SULLIVAN'S SALVOS

December 29, 2025

Sullivan’s Salvos 1/1/26

In this edition:

*RIP Gary “Smiley” Bloore

*Welcome to 2026!

*Grace

*January 6

*Workday

*Congrats to JCSO!

*Contributors to the Housing Crisis

*Did You Know?

*RIP Gary “Smiley” Bloore

I was sad to see that local legend Gary “Smiley” Bloore passed away. I always had a bit of extra insight into Smiley. One of my favorite high school teachers was in his class at the small school they attended. The school was called Delwood, which was a combination of the names of the two towns – Delmar and Elwood. Delwood was in our conference for some sports when I was in high school, but a couple decades later, the school got absorbed by Maquoketa. Anyway, my teacher shared Smiley’s life story, so when I first met Smiley, I told him about our mutual friend, my teacher.

Smiley began cleaning dishes at Oakdale Hospital in Coralville in 1970. The next year he took a similar job for UI residence halls, doing dishes at the dining rooms of Currier and Hillcrest Halls before ending up at Burge, where he stayed until his retirement in 2016. He moved back to Maquoketa in 2019.

Gary Bloore was just one of those people who brightened up the days of others. He was a huge sports fan, and will be long remembered for his buttons and his “Woo woo!” RIP, Smiley.

*Welcome to 2026!

Happy New Year! Here’s to a better and brighter year ahead! I have never been big on New Year’s resolutions – you can see that by my weight! But I certainly welcome the “fresh start” feel of the New Year. I hope 2026 is good to you and yours!

*Grace

I have mentioned that I am not big on New Year’s Resolutions. There is one thing I have been attempting to do more of, however, and I invite you to join me.

I am attempting to show others more grace. Forgiving mistakes. Assuming the best rather than the worst. Trying to be kind.

In Christianity, grace is not earned. It is given. You get it even though you do not deserve it. That can be a tough concept to put to work in today’s world. We tend to blame, complain, and point out faults. I do it. We all do it. Frankly, that is part of why we do not deserve the grace we get from God.

I know my readers include many non-Christians. I honor all belief systems. I also think the idea of giving people grace can help all of us, regardless of our individual beliefs. It need not be viewed through the prism of religion. So please join me in offering a bit more grace to those you encounter every day.

*January 6

January 6 marks the 5th 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 all were pardoned by Trump. 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!

*Workday

This ran about three months ago in Salvos. I am reprinting it here because this really is a big deal, and has profoundly impacted a lot of Johnson County employees. So you ought to know about it.)

Johnson County recently went live with Workday, a platform for managing HR, Capital, and Finances. Workday is used by thousands of entities around the world, and comes highly recommended.

Implementing Workday is the type of thing that has been a *very* big deal to County employees, but if our implementation goes well the public will never know anything happened.

Workday essentially takes a lot of the daily tasks of HR and Finance and moves them from paper to online. It is going to ultimately save Johnson County a lot of time and money, and many employees will see processes that used to take them a couple hours each week reduced to minutes. In addition, it makes all sorts of data readily available; something we have been sorely lacking.

Getting started, however, has been a huge investment of time and money. Some employees are *really* stressed. And not everything has gone as well as hoped. I am cautiously optimistic that we will get everything figured out.

My sincere thanks to the folks who have led this charge, and my thanks to the County employees who have had to adapt to new ways of doing things. I believe is going to be a good thing for taxpayers once we get it fully implemented, but I also know getting there is difficult.

*Congrats to JCSO!

The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office is proud to announce they are the first Sheriff’s Office in the State of Iowa to achieve the Iowa Law Enforcement Accreditation Program’s (ILEAP) Law Enforcement Accreditation. The accreditation went into effect as of December 17, 2025, and will be effective for a period of four years. The ILEAP Accreditation Program was developed by the Iowa Police Chiefs Association and the Iowa Sheriffs and Deputies Association, and was made available for application near the end of 2024 with the goal of helping law enforcement agencies to:

Establish and maintain standards that represent current professional law enforcement best practices.
Increase the effectiveness and efficiency in the delivery of law enforcement services.
Establish standards that address and reduce liability for the agency and its members.

