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SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
September 29, 2025
Sullivan’s Salvos 10/2/25 In this edition: *Free Speech Event *Africa Fest *ICE Arrest at Bread Garden *Jail Size *Did You Know? *Free Speech Event There will be a Free Speech Rally Wednesday, October 1 at 5:30 pm at the Weatherdance Fountain Stage on the Iowa City Ped Mall. Please come out and listen to local free speech advocates, and learn what you need to know to fight back. Featuring State Senator Zach Wahls, UI Law Professor Andrew Jordan, UI Journalism Professor Brett Johnson, County Supervisor Jon Green, Iowa City Librarian Sam Helmick, and more! Please stop by, and please spread the word! For more info, please contact Rod Sullivan at 319-354-7199 or rodsullivan29@gmail.com. *Africa Fest Saturday, October 4 is the Second Annual Africa Fest in downtown Iowa City on the Ped Mall. Be there! It’s great! *ICE Arrest at Bread Garden By now, most of you have probably seen the horrific images of plainclothes ICE agents tazing and arresting Jorge Gonzalez Ochoa at Bread Garden, his place of employment. The timing, methods – everything – is embarrassing to me as an American. *Jail Size There have been several discussions as to what is the proper size for the new jail that is being proposed. I will share my thoughts in a moment. First, here are the facts – For operational reasons, Johnson County keeps the population of the current facility at about 65 inmates. But that requires paying other counties to house between 15 and 50 inmates each day in their facilities. The average daily population as of this writing is about 89, meaning an average of 24 people are housed elsewhere every day. Our jail experts at Shive Hattery have taken this data, entered it into their programs, and come up with a suggested number of 140 beds. Some folks have claimed that this number is way too large. The Sheriff and others feel the number is about right. To me, this is decided pretty simply. What evidence does each side have to back up their arguments? On the Shive Hattery side, they use software that figures in population growth, crime rates, and several other factors. I understand why a person might be skeptical – of course they want to design a bigger facility – that means they are paid more. But there is also a customer satisfaction piece. A lot of counties have used architects who use this software. There are not a lot of complaints. Basically, Shive Hattery cannot predict the future (no one can), but they do this well enough that counties keep using them. In 6 of the past 13 months, the average daily population was over 92. So when you hear people argue for 92 beds? We would be building a new building that was already too small on the day it opens! That is exactly what Supervisors did in 1980, and we have been paying for it ever since. I keep hearing that we are arresting less people now. That is true, and it is good! It is actually one of the things I am most proud of in my career as a Supervisor. When former Sheriff Lonny Pulkrabek and I started (we were both first elected in 2004) Johnson County jailed about 160 people every night. The average now is about 60% of what it used to be. This, despite the fact that the population of Johnson County was 119,000 in 2004, and sits at 160,000 today! Why the decrease? Lots of reasons. We trained *every* public safety officer in Johnson County in Crisis Intervention Training (CIT). We started Mobile Crisis Response. We essentially decriminalized marijuana. We opened the GuideLink Center. Little-seen efforts include case expediting, specialty courts, and better relationships throughout the various “systems.” Those are just a few of the efforts we have made. We have done a lot, and I am damned proud of it! That said, I see this like a person on a diet. To use exact percentages – we had a person who weighed 320 pounds. They did all the right things for 20 years, and now weigh 188. That is great! It is an unbelievable success! It is rare, and we should be proud! But can we ask them to lose another 50 pounds? Is that possible? Is it even safe? The jail population today is much different that it was 20 years ago. The low hanging fruit has been picked. There are not many people in jail now who could easily be released on their own recognizance. The vast majority of the people there are either a threat to themselves, a threat to others, a risk to flee, or some combination of those factors. European Social Democracies still have jails, and their incarceration rates are not that much lower than the rates in Johnson County. Even with birth to death free healthcare, great schools, free childcare, guaranteed pensions, less income inequality, strict gun laws, and the like, societies have jails. We will NEVER – and I mean NEVER – approach