response protocols and includes:

Creating a community plan for the collection and analysis of cardiac arrest data;

PulsePoint – AED registry, public awareness and encouragement of bystander intervention;

This is a very cool award! More importantly, it means you are safer here than almost anywhere else should you experience some type of cardiac distress.

The credit for this goes two places: the Kerber Rotary HeartSafe initiative, and Johnson County Ambulance Service Director Fiona Johnson. Big kudos to both for achieving this prestigious status.

Throughout every campaign, various groups of well-intentioned individuals hold candidate forums. At the same time, a few of the various media outlets do a variety of things to inform the public. Yet I find very little of this to be helpful to voters.

I think every forum - whether it is for President of the US or Township Trustee – and every “voter guide” - would be better if they just stuck to the following questions:

In all honesty, I think that set of questions would shed more light than any I have ever heard asked. The opportunity to ask candidates questions is critical – we must not squander the opportunity!

I serve on a number of Boards and Commissions that include people from other counties. I am always amazed when they mention that they are afraid Linn and Johnson Counties will “dominate” said group. For the life of me, I do not see where this comes from.

Where does the idea come from that rural Iowa is ignored? I just reviewed the most recent Census data. Iowa has about 3,150,000 residents. 54% of Iowans (1,700,000) live in just ten counties. So one might expect Iowa to be a place where rural and urban interests both matter. Nothing could be further from the truth.

On pretty much all these Boards and Commissions, we operate under a system of one county, one vote. So let’s just say, hypothetically, you have a region that represents Linn, Johnson, Cedar, Louisa, Washington, Keokuk, Iowa, Benton, Buchanan, Delaware, and Jones Counties. You have Linn and Johnson and all the counties surrounding them. If all those counties vote together, they outvote Linn and Johnson 9-2. Yet Linn and Johnson Counties combined have around 390,000 total residents. The other 9 counties have about 150,000 residents – far less than half of the two most populous.

Versions of this exist in every regional initiative of which we are a part. And honestly, it works OK. But not because the system is good. It works because for the most part, County Supervisors regardless of county have been fair-minded, decent people who want to make things work for everyone. If that ever changes, it could get ugly.

The ten counties that house over half the population have pretty much zero political power. Farm Bureau sets the agenda in Des Moines. The Governor and her staff will take calls from rural counties; no such luck for the rest of us.

The Iowa Legislature is constantly spinning out new rules for local governments that ONLY apply to the ten most populous counties. Why? Because Iowa has government of, by, and for rural people. Urban dwellers can expect to be targeted, burdened, and punished.

So this idea that somehow the more populous county is going to “dominate” the group you are in? I think we may need to question this assertion.

I always find it interesting when I have formed an opinion of someone, then hear something different from a trusted source.

For example, it is not unusual for me to decide that I really like someone, only to have a friend later inform me that they believe said person is dishonest, rude, etc. This always gives me pause.

On the other hand, I’ll sometimes form a negative opinion of someone only to find out later that we have dozens of mutual friends. Again, this always gives me pause.

This just goes to show that we are all complex, multi-faceted people. I am trying really hard to recognize that we all have both good and bad characteristics.

*DID YOU KNOW? 68 of Iowa’s 99 counties lost population per the 2020 census. None of the ten most populous counties lost population.

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.

If you do NOT want the weekly E-mail, simply reply to this message, and type "unsubscribe" in the subject line.

If you know anyone else who might be interested, just forward this message. They can E-mail me at rodsullivan29@gmail.com with "subscribe" in the subject line.

As always, feel free to contact me at 354-7199 or rodsullivan29@gmail.com. I look forward to serving you!

September 13, 2023

Shams immigrated from Egypt to Iowa City in 1966 with her husband, Dr. Mohamed Ghoneim. She had an incredible commitment to Human Rights, and truly lived her life in service to others.

