SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
January 13, 2025
Sullivan’s Salvos 1/16/25
In this edition:
*California Wildfires
*MLK
*Grace
*Medical Examiner Stats
*Contributors to the Housing Crisis
*Elected Official Seniority
*Did You Know?
*California Wildfires
The wildfires sweeping California are tragic. Please acknowledge the incalculable losses people are suffering. And please acknowledge the role climate change is playing in these types of extreme weather events.
*MLK
Monday, January 20 marks the federal holiday celebrating the birthday of the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Junior. I am so pleased that our country has chosen to honor this great man, and I hope you enjoy the holiday in his name. As usual, the Board of Supervisors will do a proclamation in his honor.
We would like to think America has come a long way since the 60s. After the 2016 and 2024 elections, I’m not certain I feel that way any longer. Race was a HUGE issue in the 2016 election, and the team the racists supported won. In 2024 and since, overt racists have felt emboldened to do and say almost anything.
Look at America today. Black Lives Matter was a response to the epidemic of black men being killed by police. The US Supreme Court killed much of the Voting Rights Act, and they are likely to kill Affirmative Action. Black women die in childbirth at ridiculous rates. Black men are more likely to go to prison than college. The list goes on and on. Our society still has a deep racial divide.
We also need to recognize that King was a radical. America grudgingly accepted racial reforms because they were less dangerous to the status quo than the other issues King championed – namely economic justice. King took seriously the Biblical teachings that the love of money is a sin, and that rich men will not be welcomed into Heaven. (King was a Democratic Socialist!) He proposed seismic changes to the political and social structures that exist in America. In addition, King was adamantly anti-war. He was NOT beloved by all in his day; he was jailed 29 times! To the status quo, he was the most dangerous man in the world.
Take some time this week to read some of the great books that are out there on Dr. King. More importantly, take some time to read the things he wrote himself. A year or so ago I read the biography of MLK by Jonathon Eig entitled King: A Life. I highly recommend it!
And if you are so inclined, there are several worthwhile local celebrations. The University of Iowa and the City of Iowa City both have a list of events.
I cannot let MLK Day pass without looking at our situation locally. It should come as no surprise that the local African American community is not monolithic. There are many different backgrounds, personalities, religions, opinions, and more. It makes it really important for political types to not fall into the trap of asking, “What does the black community want?” There are many answers to that question, and those answers differ from person to person.
We have SO much work to do. We cannot forget that. But we also need to take the time to celebrate our successes. Happy MLK Day!
*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.
*Medical Examiner Stats
We recently received some statistics from the Johnson County Medical Examiner’s Office. These stats are sometimes sobering, but always interesting. Here are just a few:
In calendar year ‘23, the ME Office investigated 924 cases. 442 of those were “accepted,” meaning there would be more than a cursory investigation. In calendar year ’24, the ME Office investigated 930 cases, and 511 were accepted. These are down from a COVID peak of 1150 cases.
There are some disturbing trends. Suicides rose 39%, from 23 to 32. Drug overdose deaths stayed about the same, at 43, but that number is far too high. Homicides in Johnson County went up from 5 to 6.
While the stats can be alarming, it is great to know that we have such accomplished, committed people doing the work of the Johnson County Medical Examiner’s Office.
*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.
The decision by the UI (that started in the early 50s) 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.
*Elected Official Seniority
My good friend and political savant John Deeth came up with this list two years ago. I believe it is still accurate; I just updated the total years.
Below is the list of elected officials representing all or part of Johnson County who have been in office the longest. Note – this does NOT include Township Trustees. So, by seniority:
1.) 42 years - US Senator Chuck Grassley. In office much longer (67 years) but only represented Johnson County as a US Senator for 42 of those years.
2.) 31 years - Louise From. University Heights council 1993-2005, mayor 2005 to present (except for a one-year gap in 2016).
3.) 28 years - State Representative Dave Jacoby, dated from winning Coralville City Council in 1997. Joined the Iowa House in 2002.
4.) 26 years - Johnson County Recorder Kim Painter, elected in 1998.
5.) 24 years - Tim Kemp - Hills council 2001, Hills Mayor 2011-present.
For what it is worth, I like four of them a lot! J Thanks for the interesting bit of info, Deeth!
*DID YOU KNOW? The only Americans to have their birthdays observed as a National Holiday are George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, MLK, and Cesar Chavez.
Anyone interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the County website-
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---Rod
posted by Rod Sullivan @ 9:06 PM
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