Rod Sullivan, Supervisor, Johnson County, Iowa

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SULLIVAN'S SALVOS

June 13, 2019

Sullivan’s Salvos     6/18/19



In this edition:


*Computer Issues
*RIP Jim Clayton
*Elizabeth Warren for President!
*Juneteenth Celebration
*Block Party
*Great Service from County Government!
*Did You Know?



*Computer Issues
         I have had some home computer issues throughout June. Wow! It certainly points out our dependence upon these machines! I hope none of my inconveniences became your inconveniences! Meanwhile, wish me luck with a new hard drive!



*RIP Jim Clayton
         We lost a true original with the June 5 passing of Jim Clayton. Clayton, 81, owned and operated the Soap Opera in downtown Iowa City for over 3 decades. He was a well-respected business person who, given the location of his store, took up the issue of alcohol in downtown Iowa City. He did such good work that he eventually became the Chair of the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division.

         Jim also served many local nonprofits, notably the Crisis Center, The Arc, and Big Brothers Big Sisters. (Jim maintained the same “Little Brother” match for decades!) He was very generous with both his time and money.

         I got to know Jim well through our mutual friend, Gary Sanders. “Soapy” (as Gary liked to call Jim) had a great sense of humor, and really enjoyed pulling up a bench on the Ped Mall and talking politics, baseball, and a million other topics.

         Jim Clayton was truly a good man. I will miss him. RIP, Soapy!



*Elizabeth Warren for President!
         I decided to make it official last week, endorsing Elizabeth Warren for President! I am really excited about the Warren campaign! I support Elizabeth Warren because we know exactly where she stands.

Billionaires, insurance companies, big pharma, polluters, tech giants, big Ag, and Wall Street HATE her. That is good enough for me! As FDR once said, “Judge me by the enemies I’ve made.”

We need big ideas. Nobody has more big ideas than Warren. Plus, she can explain how every big idea will work and exactly how it is paid for. I am so proud to endorse Elizabeth Warren for President!

Regardless of the policy being discussed, the most common retort from Republicans to Democrats is, “How are you going to pay for it?” Warren leads with this. Her Wealth Tax will conservatively generate $2.75 TRILLION in revenue over ten years. That covers all her plans.

And you have heard about many of those plans. Universal Childcare. Student debt relief. Free college. Historic investment in affordable housing. Ending corruption. Rebuilding the middle class. Strengthening Democracy. Equal Justice. Each with detailed plans!

         I would love to talk more about the Warren campaign. Please contact me if you would like to know more!



*Juneteenth Celebration
         The annual Juneteenth Celebration will be held Saturday, June 22 from 12-4 at Mercer Park in Iowa City. Johnson County is one of many partners collaborating to bring you the annual Juneteenth celebration.

Join us for a day of family fun, free entertainment, information fair, free food (while supplies last) and more! We are celebrating Juneteenth and the civil rights movements past and present. You won't want to miss this!



*Block Party
         The Iowa City Downtown District is holding another Block Party, Saturday, June 22 from 5-11 PM.

         This is the third annual event, and frankly, I think it is a potential watershed. The first Block Party in 2017 was a magnificent event! It delivered exactly what the Downtown District hoped. There was a huge, diverse crowd, and everyone seemed to have a good time. 

The second event in 2018 sowed the seeds of doubt. While it was also very well-attended, the crowd was much younger and MUCH more intoxicated! I don’t think I have ever been around more outdoor smoke. And there were several pinch points throughout the pedestrian areas, making it almost impossible to get through certain spots. I heard a lot of locals complain that they had great hopes after 2017, but that 2018 had left a bad taste in their mouths.

So, we arrive at 2019. I have faith that the Downtown District will put on a great event. I will be there, fully intending to have a great time! I hope you will join me!



*Great Service from County Government!
         Around 7:30 last Friday night, I got a call from an Iowa City family. Their daughter was stuck in Dubai, on her way to South Africa. She was not going to be able to complete the trip without her birth certificate. She needed it ASAP, or she was going to be stuck halfway around the world.

         I went out on a bit of a limb, and gave the caller the cell phone number of County Recorder Kim Painter. Within an hour, Deputy Recorder Eric Therme was back in the Recorder’s Office, finding the birth certificate, and sending it electronically to Dubai. The young lady got to her destination, and her family could rest at ease.

         While I truly appreciate Eric and Kim going above and beyond on a Friday night, it actually doesn’t surprise me. They work hard for the people of Johnson County every day. We are really lucky to have them!



*DID YOU KNOW?  Elizabeth Warren is the author of four books and coauthor of six more. Most deal with personal finance, bankruptcy, banking regulations, and other areas of financial policy.



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. 

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As always, feel free to contact me at 354-7199 or rodsullivan@mchsi.com. I look forward to serving you!

---Rod





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