Major Randy Lamm, JCSO Chief Deputy, led the agency’s efforts in applying for the ILEAP Accreditation and ensuring the agency’s strict adherence to the accreditation’s numerous standards and requirements. Major Lamm and Johnson County Sheriff’s Office personnel spent nine months pursuing the successful completion of 21 different areas of assessment, including (but not limited to) use of force; professional standards; recruitment and selection; training and career development; and property and evidence control.

Johnson County Sheriff Brad Kunkel said, “Professionalism is a priority at the Johnson County Sheriff's Office. To meet this standard every day, we ensure that we have the policies in place to fulfill this expectation. The Iowa Law Enforcement Accreditation Program has taken our policy to a new level and reinforces our commitment to providing quality public safety. When this opportunity became available, Major Lamm took this project on without hesitation and never took his foot off the gas. He worked with key staff to move this project across the finish line in just a few months. I'm very proud of all the hard work by everyone involved.”

*Contributors to the Housing Crisis

We all know affordable housing is a crisis in Johnson County. I am often asked about the “cause” of the crisis. The vast majority of the US has an affordable housing crisis, so obviously most of the “causes” are not unique to our community. But there is one thing that contributes a bit that is somewhat unique to Johnson County that I would like to see addressed.

The University has about 23,000 undergraduate students, and another 10,000 or so graduate students. Of those 23,000 undergrads, only about 25% live in the dorms. This is not really unusual, and is quite similar to the UI’s peer institutions. But what if the UI required two years in the dorms, and built enough housing units to cover it? What if another 4,000 students lived on campus?

The impact would be pretty huge. Opening 4,000 bedrooms would make a meaningful dent in the availability of housing in Johnson County, and probably help to reduce some increases in the ever-rising rents. There would be additional benefits accruing to the students themselves – undergraduate students who live on campus graduate at higher rates, get better grades, have less law enforcement contacts, have better mental health outcomes, and generally fare better by almost every metric of well-being.

Remember – although college costs have risen precipitously, the cost of college has not risen as much as the cost of rent. Students are taking out loans in part to enrich private landlords. Is that the model we want?

The decision by the UI (that started in the early 60s) to outsource student housing has had tremendous impacts on Johnson County. It made a few people extremely wealthy, and saddled hundreds of thousands more people (over decades) with huge student debts and lower qualities of life. Was that a good trade off? I’d say no.

We are not likely to reverse this now. But the UI could decide to house a few more of its own students, rather than externalizing this responsibility. It would be better for students, and better for Johnson County.

Would this solve our affordable housing crisis? Nope. But it would be a very positive step.

*DID YOU KNOW? Within 36 hours of January 6, 2021 five people died: one was shot by Capitol Police; another died of a drug overdose; and three died of natural causes including a police officer who died of natural causes a day after being assaulted by rioters. Many people were injured, including 174 police officers. Four officers who responded to the attack died of suicide within seven months. Damage caused by attackers exceeded $2.7 million. (Source: Wikipedia.)

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

December 22, 2025

Happy New Year to all Salvos readers! I hope you and your loved ones enjoy a wonderful 2026!

Huge congratulations to Iowa City Community School District (ICCSD) Superintendent Matt Degner on being named the 2025 National School Superintendent of the Year! What an amazing honor!

I think Matt is wonderful, and we are lucky to have him. But it should be noted that the ICCSD is a large and wonderful team, including students, parents, paras, teachers, other building staff, administrators, facilities, and more! Congratulations to you all, and keep up the great work!

2025 is coming to a close, and it is time for honoring a few select Johnson County residents with that most treasured of honors, the Salvos Salute. A few observations:

* This is the 20th annual set of awards, and there are always more people who deserve awards than there are awards to give. We live in a great County!

