SULLIVAN'S SALVOS

May 24, 2026

Sullivan’s Salvos 5/28/26

In this edition:

*RIP Terri Stone

*Holy Days

*Great Society

*Vote for Sullivan!

*Endorsements Part 1!

*Endorsements Part 2!

*Negative Campaigning

*US Senate Race

*Biking Award

*Did You Know?

*RIP Terri Stone

Only one or two people on this list know Dr. Stone, but she rates a mention just the same. Terri was a longtime friend of my wife Melissa, dating all the way back to their Catholic School days. Terri was one of only a few African American kids at Dowling, but was liked and respected by everyone who knew her. She and Melissa went on to the U of I, and Terri ended up getting her MD from Georgetown in 1993. She practiced medicine in Washington DC from that day forward.

Terri was smart, kind, caring, gentle, and always put others before herself. I was honored to know her. RIP, Terri.

*Holy Days

Eid al-Adha in 2026 is expected to begin on Wednesday, May 27, and end on the evening of Saturday, May 30, subject to the traditional crescent moon sighting. This sacred Festival of Sacrifice falls on the 10th day of Dhul Hijjah, the final month of the Islamic calendar.

*Great Society

Almost exactly 62 years ago today, President Lyndon Johnson gave his “Great Society” speech.

What did that mean? Medicare, Medicaid, Food Stamps, the Voting Rights Act, Community Action Programs (like HACAP), the Jobs Corp, VISTA, PBS, NPR, and an end to discrimination in immigration.

This was the second-biggest domestic policy investment in American history. And it has been life changing for hundreds of millions of people.

And now, 62 years later, every one of these programs is hanging by a thread. This is what you are voting for!

*Vote for Sullivan!

Like most people growing up in rural Iowa, I was raised to be humble. “Don’t toot your own horn,” was the phrase. But as an adult, I chose a profession that requires you to “toot your own horn” every few years if you want to keep your job. So if you will please indulge me, I want to use a few words to explain why I believe I deserve your support in the upcoming Supervisor Primary.

The following comes straight from my website: https://www.rodsullivansupervisor.com/

Rod Sullivan's accomplishments put Johnson County's people and their wellbeing at the center of his work. During his time in office, Rod has facilitated discussions, advocated and led changes that have improved the lives of tens of thousands of Johnson County residents. Those efforts include:

· Raising the minimum wage

· Increasing funding for affordable housing

· Creating the GuideLink Center

· Passing two Conservation Bond Initiatives

· Passing the Human Rights Ordinance

· Creating the Free Tax Help Project

· Instituting the Buy Here Initiative

· Adding rural warning sirens

· Creating the Livable Community for Successful Aging Policy Board

· Creating the Local Foods Policy Council

· Adopting the Community ID

· Leading the transition to regional mental health care

From the very beginning, Rod has put the people and their community at the forefront.

· He provided steady leadership during the 2008 floods and over a decade later did the same during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

· He saved the Sutliff Bridge, preserved the Historic Poor Farm, and initiated the renaming of Johnson County after Lulu Merle Johnson.

· Rod started the 1105 Project with the gift of the old Public Health Building.

But it isn't just the people of Johnson County he fights for; it is also the land they live on. In his time, he advocated and passed the Sensitive Area Ordinance, Stormwater Ordinance, Wind and Solar Ordinance, and the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan.

I’m proud of the work I have done. Moving forward, I plan to continue to focus on mental health, affordable housing, climate change, and more. I think we can accomplish more great things. That is why I would ask for your vote during the 2026 Democratic Primary.

*Endorsements Part 1!

I am incredibly honored to receive the endorsements of the Iowa City Federation of Labor (AFL-CIO), Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Building Trades, Carpenter’s Local 1260, Teamsters Local 238, IBEW Local 405, Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 125, and Laborer's Local 43!

In addition, I have been endorsed by the Presidents of AFSCME, AFGE, American Federation of Musicians, and Sheet Metal Workers.

Nothing makes me prouder than the fact that the working people of our county know I have their backs! Thank you, organized labor!

*Endorsements Part 2!

I am also proud to announce that I have been named by Moms Demand Action as a Gun Sense candidate! I really appreciate this, as I believe Moms Demand Action has done important work both nationally and locally. I have received this recognition every election since Moms Demand Action came into being.