the level of social investments made by these European countries. We’ll never get close. Regardless of how much we invest upstream, downstream, you are still going to need some jail beds. So we can talk all we want about funding alternatives – we already *do* fund alternatives, and we can always put more into social services. But we cannot do enough alternatives to obviate the need for a new jail of at least 116 people. We simply can’t. France, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and every other social democracy in the world has tried. They spend tens of billions. And they still need jails. I understand that there are people who want the jail to be smaller. But why? Based upon what factors? We know we have had 115 inmates more than once. Does the public want to spend the money on a new facility and *still* have to pay to house prisoners out of county? I very much doubt it. So again, upon what data are you basing your number? Did you speak with criminologists? Demographers? Public law and policy experts? Experts of any kind? Where do you get your number? We live in a county full of people who use the scientific method. Was the scientific method used here? You may not like the number Shive Hattery has put forth, but they have evidence to back their number up. Do you? One of the tenets underlying the “build smaller” thinking is the idea that there is too much incarceration in America, and we should not contribute to it. I just so happen to agree with that idea, but I reach a different conclusion when it comes to the proposals we are discussing. I think there are a lot of local examples that also demonstrate why this thinking is wrong. The Free Medical Clinic recently undertook an expansion. In a perfect world, medical care should be a right. There should be no need for Free Medical Clinics, let alone a larger one. But reality intervenes. The experts looked at the situation, and decided we needed a bigger clinic. The North Liberty Community Pantry built a new, larger facility. In a perfect world, everyone would have enough food. But reality intervenes. The experts looked at the situation, and decided we needed a bigger pantry. The County has been through this as well. When we designed our Health and Human Services Building in 2007, we expected the Iowa Department of Human Services (DHS) and the Johnson County Mental Health and Disability Services Department (MHDS) to continue to grow. So we built additional space into the building. As it turned, out, we were wrong. DHS employs almost no one in our building. MHDS was downsized dramatically, and was completely dissolved July 1. But that does not mean the larger building was a bad idea! We had all sorts of uses for that space between the building opening in January 2010 and a few months ago, when the Board of Supervisor’s Office moved up there. Plus, we bought the space at 2010 prices! It just makes sense. You have friends coming over for dinner. Is it better to have a little too much food, or not quite enough? We deal with this all the time in county government. Do we want to have a few too many ballots, or not enough ballots? Do we want to have a little extra salt and sand, or not enough? Do we want to have a little extra money to get through the year, or not enough? The answers are obvious! The same thing applies to jail beds. Do we want to have a few extra, or not enough? I want a few extra! You can argue, “if you build it, they will just fill it.” But there is no evidence to back that up. Look at my earlier examples. Do we put down extra salt and sand just because we have it? No, we carry it forward. Do we spend extra money just because we have it? No, we carry it forward. Additionally, I have been here long enough to know what happens when elected officials kick the can down the road. Taxpayers in the future always pay the price for short-term decisions elected officials make today. We see it with the current jail. They did not allow extra space for future growth. They specifically eliminated bigger footings that would allow a vertical expansion. They hamstrung future Boards and in doing so, hamstrung the taxpayers of today. You can blame Don Sehr if you want, but nobody knows who that is, and he’s been dead since 2006. So good luck. I have tried very hard to make sure we do not do that to future Boards and future taxpayers. I think we need to design and build buildings with the idea that they are going to last at least 75 years. I think we need to take that same approach to building a jail. It needs to be built well, and it needs to be built big enough for things we simply cannot anticipate today. Those are my thoughts. What are yours? *DID YOU KNOW? Iowa City was the first city of any size in the US to have a Jewish mayor (Moses Bloom), and the first city of any size in the US to have a female mayor (Emma Harvat). 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
