SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
September 6, 2026
Sullivan’s Salvos 9/10/26
In this edition:
*Happy Rosh Hashanah
*Congratulations Patrick!
*Worst Ever!
*Is Local Government Actually the Answer?
*Consequential – GuideLink
*Salvos Salutes – 2018
*Did You Know?
*Happy Rosh Hashanah
Rosh Hashanah 5787 begins at sundown on September 11. Shanah Tovah to all who celebrate it.
*Congratulations Patrick!
My friend Patrick Kearns has retired after 30 years as a nurse at the Iowa City VA Hospital. He wrote the following, and I thought it deserved to be reprinted here:
“I became a nurse after being a paramedic and astutely observing that it did not rain in the hospital. I truly enjoyed being a nurse. I saw people at their best and worst and was allowed to try to make their lives better. That was a privilege that very few people get. Society has become disconnected from the suffering that exists in our lives. When people brag about not getting vaccines they have never seen someone die. When people dismiss seatbelts, car seats, and helmets they have not seen what happens when they are not used.”
Thank you for your service, Brother! The good news? Patrick is continuing as Union President at least until President Trump is gone.
*Worst Ever!
I am not a historian. But I have read quite a bit about James Buchanan, Andrew Johnson, Warren Harding, and Richard Nixon. All bad Presidents. And none of them come even close to approaching the heinous, horrible, disgusting corruption, moral bankruptcy, narcissism, and incompetency of Donald Trump. There is no question in my mind we are living through the worst Presidency in US history.
Trump may not just be our worst President ever – he may be our worst human ever. I pray for our world every day.
*Is Local Government Actually the Answer?
I am always amazed by the number of people who think local government can solve all their problems. I am even more amazed by the number of elected officials who feed that idea.
Local government plays an important role in the lives of the people it serves. But it cannot do everything. An example:
I have been trying to improve health care for Iowans for decades. I used to work in the Iowa Medicaid program. On a local level, Johnson County and our cities do a lot to make healthcare more available and affordable.
But we can barely imagine the scope of this problem. State governments can do much more, but even then, they are not close to being able to solve this problem. It will take the full force of the federal government to meaningfully address this issue.
Should local governments do all they can to help in this area? It depends upon what “all they can” means to you. Should local governments invest? Of course. Should they invest so heavily that they cannot afford to maintain roads or parks or provide police and fire? I would say no.
But there are elected officials out there who would tell you that local governments *can* do this. They are wrong, and they are charlatans. They feed on the understandable anger of the public – who deserve healthcare! – and pretend that local government can fix the problem. They claim the only reason local governments have not fixed it is other elected officials are lazy, stupid, or some combination. Yet they have no plans. They are opposed to the status quo, but offer no specific way to solve the problem.
This is a very unproductive game. I wish they would stop.
*Consequential – GuideLink
One of my proudest accomplishments as a Supervisor is the creation of the GuideLink Center. GuideLink Center was created to provide a third option – other than the hospital or jail - for those who are experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis.
The origins of GuideLink can be traced back to 2000. That year, Johnson County Sheriff Bob Carpenter was pushing for a new jail. Frankly, Johnson County needed a new jail even then. The proposal was not a good one, however, and Carpenter was not interested in selling it. That combination led the bond to an overwhelming loss.
But the jail was still massively overcrowded. So the Board hired a consultant to help them figure out what to do. The group they hired (the State Public Policy Group) came back with a recommendation that Johnson County create a Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee (CJCC). The County did so, forming this group in 2003. It included representation from the Sheriff’s Office and other law enforcement agencies, the County Attorney’s Office, the Judiciary, Probation and Parole, social services agencies, and others. The CJCC was charged with finding ways to keep people out of jail, and to get them out more quickly once they were there. (The CJCC met from 2003 until 2015, then reconstituted in 2023. I joined after my election in 2004.) There were all kinds of good things that came from CJCC, including a number of successful jail alternatives still in place today.
Another phenomenon was taking place at the same time. In 2006, writer Malcom Gladwell did a piece in the New Yorker called, “Million Dollar Murray.” It was the story of an ex-Marine in Reno, Nevada named Murray Barr who had long struggles with mental health, alcohol, and drugs. When hospitals, ambulances services, the county jail, and other Reno-area agencies began comparing notes, they realized they had spent over a million dollars providing services to Murray. Yet nothing had changed.
Locals in Johnson County began comparing notes. A group called Systems of Care (SOC) led by Steven Trefz of the Mideast Iowa Community Health Center began meeting to discuss the same phenomenon here. The SOC group began small, with about 8 of us to start. It is still going today, sometimes with as many as 75 attendees between in person and Zoom.
A final catalyst – and she really was a catalyst! Johnson County hired a young woman named Jessica Peckover to serve in our Jail Alternatives program. Jessica was high energy, to say the least. Her infectious enthusiasm got things done that might have languished otherwise.
