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rodsullivan.org
SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
April 29, 2008
Sullivan’s Salvos 4/29/08 I have mentioned before that there is a Primary election on June 3rd in Johnson County. Republicans can vote to select a nominee to run for Congress, while Democrats can choose candidates for the offices of Auditor and Supervisor. As one of the 4 candidates for 3 Supervisor positions, I have a pretty vested interest in how this Primary turns out. But do not view this primary as an opportunity for me or any other candidate. View it as an opportunity for yourself! Unfortunately, we rarely have substantive discussions on the issues that face us all, be they big or mundane. I know that as a voter, I find it important to ask candidates how they feel about the issues that are important to me. I want to know that the people who represent me share my values and vision. Well, voters, some rare opportunities await! The AARP is holding a forum on May 5 at 2 PM at the Senior Center. The League of Women Voters is holding a forum on May 14 at 7 PM at the ICPL. Other opportunities may come along as well. Attend these forums, and ask questions. If you cannot be there in person, watch the replays, and tell your friends what you saw. There are important questions to be asked regarding taxes, the budget, land use, the environment, human services, labor, and more. How have we voted in the past? What have we accomplished? What do we pledge to do? Do not miss these opportunities. Ask us questions. Hold us accountable. Make us sweat! We work for you, and you need to evaluate our body of work. Speaking of the campaign… a number of people have taken yard signs. Thank you for your support! A couple rules to remember: 1. If you own or work at a business that is incorporated – which means most businesses - you cannot put up a sign. That is a violation of section 68A.406 of the Iowa Code. If my sign is at your business, take it down right away, take it home, and put it up there. 2. Signs must stay out of the right of way. In town, this can usually be identified as the area between the sidewalk and the street. In the country, it is roughly the fence line. If you have any questions on any of this, or don’t have a sign and want one, just give me a call. Thanks! Due to frost boils left over from winter plus the very wet spring, the Johnson County Engineer has embargoed several chip seal roads. This means no vehicles over 16,000 pounds are allowed on the roads. (There is a State exception for vehicles directly involved in agriculture.) Embargoes serve a very important purpose. In bad conditions and without weight limits, chip seal roads can literally get destroyed. Fixing them would cost the taxpayers millions of dollars. Embargoes are precautions that protect our investments. Roads get embargoed on occasion; the last time the Board had an in-depth discussion of the policy was 2001. In 2001, the Board and waste haulers agreed that haulers would need to get smaller vehicles to comply with embargoes. At least 3 companies (Johnson County Refuse, Hawkeye Waste, and Waste Management) complied. These businesses are picking up waste as I write this. One company (N&N Sanitation) chose not to comply. This has caused a problem for rural residents who use N&N Sanitation for their waste hauling. Now N&N wants an exception. Is this fair to the other companies that invested in new equipment? Is this fair to taxpayers who will need to fund the repair to damaged roads? N&N is trying to paint Johnson County as unreasonable. Johnson County, looking out for taxpayers, has played by the rules. Look, I understand that it is frustrating to go without garbage pick up. But I have been incredibly frustrated by the responses of some of the affected residents. One gentleman made me so angry that I decided to act. I drove out to his house and picked up his garbage and recycling myself. I emptied his cans into garbage bags, threw them in the back of my minivan, took them to town, and disposed of them properly. I am not any unbelievable problem-solver. It strikes me that both N&N and this gentleman could have done what I did. I grew up on a farm. We never had garbage picked up. Not once. Ever. Whatever the animals wouldn’t eat got burned. Granted, this might be old-fashioned, and those old practices are certainly less than healthy. But if my family and I could do it for 155 years, surely N&N Sanitation can manage for two weeks. I am not asking folks to give up garbage service, but a little understanding would be nice. Some residents have complained that they did not know the embargoes were in place. Embargoes are noted through signs, articles are run in the paper, and embargoed roads are listed on the County website. Perhaps letters should be sent to all property owners in the area; I am willing to investigate this option. As a Board, we are screwed no matter what we do. The weather this year was terrible. Protect the roads, the public is angry. Let the roads go to hell, the public is angry. We cannot control the weather, and we cannot win in this situation. The Board will be discussing embargoes at our regular meeting – 9AM on Thursday, May 1st. As always, this meeting is open to the public. DID YOU KNOW? One in every 33 adults in the US is in jail, prison, or on probation/parole. That is the highest percentage in the world. Anyone interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the County website- www.johnson-county.com. "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 rodsullivan@mchsi.com with "subscribe" in the subject line. As always, feel free to contact me at 354-7199 or rodsullivan@mchsi.com. I look forward to serving you! ---Rod
April 22, 2008
Sullivan’s Salvos 4/22/08
Today is Earth Day! I am very proud of the environmental steps that the Johnson County Board of Supervisors has taken in my three years and 4 months on the Board.