September 22, 2025
Sullivan’s Salvos 9/25/25 In this edition: *Happy Homecoming! *Yom Kippur *Freedom of Speech Includes Irony, I Guess? *Free Speech Event *Joint Law Enforcement Project *Congratulations Geoff! *Questioning Science? *Did You Know? *Happy Homecoming! The UI celebrates Homecoming the weekend of September 26 & 27. Happy Homecoming to all the Hawkeyes out there! I love the traditions of Homecoming; the parade, the pomp and circumstance, alumni returning from afar. Homecoming is one of the real benefits of living in a university town. Be bold in your black and gold… but be safe, too! Go Hawks! *Yom Kippur Yom Kippur begins at sundown on Wednesday, October 1, and ends at nightfall on Thursday, October 2. Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is the holiest day of the year, a day of fasting, prayer, and seeking forgiveness. G'mar chatima tovah. *Freedom of Speech Includes Irony, I Guess? It is interesting to hear how many people celebrate Charlie Kirk as an advocate for Freedom of Speech, yet celebrate the firings of people who call out Kirk’s bigotry. It calls to mind a quote from the immortal Inigo Montoya in The Princess Bride: "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means". The Board of Supervisors had a very interesting meeting on Thursday, September 18. I thought there were some amazing examples of Free Speech occurring right at that moment. I was particularly proud of the statement read by County Recorder Kim Painter. If you want to see some really good examples of Free Speech, I urge you to view the first 30 minutes of that meeting. It is under Board Meetings and Agendas at the very top of the County webpage. *Free Speech Event There will be a Free Speech Rally Wednesday, October 1 at 5:30 pm at the Weatherdance Fountain Stage on the Iowa City Ped Mall. Please come out and listen to local free speech advocates, and learn what you need to know to fight back. Please stop by, and please spread the word! For more info, please contact Rod Sullivan at 319-354-7199 or rodsullivan29@gmail.com. *Joint Law Enforcement Project As of this writing, Sheriff Brad Kunkel decided that he no longer supports working with the City of Iowa City on a new Joint Law Enforcement Center. I agree with Sheriff Kunkel 100%. I have no idea how my colleagues on the Board feel, but think Johnson County needs to move forward alone. (The Board will be discussing this matter Wednesday, September 24 at 1:30 pm. So depending upon when you read this, a decision may already have been made.) I am really disappointed that this is the case. I pay taxes to both Iowa City and Johnson County. I think there were multiple, really good reasons for working together. Here are some below: - A joint facility is cheaper in several different ways.
First, there are many financial savings. The architects projected a $10.25 million savings.
Secondly, if there is no joint facility, County expenses will go up even more, because we will need to purchase land. That is likely a $5 million additional cost to taxpayers, depending upon what is available and where.
Thirdly, operational expenses (and therefore taxpayer costs) for the Sheriff’s Office will go up if a facility is not near the Courthouse.
Fourthly, operational expenses (and therefore taxpayer costs) for the ICPD will be lessened if the jail is adjacent to their office.
Fifthly, in my experience, moving Public Health, Mental Health, and Social Services together back in 2010 created a number of cost-saving efficiencies we did not anticipate at the time. I would guess we will see some of that here.
- Members of the public often show up at one agency needing the other. Staff in both offices will tell you this is a common occurrence. Sharing a space means if you go to the wrong window, you do not need to get in your car and go across town. Instead, you just go across the lobby. We have seen this in action for decades with the co-location of the City and County Assessors.
- I think a shared facility opens up opportunities for greater adoption of best practices. Simply asking things such as, “Why do you do it like that?” may open up all sorts of internal improvements.
- In the case of major catastrophes or concerns, such as floods or other events, coordination will be easier when co-located.
- This is the right thing to do environmentally. It is infill development, whereas a new building further out (which might be required otherwise) will only create sprawl. This location also makes a potential jail accessible by bus and by foot.
- This could lead to other intergovernmental cooperation, which in times of shrinking revenues and greater needs may be very important.
- Finally – the threshold for voter approval (50% plus one versus 60% plus one) is also a motivating factor.