* The focus is on Johnson County. It is certainly worth noting the daily heroism of someone like our firefighters, police, and paramedics. There are also examples that garner international attention. But we have everyday heroes right here in Johnson County that deserve a shout out.

* There are some people out there that could win every year. I am trying to honor different folks, but repeat winners are not out of the question.

* Salvos Salutes do not have specific criteria, but you can bet that in general, most of the winners are courageous, advocate for peace and justice, have good ideas, speak truth to power, avoid hypocrisy, exercise common sense, and look out for the less fortunate.

Clayton Schuneman: The Office of the Johnson County Medical Examiner is by far the best in the State of Iowa, and probably far beyond. There are many reasons for this, but chief among them is ME Department Director Clayton Schuneman. I do not even have the superlatives to do him justice. They simply do not come any better! This is a service that most people never think about until they realize they are using it. Rest assured that the Johnson County Medical Examiner’s Office will handle every case exactly as it should.

Michael Flaum: University of Iowa Professor of Psychiatry Emeritus Dr. Michael Flaum has many accomplishments listed on his CV. But the thing that makes Michael really stand out is his work in the community. Michael started the Johnson County Systems of Care meeting well over 15 years ago, bringing together everyone who serves some of our most challenged residents. Because of his work, we have GuideLink, Permanent Supportive Housing, and thousands of people with better lives. Thank you, Michael!

Fred Newell: It does not get a lot of press, but the past couple of years have been difficult for the local African American community. Luckily, Pastor Fred Newell and Dream City are here to uplift people in whatever way they need uplifted. I am a huge fan of Fred Newell. The local African American community still has some frustrations, but working with Fred, we can get through it. We are lucky to have him in our community!

Tess Judge Ellis: A professor at the UI College of Nursing, Judge Ellis has taken her practice out into the community. Tess serves a group of patients with very complex needs through her work at Shelter House, Chatham Oaks, and Agape Café, and does so without fanfare. No one would know she does this; Tess is not looking for praise. She just believes everyone deserves great medical care. Thank you, Tess, for bringing your vast expertise to our neediest residents!

Ed Williams: Ed Williams has always done farming just a bit differently. He has always been willing to plant new crops, try new conservation practices, and generally challenge the status quo in agriculture. Ed tinkered with hemp, miscanthus, and created a company named Harvest Heat to grow energy sources. Recently, Ed has provided a great service by setting up Black Diamond Hallel Meats, a Hallel butchering facility that serves the many Muslims in our county. Creating jobs and food for new immigrants; Ed just keeps doing ag differently!

Leslie Carpenter: Everyone deals with grief differently. My friend Leslie has channeled her grief to do more good than anyone I have ever known. Leslie’s son has had a very serious mental illness for many years now. So Leslie’s response has been to become Iowa’s best advocate for people with mental illnesses and their families. God bless you, Leslie. Your work helps others more than you will ever know!

Audrey Wiedermeir: The Iowa City Bike Library has grown into an important piece of community infrastructure, and this growth has come under the leadership of my friend Audrey. Want to donate a bike? Need a bike? Need a bike repaired? Need to find a community of riders? The Bike Library does it all, and Audrey can help you with it all!

Mike Owen: Common Good Iowa is a nonprofit think tank that reviews public policy in Iowa and makes policy recommendations that help everyday Iowans. It is a noble cause. And for 25 years, Mike Owen of West Branch was a big part of it. First with the Iowa Policy Project, and later (after they merged) with Common Good Iowa, Mike has fought for economic justice for the people of Iowa. His work has made a huge difference in the lives of thousands of Iowans. Now he is retired. Thanks, Mike!

Ryan Bobst: I have written a great deal over the past several years about the economic woes of everyday Iowans and how that leads to food insecurity. One of the many people doing great work to combat this is Ryan Bobst, Director of the North Liberty Pantry. They have a new building, and have been breaking records for the number of people and amount of food and clothing they are providing. Check them out! Ryan does a great job, and his organization could use your help!

