SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
January 21, 2025
Sullivan’s Salvos 1/23/25
In this edition:
*Iowa City Council Primary
*More on the Press Citizen
*Love of Money = Root of Evil!
*DVIP & RVAP Souper Bowl
*Big Brothers Big Sisters
*Did You Know?
*Iowa City Council Primary
Following the resignation of Iowa City Councilor Andrew Dunn, the District C seat opened up on the Council. The Council voted for an election (I think that was the correct choice) and those seeking the office have submitted their petitions.
Three people have filed, so under Iowa City rules, there will be a Primary Election Tuesday, February 4. The two top vote getters move on to a General Election on Tuesday, March 4. For the February election, only voters in Iowa City’s District C may vote. In the March election, all Iowa City voters may vote. (District C includes Precincts 3,4,5,11,19,20,21,22, and 25. This is the north part of Iowa City, containing pretty much everything from Manville Heights to City High.)
The three candidates are Oliver Weilein, Shari DeGraw, and Ross Nusser.
Weilein works at Systems Unlimited, plays in a couple punk bands, and really centers affordable housing as part of his platform. I do not know Weilein, though I will try to reach out. I imagine we share a lot of similar thoughts when it comes to affordable housing.
I have some serious concerns, however. Weilein is a self-described anarchist – it is even reflected in his choice of logos. I simply do not think Iowa City needs an anarchist on council right now. (Which begs the question – why does an anarchist want to be part of government?)
In addition, Weilein has a long history of glorifying firearms, including assault rifles; a history of glorifying domestic terrorism; and a history of celebrating violence against law enforcement. He celebrated January 6th. He also made racist and misogynistic statements toward Kamala Harris which would absolutely not be tolerated if they were coming from the right. This should not be ignored by voters, and the elected officials who have endorsed Weilein should explain how they justify endorsing someone who holds these opinions. I simply think we can do better.
I met DeGraw when my family moved to District C about three years ago. She is very involved in our neighborhood, and strikes me as a very hard worker. Shari is a strong believer in historical preservation.
I am supporting Nusser. I have known Ross quite a while, and he is a really good human being. He has spent 13 years as a Board Member of Successful Living, which provides services to folks experiencing chronic mental illnesses. He has spent several years as a Board Member of Community and Family Resources, which provides substance abuse services. (You may have known it as MECCA or Prelude.) He is a Board Member of the Housing Fellowship, which provides affordable housing throughout Johnson County. He also volunteers at Friendly Farm in Iowa City. Ross is one of the founders of Urban Acres. Basically, a very good person.
If you live in District C, please vote February 4 or before! If you live anywhere in Iowa City, please vote March 4 or before!
*More on the Press Citizen
One of the best things about Salvos is that I get to hear back from thoughtful readers. Last week I had a reader who expressed her concerns over my suggestion that the Press Citizen “should just die.”
In retrospect, that is pretty harsh language. And without context, it could almost be taken to mean it should die violently. These are good points. So I am adding some context below.
I have come to terms with the idea that over the last few years, the PC *actually* harms our community. You do not learn anything from it. If you assume that having read it, you know what is important in your community, you are wrong. They are basically stealing from subscribers, who get no value. They underemploy young people, leaving them to access public assistance just to get by. Meanwhile, they siphon away community resources with zero reinvestment. The fact that they continue to exist, like the last parasite on a dying host, prevents other startups from trying their hand at providing news here. I really feel that they have tangibly hurt my community, with no remorse. And none of this takes into account the lost opportunities; a generation that does not know what a local paper could or should be.
So yes, I do believe the PC should “die”. But I understand the concern with the word. So perhaps we’ll say, “the PC should just go away.” I only want that so this community can move on to something better. I hope that clarifies things.
*Love of Money = Root of Evil!
I often listen to a radio show/podcast from the New York Times called The Daily. It is 30 minutes every day on some issue that has been in the news. In a recent episode, The Daily talked about the way Big Tech CEOs have lavished Donald Trump with money in an attempt to avoid regulation.
