SULLIVAN'S SALVOS

December 27, 2023

Sullivan’s Salvos 12/28/23

In this edition:

*Happy New Year!

*RIP Bob Opplinger

*Did You Know?

*Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to all Salvos readers! I hope you and your loved ones enjoy a wonderful 2024!

*RIP Bob Opplinger

I was saddened to hear of the passing of Dr. Robert Opplinger of Iowa City. Bob was a well-known bicyclist and biking advocate. He was very interested and active in politics, and was really a wonderful man. I will miss him at the IC Farmer’s Market and all the other places our paths crossed. RIP, Bob!

*Salvos Salutes!

2023 is coming to a close, and it is time for honoring a few select Johnson County residents with that most treasured of honors, the Salvos Salute. A few observations:

* This is the eighteenth annual set of awards, and there are always more people who deserve awards than there are awards to give. We live in a great County!

* The focus is on Johnson County. It is certainly worth noting the daily heroism of someone like our firefighters, police, and paramedics. There are also examples that garner international attention. But we have everyday heroes right here in Johnson County that deserve a shout out.

* There are some people out there that could win every year. I am trying to honor different folks, but repeat winners are not out of the question.

* Salvos Salutes do not have specific criteria, but you can bet that in general, most of the winners are courageous, advocate for peace and justice, have good ideas, speak truth to power, avoid hypocrisy, and look out for the less fortunate.

Without further ado, your 2023 Salvos Salutes go to:

Jennifer Banta: The United Way of Johnson County was not in a good place. Fundraising was stagnant, and “partner agencies” did not feel like partners. Luckily, the UW Board selected Jenny Banta to serve as the new Executive Director. I know there is still a lot of work to do. I also know Jenny is going to get it done!

Tasha Lard: This lady does a lot to mentor others in Linn and Johnson Counties. It is remarkable how many people I know who have said they went to Tasha for advice. It is not enough to do well yourself. You need to bring others along. People like Tasha know this, and keep our community going! Thank you, Tasha!

Carrie Watson: Ms. Watson taught almost everyone we put through City High – Rachel, Loshika, BJ, and Marie. In every case, Ms. Watson seemed to know exactly what each kid needed. In every case, she went above and beyond the call of duty. In every case, the kids were better people because they had her as a teacher. The quality of educators my kids enjoyed is truly amazing! And while it might be impossible to choose a single BEST teacher, Carrie Watson is definitely in the mix! Carrie retired last May, and is most deserving of a Salvos Salute!

Barbara Vinograde: The Iowa City Free Medical and Dental Clinic Executive Director Barbara Vinograde stepped down back in June after 31 years with the organization. Barbara Vinograde has given much of her adult life to this noble pursuit. In addition, Barbara is one of the kindest, gentlest, humblest, fairest, most caring people I have ever met. You can look far and wide, and you will not find a better human being. Congratulation, Barbara! You are the best!

Suzan Erem: Stepping down as the Director of the Sustainable Iowa Land Trust (SILT), Susan has left a legacy of great work in the fields (no pun intended) of agriculture and the environment. If you are not familiar with SILT, check them out. And thank you Suzan!

Meghann Foster (second time): The people of Coralville elected their first female Mayor, and they picked a good one! Mayor Foster wins a rare second Salvos Salute for her work making Coralville better in so many ways. From human services to affordability to the environment to public transparency, Coralville is headed in a good direction. Thanks, Mayor Foster!

New unions: Brand new bargaining units won recognition at United Natural Foods and the Englert Theatre. Workers also voted to form a union at the downtown Starbucks, although the corporate bosses refuse to come to the table. Local union activism is growing, and that is a great thing for Johnson County!

Older unions: School bus drivers (Teamsters), city and county AFSCME employees, and several other local unions scored nice wins. In addition, memberships are up, and existing unions are ready, willing, and able to work with groups who seek representation. The union movement is strong in Johnson County!

School Board voters: When given the opportunity, ICCSD voters soundly rejected the conservative candidates and their book banning, anti-gay bullshit. It was about 92-8 in the ICCSD – perhaps more importantly, voters rejected this type of crap all across Iowa!

Mitch Gross: My friend Mitch is stepping down after 16 years on the Coralville Council. He already has one of the most difficult jobs imaginable as the Principal at West High, so I understand the decision. Mitch is a great guy, and Coralville is definitely a better place due to his service. Thanks, Mitch!