Erek Sittig: Erek served on the North Liberty City Council, and in my opinion, served with distinction. He is smart, thoughtful, fair, and compassionate – all good traits in a Councilor. Then Erek did something very rare – he gave up his seat! You see, Erek had been urging women to run for the North Liberty Council, which had become 100% male. So when a woman decided to run, setting up three candidates for two seats, Erek took his name out of contention. He felt North Liberty needed a woman, and he believed it strongly enough to give up his own seat. I respect the Hell out of that. Thank you, Erek, for excellent service and leading by example!

Patrick Kearns: It has been an awful time for federal workers of late – especially in anti-worker States like Iowa. Luckily for us, Patrick Kearns has been ably leading the United Federation of Governmental Employees (UFGE) at the Veteran’s Administration Hospital in Iowa City. Patrick does a fantastic job of explaining what is happening, why it is wrong, and what we should do differently. Patrick is going to win in the long run, because as Dr. King said, "the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice." Keep up the great work, brother!

Kristie Fortmann Doser: Retiring after 32 years as Director of DVIP/RVAP, Kristie has left an amazing legacy of service to victims. (Kristie and I actually met when she interviewed me to teach Batterer’s Education back in 1989!) Thousands of victims have been able to move on to better lives because of her advocacy. Congratulations, Kristie, and thank you!

Sunday Goshit: Sunday came to the US over 25 years ago from his native Nigeria. He and his family have been making Johnson County a better place to live ever since. One example is the annual Africa Fest, which has grown into a large and wonderful community event. Now, barring some horrible action by our federal government in the next 30 days, he will be a US citizen. Congratulations, Sunday!

Chris Edwards: Chris has served as Deputy Auditor in Johnson County for over 38 years, and has decided to retire at the end of the year. Over the years, Chris has overseen the processing of a couple billion dollars in claims, over a billion dollars in patrol, and millions of votes. Chris was instrumental in bringing every new technology to the office. And through it all, he has remained one of our most respected employees. Congratulations, Chris!

Barb Turner: The odds are good that not many of you know Barb Turner. Barb is a Johnson County employee – the custodian that cleans the Health and Human Services Building five nights per week. Barb is also friendly, kind, caring, honest, dedicated, and hard-working. Every day we have a brief conversation, and every day I feel better after speaking to her. I don’t know if Barb has any idea of her impact, but I assure you, it is significant! Barb leads by example, and every day she makes me want to be a better employee and a better person. Thanks, Barb! You are great!

Linda Herring (third time): Last but certainly not least, we lost Linda Herring earlier this year. Linda, of Tiffin, gained national notoriety for serving as a foster parent to over 600 kids over 50+ years. I had the pleasure and privilege of knowing Linda, and seeing firsthand her incredible capacity to love others. That is why she had won two previous Salvos Salutes, and why she is honored here posthumously with a record third Salvos Salute. Thank you, Linda. You will be missed!

*DID YOU KNOW? 288 individuals/groups have received a Salvos Salute since they were started in 2006.

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!

December 18, 2025

I read this at the 12-18-25 meeting of the Johnson County Board of Supervisors before casting my vote on the matter. Video is available on the Johnson County website. The vote failed 3-2, with Green, Green-Douglass, and myself in opposition.

It is important that we begin this conversation with an acknowledgement that the things happening to immigrants right now in this country are often illegal and almost always morally repugnant.

President Trump and the Republicans who enable him have engaged in a war of terror on immigrants. Governor Reynolds and the Republicans who enable her have done the same. I truly believe that their actions have been cruel, stupid, and yes, evil. I know evil is a loaded word, and I use it very purposefully.

I am a person of faith. If I am correct, and there is, in fact, a God – I think she will judge these folks harshly. I pray for their mortal souls.