Johnson County became the first Sierra Club Cool County in Iowa. We have joined the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI), and we are in the process of measuring our baseline carbon footprint. Two staff people, one in P&Z and one in Facilities, have environmental goals near the top of their to-do lists. Staff people are attending the national ICLEI conference, and one has become LEED certified. The new Health & Human Services Building will be LEED certified, likely at the Silver level.
We adopted a Sensitive Areas Ordinance, the first County in Iowa to do so. The Land Use Plan emphasizes infill and the preservation of agricultural and environmentally sensitive land. Johnson County created a Trails Advisory Committee, and for the first time put dedicated funding for trails in the budget.
Funding for Conservation Department has increased, and the Conservation Board has a $20 million land preservation initiative on the November ballot.
These things didn’t just happen, by the way. Each thing happened since I joined the Board. Each thing mentioned above was met with resistance from one source if not several. It requires leadership to get things like these accomplished.
It might seem self-serving to bring this up. It is. I am running for reelection, and I am running for reelection on a record of accomplishment where environmental issues are concerned.
Happy Earth Day!
A can’t-miss Earth Day event is Earthapalooza, 6-9 PM on April 22 at the Iowa City Public Library. This event will highlight the work of 12 local environmental groups, and features a showing of Global Warming: Signs and Science. In addition, Johnson County will be recognized for our environmental good works. Sponsored by the Sierra Club, I-Renew, and the Iowa Global Warming Campaign.
I attended the presentation Friday by the Iowa DOT and Amtrak on the feasibility of passenger rail service between Chicago and Iowa City.
I have written in the past about my advocacy for passenger rail service. Nothing has changed! Passenger rail is an old idea whose time has come again.
Critics will complain that passenger rail is “subsidized”. Friends, there are few things on this planet subsidized to a greater extent that the oil business. That includes autos, roads… the whole bit. Subsidies do not even begin to describe it!
It is wonderful to see the DOT actively pursuing this! I think this is a GREAT idea, and I applaud the good work of everyone involved.
“MY VISION FOR REGIONAL SERVICES FOR THE JOHNSON COUNTY AREA” - A talk by CHUCK PETERS, President of The Gazette Company. Sponsored by the League of Women Voters.
With Responses from John Yapp, Executive Director, Johnson County Council of Governments; Larry Meyers, Johnson County Board of Supervisors; Dean Wheatley, City Planner, City of North Liberty; Mitch Gross, Coralville City Council; Matt Hayek, Iowa City City Council.
Wednesday April 23, 2008, 7 PM @ North Liberty Community Center
Room C.
The University of Iowa’s 30th Annual Riverfest is this Saturday and Sunday, April 25 & 26. For details, see: http://www.uiowa.edu/~rivrfest/
In addition, the River Run 5K, a charity event whose beneficiary is Uptown Bill’s Small Mall, has a theme this year of, "Run for Thrill, Run for Bill". To sign up, email www.uiowa.edu/~riverrun/
DID YOU KNOW? Iowa has the nation’s WORST record in terms of disproportionate minority confinement. In Iowa, African Americans are jailed and in prison at a rate 14 times their numbers as a percentage of the population.
Anyone interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the County website-
www.johnson-county.com .
"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 rodsullivan@mchsi.com with "subscribe" in the subject line.
As always, feel free to contact me at 354-7199 or rodsullivan@mchsi.com. I look forward to serving you!
---Rod
April 15, 2008
Sullivan’s Salvos 4/15/08
I asked readers last week to opine on the idea of a State of the County Address. I heard 9 votes for, 7 against, and 6 “other”. All the feedback was valuable. There were some interesting comments… “State of the County” seems awfully self-important,” was one I particularly liked!
My fellow Supervisors and I discussed the issue at a Key Issues meeting on April 9, and they said that any decisions in this area had always been the prerogative of the Chair.