IC Council and IC Transit: Free bus service has been a big hit! Great for people and great for the environment! Thanks to the IC Council for their vision! (And yes, I am contractually obligated to mention that Gary Sanders campaigned on this in his 1981 run for Council.)

Ron Schneider: Retiring from SEATS after 34+ years, Ron epitomizes the steady, solid public employees we have here in Johnson County. Ron just does the job and does it well, day in and day out. Thank you for your service!

Dave Gould: The UI has some real gems. None shine brighter than Dave Gould, he of the Life Design class. Gould’s classes delve into the very deepest things that connect us all as humans, then put those findings to work within the community. Want to learn a lot about the world, yourself, and how they fit together? Take a class with Dave Gould. He’s one of the nicest folks you’ll ever meet.

Sarah Nelson: CommUnity Crisis Services is doing great work! You have known about the crisis line (now 988) and food pantry since the early 70s. And both are still going strong. Unfortunately, need may be greater than ever. But are you aware of Mobile Crisis services? Are you aware there is financial help available? Have you heard about the youth crisis stabilization farm? Sarah oversees a large and growing organization that takes a modern, progressive approach to meeting basic needs.

Bob Welsh (second time): We lost Bob late in 2023. He was doing advocacy work up until that time. Please see last week’s Salvos for more on this great man. And you know what would make Bob proud? Seeing his granddaughter Sarah Nelson featured right above him!

Congratulations to all our winners!

*DID YOU KNOW? 257 individuals/groups have received a Salvos Salute since they were started in 2006.

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

December 20, 2023

Merry Christmas to those of you who celebrate it. I hope you all have a safe and happy holiday!

We live in a GREAT county! Why? Because of the great people that live here! Unfortunately, we rarely do enough to acknowledge these wonderful people and the wonderful things they do.

That is why I really look forward to Salvos Salutes. It provides an opportunity to mention just a few of these cool people and the good things they do. I hope you look forward to it as well!

Johnson County lost a true legend recently with the passing of the Reverend Bob Welsh. I had the honor and privilege of calling Bob a friend. I got to know him in the 1990s, and my affection for him grew the longer I knew him.

Bob’s resume is long. I copied the following from the wonderful obituary that his family did, and I added a few additional things.

Bob and his family moved to Iowa City in 1965 to serve as Minister of First Christian Church, where he served until his retirement in 1992.

Beyond his ministry work Bob was a leader of the Ecumenical movement. He served as Chair of the Council of Churches, the Ministerial Association and later the Ecumenical Consultation. He has been a life-long advocate of providing support to help all people within our community thrive. Rev. Welsh served as Chair of Iowa City’s first housing commission and was responsible for writing the original plan for Section 8 housing. That plan led to the ability to build Ecumenical Towers in downtown Iowa City that serves older adults to this day. (Note: it also built Mark IV, now Pheasant Ridge, Autumn Park, and Capital House. Hundreds of units!)

Bob was also a fierce advocate for housing fairness. Back in the 60s, he literally called out local landlords who refused to rent to African Americans and Jews, in some cases, shaming them right out of the rental property business. He always pushed for new units to be accessible.

Bob was the founder of the Volunteer Service Bureau, the Common Fund, and the Ecumenical Housing Corporation. He served on two state work groups that deal with welfare reform and the Governor’s Childcare and Early Education Task Force. Bob was also invited to serve on the White House Conference on Aging.

Bob was very involved in childcare, and worked on several childcare-related committees. He got involved in the child welfare system, and often found car seats, strollers, and other necessary equipment for families involved with DHS.

For over 20 years, he served as a leader of the Johnson County Nutrition Program that provided thousands of congregate and home-delivered meals to seniors. He served as Chair of the Johnson County Task Force on Aging, and chaired the Budget, Program and Planning Committee of the Heritage Area Agency on Aging. He also served as a Chaplain for the Iowa City Fire Department.

Bob and Carol Thompson started the Johnson County Livable Community for Successful Aging, which has really done a great job focusing the services required by Johnson County seniors.

Bob was a strong advocate for persons with disabilities, serving as Secretary of the SEATS Advisory Committee. Bob served for many years on the Johnson County MH/DD Planning Council, which planned services for people with disabilities in the county. Bob ALWAYS pushed the Supervisors to spend more money on these services, often waiting in uncomfortable silence for them to respond to his question – “You just heard about the needs. Why won’t you spend more?”

