SULLIVAN'S SALVOS

November 30, 2025

Sullivan’s Salvos 12/4/25

In this edition:

*RIP James Miller

*Grateful!

*Emergency Food and Shelter

*Farm Crisis Tragedy

*Supervisor History

*Did You Know?

*RIP James Miller

I am so sad to hear of the passing of James Miller. James spent about 20 years in the Facilities Department at Johnson County, and was a beloved part of the County team.

James had a very interesting story. He grew up in a very conservative Mennonite family, without many modern conveniences. He was a very talented woodworker, having learned those skills as a young man. He brought that to Johnson County, where his talents came in very handy, especially at the historic Courthouse. James also hand-built all the frames that surround the many historic maps, etc. on display at the county.

After leaving his church community, James developed into a real Renaissance man. In addition to woodworking, he was a birding expert (especially Purple Martins), a gourmet, and sang in the Quire. James was laid back, with a wry sense of humor, and really was beloved by his colleagues at Johnson County.

RIP, James. You will be missed!

*Grateful!

I am just coming off a week full of family, friends, food, and Hawkeye sports. It just doesn’t get any better than this! I am a very, very lucky man. Thank you all for contributing to my good fortune!

*Emergency Food and Shelter

On November 25, the Board voted 3-2 on some funding for emergency food and shelter. This was funding that I had specifically requested we put in this year’s budget. The total amount was $230,000.

Johnson County Social Services Director Lynette Jacoby came to the Board Meeting on 11-19 with a set of recommendations for spending the money. To be clear, no one knows this stuff better than Lynette. Period. With that in mind, I was happy to support her recommendations.

But Supervisor Fixmer-Oraiz did not like the recommendations because they did not fund Eschucha Mi Vos. I had no problem with the recommendations, because the money was headed to Community Crisis Services, the Coralville and North Liberty Food Pantries, the Immigrant Welcome Network, and Shelter House. These are organizations with expertise in providing food and shelter – which was the whole point of the grants.

We had some discussions about this on the 19^th, and I argued at that time for us to put our money where our expert recommended, and to give our funding to organizations with proven expertise. If you want to see the discussion, check out the Board meeting recording from Wednesday, November 19^th. The discussion runs from about 9:15 to 9:48 am. It may be worth your time to watch it.

Fast forward to the 25^th – when the actual vote was taken. Rather than voting on the proposal we got from our Social Services Director, Supervisor Fixmer-Oraiz moved that we vote on a different funding plan that they had devised. This cut some money from Community Crisis Services, the Coralville and North Liberty Food Pantries, the Immigrant Welcome Network, and Shelter House. It gave Eschucha Mi Vos most of what they had requested.

I feel this was a bad process and a bad decision, so I voted “no.” The motion passed 3-2. But let me be clear – the additional money for emergency food and shelter was my idea in the first place. I am very much in support of the funding; I just think we should let the folks who are experts in the field do their thing.

So Community Crisis Services, the Coralville and North Liberty Food Pantries, the Immigrant Welcome Network, and Shelter House all got less because of this. There are people who will not eat and people who will not be housed because of this. That is a bad outcome. I stand by my vote.

Needless to say, the Iowa City Catholic Worker House immediately took to Facebook to attack me after the vote. Supporters of the organization have done the same. Meanwhile, supporters of Community Crisis Services, the Coralville and North Liberty Food Pantries, the Immigrant Welcome Network, and Shelter House all remain unaware of the reductions.

*Farm Crisis Tragedy

December 9, 2025 marks the 40 year anniversary of a dark day in Johnson County history. Dale Burr, who farmed just east of Lone Tree, shot and killed his neighbor, his wife, the President of Hills Bank, and finally, himself.

Burr walked into the Hills Bank and Trust Company shortly before noon and shot its president, John Hughes, with a 12-guage shotgun. Burr then killed a neighbor, Richard Goody, before going home and killing his wife, Emily Burr. Burr also took a shot at Mr. Goody's wife and 6-year-old son as they fled. Burr was stopped by a deputy along a gravel road about a mile from his home, and killed himself in his truck while the deputy was waiting for other officers to help.

The shootings were related to financial difficulties that Burr had with the bank and Mr. Goody. To add to the tragedy, Johnson County Sheriff Gary Hughes, who was John Hughes’ brother, responded to the call.