Shams served as the President of the ACLU of Iowa, the first Arab and Muslim to do so. Shams was a Human Rights Commissioner for Iowa City, sat on the advisory board for the University of Iowa Center for Human Rights, was a member of the editorial board of the Iowa City Press-Citizen and named chair and co-chair of the University of Iowa Council on Disability Awareness (CDA). She was the president of the Iowa City Consultation of Religious Communities (CRC), the coordinator of the Muslim Public Affairs Council of Iowa (MPAC), director of the executive board of the Iowa City Mosque and a support group member for the Mother Mosque of America in Cedar Rapids. Shams also volunteered at the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital where she served as chair of the volunteers.

I always found Shams to be incredibly kind and full of grace. What a life! A true loss for our community! RIP, Shams.

I was sad to hear about the passing of Deb Conger of Iowa City. Deb was a huge part of a county government shakeup in the 1990s. In 1997, longtime Recorder John O’Neill stepped down after 32 years in office. There was a petition filed to hold an election, and there were two Democratic Party candidates: incumbent Supervisor Steve Lacina, and a pretty much unknown local woman named Deb Conger. Conger fought the political machine of the day, and won!

Johnson County was growing and changing at this time. Lacina was quite conservative for a Democrat. The Democratic Party was changing, and beginning to flex against the conservative, male, rural, Catholic domination of local government. (I know this story quite well; I was elected Chair of the Democratic Party just a few months later.)

So the Democratic Party shocked many people when the nominating convention chose Deb Conger over Steve Lacina. Lacina was not done; he registered as “No Party” and ran against Conger in the election. (The GOP did not field a candidate.)

In an incredibly close race, Conger won by 17 votes – 4057 to 4040. Conger did not remain in office; remember, the election was to fill an unexpired term. In the 1998 election, current Johnson County Recorder Kim Painter defeated Lacina 53-47 in the Democratic Primary in 1998, setting the stage for her to become Iowa’s first out LGBTQ+ elected official.

Deb was a big part of the shift in the local political landscape. Beyond that, I simply liked her. My thoughts go out to all who cared about her. RIP, Deb.

A bit of wild trivia: From 1933 to 2023, Johnson County has only had 4 Recorders. And one of them (Deb Conger) served less than 2 years!

The City of Iowa City is considering a few changes to the Zoning Code that would essentially allow landlords/developers to create greater density in several areas… in exchange for nothing. This is a mistake.

It is important to note that the current Council – more than any that preceded it – is aware of our affordable housing crisis and is working to address it. That makes me very proud!

Unfortunately, the proposal they got from staff is nothing more than a windfall for landlords. And it pisses me off that it is being sold to P&Z, the City Council, and the public as increasing affordable housing. Staff is being played. Here is why:

You can get affordable housing one of two ways. You can require it, or you can incentivize it. Nothing else works. So these Zoning changes, standing alone, are just gifts to developers. The code needs to *REQUIRE* affordable housing *IN EXCHANGE* for these benefits. If we do not require it, we will not get it.

This is not a difficult fix. Just add affordability requirements to the proposed changes. If landlords/developers want to avail themselves of it, they need to guarantee something in exchange.

You rarely get something for nothing. The free market created this problem, and they will not fix it voluntarily. They never have. Government intervention is required to create affordable housing. The government must either incentivize it or require it. Iowa City is making a big mistake if they fail to require it as a part of these changes.

Since we are on the subject, I wanted to give a quick update on the exploits of the Housing Trust Fund of Johnson County (HTFJC), which funds affordable housing projects in our county. I have served on the Board of Directors of this organization for several years.

I found this 5-year total amazing: over the past 5 years, the HTFJC has leveraged $65 million dollars, and assisted 550 households in meeting their affordable housing needs. Pretty cool, I’d say!

The downside? 550 units in 5 years is not nearly enough. We need do about 7-8 TIMES that over the next 5 years to get close to where we need to be. We have a growing deficit, and even these outstanding efforts are not enough.

Affordable Housing is broken down into three categories based upon Area Median Income (AMI): below 30% or, extremely low; 30-50%, or very low; and 50-80%, low. Each of those groups should only be paying 30% of their income for housing.

The AMI in Johnson County is about $67,111. So 30% of that ($20,133) qualifies as extremely low income. That person should pay no more than 30% of that number in rent – so just a bit over $6000. That works out to $500/month. The median rent for one bedroom in Johnson County is $803/month. So you can see the problem.