So, after considering all your feedback, I decided to take the advice of a couple of you who voted “other”, and wrote an op-ed for the local papers. (It ran in the Press Citizen on Saturday.)
I appreciate your ideas – I think I did a better job as a result of your feedback. Now I am interested in your reactions to the op-ed itself.
Today is known throughout the US as Tax Day. I had a tax anecdote from a couple weeks ago that I wanted to share.
When most Americans refer to Tax Day, they are talking income taxes. The County has another couple tax days - it is required that property taxes be paid by March 31st and September 30th every year. On March 31, I had a friend make a comment to me about how he needed to go pay his property taxes. He seemed to be looking for some type of sympathy.
I do not have any particular sympathy for the guy who complained. Taxes are the price we pay to live in a civilized society. What’s more, anybody who is going to the Treasurer’s Office to pay her/his taxes is doing OK. Paying property taxes this way indicates you own VALUABLE property OUTRIGHT!
Some of you probably know the March & September dates, because you pay your taxes at these times. Many of you are unaware, however, because you do not own property outright. You have a mortgage, and your property taxes are paid monthly to your mortgage lender, who then pays the taxes.
What’s more, the home ownership rate in Johnson County is about 55% (source: US Census Bureau). So 45% of the households in Johnson County do not feel this “pain”, because they do not own real property!
Owning property is an investment. It is not the job of government to ensure that your investment turns a profit. If you really think property taxes are too high, sell the property and invest in something else! You have options that most residents of Johnson County can only dream of!
So I am supposed to feel sorry for those people who own property outright? I think not! My job, as FDR put it, is “not to comfort the comfortable.”
My aforementioned friend is the type of guy who will talk openly about religion, and how blessed he is. Apparently his blessings do not include the taxable property he owns.
Look – I understand that people do not like taxes. I know that governments must be responsible stewards of tax dollars. I also understand that some folks are property rich and cash poor. The problem is, we never want to acknowledge that others are property poor and cash poor BOTH.
I am always willing to listen to suggestions to improve the system. But I rarely get thoughtful discussion; instead, I get the slings and arrows of people, most who claim to be progressives.
Questions about taxes (who pays, how much, when, why, and how) are important. Economic justice is important. But we are unlikely to discuss either in a meaningful, public way.
DVIP presents internationally recognized author Jackson Katz for two programs on Mentoring Nonviolence. Both are April 17 – 3 PM at West High and 7 PM at MacBride Auditorium. For more info, contact Kristie at 351-1042 Extension 112.
Four Oaks Iowa City Book & Bake Sale will be held Saturday, April 19 from 8:00 – 11:30 am at First Presbyterian Church 2701 Rochester Avenue, Iowa City. Proceeds will go to support multiple Four Oaks community outreach programs. For more information, contact Janice Baumback 337-5898.
Iowa City Hospice Walk for Dignity is Sunday, April 20. For more information, see the website www.iowacityhospice.org.
The second annual local food summit, entitled Changing the Face of School Lunch will be held from 3-6 PM April 24 at West High. Sponsored by the Johnson County Local Food Alliance, this event includes both small group and panel discussions, info booths, and tasting! Registration is required. For more info, contact James Nisley at james.Nisely@jclfa.org or 936-6510.
The Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce is holding its annual Business Fair Wednesday, April 16 from 4-7 PM at the Holiday Inn in Coralville.
The theme is Buy Here, a successful program of the local Chamber. Up to 50 local businesses will be on hand. I encourage you to give them a chance to demonstrate how your needs can be met by local businesses.
No one expects you to buy locally if the cost is greater or the service is worse. What people are finding is much the opposite – local businesses can compete on price, quality, and service. Check them out!
The 2008 Hoover-Wallace Dinner will be held April 19 at 6:30 p.m. at the Coralville Marriott. This dinner will honor three Iowans whose careers in public and humanitarian service have impacted the world – Senator John Culver, Congressman Jim Leach, and Dr. Ignacio Ponseti.
The Hoover-Wallace Dinner was established in 2004 to recognize Iowa’s humanitarian leaders and to honor Iowa’s humanitarian heritage.
The dinner is sponsored by the World Food Prize Foundation and the Rotary Clubs of Iowa. Proceeds from the event help fund the World Food Prize Borlaug-Ruan International Internship Program.
For more information, see: http://www.worldfoodprize.org/events/hooverwallace/2008.htm.