Burr, then 63 years old, and his son John owned about 800 acres, much of it inherited. John Hughes, then 43, was a prominent figure in Hills and Iowa City. It is almost impossible to describe the number of local people who were touched by this tragedy. In addition, the shooting came to symbolize the Farm Crisis of the 1980s nationwide.

In the upper Midwest, more than 900 farmers died by suicide during the 1980s crisis. Research from the National Farm Medicine Center found that the suicide rate among male farmers peaked in 1982 at 58 per 100,000, compared to a rate of about 31 per 100,000 for the general population of white males over 20 at the time.

*Supervisor History

I recently looked back at the many people with whom I have served over my 21 years in office. I hope you find some of this interesting.

*I have served with 14 different County Supervisors.

*13 were Democrats, one (John Etheridge) was a Republican.

*That includes 8 men, 5 women, and one nonbinary individual. I was on a Board with only one woman (Sally Stutsman) for 4 years, and I was also the only man on the Board for two years.

*I served with one nonwhite Supervisor – Royceann Porter. I served with one mixed-race individual - V Fixmer Oraiz.

*The oldest person I served with is now in their late 80s, while the youngest is about 40. The oldest at the time of serving was about 75; the youngest was 34.

*6 of the Supervisors grew up in or near Johnson County; 3 grew up in other parts of Iowa; 5 grew up in other states.

*8 of those Supervisors lived in unincorporated Johnson County; the other 6 lived in Iowa City (one rural person did live two years in Lone Tree.)

*2 (Mike Lehman and Sally Stutsman) were farmers, though a couple others dabbled.

*One is not a college graduate (Pat Harney); one (Lisa Green Douglass) has a Ph.D.

*Interestingly, only one worked at the University of Iowa immediately before becoming a Supervisor.

*I only served 2 years with 4 of those people; I served the most years (12) with Pat Harney.

*I served with one person who resigned before their term was up (Terrence Neuzil). I served with three Supervisors who lost primary races as incumbents (Mike Lehman, Mike Carberry, Royceann Porter). I served with one person who resigned because of being elected to higher office (Sally Stutsman). I served with two folks who died in office (Larry Meyers and Kurt Friese).

*Of all the people I have served with, Supervisor Etheridge served the shortest amount of time at about a year and a half. It is not a record, though – in the very early ‘80s, Mike Cilek was appointed to fill the seat of his mother Lorada after she died in office. Lorada had already decided not to run again, and her successor had already been elected, just not sworn in. So Mike served about seven weeks in the position.

One thing that I have discovered during my tenure is that Johnson County really doesn’t have any records of election results prior to WWII. I find this incredibly disappointing! You can walk into the Iowa City Clerk’s Office and get information on everyone who has ever served the city. Johnson County has nothing. I find it shameful. I am glad we have it going forward, but much of our history is missing.

*DID YOU KNOW? All people – rural or otherwise – who are struggling can call 988 24 hours per day. Just like you would call 911, you can call 988. Whether you are facing mental health struggles, emotional distress, alcohol or drug use concerns, or just need someone to talk to, caring counselors are there for you.

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

November 24, 2025

John Colloton joined the administrative staff of the University of Iowa Hospitals in 1956, where he served for 45 years, including 23 years as Director and Chief Executive Officer of the UIHC. Under his leadership, UIHC quadrupled its physical size and expanded its staff from 2,500 to 7,500.

I never knew Mr. Colloton, but it is safe to say that few individuals have had a bigger impact on Johnson County!

Farmer John Schneider of rural Lone Tree passed away last week. John was heavily involved in 4H and the ISU Ag Extension, and was inducted into the Iowa 4H Hall of Fame in 2016.

John Schneider and I ran in the same race for Supervisor in the spring of 2004. I found him to be an honest, earnest, fair, and decent man, with a good sense of humor. I am glad I won, but I think John would have been a fine County Supervisor. RIP, John.

Happy Thanksgiving to Salvos readers! In many ways, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. (Imagine that coming from a fat guy, huh?)

Actually, I love the idea of giving thanks. It is a simple act that does not happen enough.

While I am at it – thanks to all of you who read Salvos each week. And a special thanks to those of you who follow up by sharing your thoughts. I appreciate it! Happy Thanksgiving!

It has been interesting to watch the expansion of Thanksgiving break at schools around the country. It seems most colleges and universities now take the whole week of Thanksgiving off.

When I was at the University of Iowa, we only got Thursday and Friday off. So prior to the break, students were doing their best to coordinate exactly when they could leave town, and coordinating that with their rides. The IMU had a large bulletin board where you could list rides needed – riders accepted. Almost unthinkable today.