The problem is, all of these benefits only accrue if you have willing partners. It was clear to me after the last Iowa City Council Meeting that there are three Council Members who are dedicated to undermining any type of jail project. (That would be Councilors Salih, Bergus, and Weilein.) It is fine if they want to oppose a new jail – that is their right as voters. But we cannot have them sabotaging the process from the inside, and that is precisely what they were going to do. I do want to thank the Iowa City Manager, the Iowa City Police Chief, and the Councilors who supported the initiative. I am sorry that your work went for naught. We still need a new jail. It is a human rights issue. But in my opinion, we are going to have to do it without the involvement of the Iowa City Council. *Congratulations Geoff! My good friend Geoff Lauer was recently honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Brain Injury Association of Iowa. Geoff served as CEO and Executive Director of that organization for an extraordinary 23 years. Under his stewardship, the organization flourished into a vital resource for thousands of Iowans affected by brain injury. From their press release: As a founding member of the United States Brain Injury Alliance (USBIA), Geoff played a crucial role in establishing a national framework for brain injury support and advocacy. What truly distinguishes Geoff's career is not just the impressive list of accomplishments and accolades, but the countless lives he has touched and transformed in the brain injury community. Through his unwavering advocacy, thousands of individuals with brain injuries have gained access to better care, stronger support systems, and policies that honor their dignity and potential. As we present this Lifetime Achievement Award, we celebrate not just a career of remarkable accomplishments, but a life dedicated to ensuring that those affected by brain injury are seen, heard, and served with excellence and compassion. Thank you Geoff for your exceptional leadership in the field of Brain Injury Rehabilitation. I could not agree more. Geoff Lauer and I worked together almost 40 years ago, and he has been a friend and mentor to me ever since. I love him and I am proud to see him get this award. Nice work, my friend! *Questioning Science? When I say, “Questioning Science,” do you think I am talking about Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Junior and his rejection of vaccine science? Nope. Think I am talking about President Trump and his rejection of climate science? Nope. Think I am talking about Governor Reynolds and her rejection of water quality science? Nope again. I am talking about local Elected Officials who dismiss the scientific polling the University of Iowa Center for Social Science Innovation (CSSI) did for Johnson County. Granted, polling is not exact science. But these data scientists from the UI – each highly regarded in their field – prepared a report for Johnson County that said around 75% of the voters in Johnson County would support a new jail facility. (The report is available on the County website.) The report – being a work of science – controls for variables such as age, gender, race, geography, political party, income, education, and life experiences. They know how to do this. *I* do not know how to do it. That is why we hired them. They are experts. I have heard people say, “But their findings do not match what people said at the Council Meeting.” That is because the people who attend any given Council Meeting is not a scientific sampling of the community. Trust the scientists. You cannot just support the science that fits your world view. That is not how science works. I am glad CSSI is here at the UI. I am glad they were willing to help us. I respect their expertise and their work. And I am sad to see local Elected Officials question science in the same manner as RFK Jr., Trump, and Reynolds. *DID YOU KNOW? Los Angeles County in California is the most populous county in the US with over 10 million residents. Cook County, Illinois is second with about 5.5 million. (Source: US Census Bureau.) 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
September 15, 2025
Sullivan’s Salvos 9/18/25 In this edition: *RIP Paul Pomrehn *Happy Rosh Hashanah! *Shootings *Flag Drama *While We Were Distracted… *Shelter House BBQ *Follow Up on Caucus Article *The Collective Good *Did You Know? *RIP Paul Pomrehn Iowa City lost a good one with the recent passing of Dr. Paul Pomrehn. Dr. Pomrehn served as a clinician and Medical Director of Psychiatric Services for the Community Mental Health Center of Eastern Iowa, (now Abbe Center) and as a visiting professor in the Adult Psychiatry Outpatient Clinic at UI Health Care. I knew many people over the years who were in his care, and he seemed to be universally beloved. RIP, Paul. *Happy Rosh Hashanah! Happy New Year to all my Jewish friends! Sunset on Monday, September 22 marks Rosh Hashanah, the beginning of year 5786 in the Jewish calendar. Rosh Hashanah commemorates the creation of the world and marks the beginning of the Days of Awe, a 10-day period of introspection and repentance that culminates in the Yom Kippur holiday, also known as the Day of Atonement. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are the two “High Holy Days” in the Jewish religion. Shanah Tovah!
*Shootings No matter how wonderful or heinous the victims might be, no one deserves to die as a result of gun violence. Taking another human’s life is wrong, and you do not have the right to appoint yourself judge, jury, and executioner. The gun violence in the US needs to stop! Recent gun violence victim Charlie Kirk was once quoted as saying, “It’s worth the cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment.”