*Negative Campaigning

I have been asked several times about all the negative campaigning in the Supervisor primary. It is true, in all my years of observing local politics, I have never seen anything like it. Obviously, I am not enjoying the daily rounds of character assassinations.

I know several folks who have said, “I thought about saying something, but I do not want to be bullied online.” I totally understand that fear. It is real. You should protect yourself.

So what can you do? Proactively tell friends and family who you support and why. Stay away from the negativity. But spread a positive message.

This is almost over. Hang in there!

*US Senate Race

I have been frustrated with the discussions I hear and see regarding the two Democratic candidates for the US Senate, Zach Wahls and Josh Turek. (In the interest of full disclosure, I support Wahls. More on that in a moment.)

The stuff that angers me falls into a couple of different categories. First, what I like to call the “Punditry Problem.” It seems many Democrats in Iowa have decided their job is determine the “electability” of a given candidate. We see this type of discussion on CNN or MSNBC and we think this is somehow our job.

Playing Pundit is not our job. And even if it were, experience shows we are not good at playing that role. Primary elections are held to allow the voters to choose a candidate who they believe will take things in the direction they want. So – what have the candidates accomplished? Where do they stand on the important issues of the day? Have they demonstrated an ability to work with others? What ideas do they have?

Pundits do not like to discuss this stuff, even though it is the most important thing. Pundits simply want to talk electability. And that discussion takes away from the things voters really care about.

I have heard Wahls cannot be elected because he is from Johnson County. I have heard the “focus on gay stuff” will hurt him. I have heard that Turek cannot be elected because he has never represented any rural areas. All of these can become self-fulfilling prophecies if we let them. But what does any of that have to do with getting Iowans healthcare? With cleaning our water? With a fair tax system? With good education? With good jobs? With safe and affordable housing? Nothing.

Please stop trying to play pundit, and talk about issues. This moment is a golden opportunity, and we are running out of time! While the candidates do agree on most issues, there are some key differences. Check that out!

Another frustration I feel is the decision by supporters of both candidates to put so much focus on negative campaigning. As I mentioned earlier, I support Wahls. (Again, more on that later.) That said, Josh Turek has an incredible story. By all accounts, he is a great guy. His record is solid. If he wins, I’ll be sending him a contribution. And regardless of who wins, as usual, I will knock hundreds of doors.

One more thing: the decision by Chuck Schumer to use donor dollars to weigh in on this race pisses me off. First, Iowans deserve to make this decision free from outside interference. Secondly, how well has Schumer done with his picks? Janet Mills, in Maine, anyone? How did he do in races in Illinois, Michigan, and Minnesota? His track record is not good. Let the voters decide, and save those millions for the fall, when we are running against Republicans!

Finally, why I support Zach Wahls: The answer is simple – I have gotten to know him. He is my friend. We care about the same things. We have been on the same side for several fights. We stood shoulder to shoulder fighting for residents in our mobile home communities. Zach literally and figuratively showed up. That matters. He is very smart, he is an excellent speaker, and I believe he can do this job. That is enough for me.

Please weigh in on this important election. Then put your time, talents, and treasure toward whoever wins. They are going to need it!

*Biking Award

The Johnson County Downtown Campus has been designated as a Gold Bicycle Friendly Business for the third time by the League of American Bicyclists.

The campus, which includes the Administration, Health and Human Services, and Ambulance Service and Medical Examiner facilities in Iowa City, previously earned gold recognition in 2017 and 2021.

The national recognition program assesses bicycle encouragement, education, planning and evaluation, and infrastructure every four years.

Johnson County’s recognized efforts included encouraging employees to commute by bike, hosting bike breakfasts, sharing safe riding tips in multiple languages, surveying employees about their bike habits and providing bicycle racks at each building.

Staff input on committees that focus on trails and safety, and funding from the Board of Supervisors to the Iowa City Bike Library, also helped Johnson County earn gold.

More than 1,130 businesses nationwide hold the Bicycle Friendly Business designation. The latest round recognized 44 new and renewing businesses. The recognition provides Johnson County access to League educational materials and technical assistance.