We all agree what is happening is wrong. So what to do about it? We are told what municipalities in California, New York, and other locations have done. But according to our attorneys, Iowa law is different.

The City of Iowa City decided not to pursue this same resolution after their attorney explained why he thought pieces would be legally problematic. The Johnson County Board of Supervisors has received similar advice from our attorneys. They have serious concerns about the criminal and civil liability of county employees if this passes. I do not want to subject our employees to this. There are also concerns that our insurance carrier will not cover anything that arises from this resolution.

In addition, we know that the immigrant community is split. I would like to read into the record a letter we received from Mazahir Salih, a member of the Iowa City Council, Executive Director of the Immigrant Welcome Network, and an immigrant herself.

Thank you for your continued work and care in reviewing the proposed resolution regarding workplace entry and constitutional protections. I am writing to share concerns based on direct conversations with immigrant community members and my own lived experience as an immigrant.

I want to emphasize that the immigrant community in Johnson County is diverse and includes undocumented and mixed-status families from Sudan, other African countries, the Middle East, Latin America, and many other regions. Many of these community members have shared that, in the current and rapidly changing federal immigration policy environment, they do not feel safe with public actions that draw attention to immigration enforcement, even when those actions are well-intentioned and legally careful.

I also want to be transparent that the volume of public advocacy and emails being received does not reflect the full immigrant community. Much of the visible support is coming from residents who do not personally face immigration enforcement and therefore do not carry the same level of risk. Loud advocacy can unintentionally overshadow quieter, more vulnerable communities whose safety depends on staying out of the spotlight.

It is also important to note that many immigrants are not aware that this resolution is under consideration. Public advocacy, emails, and testimony do not reflect the full range of immigrant voices, particularly those who face the greatest risk. Silence should not be interpreted as agreement; in many cases, it reflects fear of public records, increased visibility, and potential consequences.

As you consider next steps, I respectfully ask that the following principles guide your decision-making:

I want to be clear about what I support. I support Fourth Amendment protections for all residents. I support Know Your Rights education delivered in safe, community-based ways. I support workplace safety and non-retaliation protections. And I support quiet, administrative implementation that protects people without drawing unnecessary attention.

Specific request:
I respectfully ask the Board to delay the vote on this resolution and, in the interim, pursue administrative actions that can implement these protections without a public resolution. If the Board believes it is important to hear directly from those most affected, particularly immigrants, including undocumented and mixed-status residents who are currently unaware of this proposal, I ask that the vote be delayed until January. This would allow time for thoughtful, safe education of the broader immigrant community and provide space for informed input, without placing people at risk through public processes and permanent records.

December is a difficult time for meaningful community engagement. Many families are focused on work, travel, or holiday preparations, which further limits participation—especially among those who already face barriers to being public.

This request is not about opposition. It is about ensuring that decisions with real safety implications are made with informed, inclusive, and equitable community input, and in a way that minimizes unintended harm.

I take the concerns of every person in Johnson County seriously. I spent literally hundreds of hours working with Mazahir and other immigrants from the inception of the Center for Worker Justice through its closing earlier this year. She has earned my trust on this issue.

I have heard a number of people say they do not want to see a “symbolic” gesture. Frankly, I think symbolic gestures have gotten a bad rap. They are too often associated with weakness, and underappreciated for the good they can do.

Our colleague Jon Green made a symbolic move back in mid-September when he declined to lower the flags following the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Did that decision provide housing for the homeless? Food for the hungry? No. It simply provided a bit of symbolic support to people who felt wronged. And that is OK.

Look at the other side of the coin. Is the guy who killed Kirk a hero? He took bold action, you have to give him that! I don’t think he is a hero. I think he is aa asshole and a coward, who took something that was not his to take.

So is bolder always better? No, not always. Sometimes it is reckless. Running into a fight with guns blazing does not always equate to courage. Sometimes courage means doing the right thing even when a roomful of people wants you to do something else.

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