In the show, they talked about a venture capitalist who was sort of the lead person in terms of pushing Silicon Valley toward supporting Trump. The fellow’s name is Mark Andresen, and I found him and his personal philosophies to be quite appalling, despite his attempts to give them a “Regular Joe” sheen.
At one point, Andresen actually asked, “At what point did we decide it was a bad thing to be rich?” Unfortunately, the show’s host did not respond. So let me try:
Confucius talks about the needs of the poor being more important than the needs of the rich back in 500 BCE. Native American thought on the topic can be traced back over 5,000 years; in pretty much every case, poverty is a communal, rather than an individual, issue.
Since he has already demonstrated himself to be a selfish asshole, let’s assume Andresen only cares about a Judeo-Christian history. Fine. Jesus is *VERY* clear about issues of rich and poor. “The last shall be first and the first shall be last”; “Do unto others”; and “A rich man has a better chance of putting a camel through the eye of a needle than getting into Heaven.” Each of these argues for comforting the poor.
If that doesn’t go back far enough for Andresen, in the Old Testament, the concept of caring for the poor is prevalent throughout, with numerous verses instructing people to not exploit the poor, to provide for their needs, and to uphold justice for them; key examples include: Leviticus 19:9-10 (gleaning the fields), Deuteronomy 15:7-11 (helping those in need), Exodus 22:25 (not charging interest to the poor), and Proverbs 31:8-9 (speaking up for the destitute; all highlighting God's concern for the poor and the responsibility of the people to care for them).
So, Mr. Andresen, the answer is – we decided it a *LONG* time ago! Unfortunately, we have been forgetting this lesson. The rich have more money and power in the world (and in the US) than ever in our planet’s history.
On the bright side, I think a lot of people realize this. Now it is up to elected leaders at every level to actually lead on the issue!
*DVIP & RVAP Souper Bowl
DVIP & RVAP is excited to announce the return of their annual Souper Bowl event! Since it began 28 years ago, the Souper Bowl has grown into the DVIP & RVAP’s biggest fundraising event, helping to ensure the organization can continue its mission of advocating and providing support services for survivors of intimate partner violence, sexual violence, human trafficking, stalking, and harassment.
This event was created by current Executive Director, Kristie Fortmann-Doser, to challenge the myth that more violence occurs against women around the NFL Super Bowl. Violence against women, men, and children happens every day in our community, and around the world. 1 in 4 women and 1 in 6 men will be affected by intimate partner abuse in their lifetime.
The Souper Bowl will take place Thursday, February 20th, from 5-7:30 PM at the Highlander Hotel (2525 Highlander Pl, Iowa City).
In honor of the 28th year, the event will feature 28 different soups from participating restaurants, 28 retail, and artist bowl providers, and with support from the community, the organization aims to raise $28,000 to continue providing confidential and free crisis intervention services to over 2,500 individuals per year.
Tickets will go on sale on January 6th, 2025. Ticket options are as follows:
$75: VIP – early access to bowl selection and commemorative gift
$35: General admission
$25: Student, volunteer, or sliding scale (no bowl)
Children 12 and under eat free (no bowl)
$35: Give the gift of soup. Purchase a ticket for staff or client participation.
Through the generous support of the event sponsors, 100% of ticket purchases will go directly to supporting victim-
*Big Brothers Big Sisters
The Sullivan for Supervisor team is once again raising money for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Johnson County by Bowling For Kids’ Sake. It is our 21st year of doing so!
BBBS is REALLY important! Statistics show that having a trusted adult mentor makes an unbelievable difference in the life of a child. Kids with BBBS matches do better academically, are less likely to abuse drugs and alcohol, and are less likely to be involved in the criminal justice system. This simple idea WORKS.
Please contribute to the Sullivan for Supervisor team at:
https://secure.qgiv.com/event/account/1907519/edit/
*DID YOU KNOW? The world’s oldest known land animal (a tortoise named Jonathon) turned 192 on December 4! (Source: Sierra Magazine.)
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 @ 2:58 PM
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