Learn more about the Bicycle Friendly Business program at www.bikeleague.org/business.

*DID YOU KNOW? I was the first elected official in the whole US to endorse Bernie Sanders for President, way back in 2015.

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

May 18, 2026

Monday, May 25 is Memorial Day. I hope you have a wonderful holiday, and I hope you spend at least a part of it remembering those who have died while serving our Country. Happy Memorial Day to all!

Three years after the Civil War ended, on May 5, 1868, the head of an organization of Union veterans — the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) — established Decoration Day as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers. Maj. Gen. John A. Logan declared it should be May 30. It is believed the date was chosen because flowers would be in bloom all over the country.

The first large observance was held that year at Arlington National Cemetery, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. The ceremonies centered around the mourning- draped veranda of the Arlington mansion, once the home of Gen. Robert E. Lee. Various Washington officials, including Gen. and Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant, presided over the ceremonies. After speeches, children from the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Orphan Home and members of the GAR made their way through the cemetery, strewing flowers on both Union and Confederate graves, reciting prayers and singing hymns.

I really don’t know what to say about this. It is 2026, and this pisses me off: Nine states officially set aside a day to honor those who died fighting for the Confederacy in the Civil War: Texas, South Carolina, North Carolina, Alabama, Virginia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and Georgia.

“Hey, y’all! Let’s celebrate traitors who attempted to overthrow the US Government because they wanted to keep black people as property!” Can’t we do better?

Memorial Day Weekend means graduations. Congratulations to all our graduating seniors! Commencement has already taken place at the UI and Kirkwood, and the local high schools are graduating soon.

I know that Melissa (and others) accuse me of being overly sentimental when it comes to these types of things. That may be true. But graduation really is a milestone. Honestly, Pomp and Circumstance always brings a tear to my eye!

Certainly, what graduates do in the future is much more important than what they have done to date. But the fact is, they have accomplished something important. Let’s reflect upon it, and celebrate it! Congrats again to all the graduates!

I wrote a lot about the jail in last week’s Salvos. And it led to a lot of questions about the proposed new facility. Unfortunately, what I wrote in the May 7 edition of Salvos remains all we can say, so I am repeating that item here below.

On Thursday, April 23, the Board of Supervisors went into a closed session to discuss a real estate matter. Upon coming out of that session (into an open meeting) the Board voted 4-1 to empower the County Attorney’s Office to pursue the purchase of land for a new Sheriff’s Office and jail.

The vote was 4-1, with Supervisors Green, Remington, Green Douglass, and me voting yes, and Supervisor Fixmer Oraiz voting no.

Unfortunately, we cannot discuss our votes and the reasons for them until the property in question is under contract. At that time, Supervisors can explain their votes. And I cannot wait!

In late February of 2025, the Board of Supervisors contracted with the UI Center for Social Services Innovation (CSSI) to do a community wide survey to see how people felt about building a new jail.

CSSI was created several years ago to do exactly this – get good data in the hands of local governments and other entities who have no ability to capture the data themselves. CSSI has a Director and Associate Director, both with Ph.Ds. It has an Advisory Board, 5/6 of whom hold Ph.Ds. There are 67 Affiliate Researchers – 66 of them have Ph.Ds. and the one without holds a JD. There are literally *SCORES* of graduate students who work with these 70+ researchers. These people are experts. They know how to do research. That is precisely why we hired them. It probably does not need to be said, but CSSI has no ability to control the way in which people use their data.

A couple of my colleagues do not like what the report said. Yet they ignore the expertise of the many experienced Ph.Ds. and Graduate Students who actually worked on the report. Why? Because they put ideology above facts.

This is not the first time these Supervisors have ignored the facts. They ignored the data when they made the shameful vote to ship kids in detention all the way across Iowa. They ignore the local statistics on gun violence. They continue to ignore the facts around the number of individuals in the custody of the Sheriff. Basically, when the data does not fit their ideology, ideology ALWAYS wins.

We have had this report for over 6 months. Why is it in the news now? Because we have an election coming up. Plain and simple.

But you know what REALLY makes me angry? These two Supervisors are willing to throw these decorated researchers – our fellow Johnson County residents! - under the bus to serve their cause. They are happy to participate in sullying the reputations of UI Faculty and Graduate Students in order to serve themselves politically. And that is wrong.