Someone asked about my campaign website – the address is: http://rodsullivan.org/.
DID YOU KNOW? The UI Alumni Association has a feature that allows UI Alumni to locate each other. Check it out at https://www.iowalum.com/find/
Anyone interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the County website-
www.johnson-county.com.
"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 rodsullivan@mchsi.com with "subscribe" in the subject line.
As always, feel free to contact me at 354-7199 or rodsullivan@mchsi.com. I look forward to serving you!
---Rod
April 8, 2008
Sullivan’s Salvos 4/8/08
Happy Birthday to my daughter Jordan, who turns 14 today. Jordan is a wonderful young lady, and she makes her father very proud! I love you, honey!
I have had a few people ask, and yes, I do have campaign yard signs. If you want one, just E-mail me with your address. Thanks!
I would like to hear from Salvos readers on this one. It has been a tradition in recent years that the Chair or her/his designee gives a “State of the County” address.
I love the idea, in theory. I have tried to make outreach to county residents a hallmark of my time in office. That is why I send Salvos every week. There are a couple significant problems, however:
First, nobody seems to care. Attendance at these events has dwindled from about ten to zero. That’s right, zero. No media. No members of the public. Nobody seems to care.
Linn County does a State of the County address that serves as a $25 per plate fundraiser for the Linn County League of Women Voters. I contacted the Johnson County League about a similar arrangement, and they were not interested.
So, I can’t help but wonder if this is an event that is worthy of my efforts. I have several other things I want to accomplish; perhaps I should just focus my efforts that direction.
Secondly, I am not certain that my colleagues would agree with my take on the State of the County. In many cases, we seem to value very different things. There are certainly benefits to having a range of views on a Board. But frankly, I am tired of having to explain ad nauseum that my “views are not necessarily the views of a majority of the Board.” (You’ll find similar language at the end of each Salvos.) I suspect that any State of the County address I delivered would be followed by five or ten days’ worth of these types of clarifications.
It is all too bad, really. Some good investigative reporting would look into these similarities and differences, and find some important stories in County government.
So, readers, what do you think? Should there be a State of the County address? If so, then who, what, where, when, and how?
In FY08, the Federal government spent $482 billion on the military, not including the $142 billion supplemental budget for the “War on Terror.” That is $624 billion spent on the military in a single year. This expenditure is greater than the total military spending of the rest of the world combined.
Compare that to the second-highest budget Federal Department, Health and Human Services. The FY08 HHS budget was $69 billion, about 11% of the military budget. The FY08 Department of Education budget was third at $56 billion.
Yet we hear very little about cutting the military budget. We hear LOTS of talk about “entitlements” being “unsustainable”. Has anyone ever considered that perhaps our current level of military spending is unsustainable?
Suggest a cut to the military budget, though, and you’ll be demonized as “anti-American” or worse. Hopefully this is changing a bit, due to the good works of organizations such as Citizens for Sensible Priorities.
I like the words of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Junior on the topic: “A nation that continues to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is fast approaching spiritual death.” MLK said that in 1967.
I firmly believe that King was viewed as simply a thorn in the side of the powers that be when he preached on race. But when his priorities became the military budget, the labor movement, and economic justice, he became a threat. And he was murdered.
In May of 2007, Iowa City and Johnson County held their first Great Garlic Mustard Challenge in an attempt to establish a record for the most Garlic Mustard pulled. At this one-day event, volunteers pulled a total of 1950 lbs of the weed. This year, other Iowa communities are being challenged to exceed the 1950 pounds pulled last year.
Garlic mustard is a non-native plant species that has no local natural controls, partially because none of Iowa’s native insects or wildlife rely on it as a food source. The white-flowered plant has spread at an alarmingly fast rate the past two decades, and is now degrading local woodlands by crowding out native plants such as wildflowers, ferns and tree seedlings. To control the spread, the weeds must be pulled or cut between March and June, before they go to seed and repopulate.
This year, the Iowa City/Johnson County Great Garlic Mustard Challenge will occur on April 26, 2008 from 9-noon. Area parks and private properties will have guides available to assist volunteers in identifying which plants to pull, and garbage bags will be provided. Bags of the pulled garlic mustard will be collected by City staff and weighed at the landfill for a final tally. Neighborhood Associations, service groups, youth groups, and individuals are encouraged to participate, either at one of the designated park sites or in their own backyards and neighborhoods.