There were always professors who cancelled class on Wednesday. There were also professors who not only demanded that students attend class on Wednesday, but these professors would throw in a pop quiz that day.

That always pissed me off. I was one of thousands of students at Iowa who was poor. I didn’t have a car for much of college, and I was at the mercy of someone else to get home. As a matter of fact, there were a few Fridays that I hitchhiked up Highway 1 to Mount Vernon in order to be home for the weekend. So I knew there were kids who needed to go to places much further away who were being forced to make tough decisions.

Not long after I graduated, the UI added Wednesday as a day off. I applauded that move. And now the students get the whole week. Is that a bit excessive? Maybe. I don’t know. It certainly seems more equitable to the poor kids.

This first appeared in Salvos in 2020. I have had requests to repeat it every year, so it is becoming a bit of an annual tradition. Unfortunately, the piece remains as relevant as ever.

I had a couple of Salvos readers ask me, “What happened?” regarding Tuesday’s red wave through Iowa. One was talking about just Tuesday; one was talking about the past 50 years.

While I am flattered that they care what I think, it is probably worth noting that I am no expert. But I have some explanations that I find persuasive. So let’s start there.

First, a little history is important. Iowa is a state that has typically been led by Republicans. There were only two windows EVER – one in the 1960s and one from ’06-’10 – where Iowa Democrats held a trifecta of the House, Senate, and Governor. Democrats typically did not run things, but made up a large enough minority that the GOP needed them to govern. So compromises were struck.

More importantly, the Republicans of my youth were a VERY different party. For one, they supported education almost as much as the Democrats; in individual cases, even more. Most Iowa Republicans would have been considered moderates; some, notably longtime Governor Bob Ray, would be viewed as a liberal today. Newt Gingerich had not come along yet with the idea of “zero sum game” politics. Negotiations were the order of the day, and that is what you got.

Honestly, it is pretty hard to argue the results. Iowa was #1 in education. The economy was strong. Iowa’s “live and let live” approach put us decades, sometimes centuries, ahead of other states on civil rights matters. The budget was in good shape. You could do a lot worse. But the Iowa Republican Party has changed dramatically, and with it, our state.

Now let’s move to the work of Iowa State Economist Dave Swenson. I love his work! It doesn’t always tell me what I want to hear, but it is always enlightening. A few years ago Swenson began talking about “micropolitan” areas of Iowa. These are those cities in the 15,000-35,000 population range that do not serve as suburbs to larger cities. They are typically home to a hospital, community college, and serve as a regional employment center. Iowa has several of these places – Fort Dodge, Mason City, Ottumwa, Clinton, Burlington, Muscatine, Ft. Madison/Keokuk, Marshalltown, Newton, and maybe 1-2 more. (The definition doesn’t fit perfectly everywhere.)

If you look at those cities in the 1960s, each was home to a thriving manufacturing base. And most of those manufacturing jobs were union jobs. People in these micropolitan cities (and the smaller cities near them) lived the classic American Dream.

When things were going well, voters in these areas supported Democrats. Democrats supported the unions, and made sure the schools were good. Thousands of Iowa moms and dads watched proudly as their sons and daughters got diplomas from ISU, UNI, and Iowa. All was well.

What happened? Manufacturers had trouble competing with Germany and Japan. (Which, by the way, were worker-friendly nations; just not tilted toward corporate greed.) Manufacturers like Maytag that once cared deeply about these communities decided to instead put shareholder profits first. Good union jobs were lost. Then the farm crisis hit. Manufacturers like Deere made deep cuts. Unions were broken at meatpacking plants. Locally owned banks disappeared. Then NAFTA put the final nail in the coffin. Jobs that used to be in micropolitan Iowa were now in Mexico and China.

Communities did the best they could. Many made huge efforts at job creation. Unfortunately, they were often trading a $20/hour union manufacturing job for a $9/hour telemarketing gig. Bottom line? Large numbers of unemployed and underemployed people were stuck. Poverty increased, and with it, crime and drug abuse. Many of the college educated folks moved away. Properties and public spaces were less well-maintained. Property values dropped, and with them, funding for schools and roads. The community becomes a less desirable place to live, and even more people move away. It is a downward spiral.

