SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
October 18, 2023
Sullivan’s Salvos 10/24/23
In this edition:
*Elections
*Insurance
*Brennan Needs to Stop
*Neighbors
*Did You Know?
*Elections
Election season is upon us, and voters in the ICCSD face a very serious choice. There are seven candidates for the ICCSD Board, three of whom are “parent’s rights” candidates.
It is critical that these candidates lose and lose badly! This is our opportunity to demonstrate that we care about *ALL* the children in our District, regardless of gender, race, religion, sexual identity, disability, etc. Now is the time to stand up and be heard!
Again, there are 7 candidates in this election, to fill four seats. Incumbents Lisa Williams, Charlie Eastham, and Molly Abraham have done a great job, and they deserve your continued support. Mitch Lingo should get your fourth vote. He has a Ph.D. in Educational Policy and is philosophically aligned with the incumbents.
We are not even going to mention the others. Just remember to vote Williams, Eastham, Abraham, and Lingo! Please join me in preserving the type of education people in the ICCSD have come to expect!
Election Day is November 7, but voting begins October 18! Please get out and vote! Williams, Eastham, Abraham, and Lingo!
*Insurance
I had to call my insurance company recently. Even though Johnson County is self-insured, we are forced to use Wellmark as the plan administrator. I HATE Wellmark. I HATE insurance! This country could and should do so much better!
I spoke to two people whose very jobs were to frustrate me and cause me to give in. Why? Why does our government reward that? What if instead we helped our citizens to get the care they need? Then let the insurance companies simply rot?
There is truly a special place in Hell for those that perpetuate our current system of healthcare insurance. It is evil to the core. Money over lives, every time.
*Brennan Needs to Stop
Do you know the name Scott Brennan? If you don’t, you probably should. Brennan is a Des Moines-based attorney who served as the Chair of the Iowa Democratic Party (IDP) from 2006-2008. Brennan is now a member of the Democratic National Committee representing Iowa. He is also the only Iowan on the DNC Rules Committee.
So obviously, Mr. Brennan has a lot of power. Unfortunately, he has been using that power in a manner contrary to the benefit of Iowa’s Democrats.
You see, Mr. Brennan is stuck on Iowa being “first.” For a glorious 50-year window, the Iowa Caucuses were the first event in the Presidential nominating process. National press poured into the state, and Iowans got up close and personal contact with Presidential candidates.
Understand, I personally benefitted from this more than almost anyone. I have had the opportunity to meet Presidents Carter, Clinton, George W. Bush, Obama, and Biden. I have had meaningful conversations with Jesse Jackson, Tom Harkin, Dick Gephardt, Howard Dean, John Kerry, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, and Barack Obama. It was an incredible opportunity. The Iowa Caucuses served me VERY well.
But the caucuses did not serve everyone well. Caucusing was (and is) a challenge for people with disabilities, people who lack transportation, single parents, people who are claustrophobic, people who cannot physically stand for long periods, and people who work second shift. All of these groups are marginalized by the caucus process.
Caucuses also posed a challenge for anyone who wanted their vote to remain a private matter. Over the years how many wives were pressured into caucusing for someone by a demanding husband? How many employees decided it was easier to follow the lead of the boss? Could everyone actually exercise free will when the vote is not secret?
The Democratic Party stands for free and fair elections, and advocates for making voting more accessible for all. It is simply not possible to claim we stand for these principles, yet support the caucuses.
Now, members of the IDP continue to follow Brennan’s lead, and fight like Hell for Iowa to remain “first.” But what, really, has “first” done for most Iowans? Are our schools better? Do we have less poverty? Do our seniors enjoy better lives? Do people with disabilities have their needs met? Do we have more good jobs with good benefits? Is our standard of living improving? You know the answers to these questions.
The IDP needs to follow the lead of Democrats throughout Iowa, and refocus. Let’s end this Quixotic quest and get back to making Iowa a better place. Let’s listen to voters, and focus on the things they need. Let’s win a few elections, for God’s sake!
Mr. Brennan, your efforts are an unnecessary distraction. Please, for the good of Democrats across Iowa – stop.
*Neighbors
“Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” – Jesus Christ
“Won’t you be my neighbor?” – Fred Rogers
“Good fences make good neighbors.” – Robert Frost
“Can you believe my neighbor had the nerve to knock on my door at 3am? Luckily, I was still up playing the bagpipes.” – Steven Wright
We all know that neighbors can make your life great, miserable, and everything in between. I have been very lucky when it comes to neighbors. I grew up down the road from my grandparents. I bought my first house from my next-door neighbor at the time. The Dalys were our neighbors in our old house for 21 years, and they are wonderful people and great friends. I know not everyone is so lucky.
I have been thinking for a while about this, and I have come to realize that a big part of my job as a County Supervisor revolves around the relationships between neighbors.
When I look back at my time on the Board, many of our fights have been over someone wanting to do something, and the reaction of the neighbors to that something.
Junk yards. GuideLink Center. Hog confinements. Compost facility. Muslim Youth Camp. Gun range. Parks. Fences. Event centers. New roads. Pesticide and herbicide applications. Affordable housing. Dogs. Group homes. Mobile homes. Loud parties. Open burning. Wildlife. Subdivisions. Nuisance properties. Churches. Bright lights. Construction. Cemeteries. Mining. Trails. Pipelines. Fireworks. Concerts. Local food production. Migrant workers. Hunting. The list goes on and on.
Almost everything that has ever happened in Johnson County had some type of impact on neighbors. And then we run into conflicting rights. The owner of a property has certain rights. Neighbors have a right to enjoy their property without interference. Those two sets of rights can and do come into conflict all the time. So how do we balance this?
Sometimes the law is clearly in favor of one party or the other. And largely because of the GOP, sometimes the more egregious the use of the property, the more strongly defended the right. (See hog confinements and carbon pipelines.) But in other situations, the law is vaguer.
When the law is less clear, working with neighbors becomes more individualized. There is no set method. The most obvious is a test of “reasonableness.” Is the property owner being reasonable? Is the neighbor being reasonable? Many times, our job is simply to appeal to their better natures and attempt to negotiate a solution.
This is how we spend our time as Supervisors. Neighbor versus neighbor. How are you going to work it out? I try to be fair, and make the best decision possible. I try to make certain I am not influenced by who is the wealthiest, loudest, or most articulate. Instead, I try to focus on the facts. Sometimes it is easy. Most times, it is not.
It seems funny when you think about it, but a really big part of our jobs is handling disputes between neighbors.
*DID YOU KNOW? Allergies bothering you this time of year? There are two likely causes: First, as furnaces kick on, dust flows through the system. Secondly, Iowa’s harvest season puts a tremendous amount of dust into the air.
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 @ 1:04 PM
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