Throughout Bob’s decades long community advocacy work, he was selected as the recipient of many awards for his service. These include the “Senior of Distinction” in Iowa in 2001, the “Golden Rule Award” for his outstanding volunteer service, the “Heritage Visionary Award” by the Heritage Agency, the AARP “Andrus for Community Service,” the “Betty Grandquist Lifetime Achievement Award in Service to Older Iowans” and the “Advocate of the Year” by the Heritage Agency. He also received the “Isabel Turner Award for Outstanding Contributions to Human Rights” with the City of Iowa City Human Rights Commission. (I was proud to have nominated him for that.)

In 2016, they dedicated the “Bob Welsh Community Room” in his name at the Iowa City Senior Center. In 2019, he was recognized by The Johnson County Board of Supervisors with the “Bob Welsh Appreciation Day” for his decades of service to, and his dedication and love for the Johnson County community. That was a wonderful event – thanks to Sue Dvorsky for the great idea!

I want to tell a few Bob Welsh stories, because there are many. But first, I think it is important for people to understand that Bob was the kindest, most polite, most decent, most humble people anyone had ever met. Truly the model of how a Christian is supposed to behave.

Now, that said… Bob could be an UNBELIEVABLE pain in the butt! He was persistent; so persistent that it easily moved into annoying. Bob simply would not stop until he saw justice done. And if you were an obstacle, he would go over and/or around you.

Bob knew he could be a pain, so he tried to mitigate it. He always asked a lot of Jo Hogarty, who was the longtime secretary to the Board of Supervisors. So one day, Bob came in with a fancy new electric stapler. He gave it to Jo, and said, “I apologize for all the extra work I have caused you over the years.” Jo was SO touched; she repeated that story until she retired.

Another important thing to understand about Bob – he was willing to take some very controversial positions for a pastor. He stood – literally – with the LGBTQ+ community in the 80s while they fought for their rights. He wore his collar, so they knew who he represented. Bob literally said aloud to the LGBTQ+ community that God loved them, and undoubtedly made a number of people feel much better.

And Bob firmly respected a woman’s right to choose. I always chuckled, because Karen Kubby and Bob made such an “Odd Couple,” but they had a real friendship based on peace and justice, and Bob often showed up to demonstrate his support for the Emma Goldman Clinic. Bob really believed the admonition, “Judge not, lest ye be judged.”

A couple more Bob stories: As he aged, Bob had a very labored gait. He practically threw one leg up on a stair, then pulled himself up. One day, an employee in the Recorder’s Office gently offered to Bob that there was an elevator he could use. Bob smiled, and said, “That you, young lady. I may decide to use that when I get older.” Bob was about 90 at the time!

I remember Bob standing up in a packed house at the old Iowa City Public Library, addressing newly-elected Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack. Bob said something like, “I do very well financially. I live a comfortable life. Most of the people in this room do better than I. Why not tax us more, so Iowa can do more for those in need?” The room started clapping, and soon there was a standing ovation. Once the ovation ended, Vilsack looked over to Senator Bob Dvorsky and said something like, “Bob, you told me it was going to be different here. But I never expected higher taxes to get a standing ovation!” It was a great moment.

Bob was a very progressive person, and he supported like-minded candidates. The story of how Bob became a Democrat is a good one!

Bob moved to Iowa City in 1965. He had told the leadership at First Christian Church that his ministry would be very focused on helping those in need, and they agreed. So one of the first things Bob did was go down to the Courthouse and ask to speak to someone about human services. After getting passed to a couple different people, someone told him, “You should probably speak with Supervisor Harold Donnelly.” Bob said, “Fine. Is he available?” “No, he’s down at the bar.” Bob looked quizzically, and the employee said, “Donnelly’s Bar. Harold owns it. 3 blocks north.”

So Bob walked down to Donnelly’s, and asked to speak to Harold. Donnelly greeted him, and said, “Can I get you a drink, Pastor?” Bob said no, he wanted to talk about human services. Donnelly looked at Bob, and said, “Pastor, before we have that type of conversation, I need to know something. Are you a Democrat or a Republican?” Bob answered that he was actually an Independent. Donnelly smiled and said, “Well, you come back when you are registered as a Democrat, and we’ll talk.”

Bob thanked Donnelly, walked the 3 blocks back to the Courthouse, and registered as a Democrat. He took his brand-new voter registration card, and walked the 3 blocks back to the bar. Bob laid his voter registration card on the bar, and said, “I’m a registered Democrat, and I want to talk about human services in this county.”