Those that are left are now poorer and less educated. They feel as though they got screwed. Because they did. So, they go to the ballot box looking for someone to blame. In this case, Dems took the hit. Did they deserve all the blame? Definitely not. Not even the majority of the blame. But they were gutless while corporations ran roughshod over our state. Losing big was the result.

If I had to blame one person? I’d blame Bill Clinton. But it isn’t that easy. The problems began in the late 70s. Then Iowa faced amazing struggles in the 80s, before Clinton was even on the national scene. It wasn’t one thing or one person that got us here, and it will not be one person or one thing that fixes everything.

Don’t tell that to the GOP, though. They are great at casting blame. Whose fault is this? Gays, trans folks, people of color, immigrants, non-Christians, women getting abortions, welfare moms, teacher’s unions, etc. There is ample anger out there, and instead of focusing that anger on Chuck Grassley (who has overseen this shit show) they focus their anger on vulnerable minorities. It is evil, but effective.

The two Obama elections gave us a momentary reprieve from this slide. Why? An incredible candidate with a message of hope following a lackluster and corrupt Bush II administration. But then the House and Senate (including Grassley) decided to sabotage Obama at the expense of the American people. Obama could not deliver as much as people needed, let alone hoped for. This led to even greater anger.

Let’s stop talking politics and look at demographics. Look at the populations of these micropolitan areas since 1960. Most have lost people. If they have not lost population, it is only because of immigration, which many old timers resent. Talk to someone who has moved to the fast-growing cities or suburbs in Iowa. Everyone who lives in Tiffin is originally from Sigourney, or Mount Pleasant, or Oelwein, or Montezuma. You get the idea. Iowa is not growing as a state; people are simply moving from certain parts of Iowa to other parts where greater opportunities exist.

Iowa’s micropolitan areas used to reliably vote 60% Democrat. They now vote 60% Republican. Do the math: 30,000 voters in these counties. 18,000 used to vote Democratic. Now 18,000 vote Republican. That is a 12,000 vote swing each place. Multiply that by the 10 micropolitan areas. That is a vote swing of 120,000 statewide. This is where 120,000 voters switched from Democrats to Republicans. That is the ballgame, folks! Grassley won by 150,000 votes. I just found you 120,000 of them!

It is not just the micropolitan areas, either. Counties like Dubuque, Scott, and Woodbury are not as Democratic as they used to be, either. It is pretty much the same formula, just in a more populous place.

Obviously, this did not change overnight. And it will not change back overnight. Structurally, every day we spend in this deep red status makes it harder to crawl back out of the hole we have dug.

But we will get there. Someday. Democrats just have to keep fighting for the people in this story. Do what is right. That is always the answer. Sooner or later, things will turn. I just hope we learn some lessons along the way.

*DID YOU KNOW? The annual tradition (which I detest) of a “Presidential Pardon" for a turkey began under President Reagan.

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!

November 17, 2025

I lost my Aunt Barb last week. Barb was my Mom’s younger sister and best friend, and had been struggling with dementia for quite some time.

I will always remember my aunt for her kindness. She spent a couple decades working at the Southeast Linn Community Center in Lisbon, where there is a food and clothing pantry, senior dining, and a few additional services. Barb was beloved by the people who visited SE Linn, and she was beloved by me.

I was sad to learn of the passing of Donny Schuettpelz of rural Solon. I knew Donny pretty much my whole life. He was a longtime member of Ironworkers Local 89, and served many years as their Business Agent. Donny was active in Democratic politics, and also served as the President of the Hawkeye Labor Council. RIP, Donny.

November has been named National Adoption Month and November 20th National Adoption Day.

The need out there is tremendous. In Johnson County alone, there are between 100 and 150 kids in foster care every day. There are nowhere near enough foster and adoptive homes to meet the need.

As many of you know, Melissa and I are the parents of three adopted children. We also served as foster parents to 50+ children, stopping just a few years ago.

It has been a life full of tragedies and triumphs. It has not always been easy, but it has been indescribably fulfilling. Along with marrying my wife, it is the best decision I ever made.

If you or someone you know is interested in foster care and/or adoption, please let me know. I am always happy to speak with prospective parents.

The calendar has turned to November, when many of us begin to think about charitable giving. Personally, I hope you will consider gifts to the United Way and Iowa Shares.

The United Way of Johnson and Washington Counties is in its’ 105^th year. It consists of 32 partner organizations that serve thousands of local residents. Meanwhile, Iowa Shares is 26 years old, and consists of 21 social justice organizations.

