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rodsullivan.org
SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
February 28, 2009
Sullivan’s Salvos 3/3/09 Since I seldom let any big issues pass by without comment, it is time to discuss the ICCSD building plans. Unfortunately, I could not attend either forum on the subject. This is a very complex set of issues, so we’ll try to break it up into digestible pieces. First, whether one agrees with her or not, I applaud Mayor Bailey for expressing her concerns over the closing of Roosevelt. I find it amazing that the Press Citizen suggests that she mind her own business. It IS her business! She is a citizen! What’s more, the Press Citizen is always critical of local governmental units for failures to communicate. That is exactly what happened here – but it is not the fault of the city! Additionally, Iowa City has a comprehensive plan for the whole city, and it is quite good. It includes the preservation of older neighborhoods – preservation that will be ineffective without neighborhood schools. And the PC says the City Council “should not interfere”? The PC should have instead demanded that the ICCSD go over this in a joint public meeting with the City Council. Secondly, we should recognize closing Roosevelt is a tough call. Students and staff deserve good facilities. The building has clearly deteriorated to a critical point. There is room to build on at Horn. My problem is the school at “The Crossings”. There aren’t any kids there yet – there are kids at Roosevelt. Perhaps repairing Roosevelt would be more expensive… but there are very real costs to suburban sprawl. These should be discussed at length in public forums. Similarly, let’s ensure that other older buildings get the maintenance they need so we do not find ourselves in this position again. Thirdly, we need to discuss similar issues at Longfellow and Mann. I served on the Yes For Kids Steering Committee, and we sold the bond issue in part on improving accessibility at these older schools. I understand that this can be expensive. I understand that it might be cheaper tear down the older schools and to rebuild on the parking lots and/or playgrounds. But we never said anything about closing them. Fixing, yes. Closing? It was never mentioned. Whatever the case, these neighborhoods MUST have schools, and they MUST be accessible. Anyone who understands Iowa City and the electorate knows this is non-negotiable. We already voted to do it. I personally told people the ICCSD would be fixing this! I was an honest volunteer- please do not make me a liar! As Larry the Cable Guy would say, just Git ‘er done! It has been mentioned that many kids already do not enjoy “neighborhood schools”. Kids are bussed to several elementaries throughout the District. While this is true, it ignores the fact that most kids in the ICCSD DO have neighborhood schools. When you factor out rural kids, who are going to be driven/bussed in any scenario, most kids live within walking distance of their elementaries. This is the way the public wants it, and experts in all sorts of disciplines agree it is generally best for the community psychologically, sociologically, and environmentally. My final point is that we tend to assume too much. We assume that the public always wants the cheapest option, but local voters have proven that is not always the case. Voters approved the SILO tax, Conservation Bond, Library bonds in three communities, pool bonds in two communities, and much more. Voters have spoken out in favor of jail alternatives, even though they cost more. Voters have spoken out in favor of arts and culture expenditures, even though they cost more. So instead of assuming people want the cheapest option possible, we could just let people vote on it. This is evidenced by discussions around school size. The ICCSD tells us we need elementary schools to be built for 450-550 kids in order to be as cost efficient as possible. Yet we are never told what size elementaries should be in order to maximize student performance. Almost every study of student performance shows the optimal elementary size to be 250-400. Why not ask the public if they prefer the cheapest, the best, or some hybrid? The same discussion needs to take place at the high school level. Explain to the public that a North Liberty-north Coralville high school would only have 600-1000 students. That means fewer opportunities (not NO opportunities, but fewer opportunities) for advanced classes and extracurricular activities. It would not be the most cost effective response to overcrowding at West. But again, almost every study of student performance shows the optimal high school size to be 600-1000. Why not ask the public if they prefer the cheapest, the best, or some hybrid? I do not envy School Board members. I know most of the ICCSD Board pretty well. I know most of the ICCSD Administration pretty well. These are good people we are talking about, who really care about our kids. These folks work very hard, some as volunteers, and rarely receive the thanks they deserve. School financing is tricky, and most of us do not fully understand it. There is no issue more dear to the electorate than the schools. And the ICCSD is faced with a number of difficult decisions. Lots of people have a dog in this fight. We all want to claim the moral high ground of doing what is “best for the kids.” But what is best for one is not necessarily best for the next. And what is best for a single school is not necessarily best for the entire District. This is why we elect a Board – their job is to make these decisions. I just hope the decisions are made following lots of public input. People in the ICCSD need more details on school funding. There are staffing issues; fine. Lay out the problems so the public can opine intelligently. The more information we share, the better our decisions. I simply hope that the ICCSD Board and Administration seeks input and then gives that input serious consideration. Do not assume that the voters in the ICCSD want the cheapest. They just might want the best. Second District Congressman Dave Loebsack is hosting a meeting in Coralville on March 7 to discuss disaster tax relief provisions and how they apply to Iowa. Kristy Maitre, Tax Specialist and IRS Stakeholder Liaison, will provide an overview of disaster relief provisions and how they apply to Iowa, and also answer general questions Saturday, March 7 from 2:00-3:00 PM at the Coralville Public Library, Room A. This meeting is open to the general public. DID YOU KNOW? Between 1947 and 1973, worker productivity and median worker compensation (wages and benefits) both doubled. Between 1980 and 2005, worker productivity increased 71%, but median worker compensation increased only 19%. (Source: US League of Women Voters.) 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
February 21, 2009
Sullivan’s Salvos 2/24/09
Happy Mardis Gras! Laissez les bon temps roulez!
