SULLIVAN'S SALVOS

February 18, 2025

Sullivan’s Salvos 2/20/25

In this edition:

*Things You Can Do

*Free Tax Help!

*DVIP & RVAP Souper Bowl

*Big Brothers Big Sisters

*Good Samaritan

*I Fell For It Again!

*Did You Know?

*Things You Can Do

Most of the people I know are stressed. They often feel scared, frustrated, and helpless. It is not good!

So what can we do about it? Here is a list! This is derived from several sources, including my own opinions, and covers local, state, and federal levels.

1. Take care of yourself. Get enough rest, don’t overdo the mind-altering substances, and see a professional if need be. It is like the old airplane analogy – in order to help others, put on your own air mask first.

2. Take care of others. Take produce or cookies to a neighbor. Babysit, dog walk, show them how to use the computer, or shovel snow. Help your neighbors get by, and build community at the same time!

3. Show some grace. Everyone is angry. Be extra kind to baristas, wait staff, convenience store clerks, civil servants, and the rest. Show them kindness, and they will pass it on.

4. Get together with friends and family. Gathering is important. Get face-to-face with people you care about, and people who care about you.

5. Volunteer at a local non-profit. These places do important work right here in our community. Most can find work that will fit your skills, interests, abilities, and schedule.

6. Donate to these same organizations. They need it now more than ever. Even $10-$20 helps, especially if you can convince others to do the same!

7. Boycott companies that are deeply in bed with Kim Reynolds and/or Donald Trump. I get it – there are a lot of them. I’m not suggesting you starve yourself or make yourself miserable. But try not to reward the bad actors. (Unsure of the players? Info is available online.)

8. Help organized labor. Join a union if you can! If that is not an option, join a picket line or action. Ask local labor leaders how you can be of help to the cause.

9. Get involved in partisan politics. Reynolds and Trump created this mess. The only way out, frankly, is to beat them. Get involved in the local Democratic Party, and find out what you can do to help! I know they need your time, talent, and treasure!

10. Show up for community actions, protests, and events. Your presence demonstrates support for the issue, and makes it easier for others to join the opposition.

11. Keep abreast of the news – especially local news – but do not go down the route of doomscrolling. You need to know what is going on. But you need not fight about it online. Strike a balance.

That is my list. Do you have similar thoughts? If so, please feel free to share them!

*Free Tax Help!

Tax season just got easier for qualifying households in Johnson County. The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program provides free tax preparation services for low-to-moderate income residents, thanks to trained volunteers from the Johnson County Social Services Department. These services will be available until April 9, 2025.

The VITA program offers two convenient options for tax preparation assistance. Taxpayers with an income of $67,000 or less in 2024 can have their returns completed and filed by an IRS-certified tax preparer at no cost. Appointments are required and can be scheduled at www.johnsoncountyiowa.gov/vita. Additionally, taxpayers making under $84,000 in 2024 can access free resources to file their taxes on their own.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) estimates that 20% of American workers do not claim the refundable tax credits for which they are eligible, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). EITC is a special benefit for working people with an annual household income of less than $67,000. Workers who qualify for the EITC and file a federal tax return may be eligible for a portion or all the federal income tax taken out of their pay during the year. They may also receive additional cash back from the IRS, including workers whose earnings were too small to owe income tax, through the EITC.

Trained volunteer tax preparers help ensure that eligible taxpayers claim the EITC and any other qualifying tax credits, maximizing potential refunds.

Electronic filing is provided so that taxpayers can receive their tax refunds quickly. Taxpayers using VITA volunteers, or the free filing software to file taxes, are not charged for tax preparation or for receiving their refunds.

For more information on these services, visit www.johnsoncountyiowa.gov/vita.

*DVIP & RVAP Souper Bowl

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.

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/

*Good Samaritan

Vice President JD Vance obviously does not understand the parable of the Good Samaritan. Pope Francis said so himself!