We hope to increase charitable giving among county employees. It is easy to give you time and money. Please consider making a contribution today!

A friend just sent me some shocking data. The source for this info is the Congressional Budget Office. Under current GOP policy:

· For the 22 million Americans on Obamacare, the average increase in health care costs is over $1000 per year.

In our Congressional District (IA1), 24,000 people will see their healthcare costs rise. 25,523 people will lose healthcare coverage all together.

I have been on a kick lately, and I imagine you will hear me say this again: I am a big believer in the concept of “yes, and.” What do I mean by that? We have a tendency to attempt to figure out complicated situations by finding a single, specific cause of said situation. This typically results in arguments. I think the cause is A. You think the cause is B. So we argue. In reality, both A and B can be correct.

Complex situations almost always have multiple causes. There are several correct reasons why. But we have a tendency to dismiss the other person’s opinion rather than saying, “Yes, and…”

Let me give you a classic example. The Iowa Football team had a lousy offense a couple of years ago. It was the talk of the town. I view myself as a relatively knowledgeable fan. So I was always amazed to hear people argue, “It’s the quarterback’s fault!” “No, it’s the Coach’s fault!”

Reality? Yes, quarterback play was a problem. And coaching was a problem. And the offensive line was a problem. And to a lesser extent, the receivers were a problem. That is a lot of “yes, and!” It demonstrates why the offense was pretty bad!

Here is another famous example: Why did Hilary Clinton lose the 2016 Presidential election? Misogyny. Her husband’s record. She was not likeable. She ran a poor campaign. She ignored battleground states. Unfair media coverage. Russian interference. James Comey. Jill Stein.

I just listed 9 completely different reasons for Clinton losing to Trump. There are undoubtedly even more than that. You may think one was bigger than the others, and that is your prerogative. Bottom line? Each of these reasons is true, to some extent. They added up to an election loss. Any one of these deserves a “yes, and.”

A final example: Lots of folks wish they could drop a few pounds. Why have they added some weight? A slowing metabolism. Eating the wrong foods. Eating when you aren’t hungry. Overeating. Failure to get enough exercise. Drinking too much alcohol. Genetics. Every one of these might be true. Odds are, more than one is true.

Since we deal with many complex issues at Johnson County, I am trying very hard to emphasize this idea of “yes, and.” We need to make certain that we recognize there are no silver bullets. We need to be thorough when we diagnose a problem, and understand that no single solution will solve it. We may need to take multiple steps.

This is the mirror image of a piece that ran in Salvos last week. That one was entitled “Stupid, Lazy, or Evil,” in reference to the way many liberals view more conservative Democrats. This one is “Immature and Unrealistic,” in reference to the other side of the coin.

I have spent a lifetime on the receiving end of “Immature and Unrealistic.” Wealthier, more conservative Democratic power brokers (centered in Des Moines) have always considered my Johnson County peers and I as immature and unrealistic. They have always dismissed us as naïve and “unelectable” statewide. So I get it.

To be clear – I agree that there are some folks who are immature, some who are unrealistic, and yes, some who are both. I have definitely labelled others as immature and unrealistic. So I am not without sin. And I’ll even go so far as to say that perhaps it was fair of me to apply those labels in some cases. But we need to be careful. The fact is, people can disagree with us and *NOT* immature and unrealistic.

People on the left are going to need to suck it up and agree to disagree with people who hold positions with which they disagree. And so are people who are more centrist. The “Big Tent” must stretch both right AND left!

There have been many important elections in Iowa’s history. But I am convinced that November of 2026 will be one of the most important. And the only way we are going to win is to have a large coalition of diverse voters. That coalition, by definition, is going to have to include some people with whom I disagree on some issues.

So how are we going to navigate this? Are we going to tell those with whom we disagree that they are immature and unrealistic? Or are we going to recognize that we must work together despite some differences of opinion?

I know what I am going to try to do, and that is to build a big, diverse coalition. I want my construction, meatpacking, and farming family members to join my highly educated wife and liberal friends in electing a Democratic Governor and Congress in ’26 and a Democratic President in ’28!

*DID YOU KNOW? November’s name has remained unchanged since the ancient Roman calendar, which was in use until 45 BC. This first Roman calendar was only made up of ten months, with November being the ninth month. November translates rather appropriately into “ninth month” in Latin. When the Julian calendar was adopted in 45 BC, two new months were added, which pushed November back to the 11th month. Despite its change in position, November was never renamed.

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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