To volunteer for the event, or to register your property as a site, visit or contact Marcia Klingaman at 356-5237. The website offers a printable flyer and poster about the event, a printable flyer titled Garlic Mustard 101 as well as a listing of various websites where you can learn more about garlic mustard. A list of participating parks and other locations, and driving directions to each site will also included.
DID YOU KNOW? Recent estimates place Johnson County’s current population at 126,000. Projections back in 2000 guessed that Johnson County might reach 125,000 by 2010.
Anyone interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the County website-
www.johnson-county.com.
"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 rodsullivan@mchsi.com with "subscribe" in the subject line.
As always, feel free to contact me at 354-7199 or rodsullivan@mchsi.com. I look forward to serving you!
---Rod
April 1, 2008
Sullivan’s Salvos 4/1/08
No April Fools today… too many somber things going on.
Johnson County suffered a terrible tragedy last week. My prayers go out to everyone touched in any way by this tragic event.
I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge a pair of retirements that were recently announced.
Ro Foege (D-Mount Vernon) is retiring after 14 years in the Iowa House of Representatives. Ro represents a large swath of northern Johnson County. Ro is a true gentleman, who was always able to work with his colleagues from the GOP. He is kind, considerate, and polite, and really cares about people.
Most importantly to me, Ro has always been a champion of the underdog. Ro spent his entire professional (and Legislative) career working with the poor, single mothers, foster children, people with mental retardation, victims of domestic violence, special ed students, the uninsured – anybody who needed a hand up in our society.
Ro knew his life’s work was never going to make him wealthy or earn him fame and fortune. But Ro did the most important work a person can do. Ro did it a long time, he did it humbly, and he did it well. Thanks, Ro! You will certainly be missed!
Marilyn Wirtz is retiring after 16 years as Principal at Hoover Elementary in Iowa City. All three of my children had the privilege of attending Hoover Elementary, and it IS a privilege! Many things go into making a school great, but Hoover could have never achieved the things it has without Ms. Wirtz and her steady hand.
I have always held a special place in my heart for educators. When you have a lousy teacher it haunts you. When you have a great teacher it influences you for the rest of your life. Great principals create the environment in which great teachers can flourish.
Ms. Wirtz has always been caring and compassionate, and she has always managed to understand and appreciate the idiosyncrasies of all 300 and some kids at Hoover. Yet she runs a very tight ship, and there is never any question who is in charge.
I recall a time 4-5 years ago when I introduced my son BJ (who is now in 5th grade) to Dr. Plugge. BJ did not comprehend the idea of a Superintendent, so I attempted to explain Dr. Plugge’s role by saying, “He is Ms. Wirtz’s boss.” BJ looked at me very matter-of-factly, and replied, “Ms. Wirtz DOES NOT have a boss!”
Thank you, Ms. Wirtz! You gave my family a series of outstanding experiences at Hoover! I sincerely appreciate everything you do!
April 6-12 is National County Government Week. I like the fact that such a week exists; I find that most people are unaware of all the services county governments provide. The theme for National County Government Week this year is “Protecting Our Children”.
This is an appropriate theme for us, as Johnson County dedicates considerable resources toward caring for our children. Just look at a quick list: The Sheriff’s Office and Ambulance Department are obviously on the front line when it comes to protecting children. The County Attorney’s Office protects hundreds of children through legal channels. Public Health provides numerous services to children. Some eligible children are served by Case Managers in the MH/DD Department. The Conservation Department devotes much time and energy toward programming for children. Johnson County block grants almost a million dollars every year to local human services providers that serve children. Johnson County provides housing for the Iowa Department of Human Services.
All that, and the County Department that deals most significantly with children is our Department of Social Services! Headed by Amy Correia, Social Services does a wonderful job of coordinating the many services for children.
I urge you to visit the Social Services section of the County web page (http://www.johnson-county.com/socialServices/index.shtml) and investigate all the many services Johnson County funds and provides to help protect our children.
Johnson County is having its spring sale of used computer equipment on April 5th this year. All the equipment being offered has been in use for 5-6 years and is in working order unless specifically stated otherwise. Here is the link to the sale information:
DID YOU KNOW? Johnson County’s Roads Maintenance expenses for this winter went $250,000 over budget.
Anyone interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the County website-
www.johnson-county.com.
"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 rodsullivan@mchsi.com with "subscribe" in the subject line.
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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