Kirk was wrong then, and he is wrong now. He should still be alive as should the school children who were shot the same day. Let’s fix this mess! *Flag Drama As you probably know, Johnson County was home to a lot of drama recently, as President Trump and Governor Reynolds ordered the flags to half-staff to honor Charlie Kirk, and Chairperson Green defied that order. As Chairperson Green was careful to point out, he made that decision without consulting any other Supervisors. So you may have learned about it as soon as I did. Not that anyone cares what I think, but here are my thoughts: First, I have a long and tortured relationship with the Flag Code. I used to fly the American flag at my old house. My neighbor was a 95-year-old man, a Korean War Veteran, and a staunch conservative. (By the way, he passed away a couple of years ago. Despite our differences, I loved him dearly.) He used to lecture me any time I violated the flag code. For example, I didn’t want to put a light on it because I didn’t want light pollution, and I didn’t want to waste electricity. But, sometimes I got home after dark, and the flag was not illuminated. He would always say something. So after a while, I just said screw it. I respected him, and I respected the code, so I just quit flying the US flag. I thought it was sad, because it seemed to me that a person like my neighbor would want his liberal neighbor to join him in flying the flag. And I wanted to do so. But it became a bigger hassle than it was worth. During this time, I studied the flag code. And I pointed out to my neighbor that the flags he wore on his clothing on occasion were also violations of the code. That conversation did not go well. So it was all very unfortunate. But it did not cause me to hate him. I loved him! And I learned quite a bit about flag code! Secondly, the flag code is not law for civilians. And the Supreme Court has ruled many times that First Amendment freedom of expression laws outweigh any orders pertaining to the flag. Thirdly, because I respect the flag code, I wish President Trump, Governor Reynolds, and Chairperson Green would all abide by it. But Trump and Reynolds both willfully violate both laws and norms all the time. They both think they are above the law. And both violated flag code in choosing to honor Kirk in this way. Fourthly, I am neither thrilled by Jon’s move, nor am I angry about it. On one hand, he threw gas on the fire. I think we could have anticipated that this would cause some problems for some County employees. And it has. On the other hand, it is important to stand up to bullies, and Jon did that. I respect that. Fifthly, I find it ironic how many people have emailed and called noting that, “Charlie was all about free speech.” OK. Is that not what Supervisor Green was exercising? Finally, I will say, though I was not expecting to have twenty conversations on this topic this past weekend, I had some very pleasant conversations with some conservative folks with whom I generally disagree. We can do this. We are going to have to do this! *While We Were Distracted… From Senator Chris Murphy, D-CT: Popular and necessary programs like Medicaid, Medicare, and SNAP, are all being targeted. In order to pass their tax cut, Republicans have to go through a series of procedural steps. Last night, they took the first step which requires them to pass an outline of their plan, but with it, any senator can offer as many amendments as we want. So my Democratic colleagues and I did just that. So what did we propose? We proposed no tax cuts for anyone who makes a billion dollars a year. We made them vote on whether or not Elon Musk and DOGE should have limitless access to Americans’ personal data. We made them vote on whether to protect IVF and require insurers to cover it. Every single amendment Democrats proposed was shot down. On almost every single amendment, Republicans universally opposed it. Every Republican voted against our proposal to prevent more tax cuts for billionaires. The corruption and theft is happening in the open here. *Shelter House BBQ The annual Shelter House BBQ Bash is Friday, September 26 from 4-7 pm at the Johnson County Fairgrounds. Cost is $50 for adults, and $17.50 for children. All proceeds go toward supporting the wonderful work of Shelter House! *Follow Up on Caucus Article I got a fair amount of feedback on last week’s article about the Iowa Caucuses. While the vast majority who responded agreed with me, there were a few who did not. The thing that really gets me, however, is some of the language caucus supporters used: “We do it best,” “Return us to our rightful place,” and “restore our God-Given right.” Really? Can you hear yourselves? Do you really believe Iowans are superior to people in other states? Do we really have a “God-Given” right to go first? Hate to say it, but some of these arguments sounded as though they were arguing for the Divine Right of Kings! No wonder voters in other states see Iowans as spoiled! *The Collective Good A lot has been made over the years of the “Greatest Generation.” I was always a bit skeptical. First, can you really lump a whole generation together? Second, there was so much racism and