I am really tired of hearing, either directly or implied, that only property owners matter. Unfortunately, this seems to be prevailing opinion amongst “movers and shakers” in Johnson County.
A few quick facts: as of 2007, Johnson County had just over 54,000 residential units. 55% of those were owner occupied. That means we have over 24,300 rental units. It is very likely that 50,000 Johnson County residents are renters.
But these 50,000 people might as well not exist. Because all the “movers and shakers” care about are people who pay property taxes. Part of this is understandable – people tend to hang out with others of their same age and class. Our “movers and shakers” are virtually all white, predominantly over 45, and definitely all property owners. These are just about the only people with whom our local leaders interact. The “Invisible Man” is alive and well… but he is a she, and she is a renter!
I have had people call me and ask why renters got to vote on certain issues. “They don’t even pay property taxes!” scream the callers. Of course, this attitude ignores the fact that renters make it possible for property owners to pay those property taxes. Plus renters contribute payroll, income, and sales tax revenues.
Throughout history, many so-called “democracies” have limited voting rights to property owners. Thankfully, enlightened leaders moved the US in a different direction. Unfortunately, we have forgotten the idea that “all men are created equal.”
The bottom line is that too many of our leaders, both elected and unelected, look at our fellow human beings as taxpayers first, and human beings second.
Renters, if you want to improve this situation, you need to gather a couple friends together speak up. Write E-mails, make phone calls, show up at meetings, and stress that you matter.
I recently finished an interesting article in the February edition of National Voter, the official publication of the League of Women Voters. I quote:
“Between 1940 and 1970, a period of economic expansion unparalleled in world history, the top marginal income rate never dipped below 70%. This was also a period of unprecedented public investment in roads, sewers, utilities, schools, higher education, and military spending. In only 14 years of the 95 years we have been taxing income has the marginal rate dipped to the current 35%.”
Income taxes work. Period. The Iowa Legislature missed a golden opportunity when they failed to work with Senator Bolkcom on his proposal to replace some property taxes with income taxes.
The Eighth Annual Night of a Thousand Dinners will be held on March 5th from 6-8 p.m. at Old Brick. The Dinner will be one of thousands being hosted around the world as part of the Night of a Thousand Dinners - an international initiative coordinated to raise funds for Adopt-A-Minefield addressing the global landmine crisis.
Every year nearly 20,000 people are killed or maimed by landmines. According to UNICEF, 30-40% of all mine victims are children. There are more than 110 million active landmines buried in the ground in at least 84 countries.
Sponsored by: Iowa City Human Rights Commission, West Branch Friends Church, Iowa Peace Corps Association, Montessori Children's Garden, Iowa City Federation of Labor, Noon Rotary Club of Iowa City, U of I Center for Human Rights, U of I International Programs, Iowa Physicians for Social Responsibility and the Johnson County United Nations Association.
Tickets are available at the Iowa United Nations Association Office (337-7290).
The League of Women Voters of Johnson County will be sponsoring a public forum entitled “The Justice Center: It’s not just a jail issue” on Tuesday, February 24 from 7 to 8:30 PM in ICPL Meeting Room A.
Participants will be Judge Russell (Sixth Judicial District), Janet Lyness (Johnson County Attorney), Jim McCarragher (Johnson County Bar), Lonnie Pulkrabek (Johnson County Sheriff), and Lodema Berkley (Johnson County Clerk of Court). Bob Elliott (project analyst with Johnson County) will participate and Alison Werner Smith (League of Women Voters) will serve as Moderator.
The County Supervisors have begun discussion of judicial facilities and jail replacement or expansion. Many topics will be discussed: location, services to be modified or moved, costs, financing, startup and completion dates.
The Shelter House is holding its annual Used Book Sale on 2/28/09 at Hope United Methodist Church from 10 am to 3 pm.
