SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
January 17, 2024
Sullivan’s Salvos 1/18/24
In this edition:
*Snow!
*A Plea…
*Running for Reelection
*More on Running
*Why Proclamations?
*Did You Know?
*Snow!
The snow has been the story for the last couple of weeks in Johnson County, with accumulations not seen in a decade. With that in mind, I want to give a shout out to the many County employees who work to keep us safe during bad weather.
I want to start with the offices and departments that DO NOT CLOSE! That’s right – much of County Government operates 24/7/365. The Sheriff’s Office, Ambulance Service, Medical Examiner’s Department, and Joint Emergency Communications Center (JECC) all operate on this daunting schedule. They are there when you need them – whenever you need them! Thanks to the folks who literally keep us safe all the time!
Next a shout out to Secondary Roads, the folks who plow the snow. I was on a call one afternoon, and our Roads Maintenance Superintendent was preparing to get his crew home. It was about 4pm, and they had been working for 12 hours. EMA noted concerns about people coming home from work. Without blinking, the Roads Maintenance Superintendent made the call, and kept the crew working until 6:30pm. Then they went back to work the next morning at 4am! Amazing! Thank you, Roads Department!
I was impressed by the job our Facilities Department did moving snow on the County campus. If you came to a county building to do business, you parked, walked in, walked out, and drove away with no problems. That is because Facilities was out there busting their butts starting at 5am! Thank you, Facilities!
Thanks to our Emergency Management professionals, who really run the show during emergencies. The thousands of hours they spend in preparation for these events allow us to get through them in a calm, thoughtful, and orderly fashion. We would have a mess without their leadership. Thanks EMA!
Thanks to the Communications team, who stood ready at all hours to take the info from our emergency responders and communicate it with the public.
Finally, a big shout out to you! To every Johnson County resident who shoveled a neighbor’s walk, helped to push a car out, drove a friend to work, covered for a coworker, or simply followed the advice to stay home. We cannot get through events like this without a community that supports each other. Thank you all!
*A Plea…
The biggest takeaway from the recent storms? PLEASE listen when public officials ask you to stay home. Emergency services had HUNDREDS of rescues on 1/12 and 1/13. HUNDREDS. Many of these were folks getting to and leaving Carver Hawkeye Arena.
These rescues are for the people in jeopardy. But they also put public servants at risk, and that is not fair. You just have to be smart! When public service agencies advise you to stay home, they mean it! Please take these warnings seriously!
*Running for Reelection
I recently decided to seek another term as County Supervisor. Here is the announcement I sent out:
Johnson County Supervisor Rod Sullivan announced today that he will seek reelection.
Sullivan pointed to several accomplishments during his time in office. Since Sullivan joined the Board, he has led Johnson County in:
· Raising the minimum wage
· Increasing funding for affordable housing
· Creating the GuideLink Center
· Passing the Conservation Bond Initiative
· Passing the Human Rights Ordinance
· Creating the Free Tax Help Project
· Instituting the Buy Here Initiative
· Adding rural warning sirens
· Creating the Livable Community for Successful Aging Policy Board
· Creating the Local Foods Policy Council
· Adopting the Community ID
· Leading the transition to regional mental health care.
He saved the Sutliff Bridge, Preserved the Historic Poor Farm, and initiated the renaming of Johnson County after Lulu Merle Johnson.
Sullivan grew up on a Heritage farm just east of Sutliff. He lives in Iowa City with his wife, Melissa Fath, who does cancer research at the UI. They have 3 adult children, one granddaughter, and have served as Foster Parents for an additional 50+ children.
Sullivan has been involved with numerous organizations, including AFT Local 716; Iowa City Federation of Labor; Affordable Homes Coalition; St. Andrew Presbyterian Church; and Center for Worker Justice.
“It has been a pleasure and a privilege serving as a Johnson County Supervisor,” Sullivan said. “We have accomplished some very good things, but we can do much more. I want to continue to push Johnson County to be the best it can be.”
Sullivan says his goals for Johnson County include addressing affordable housing, our mental health crisis, and climate change.
Sullivan can be contacted at 319-354-7199 or rodsullivan29@gmail.com. He has a website at: rodsullivanforsupervisor.com.
*More on Running
Running for office can be daunting for both candidates and the public. Keeping that in mind, I promise to keep Salvos focused on things other than my campaign.
That said, campaigns cost money to operate. If you are interested, you can visit my website at rodsullivanforsupervisor.com and donate online, or you can send a check to: Sullivan for Supervisor, 514 N. Linn Street, Iowa City, Iowa 52245. I appreciate your support!
*Why Proclamations?
As many of you know, the Board has had some fireworks over the past 6 months. Each time, the fireworks came following the reading of a proclamation.
What is a proclamation? A proclamation is simply a statement. It has no power of law. It does not force anyone to do anything. Given that, you might reasonably ask, “Then why do them?” That is a common sentiment, and it held sway in local politics for several decades. I can picture former Iowa City Mayor Ernie Lehman with an exasperated look on his face, arguing that the “City Council can’t control that, so why waste any time on it?”
I understand where Ernie was coming from. I just disagree. I think proclamations serve a very important purpose in local government. Allow me to give a few recent examples:
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds and the Iowa Legislature have gutted collective bargaining and other labor laws. Iowa workers are under attack from their own state government! President Biden and the US Senate are allies, but the Republicans in the US House prevent all pro-worker legislation. So every year just before Labor Day, Johnson County does a proclamation in support of Labor and Labor Day. It is well-attended, and I believe it is much appreciated by working people. The proclamation cannot do much, but it says, “We see you and we hear you!” That is all we can do, but it means something.
The Board also did a proclamation in support of trans folks and their families. Again, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds and the Iowa Legislature have passed several bills targeting trans folks. Trans Iowans are under attack from their own state government! So Johnson County passed a proclamation, and perhaps 25-30 local trans folks and their family members attended. It was very moving. I believe it was much appreciated by the trans community. The proclamation cannot do much, but it says, “We see you and we hear you!” That is all we can do, but it means something.
This is why I believe proclamations are important, and why I will always fight to continue the tradition. Yes, there can be pitfalls. Often groups want us to make specific statements that we are unwilling to make. Often topics are controversial. Sometimes speakers say incendiary things. Heck, sometimes Board Members say incendiary things.
And the proclamations are not getting easier. We were recently asked to do a proclamation expressing outrage over the actions of the Israeli government in Palestine. There HAVE been outrageous actions of the Israeli government in Palestine; we just need to be careful to remember that there have also been outrageous actions by the Palestinian government. Crafting a resolution that says everything just right will be impossible; either someone will be offended, or others will say it does not go far enough. We know going into this we cannot win.
Because of the controversies, some County staff have suggested ending proclamations. I can understand the sentiment. I dislike the ugly moments, too. But in my opinion, any negatives have always been outweighed by the positives that come with proclamations. So I am going to continue advocating for Johnson County to use proclamations to support our residents.
What are your thoughts?
*DID YOU KNOW? Big swaths of Johnson County were blanketed by 2+ feet of snow last week. That amounts to the largest snow event in 11 years!
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.
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As always, feel free to contact me at 354-7199 or rodsullivan29@gmail.com. I look forward to serving you!
---Rod
posted by Rod Sullivan @ 6:48 AM
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