Interested in helping? Contact Ellen McCabe at 319-358-0212 if you want to get involved.

In the past few weeks, schools across Iowa have been letting students out early because of the oppressive heat. But not in the ICCSD, where every school building is air conditioned!

This is a result of the ICCSD Facilities Master Plan and corresponding School Bond, two committees upon which I proudly served. We discussed air conditioning thoroughly at that time, and noted how much it could do to improve student achievement. I think we have been proven correct.

As the last half of the Bond is implemented, I hope the ICCSD will continue to focus on climate change. Climate change is real, and it’s here. I’m glad we invested in building improvements when we did, not only because of climate change, but because it was probably 50% cheaper when we did it!

I think there are opportunities to do more in terms of solar energy, and there are still some spots in some buildings that need to be sealed up better than they are. But the ICCSD is off to a great start!

I’d like to encourage you to visit my friend Paul Rasch at Wilson’s Orchard. Paul is a great guy doing great things with a great place!

Located just a few miles north of Iowa City, just off Highway 1, Wilson’s Orchard has been around a long time. If you have never been there, go! There are 120 types of apples, but much, much more. It really is a local treasure, and people of all ages should visit! It is particularly a “must-do” for the kids and grandkids!

The Johnson County Democratic Party is holding our annual Fall BBQ on Sunday, October 8 at 5pm at the Johnson County Fairgrounds. This is an important fundraiser – please join us!

*DID YOU KNOW? In the classic Earth, Wind, and Fire song “September,” the lyrics “bah de ah” have no meaning. Alle Willis, who wrote the song, wanted to replace them, but lead singer Maurice White refused, saying, “They feel too good.”

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.

If you do NOT want the weekly E-mail, simply reply to this message, and type "unsubscribe" in the subject line.

If you know anyone else who might be interested, just forward this message. They can E-mail me at rodsullivan29@gmail.com with "subscribe" in the subject line.

As always, feel free to contact me at 354-7199 or rodsullivan29@gmail.com. I look forward to serving you!

September 6, 2023

Correction: Salvos got the date wrong last week. It has been corrected, and should be correct here.

Happy New Year to all my Jewish friends! Friday evening the 15th marks Rosh Hashanah, the beginning of year 5784 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!

It is nice to see that Interstates 80 and 380 are finally finished! It has been a very long and expensive project, but in this case, I think the Iowa DOT spent the federal money well.

The exits/entrances to 80 and 380 were riddled with accidents over the past couple of decades. The traffic had outstripped the design of the intersections, and the results were far too many deaths and injuries. That is exactly the type of situation in which government should act, and I’m glad they did.

By the way… Cyclist! Great news! You can now ride underneath the Interstates! A nice trail has been constructed that connects the Coralville Rec fields to the Tiffin Rec fields! Opportunities abound, so check it out!

Johnson County has recently finished up some important local road projects; I’ll give you a quick rundown on a few of them.

F44 (Herbert Hoover Highway NE in Johnson County and Main Street in West Branch) at its intersection with Johnson Cedar Road is now open to traffic. This includes wider shoulders and a roundabout at the entrance to the City of West Branch.

Amana Road between Highway 965 and Iowa County is now open. This road has been reconstructed and raised to avoid future flooding.

James Avenue SW over a branch of Picayune Creek is now open. (This is in far south-central Johnson County.) The bridge has been replaced.

Utah Avenue SE over Buck Creek is now open. (This is in far southeast Johnson County.) The bridge has been replaced.

As always, if you have any questions about any road closures or road projects, please call Johnson County Secondary Roads at 319-356-6046.

You sometimes hear people say, “I don’t care what people think.” This is often met with a supportive nod; we tend to celebrate people who “buck the system” and “think outside the box.” Some norms do indeed need to be challenged.

But oftentimes not caring what people think is a huge problem. Sometimes norms are there for good reason. Let’s discuss a few examples.