Donnelly looked at the card, and smiled, and said, “I think you are going to do alright here, Pastor!” Within a year, Bob was chairing most human services-related committees in the county! There is that persistence!

Bob was well-known for hosting candidate forums, first with the church, and later with the AARP. Nothing bothered Bob more than a candidate who refused to attend a forum. Dave Leshtz noted to me that Bob would often try to arrange forums with Congressman Loebsack almost a year in advance. Obviously, staff could not commit to anything so far in the future. But Bob just kept pushing – for months – until he got a commitment.

I remember fondly in 2019 when we held “Bob Welsh Day” in Johnson County. We did a proclamation honoring Bob, and when it became my turn to talk, I said the following:

“I was hungry, and you fed me: I was thirsty, and you gave me drink: I was a stranger, and you took me in: I was naked, and you clothed me: I was sick, and you cared for me: I was in prison, and you visited me.”

“Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when were you hungry, and I fed thee? Or thirsty, and I gave you drink? When did I see thee as stranger, and take you in? Or naked, and clothed thee? When were you sick, or in prison, and I came unto thee?”

“And the King shall answer and say unto them, Inasmuch as ye have done it to the least of my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”

I will miss Bob. I miss him as an advocate, but I also miss him as a friend. He had an amazing impact in Johnson County, in ways big and small. RIP, Bob!

*DID YOU KNOW? Bob Welsh was a huge sports fan, especially basketball. He was particularly proud of the fact that his son Mark once held the City High all-time scoring record. Bob joked that the record lasted only a couple of years before it was broken by Clay Hargrave. “The Hargraves were very good people,” said Bob.

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!

December 13, 2023

Congratulations to my daughter Jordan who just earned her MBA (while working full time).

Jordan lives in Memphis, TN and is in management at a place called Youth Villages. For eastern Iowans, Youth Villages is a lot like Four Oaks, just much larger. I am very proud of you, Honey!

I know that as many of you are driving around with Xmas music filling the airwaves, you are thinking, “Who wants this stuff from Thanksgiving to New Year’s?”

The answer? I do! I LOVE Xmas music! Carols, standards, silly songs – I love almost every one. And yes, I can listen for a whole month! So I am the guy you hate!

When asked about his political philosophy, US Speaker of the House Mike Johnson replied, “Just read the Bible. That is what I believe.”

Bible: It is harder for a camel to get through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to get into Heaven.

The real Mike Johnson philosophy? We must cut the IRS so rich tax cheats can keep getting away with it.

This may sound crazy, but I actually do not believe the US response to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is as difficult as US officials think it is.

The Hamas attack on Israel (which killed many innocent civilians) was an act of terrorism. Hamas is a terrorist organization. We need to assist the Palestinian people to somehow develop different political leadership. This will not be easy. There are generations of trauma that must be overcome.

Though Hamas is a terrorist organization, we should continue to urge Israel to negotiate. There are many hostages on both sides; that situation needs to end. And no conflicts ever end without negotiations. Both sides want US help; as a condition, the US should demand to be at the table.

As for Israel? The Netanyahu government is no better than Hamas. More legitimate, perhaps. But the apartheid regime they have created is one of the most shameful things on earth. And remember - criticism of the Israeli government is NOT antisemitism! We need to assist the Israeli people to also somehow develop different political leadership. Again, this will not be easy. There are generations of trauma that must be overcome.

Any US aid should be conditioned on an extended cease fire. Both sides must stop the violence. We must be able to get humanitarian aid into Gaza. Period. Otherwise, you get no help from us.

It is important to remember that Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people, nor does the Netanyahu government represent the Israeli people. Both peoples should be afforded all the human rights that all people of the world deserve.

The recent attacks against Muslims in the US are horrific, and we need to do more to fight this domestic extremism. And the increase in antisemitic hatred in the US over the past few years has been truly awful. Again, more needs to be done to assure the safety of Jews in the US.

Am I missing something? (I’m sure folks will tell me if I am!) I really think the way forward for the US is obvious. Yes, there are political considerations in the US. You know what? Politics be damned. Let’s do what is right!

I am a bit surprised by the number of people I hear who say something akin to, “Why prolong the process? Just make Beth Goetz Iowa’s Athletic Director on a permanent basis.”

