SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
August 24, 2008
Sullivan’s Salvos 8/26/08
Happy Labor Day next Monday! I love Labor Day. Every Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day we set aside time to recall the folks whose service has given us our freedom. I have long felt we need to treat Labor Day in a similar fashion.
Please take a moment this Labor Day to remember the people who fought (and often died) to give us child labor laws, 40 hour weeks, weekends, overtime, vacations, the minimum wage, sick leave, parental leave, OSHA, employment nondiscrimination, pensions, Social Security, health insurance, and so much more.
Working people continue to be under attack from wealthy interests. Look at Agriprocessors in Postville, where management committed OSHA violations, wage & hour violations, child labor violations, and other heinous acts. These situations occur when the balance of power shifts too far in the direction of management.
And yes, the balance of power has shifted too far. Agriprocessors is again a perfect example. Human beings who want to work hard to better their lot are criminalized for crossing international borders. Meanwhile, corporations move factories to Mexico and China, outsource customer service to India, and tuck their earnings into offshore tax havens. Everything capital does is good international business; anything labor does is illegal immigration.
On another Labor matter, remember all the heroes during the flood? Remember all those cops, truck drivers, EMTs, heavy equipment operators, nurses, and others? A union represents virtually every one. Do not buy the rhetoric of those who bash unions… during the floods, you saw with your own eyes what union people do.
Unions continue to provide the best protection working people can have. I feel as though I have accomplished some good things as a member of the Board of Supervisors. One of the accomplishments of which I am most proud is starting an employee appreciation lunch every year the week before Labor Day. Johnson County employees deserve much more, but this is one extra opportunity to say thank you.
Trust me – the average person has nothing to fear from unions. We all benefit when folks have safe and healthy workplaces. We all benefit when workers get adequate rest. We all benefit when workers receive good training. We all benefit when folks earn a living wage and have health insurance. Unions help improve the quality of life for all of us.
I am proud to be a member of Local 716 of the American Federation of Teachers, an affiliate of the Iowa City Federation of Labor. Happy Labor Day!
My family and friends at Sutliff want to remind everyone that the Sutliff Bridge Authority is holding its annual Labor Day street dance Sunday, August 31 from 1-5 PM. Music will be provided by the Backwater Band; admission is $5. You can always count on Sutliff for food, drink, music, raffles, and lots of raucous fun!
In the wake of the recent flood damage, there has never been a more important time to support the SBA! By the way, if you cannot make it to the street dance, you can still donate. A Sutliff Bridge Memorial Fund has been established at both the Solon State Bank and all Bridge Community Bank locations.
GO HAWKS! The 2008 version of the Iowa Football team kicks off Saturday at Kinnick Stadium.
I love everything Hawkeye – particularly Hawkeye Football. I grew up listening to the Hawks on AM radio, going to home games with Dad during the bad old days of the early ‘70s. Fast forward to today – Hawkeye games are our big social events of the year. We get together with some of our best friends, and we share food, drink, stories, and fun. There is nothing I enjoy more.
I am cautiously optimistic about this season. It is clear that there is a thin line between great success and mediocrity. A couple injuries, a couple bad bounces, and a team can go from 10-2 to 6-6, or vice versa. I think the defense will be pretty good, and they may need to be. If the offense develops, I think the Hawks will be bowl bound.
More importantly, I have great faith in the Athletic Department and their ability to clean up the off-field mess. I believe them when they say they are taking steps to stop the law breaking. I know they want to do the right thing, and I believe they will. I remain proud to be a Hawkeye! GO HAWKS!
A buddy of mine recently complained that I was “being a little tough on the landlords.” I think my friend has a legitimate point; I need to clarify a couple positions.
First, clearly most landlords in Johnson County are good folks who play by the rules. The bulk of them work hard to make sure that the properties they own are safe and attractive. Landlords provide a huge chunk of our property tax base. Obviously, a few bad apples can unfairly tarnish the reputation of a lot of good people.
Secondly, I frequently write about taxes. That is because tax policy is integral to social and economic justice. When we are talking about taxes, there are numerous considerations. One is regressivity. When we consider regressivity, we see clearly that sales taxes are worse for the poor than are property taxes. Landlords may feel picked on when I point this out. The bigger issue, however, is that we need to place more emphasis on income taxes. That ensures that a property owner who is doing well pays more than a property owner who is struggling. It is fairer for both those who own property and those who do not.
Landlords are like any other group – some are great, some are not. (Todd, you are the best! J) I’ll have to get rid of my cassette that contains the Dead Kennedys’ “Let’s Lynch the Landlord”.
DID YOU KNOW? Johnson County taxpayers pay 200 million in property taxes to various taxing authorities.
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.
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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
posted by Rod Sullivan @ 5:53 PM
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