Ideological attacks on the UI are bad, whether they come from the left or the right.

I am interested in the recent discussions around the idea of expertise and the roll it plays in our lives.

It is important to note – the whole Johnson County economy is dependent upon the idea of expertise. Doctors, Pharmacists, Dentists, Nurses, Attorneys, Engineers, Scientists…the list goes on and on. People come here to the University, where a tremendous amount of expertise exists. These people gain expertise, and add their own contributions to the cannon. The process repeats, and the level of expertise deepens. Doctors today know a lot more than doctors did 100 years ago. They are better trained. And that is a good thing!

Unfortunately, the politics of the day have promoted a huge Republican pushback against this expertise. Vaccine recommendations are ignored, and policy makers choose the side without the expertise. Don’t like the Bureau of Labor jobs report? Fire the expert who is in charge of the data. The GOP attacks clean energy despite years of good science. They ignore decades-long science related to climate change, clean air, and clean water.

According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, between January 20^th and September 30^th of this year, there have been 506 attacks on science. (They define attacks on science as actions, statements, or decisions that undermine, co-opt, or ignore science in the federal government.)

Republicans at the federal level do not have a monopoly on attacks on science and knowledge. Republicans in the State of Iowa are doing everything they can to squelch science and free speech at state universities.

We see the state and federal impacts here. Excellent scientists and doctors have already left the UI for universities where they can do their research free of interference from right-wing zealots. More excellent scientists and doctors will follow them out the door as Republicans give tax cuts to wealthy corporations and starve the UI – the state’s biggest employer.

Attacks on expertise are often fueled by jealousy. People who do backbreaking jobs in western Iowa sees that these folks with their Ph.Ds. make better money and have better retirements. Rather than banding together to improve their own situations, they attack the Ph.Ds. And the race to the bottom continues.

It is important to note, however, that it is not just the GOP who attacks expertise. Locally, many on the left have joined the chorus of folks who attack the idea of expertise.

It is true that expertise has expanded into additional areas. 200 years ago, if you told someone you were an “expert” in carpentry, animal husbandry, nutrition, or child development, they would have just laughed at you. Those were viewed as basics, passed on from mothers to daughters and fathers to sons.

But remember that part about the cannon expanding? We know today that there actually *IS* expertise in carpentry, animal husbandry, nutrition, and child development. As we recognized this fact, society adapted. And as the number of professions grew, we needed a way to figure out who was legit when it came to possessing expertise.

We did this in several ways. We created licensing. An electrical inspector for Johnson County is licensed. A food inspector is licensed. Sheriff’s Deputies are graduates of the Law Enforcement Academy. Other occupations have different requirements of licenses, certifications, degrees, etc. It also extends to whole Departments. Johnson County has nationally accredited Ambulance, Medical Examiner, and Public Health Departments, just to name a few.

I see this as positive in the macro. The public needs to know that the people who serve them are good at their jobs. While all these licenses, certifications, degrees, etc. cannot guarantee an employee or department will do a good job, it is much better than nothing.

One area where I see expertise constantly attacked is Social Services. The Johnson County Social Services Department is very well-credentialed. People are licensed, certified, and degreed. Not to mention experienced. But this is an area where the average person feels they know enough to question every decision. This extends to local nonprofits, too. Many have achieved national accreditation, of which they should be proud. But locals poo-poo this experience and expertise.

Local nonprofits are actually damned good at what they do. If you take the time to look, you’ll see a tremendous amount of expertise exists within these organizations. It goes well beyond rolling out a cot or handing out a loaf of bread. These are trained professionals, who deserve to be treated (and paid) as such. It is ironic to see the same folks who attack Republicans for ignoring expertise be so willing to attack expertise themselves.

Experts are not always correct. That is why you get two estimates on your car repair, and why you seek a second opinion from another doctor. But we ignore expertise at our peril. I hate seeing how deeply that flows on both the far right and far left. If any place should respect expertise, it is Johnson County – home to many experts on many things.

*DID YOU KNOW? For sitting US Presidents have been assassinated: Abe Lincoln in 1865; James Garfield in 1881; William McKinley in 1901; and John Kennedy in 1963.