misogyny that came along with that “Greatest Generation” status. But as time goes by, I think perhaps Tom Brokaw was on to something. The Greatest Generation can certainly teach every subsequent generation a thing or two about sacrificing one’s individual benefit for the collective good. Melissa and I were just discussing this the other day. A young woman we know very well who has three children was posting on Facebook, and said something along the lines of, “I need to start putting myself first.” Melissa and I had the exact same reaction – “You forfeited that right when you had your first kid.” Sure, this young woman can put herself first temporarily – get a sitter, go to dinner, and get a mani/pedi. But she needs to realize that in a successful society, one rarely gets to put themselves first. The “Me First” ethic is killing our country politically. Just look at RFK Junior and the state of Public Health in the US. Anti-vaxxers feel their right to “express their religion” trumps the overall collective good. I say bullshit! If the Greatest Generation had taken that approach, we would all be speaking German today. I see this “Me First” attitude all the time in tax policy. The Greatest Generation was proud to have their tax dollars fund our public schools. It was them doing their part for the collective good. But the current “Me First” attitude leads to people taking their $7500 vouchers and leaving the public schools. Look at the number of people who fight DEI policies. As our former US Senator Tom Harkin liked to say, they used the ladder to help themselves up, then pulled it up behind them. Look at the attacks on a clean environment, Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, museums, libraries, public parks, NPR, and so much more. These are all public goods, intended to lift all of us, regardless of income. And the “Me First” folks want them all gone. Yes, the current “Me First” crowd could learn a lot from the Greatest Generation. That generation struggled through the Depression; won World War II; rebuilt Germany and Japan; imposed a 90% top income tax rate; created Medicaid, Medicare, Community Action Programs, PBS and NPR; and basically left the collective good *far* greater than they found it. Will we be able to say the same? I doubt it, but I hope so! *DID YOU KNOW? There is no exact count of Johnson County residents who died during the Civil War. It is known that about 13,000 of the 76,000 Iowans who served died during the war. 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
September 8, 2025
Sullivan’s Salvos 9/11/25 In this edition: *Thank you, Laurie Haag! *Wilson’s Orchard *Caucus Versus Primary *United Way Community Needs Assessment *Good Work by Johnson County! *Did You Know? *Thank you, Laurie Haag! My friend Laurie Haag recently announced her retirement from the University of Iowa, and I did not want to let that pass without a shout out. Laurie has been a longtime stalwart presence at the Women’s Resource and Action Center (WRAC), and is a longtime local musician. She founded the Iowa Women’s Music Festival and kept it going for over 20 years. She created Girls Rock! Iowa City. And so much more. Personally, I will always cherish Laurie as a person who showed patience and understanding with me. I was fresh off the farm, and very naïve when I hit Iowa City. I was naturally inclined to be an ally in her LGBTQ+ work, but I did not know how. Rather than noting that I was a fool and shoving me aside, she gently taught me how to do better. I think Laurie did that with hundreds of people over the years, and our community is better for it. Thank you, Laurie, for all your good work, and congratulations on your retirement! *Wilson’s Orchard I’d like to encourage you to visit my friend Paul Rasch at Wilson’s Orchard. Paul is a great guy doing great things with a great place! Located just a few miles north of Iowa City, just off Highway 1, Wilson’s Orchard has been around a long time. If you have never been there, go! There are 120 types of apples, but much, much more. It really is a local treasure, and people of all ages should visit! It is particularly a “must-do” for the kids and grandkids! For more information, see: http://www.wilsonsorchard.com. *Caucus Versus Primary I have written this before, but I feel very strongly that the Iowa Democratic Party needs to give up on the idea of caucuses. First, let me be clear – I am not talking about the issue of First in the Nation. As far as I am concerned, the two issue need to be separate. The argument is simple: in order to participate in the caucuses, you need to be at a set location, at a set time, and be prepared to stay for several hours. It is crowded, hot, you can’t hear, and it is often not fully accessible. There is no system of absentee voting, so anyone who cannot be there for any reason is excluded. The process is clearly undemocratic when compared to a primary election. This makes caucuses bad for seniors, people with disabilities, people who lack transportation, single parents, second shift and on-call workers, people who are claustrophobic, and anyone else who cannot stand there for two hours. Additionally, I *hate* the public nature of the