A person who says, “I don’t care what people think,” then wears a wild outfit to the grocery store? That is probably a healthy attitude. A person who says, “I don’t care what people think,” and exposes himself in a grocery store? Unhealthy. Similar issue, just a different point on the scale.

A person who says, “I don’t care what people think,” then smokes some weed while at a friend’s house? That is probably OK. A person who says, “I don’t care what people think,” and smokes weed in the doorway of the elementary school? Unhealthy. Again, similar issue, just a different point on the scale.

A person who says, “I don’t care what people think,” then tells the boss that she is tired of him playing favorites? Maybe risky, but maybe a good thing. A person who says, “I don’t care what people think,” and tells a coworker that the coworker is overweight? Unhealthy. Once again, similar issue, just a different point on the scale.

Unfortunately, the fact that Donald Trump has destroyed so many norms means that people are destroying them all over the world. Again, sometimes this is healthy, like when Trump points out that all the other candidates are beholden to special interests. But oftentimes it is unhealthy – like Trump refusing to admit he lost and cheering on a coup.

Norms aren’t all good, and aren’t all bad. There is nothing wrong with having the stance that you “don’t care what people think.” But have you considered that perhaps you should?

There are sometimes downsides to having served longer than everyone else. I often find myself in a “wet blanket” role. A newer Supervisor comes up with an idea. A couple of heads nod. Then I say, “We spent quite a bit of time and money looking into that in 2015.”

Obviously, 2015 was a while ago. Circumstances can change. It never hurts to look into something again. But oftentimes, I feel like I am the person squashing others’ ideas.

I mean, saying something makes sense. People need to know if something was tried or investigated previously, and what the results were. If we do not heed the past, we are wasting a lot of time and money. I just wish it wasn’t always my job to be the bearer of bad news.

I have been on a kick lately, and I imagine you will hear me say this again: I am a big believer in the concept of “yes, and.” What do I mean by that? We have a tendency to attempt to figure out complicated situations by finding a single, specific cause of said situation. This typically results in arguments. I think the cause is A. You think the cause is B. So we argue. In reality, both A and B can be correct.

Complex situations almost always have multiple causes. There are several correct reasons why. But we have a tendency to dismiss the other person’s opinion rather than saying, “Yes, and…”

Let me give you a classic example. The Iowa Football team had a lousy offense last year. It was the talk of the town. I view myself as a relatively knowledgeable fan. So I was always amazed to hear people argue, “It’s the quarterback’s fault!” “No, it’s the Coach’s fault!”

Reality? Yes, quarterback play was a problem. And coaching was a problem. And the offensive line was a problem. And to a lesser extent, the receivers were a problem. That is a lot of “yes, and!” It demonstrates why the offense was pretty bad!

Here is another famous example: Why did Hilary Clinton lose the 2016 Presidential election? Misogyny. Her husband’s record. She was not likeable. She ran a poor campaign. She ignored battleground states. Unfair media coverage. Russian interference. James Comey. Jill Stein.

I just listed 9 completely different reasons for Clinton losing to Trump. There are undoubtedly even more than that. You may think one was bigger than the others, and that is your prerogative. Bottom line? Each of these reasons is true, to some extent. They added up to an election loss. Any one of these deserves a “yes, and.”

A final example: Lots of folks wish they could drop a few pounds. Why have they added some weight? A slowing metabolism. Eating the wrong foods. Eating when you aren’t hungry. Overeating. Failure to get enough exercise. Drinking too much alcohol. Genetics. Every one of these might be true. Odds are, more than one is true.

Since we deal with many complex issues at Johnson County, I am trying very hard to emphasize this idea of “yes, and.” We need to make certain that we recognize there are no silver bullets. We need to be thorough when we diagnose a problem, and understand that no single solution will solve it. We may need to take multiple steps.

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.

If you do NOT want the weekly E-mail, simply reply to this message, and type "unsubscribe" in the subject line.

If you know anyone else who might be interested, just forward this message. They can E-mail me at rodsullivan29@gmail.com with "subscribe" in the subject line.

As always, feel free to contact me at 354-7199 or rodsullivan29@gmail.com. I look forward to serving you!

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