Vance recently made a case for taking care of your immediate family first, then working outward in concentric circles as you feel able. This is in direct opposition to the Good Samaritan. Understand – the Samaritans were the enemies of the Jews! They were hated enemies! By saving a Jew, the Good Samaritan helped the *least likely* person he could have helped.

When Jesus is asked, “And who is my neighbor?” he replies with the parable of the Good Samaritan. The *whole point* is that “your neighbor” is the person in need, regardless of who they are.

JD Vance does not get it. Or does not want to. But let’s not allow him to rewrite the Bible.

*I Fell For It Again!

I am such a romantic fool. I fell for it once again…

After the storm last week, I Googled, “How much snow did we get?” Up popped an article. From the Press Citizen. My heart raced a bit! Might the “local” (hah!) newspaper have written such an article?

I looked over both shoulders, and clicked. It was an article – in the Press Citizen – with the headline “How much snow did we get?” I hurriedly clicked again.

And there was an article. With snowfall totals for Des Moines. Like Charlie Brown and Lucy, I trusted yet again. Rest assured – this was the last time I ever click on the Press Citizen! (I want to love them. But they continue to make me hate them.)

*DID YOU KNOW? A couple strange but true Iowa laws: It is illegal for a man with a mustache to kiss a woman in public. It is also law that a one-armed piano player must perform for free. (Source: ISU Extension.)

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

February 11, 2025

Johnson County lost an-honest-to-goodness hero with the passing of 99-year-old Dean Moel of Sutliff.

81 years ago, Moel was the cook – and a trainer on a twin 40 mm anti-aircraft gun – on the only U.S. aircraft carrier sunk by enemy fire during World War II: The USS Gambier Bay.

As the ship was sinking, part of it went underwater. Moel rushed a bunch of fellow sailors to the other end of the boat, which was soon standing almost straight up.

After jumping over 60 feet into the ocean from the sinking ship, Moel survived 45 hours of floating in the shark-infested waters of the Pacific Ocean. (The rest of the ships in the battle were forced to flee, leaving Moel and his fellow sailors on their own.)

Hundreds of men died. Some were shot, some drowned, and some were eaten by sharks. A man Moel tried to save got delirious from swallowing too much saltwater. He though he saw Japanese soldiers in the water, so he swam further out to sea and died. Moel lost the flesh on his neck from the rubbing of his life jacket.

There were 100 more ships in the water in the Leyte Gulf, and 115,000 sailors who could have died if the Gambier Bay had not helped repel the Japanese attack. Moel and his shipmates were awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for their brave efforts. Moel received numerous additional medals for his heroism.

I knew Dean my whole life. I probably didn’t hear anything about this until 20 years ago. To Dean, it was just something that happened. I remember Dean’s grandson saying that he once asked his grandpa how he managed to stay afloat for 45 hours. Dean’s response? “What else was I gonna do?”

How about some more heroism while we are at it? Johnson County SEATS driver Bruce Wilson deserves our thanks for this one.

A dependent adult had been called in as missing at 6:30 am on a cold day last week. While driving to pick up a different client, Wilson thought he recognized the missing person on the side of the road. Wilson stopped his bus, approached the man, and convinced him to get on the bus. Wilson then drove the man to safety.

Frankly, SEATS drivers do amazing things every day. This is just one high-profile example. Thank you, Bruce!

And in case some of you were wondering, yes, this is the same Mr. Wilson who was a beloved long-time science teacher at City High. Thank you for that service, too, Bruce!

For some folks out there, Valentine’s Day will result in flowers, a nice meal, or some other show of affection. I also recognize that for many folks, Valentine’s Day is a very difficult day.

Go ahead and dote on a loved one – they deserve it! But please use this day to also check in with someone who needs some company.

That’s right! A sure sign of spring! Pitchers and catchers report on February 13! Opening Day 2024 is only a few weeks away!

I hope some of you will join me in a game of catch this summer!

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 our 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).

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 21^st consecutive year of doing so!