vote! If your vote is public, anyone with power over you (abusive spouse, boss, etc.) can manipulate your vote. Finally, many precincts simply lack public buildings where 200-1200 people can move around. It just doesn’t work, and frankly, it creates dangerous situations. Democrats simply cannot any longer claim to be the party of voting rights, then endorse a process that systematically prohibits a big part of the population from participating. So why do it? I’m tired of fighting like crazy for better absentee voting rules – including a longer window – only to have the party big wigs pretend that does not matter when it comes to our own process. We need a full-fledged Presidential primary in Iowa. There is no amount of “tweaking” the caucus process that will ensure Iowans have the right to vote. We are either for open, accessible voting or we aren’t. It is a version of the old labor question – “Which Side Are You On?” I am for voting. And I hope my party will join me! There is no excuse for anything less. The Democratic Party should never find itself on the side of making it harder to vote. Here is a dirty little secret: being first never helped Iowa Democrats. It hasn’t helped us get the Governorship or the Statehouse. We have lost ground in courthouses across the state. Even city councils and school boards have moved the wrong direction. The caucuses are *supposed* to be this important organizing tool. But what they really are is a distraction. Yes, a lot of money flowed into the state. But that money never came close to covering the very real costs – both monetary and human. Being first helped power brokers meet candidates. (I’ll be honest – it helped me meet candidates!) But it never did a damn thing for poor people in this state. Iowa Democratic Party mucky-mucks continue to be worried about going first. They need to start worrying about winning elections. Trust me, I understand the luster of the Iowa Caucuses. I have written at length about my own participation, dating back to the very first one, when I was just a kid. I love the caucuses. I have fond memories of the caucuses. I have only missed one Iowa Caucus since the event started in ’72. But it is time for them to go. Let me also comment briefly on the idea of “first.” Going first has been fun. It has allowed me to get to hang out with Dick Gephardt, Barack Obama, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and countless other well-known politicians. I have met hundreds of really cool campaign staff people. So it has been good for me personally. But has it helped Iowa? ISU economist Dave Swenson has pointed out that the caucuses have surprisingly little economic impact. (Most media are owned by out-of-state corporations that do little to recycle ad dollars through Iowa’s economy.) More importantly, are we better organized? I would say no. I believe the caucus takes our eye off the ball. We are worried about being first, when we should be worried about organizing. It is time to replace the Iowa Caucuses with a Presidential primary. *United Way Community Needs Assessment Johnson County is one of several organizations that collaborated with the United Way of Johnson and Washington Counties on a Community Needs Assessment. I am going to spend four weeks of Salvos highlighting four different areas of community need. This week: Community Resilience. Some alarming stats: *Iowa had 27 billion-dollar disasters between 2020-4; by far the most ever in any 5 year span. *6% of Johnson County residents lack reliable transportation. *Johnson County trails the state and nation in social associations. *20% of Johnson County residents are limited in their ability to speak English. Community Goals: 1. Residents are prepared for and able to recover from disasters. 2. Residents feel connected to their neighborhood and the broader community. *Good Work by Johnson County! September 2, 2025 (JOHNSON COUNTY, IA) – Today the United States Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit held that the government has satisfied its burden to show that a lifetime restriction on the right of forcible felons to possess firearms, subject to a gubernatorial pardon, is consistent with the Nation’s historical tradition of firearms regulation. Anthony Browne was convicted of a forcible felony in Iowa in 1991 and was thereafter prohibited by Iowa law to possess firearms, apply for restoration of firearms rights, or to receive a permit to acquire a handgun. Browne sued Iowa Governor Reynolds and Johnson County Sheriff Brad Kunkel on the grounds that his Second Amendment rights had been violated. Chief Judge Stephanie Rose of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa ruled that Iowa Code § 914.7 does not violate the Second Amendment and dismissed his complaint for failure to state a claim, and the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld this judgment. Assistant Johnson County Attorney Dave Van Compernolle argued the case on behalf of Johnson County. *DID YOU KNOW? A record 240,000 Democrats turned out for the 2008 Iowa Caucuses, which were won by Barack Obama. 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
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