Like these folks, I have been impressed with what I have seen from Goetz. And I have heard very nice things from people associated with the Athletic Department. So we can agree that Goetz is an excellent candidate for the job.

But the process is important here! The University of Iowa (like Johnson County) is an EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) employer. That means they are required to advertise widely and for a minimum amount of time. They are required to review applications, then do interviews. They check references. That is the process. You can’t just hand anyone – no matter how qualified – any job.

Plus, there is a certain irony here; a failure to follow that process in the case of the Iowa Football team led to Goetz’ most high-profile act. Why follow a flawed process with a flawed process?

EEOC processes are very important when it comes to fair hiring for women, people of color, people with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups. All government organizations should follow EEOC best practices every time they hire. Period.

Now, as for hiring an expensive search consultant? Save the money, please! The HR professionals at the UI are plenty capable of handling the hiring process!

I’ve always taken some issue with prescribed generational cutoffs such as “Greatest Generation,” “Gen X,” and “Millennial.” I am not sure it serves us well to lump so many different people together.

Take my mom and I. Born in early January of 1946, Mom is technically the very oldest of the Boomers. But like many women her age, she had children young. So she and I are almost in the same generation! She never felt like a Boomer. She lived way out on the family farm. She loved Elvis, not the Beatles and Dylan. She didn’t have much time to worry about the politics of Viet Nam; she had three young children at home.

Similarly, I never really felt fully a part of Gen X. I was the oldest in my family, and spent a lot of time with adults. I was too old for most of the Gen X touchstones. I never really adopted any Gen X styles or music. I was very interested in Watergate, but too drunk to recall the Challenger crash. I always felt just a bit apart.

That doesn’t mean it cannot be interesting! I have been reading “The Aftermath: The Last Days of the Baby Boom and the Future of Power in America,” by Phillip Bump. It is really quite interesting.

For example, did you know that Donald Trump, George W Bush, and Bill Clinton were all born within 66 days of each other in 1946? (In that order.) There is no other such phenomenon in all of American history. Throw in Barack Obama, who, assuming you subscribe to these generational cut offs, was born at the very end of the Baby Boom, and that generation produced 4 American Presidents, fully twice as many as any other.

I remember distinctly in 1992, when some of my friends (also born in ’46) were celebrating Bill Clinton’s election. They noted that it felt as though they finally had a President who was one of them. Just then, my good friend Carol Spaziani noted that she and her husband had felt the exact same way when JFK was elected in 1960. I made a mental note, and sure enough, I felt the EXACT same way in 2008 about Barack Obama! We were clearly of a different generation than John McCain, and it felt like our time.

The book is heavy on statistics, and certainly covers more than politics. I think just about everyone would find it interesting.

*DID YOU KNOW? Millennials were the largest generation group in the U.S. in 2022, with an estimated population of 72.24 million. Born between 1981 and 1996, Millennials recently surpassed Baby Boomers as the biggest group.

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!

December 6, 2023

I am bummed. I recently lost my cousin, Jeff Caswell, 61, of Kansas City. I had an awful lot of fun with Jeff growing up. It is just very sad. RIP, Cuz.

I was sad to hear of the passing of Kathy Stahmer of Coralville. Kathy had been battling cancer for some time; I’m glad her suffering has ended.

Many people knew Kathy as “Mel’s wife,” a role she was happy to fulfill. But it is worth mentioning that Kathy was a strong union advocate in her own right! As a teacher at Tipton she often served as part of the bargaining team, and advocated for workers at every turn. RIP, Kathy!

Johnson County lost a true legend, and I lost a friend and mentor, with the passing of the Reverend Bob Welsh. I will write much more about Bob in a coming edition of Salvos.

Welsh, a retired minister, was well-known in the community for his work advocating on behalf of others. He has spent decades advocating for older adults, caregivers, children and individuals with disabilities, and has been instrumental in local efforts to end housing discrimination and create more affordable housing. He has served on numerous boards and commissions at both the state and local level, including the Johnson County Task Force on Aging, Johnson County Livable Community, Johnson County Consortium on Aging, Children’s Agenda and Older Iowans Legislature.

“I am not a young man, yet right around the time I was born, Bob began a crusade to improve the lives of Johnson County's neediest residents. Over the decades, thousands of people have lived better lives because of his work. No one has given more to the ‘least among us’ than Bob Welsh.”