One of the most important initiatives to come out of these two groups (CJCC and SOC) was Crisis Intervention Training (CIT). While law enforcement officers had always received some training in de-escalation, this was a whole new ballgame. A proven curriculum was adopted, and every officer from every agency was mandated to participate. This was neither cheap nor easy, but it had big impacts. Major Steve Dolezal, a longtime law enforcement officer then second in command at the Sheriff’s Office called CIT, “The greatest advancement in our work since computers.”
CIT was working, and it was resulting in lower arrest rates. We had well-trained problem solvers out on the street, responding to people in need. But there were still too many times where people had nowhere to go. We still needed a place that was not jail, and not the hospital, but safe.
Jessica found just such a place in San Antonio, TX. I was one of the first people from Johnson County to visit, and I definitely wanted to start something similar here. Most folks who visited felt similarly.
There were just a few problems. Was it legal? Where would we put such a facility? Who would build it? Who would own it? Who would run it? How would it be paid for? So yeah – we had some unanswered questions.
But we did not allow that to stop us! I was on the GuideLink Committee for over 15 years. We answered those questions. The facility just celebrated 5 years a few months ago. We have now served over 10,000 people! It has made Johnson County a better place to live! And yes, I am tremendously proud of GuideLink!
*Salvos Salutes – 2018
What I wrote about some of the honorees from Salvos’s Salutes in 2018:
Bob Dvorsky (again): A rare repeat winner! Senator Dvorsky is retiring from the Iowa Senate after 38 years in public office. Congratulations on your retirement, Senator. Thank you for all you have done over the years. You have been a friend and a role model. I have learned a lot from you, and you have my never-ending respect and admiration. To Sir With Love. Best wishes.
Dick Schwab and Katherine Burford (again): Another couple repeat winners! I listed their accomplishments once in Salvos; it took the whole edition! They have been the premier philanthropists in Johnson County for 30 years. Nobody else is close. And as they moved away, in a final act of charitable kindness, they make a $1 million donation to the Johnson County Conservation Department! They are truly good people, and I will really miss Dick and Katherine!
Royceann Porter (again): This is the year of repeat winners! When she was honored in 2014, I wrote: “No matter the issue, Royceann Porter has become the “go-to” person for the local African American community. The community is too large and diverse to have a single spokesperson, but Royceann is widely respected as a problem solver. Understand – this is a tremendous weight to place on one woman’s shoulders! But Royceann has proven herself to be up to the task.”
Fast forward to 2018, and Royceann has taken the next step – becoming the first African American ever elected to Countywide office!
Cheryl Stowe: Since I am breaking all the rules anyway – Sherry was not from Johnson County. We used to work together, and during that time, she became one of my best friends. Sherry was absolutely one of a kind. Funny, smart, and caring. Unfortunately, she was brutally murdered earlier this year near her home in Western Iowa. RIP, Sherry. I will never forget you!
Kevin “BF” Burt: The Board recognized Kevin “BF” Burt this year after he won the 34th Annual International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee. We could have just as easily honored him for being a damned good guy who freely gives of his time and talent. Johnson County is so blessed to be the adopted home of this musical legend!
Stephen Trefz: Personally, professionally, politically… Stephen Trefz is truly one of the good guys. Stephen recently retired from Abbe Health after a long career serving those with mental health needs in Johnson County. I have known Stephen since the 80s when he was a therapist at Mid-Eastern Iowa Community Mental Health, an organization he later led. He has always been a force for good in our community, and I wish him all the best in his retirement. Thanks, Stephen, for all your great work!
Susan Craig: All she did was run the greatest place on earth for a quarter century! Top that! Congratulations on your retirement after 43 years of service to the Iowa City Public Library, including the last 24 as Director!
Eastside Democrats: The Iowa Democratic Party doesn’t need to staff Johnson County as thoroughly as it used to. Why? Because the Eastside Democrats kick butt! This group of (primarily) women decided to take on electoral politics a couple of cycles ago, and they have changed the game!
Sharon Lake: The leader of the aforementioned Eastside Democrats, Sharon is an indefatigable worker and a dynamic leader. Democrats throughout the State owe her for her remarkable volunteer work!
Jim Pregon: A Deputy Treasurer for the past 28 years, Jim is one of the hardest workers I have ever met. He comes in early, stays late, and works until the job is finished and finished correctly. When you see a guy on his knees in the parking lot, changing license plates for a little old lady? That was Jim. And that is an everyday occurrence. While I congratulate him on his retirement, I know Johnson County will really miss Jim Pregon!
Kurt Friese: Oh, Kurt. My heart hurts. You were quite a character. Gone far too young, my colleague Kurt Friese made a huge impact in a short time as a member of the Board of Supervisors. I will always remember his flair, his wit, and his deep concern for those who are less fortunate. RIP, my friend.
As you can see, 2018 was a year full of people worthy of our admiration!
*DID YOU KNOW? State Medicaid matches are based upon each state’s relative wealth. Connecticut (1) has the highest state match, while Mississippi (50) has the lowest. Iowa’s match is 35% - ranking us 31st. Not at the bottom, but poor. (When I worked there in the 90s, Iowa was 24th. We have fallen.)
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 @ 11:28 AM
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