SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
April 19, 2026
Sullivan’s Salvos 4/23/26
In this edition:
*Budget Public Hearing
*NAMI Walk
*Worker’s Memorial Day
*Obama Reunion
*Powerful Men and Sexual Assault
*Rethinking Agriculture
*Plowshare Prayer
*Did You Know?
*Budget Public Hearing
Very interesting public comment at the April 15 Johnson County budget public hearing. You can view for yourself at: https://johnson-county.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php...
Comments start at about 21 minutes in and last about 23 minutes.
*NAMI Walk
I am a huge supporter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, or NAMI. The big fundraiser for that organization is coming right up!
This year’s NAMI Walk is Saturday, May 2 at 9 am at Terry Trueblood Recreation Area in Iowa City.
I have attended every NAMI Walk since its inception. I think it is important to show up and support such events, especially when you are NOT running for office.
IF you would like to contribute, you can sponsor me at: https://www.namiwalks.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=portal.home.
*Worker’s Memorial Day
One of the most powerful events of the year is Monday, April 27 when the Iowa City Federation of Labor hosts Worker’s Memorial Day at noon at the Iowa City Public Library.
Every year, somewhere around 80 Iowans head out the door to go to work and never return. Often this is due to employers who put profits ahead of worker safety. Unfortunately, state government in Iowa has spent the last decade loosening worker protections of all types. The results are very personal on this day.
*Obama Reunion
David Axelrod is speaking at Hancher Auditorium on Tuesday, April 28 at 7:30 pm. That announcement brought back a lot of great memories for some of us who were involved in the 2007-8 Obama campaign.
So we are going to get together and reminisce! Please join us at Joe's Place in Iowa City from 5-6 pm that evening. This is very informal - just a nice walk down memory lane, and a reminder of what we can accomplish.
The event is informal; no need to RSVP, no food, and buy your own drinks. Please spread the word and invite anyone who would like to revisit that wonderful time!
*Powerful Men and Sexual Assault
The recent news of former California Congressman Eric Swalwell’s alleged sexual assaults has some of my acquaintances talking. On more than one occasion, I have heard people say, “That is just what powerful men do.”
I think a more accurate statement would be, “That is just what men do.” Not all men, of course. But far, far too many. My point is just that men need not be powerful to sexually assault women.
I spent over a decade as a Batterer’s Education Program (BEP) facilitator. I saw men from all walks of life. Yes, there were bank vice presidents, business owners, athletes, and at least one University bigwig.
But more often than not, the men worked in fast food, retail, or construction. Some were unemployed, and others were retired. You need not have political power to use power in your relationship. Statistics back this up. Sexual violence cuts across all economic classes, races, ethnicities, religions, and more.
So yes, powerful men need to do better. We all do.
*Rethinking Agriculture
From Salvos on 12/21/21. Unfortunately, it is more relevant than ever.
It is not a popular position to hold in Iowa, but I think we need to reimagine the way we do agriculture. And there are opportunities to act now that would be to the benefit of us all.
For starters, look at the ongoing droughts in the American west. Why divert millions of gallons of water to agriculture in the west when most of those crops could be grown right here? That would allow westerners to respond to the drought, while we use our great soil to produce more actual food.
According to experts at Iowa State, all of the following vegetables thrive in Iowa and could do so at scale: kale, spinach, Brussel sprouts, Swiss chard, beets, green onions, lettuce, arugula, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, peas, beans, and radishes! We can grow just about everything!
My guess is that farmers in the west would hate the idea of ending production. But how much are we willing to spend to keep them in business? They are being heavily subsidized either way. So why use up all the water? It would be cheaper and better for the planet to pay them NOT to grow anything.
Farmers in the Midwest would hate it, too. Why? 1) People dislike change. 2) Farmers would need some new equipment. 3) Growing the crops would be more labor intensive. 4) It would be viewed as Communist.
But, Midwest farmers may NEED to consider something different soon. Because we are quickly moving to electric vehicles. What does that mean for farmers in the Midwest? Well, 33% of all corn goes toward ethanol. That ethanol will not be needed in electric vehicles. The market for a third of our corn could disappear. Shifting that cropland to food production makes a lot of sense.