Johnson County has partnered with North Liberty, Coralville, and Iowa City to do a study of running busses on the CRANDIC railroad tracks. I am excited about the possibilities here! Let’s start with a little history:

CRANDIC railroad is an acronym for “Cedar Rapids and Iowa City.” CRANDIC was originally known as the “Interurban,” and provided both freight and passenger rail service between the two cities. The service began in 1904, and followed the tracks that exist today.

CRANDIC service was robust, with hourly departures from both cities, beginning at 5am and ending at midnight. 50 or so North Liberty kids took the train to high school in Iowa City each morning. Another train, nicknamed the “Milk Can Special,” carried 300 gallons of milk each day, plus straggling kids who had missed the earlier train.

As cars and highways improved, train ridership flagged. By 1952, only 188,000 people rode, and trips had been reduced to 9 per day. (“Only” 188,000 trips, right?) The last passenger train ran in the summer of 1953.

CRANDIC focused on freight over the next 50 years, purchasing lines that connected them to Hills and Amana. Trains still run between CR and IC, but they have become rare.

Over the past twenty years, many people have called for reusing the CRANDIC tracks. 380 between CR and IC is a disaster. Accidents close it about twice every week. Parking and driving are expensive for the individual, and subsidized heavily at all levels of government. The actual cost of driving is high for both you and our society! If we care about the environment and care about our future, we must travel less miles in gas-powered automobiles.

As I see it, one of the best options is the CRANDIC line. It is laid out perfectly – it goes from UIHC, to the Iowa River Landing, to Oakdale, to the new UI hospital, to North Liberty, to Swisher, to the Eastern Iowa Airport. Unbelievably convenient locations! (Once it gets past the airport and enters Linn County, it goes into Archer Daniels Midland (ADM). So going further north will be a challenge.)

We have discussed train service, but there are some obstacles. First, the tracks need an expensive upgrade. Second, we have no “rolling stock” – in other words, we own no engines or passenger cars. Thirdly, no local entity has experience running a rail service. There are other issues, but you get the idea.

So one of the things being considered is running busses on the rail lines. This has been done in other locations with great success, but every instance looks a bit different. In some cases a rubber mat gets laid across the tracks. Other locations have simply torn out the rails. (They need an upgrade anyway.) A third option is overlaying it with asphalt. And those are just a few of the ways local governments have adopted rails for bus traffic.

When you start talking busses? That is something the University, Iowa City, Coralville, and Johnson County know how to do. We each already own rolling stock. We have maintenance facilities, schedulers, and trained drivers. We can operate such a system.

The Metropolitan Planning Organization of Johnson County (MPOJC) is the local group that oversees intracity transportation in the Iowa City metro area. MPOJC is funded by the member governments, but rather than being a cost, they are a conduit to millions of dollars in federal money. The MPOJC has commissioned a study of putting busses on the CRANDIC line. The study should be completed by June, and I am excited to see what it says!

We already know that the report will come back and say this is expensive. But expenses are relative. The newly completed I-80/I-380 interchange cost us taxpayers about $600 million dollars! You heard me correctly - $600 million! We are also adding lanes to 380 and 965. It is truly time to invest in some other means of transportation.

The timing may be good, too. There is a LOT of federal infrastructure money heading out of Washington to state and local governments. Unprecedented money, actually. (Thank you, President Biden!) If we can put together a good proposal, there is no reason we shouldn’t be able to access some federal funding for this.

This will be an uphill political battle, however. Iowa City and Johnson County seem committed. Is the University on board? No one knows. Coralville is worried about the expense. North Liberty has never fully bought in; they have some new faces on Council. It will take all of these entities contributing -and yes, that includes money - to make this work.

If the project doesn’t happen? In my political career, I have a history of waiting for others. My approach has been similar to the Hippocratic Oath – first do no harm. There aren’t three votes to fix up the Poor Farm? OK, then let’s at least preserve it. There aren’t three votes to build an affordable housing project? OK, then let’s at least not sell the land. I have already pushed this several times when it comes to rail. There aren’t the votes to move forward? OK, let’s maintain the right of way. I promise to continue to push for that at the very least.

I am excited to see the results of the feasibility study for busses on the CRANDIC line. I hope you are, too!

*DID YOU KNOW? To put 188,000 trips per year in perspective, since going to no-fare bus service, Iowa City has averaged about 140,000 trips per month. So Iowa City Transit averages about 4600 trips per day, while the old CRANDIC line averaged 500 trips per day.

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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