Many folks in Johnson County are worried about the idea of federal ICE agents coming for immigrants in our community. That fear is justified. And it has led to a generally unhelpful dialogue in our local politics.

One the one hand, some politicians and candidates say, “I don’t think there is much we can do.” While this may be largely true, it smacks of throwing in the towel. I think the public needs more reassurance than that. People want and need to know their elected officials care.

One the other hand, some politicians and candidates have literally said, “Bring it on.” This is irresponsible, ignorant, and dangerous. It makes the politician sound brave and strong, but is it actually helping those who will be affected? Or does it put them at greater risk? Frankly, I think this behavior is simply performative virtue signaling. Good for the white savior – not so much for the immigrants they claim to care about.

Look at Winneshiek County. Sheriff Dan Marx, seeking publicity, made a big deal about refusing to cooperate with ICE. Now Governor Reynolds and Attorney General Bird are preparing to take revenge on the people of his county. He could have done a lot of things quietly. But he wanted to show off. And Marx is a Republican. Just wait until a Democrat does the same!

As my friend and former colleague Royceann Porter reminds us, “There is a reason the Underground Railroad was underground!”

There are other ways. And frankly, all attempts to help will be more successful if they are not fought about in public spaces. The following articles are examples of things that have been used elsewhere, (Chicago, in this case) and might actually be workable here. There are other examples out there as well.

I will say, the author spends a considerable amount of time lecturing the readers, and I thought the tone was condescending and self-congratulatory. But there are some tangible examples that might be able to be adopted to our community. To read the article see:

*DID YOU KNOW? In 2022, Tiffin, IA had a population of 4,850 people with a median age of 31.6 and a median household income of $94,011. Between 2021 and 2022 the population of Tiffin, IA grew from 4,482 to 4,845, a 8.1% increase, and its median household income grew from $85,826 to $94,011, a 9.54% increase. Between 2022 and 2023, Tiffin grew to 6,325, an increase of an amazing 23% in a single year! (Source: US Census Bureau.)

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!

February 4, 2025

Remember, Iowa City voters – there is a City Council Primary going on! Please vote on or before February 4! Personally, I am supporting Ross Nusser for Council.

I have had several interesting conversations recently about what is and is not acceptable for a candidate to say and/or post.

As readers know, last week I referenced some posts IC Council candidate Oliver Welein had made in the past. I am happy to say I got an opportunity to sit down with him, and our conversation went well. He and I are going to continue the conversation regardless of what happens in this election.

It is interesting, however, what I am hearing from folks on this matter. Some people who howled indignantly when former Supervisor Royceann Porter made insensitive statements feel Welein deserves a break. “He has done so much good work,” I heard from one person. Interestingly, that same person called for Royceann Porter to step down. Hadn’t Royceann also done much good work?

The hypocrisy cuts both ways. People who supported Royceann are claiming that what Welein said is beyond the pale. And so it goes.

Honestly? I do not know what is right here. But I do know that if you are going to use this line of argument, you should remain consistent regardless of the politics of the candidate in question.

February is Black History Month. I often wish that there was no need for a Black History Month – instead, black history would be a robust part of the history that is already taught in our schools.

The fact is, we all need a reminder of the amazing history of African Americans. I am planning on doing some reading on Little Rock Central and Brown versus the Board of Education. I may try to sneak in a visit to my daughter in Memphis. What will you be doing?

Happy Groundhog Day! Hey, we need to celebrate anything we can, right? By the way – the 1993 movie “Groundhog Day” really is a classic, isn’t it? OK. Enough small talk. I wish you six less weeks of winter!

As many of you know, for the last 3 years I have lived in an old (1904) home at 514 North Linn Street. Our house is a part of the Northside Neighborhood Historical District, meaning there are a lot of cool old homes in the area.

As it turns out, I did not realize until recently that I was living next door to the home of one of Iowa City’s most prominent residents – Moses Bloom.