And, farmers can get on the solar train! Consider the following stats from Bill Nussey:
If you compare the energy utility of an acre of solar panels to an acre of corn, the acre of solar wins by a landslide.
Each year, one acre of corn produces 551 gallons of ethanol, which is the equivalent of 386 gallons of gas. Using the average miles per gallon of a US automobile, this equates to 9691 miles driven per acre of corn per year.
In Iowa, an acre of solar panels produces 198,870 kilowatt hours each year. A typical EV drives approximately 3.6 miles per kilowatt hour. So, each year, an acre of solar panels produces enough energy for an EV to drive 710,250 miles. This is over 70 times the distance the same acre producing corn could provide.
Unlike ethanol, an acre of solar can power anything attached to the grid. The same Iowa acre, for instance, could also be used to provide 18 average US homes with electricity for the year.
The financial utility of replacing corn with solar also promises huge gains for farmers. For example, it is not uncommon for a farmer to make two to three times more money per acre leasing to solar rather than planting corn. Solar also guarantees a steady stream of revenue, unlike corn which stands the risk of crop failure and price volatility.
Nussey doesn’t even talk about the environmental benefits of less nitrogen and phosphate in the water supply, and more of our precious soil remaining in place. And the red herrings that are constantly brought up about taking up farmland? What if we simply exchange the amount of land dedicated to ethanol for land dedicated to vegetables and solar? Plus solar panels are easy to remove. What a huge win!
It is well past time that we consider doing some things differently when it comes to agriculture. Let’s get ahead of the curve and put our land to work in a better way!
*Plowshare Prayer
The choir at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church sang this today. There were many tears shed. I had never heard this lovely song before, but I thought I would share it with you here. It is called “Plowshare Prayer,” and is by Spencer LaJoye.
Dear blessed creator, dear mother, dear savior
Dear father, dear brother, dear holy other
Dear sibling, dear baby, dear patiently waiting
Dear sad & confused, dear stuck & abused
Dear end of your rope, dear worn out & broke
Dear go it alone, dear running from home
Dear righteously angry, forsaken by family
Dear jaded & quiet, dear tough & defiant
I pray that I'm heard
And I pray that this works
I pray if a prayer has been used as a sword
Against you & your heart
Against you & your word
I pray that this prayer is a plowshare of sorts
That it might break you open
It might help you grow
I pray that your body gets all that it needs
And if you don't want healing
I just pray for peace
I pray that your burden gets lighter each day
I pray the mean voice in your head goes away
I pray that you honor the grief as it comes
I pray you can feel all the life in your lungs
I pray that if you go all day being brave
That you can go home, go to bed
Feeling safe
I pray you're forgiven. I pray you forgive
I pray you set boundaries & openly live
I pray that you feel you are worth never leaving
I pray that you know I will always believe you
I pray that you're heard
And I pray that this works
Amen on behalf of the last & the least
On behalf of the anxious, depressed & unseen
Amen for the workers, the hungry, the houseless
Amen for the lonely & recently spouseless
Amen for the queers & their closeted peers
Amen for the bullied who hold in their tears
Amen for the mothers of little Black sons
Amen for the kids who grow up scared of guns
Amen for the addicts, ashamed & hungover
Amen for the calloused, the wisened, the sober
Amen for ones who want life to be over
Amen for the leaders who lose their composure
And amen for the parents who just lost their baby
Amen for chronically ill & disabled
Amen for the children down at the border
Amen for the victims of our law & order
I pray that you're heard
And I pray that this works
I pray if a prayer has been used as a sword
Against you & your heart
Against you & your word
I pray that this prayer is a plowshare of sorts
*DID YOU KNOW? Interesting statistics from the Iowa Department of Corrections (DOC): just under 50,000 Iowans have involvement with the DOC. About 8800 are in prison, about 2000 are in residential settings (like Hope House in Coralville), and about 39,000 are on probation or parole.
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.
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As always, feel free to contact me at 354-7199 or rodsullivan29@gmail.com. I look forward to serving you!
---Rod
posted by Rod Sullivan @ 1:05 PM
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