Bloom was born in France in 1832, and came to Cincinnati in 1849. Bloom came to Iowa City in 1857, where he opened a clothing store that he ran for the next 27 years.

Bloom was elected to the City Council in 1860, and served on President Lincoln’s Inaugural Ball Committee. Bloom was elected Mayor of Iowa City in 1874 and reelected in 1879. This made him the first Jewish Mayor of a moderate-sized city in the whole US. Bloom was elected to the Iowa House, and to the Iowa Senate in 1885. Bloom was famous for his support of the University of Iowa, and finally secured ongoing state funding for its operation.

Bloom bought a lot at 522 North Linn Street (across the alley north from my house) in 1891, but barely lived in the house before his death in 1893. Despite raising funds and securing land for a local Jewish cemetery, Bloom was buried back in Cincinnati. (A street is named for him out in the Peninsula Neighborhood.)

Meanwhile, the house is still there, and is absolutely gorgeous! It is now broken up into a few apartments, and owned by the Egenbergers. I do not really know them, but they seem like very nice people who work had at maintaining the property.

So, I’m going to take a bit more time and learn about the person who would have been my neighbor 132 years ago. He sounds like a great man!

January 6 marks the 4th anniversary of one of the lowest points in US history. The defeated former President riled up a bunch of insurrectionists who then broke into the US Capitol, killing cops along the way. It remains the only coup attempt in American history (unless you include succession.) January 6 is the most shameful day in American history.

Has there been any accountability? Some. Hundreds of people have been charged, and 378 individuals have been convicted thus far. But no one has been sentenced harshly. None of the US Congresspeople nor US Senators who conspired have been charged. And most importantly, Trump himself has thus far avoided all accountability.

Please – do not treat January 6 as yesterday’s news! We still can and must demand accountability! Traitors attempted to overthrow the US government on that day. They killed cops. We must not let this go! Acknowledge what happened this January 6 and every January 6 until the end of time!

Update: And now they are pardoned. In all, more than 1,500 people were fully pardoned. Leaders of the assault who had been convicted of seditious conspiracy had their sentences commuted. Trump also ordered the U.S. Justice Department to dismiss “with prejudice” all pending cases related to Jan. 6. Dismissing the cases with prejudice would prevent them from ever being refiled in the future.

Every single one of them is pardoned. People who killed cops. People who injured cops. People who were already going to prison for domestic violence, assault, drug dealing, threats, and more. People who shat in our Capitol. People who continue to threaten others. All free thanks to Trump.

In his farewell address, President Biden warned about the oligarchs that are seizing control of the US government. I am really glad he did so – I could not agree more!

But do you know what happened next? Google exploded with people googling, “What is an oligarch?” So yeah, we need to continue to improve our messaging.

But the sentiment is 100% correct! We simply *MUST* take on the issue of income inequality! We need to do it locally, at the state level, and nationally. Everything we do should be about making the rich pay!

Congratulations to Johnson County Engineer Greg Parker, who is retiring at the end of January following 20 years of service.

Greg has done an outstanding job for Johnson County – even winning the National County Engineer of the year award two years ago! County Engineers from all over the country are always reaching out to Greg to get his take on things, and he has a reputation of being very creative.

If you talk to county engineers from other counties – and I do – you will know that Johnson County is the envy of every other county when it comes to roads. We have incredibly high maintenance and construction standards. Despite the fact that Iowa ranks very poorly in bridges, Johnson County bridges are in good shape. And we never permanently closed a bridge in Greg’s 20 years! Very few counties can say that!

Ed Bartels will serve as the Interim County Engineer in Greg’s absence, and the hiring process has already begun. Thank you, Greg, for your outstanding service!

*DID YOU KNOW? Groundhog Day falls on the 2^nd of February for a reason. It’s what’s known as a “cross-quarter” day, meaning it falls at the midpoint between one season and another. In the case of February 2^nd, it’s the cross-quarter day that falls between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, making it the ideal time to consider whether or not spring will arrive early.

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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