Join Table to Table on Sunday, March 1st at the Hotel Vetro for their 13th annual benefit dinner. Social Hour begins at 5:30, with dinner at 6:30.
Mardis Gras is the theme for the event, and diners will get a 5-course gourmet Cajun dinner prepared by local chefs.
Reservations are $75 per person, and can be made by calling Mercy on Call at 358-2767. Reservations need to be made prior to Friday, February 27.
Table to Table is Iowa’s only food rescue organization, and trust me… they do WONDERFUL work! For more information on Table to Table, visit their website at: http://www.table2table.org/
DID YOU KNOW? The richest ONE PERCENT of Americans hold 34.3% of the wealth in the US. The bottom NINETY PERCENT hold 28.7%. (Source: US League of Women Voters.)
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
February 14, 2009
Sullivan’s Salvos 2/17/09
My good friend Kirsten Running Marquardt recently asked me what it takes to warrant a mention in Salvos.
If you are a wonderful human being like Kirsten, all you need to do is ask! ☺
But I can turn this blatant shout out into something of meaning for other readers. Kirsten is one of many outstanding individuals who work for our Congressman Dave Loebsack. Many citizens feel that the Federal government is somehow inaccessible – in reality, Congressman Loebsack has a knowledgeable staff located right here who are ready, willing, and able to help.
Kirsten works in Linn County; Johnson County residents can get the same outstanding service by contacting the office at 125 S. Dubuque Street in Iowa City, or by calling them at 351-0789.
The Johnson County Board of Supervisors will sponsor a year round county cleanup program for the calendar year 2009. This program offers a year round opportunity for rural residents to clean out their barn, garage or basement.
Participants will be provided with up to 2,000 lbs. of free disposal per household, per calendar year, with a minimum of 150 lbs. per trip. Only those residing in unincorporated Johnson County are eligible for this program. For more info, call Johnson County at 356-6000.
The annual Compeer Concert "Sound of Friendship" is coming up on Sat., Feb. 28, 7 pm, at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, 1300 Melrose Ave.
Tickets are $15 in advance ($20 at the door) and get you an evening of delightful music (Kol Shira, Dan Moore, the Pan American Steel Band) followed by a gourmet dessert hour with danceable music by Spontaneous Combustion (featuring Gene Spaziani on clarinet!). If you cannot attend the concert but would like to purchase a ticket, it can be donated to a client so she can attend the concert.
Compeer is a small non-profit based at the Community Mental Health Center whose only purpose is to match community volunteers for friendship activities with an adult receiving mental health treatment.
There are 15 consumers on the waiting list to be matched with a community friend, so if you know of anyone who might be interested in becoming a Compeer friend, please refer them to Karen Fox at 338-7884 x 245. Volunteers make a commitment to spend 4 hours per month with their friend in activities of mutual interest. An important goal of this program is to combat the social isolation often experienced by persons suffering with a mental illness.
This event brings in about 23% of total budget needs; all music, venue and desserts are donated so there is very little overhead, and your dollar goes directly to the program.
As you know, President Obama has suggested limiting to $500,000 the incomes of corporate CEOs who take TARP money from the government.
I find it ironic when I hear folks say that they feel for the CEOs. You see, I spent most of the Reagan/Bush/Clinton/Bush era as a social worker. As you may recall, the last 28 years saw a huge demonization of individuals who accepted assistance from the government. Assistance from the government was “welfare”. Remember President Reagan’s “welfare queen”?
What I recall hearing at the time was – “You accept welfare; how dare you have color TV?” “You accept welfare; how dare you eat out?” “You accept welfare; how dare you buy nice clothes for your kids?” And so on, and so on, and so on. The message was clear to my clients – accept welfare, and society expects you to have zero luxuries. Accept welfare, and you deserve bread and water – nothing more.
Medicaid, the federal health insurance program for the poor, still requires recipients to have resources of less than $2000. The message, again, has always been clear: “You want government healthcare? You’d better be VERY poor!”
Ironically, now the people accepting welfare are the peers of (and donors to) Reagan, Bush, Clinton, and Bush. And we are suddenly concerned about whether or not they can make it in New York City on $500,000 annually.
Guess what? NYC has 50,000 homeless people on any given night. I think our CEO friends can struggle by on $500K. Frankly, I’d like to see them get by with under $2000 in assets like the approximately 40 million Medicaid recipients.
I can hear it now: “But I know so-and-so who is with a big bank, and he and his family are great people.” I am sure they are. Most of the people with whom I used to work are great people, too. They were just poor. Most of the people reading this do not really know anyone who is truly poor. We know who a few people are, but we do not know them well.
Now the E-mails will come, accusing me of “class warfare”. Fine. But why wasn’t it “class warfare” when four Presidents and a lemming-like society did it to the poor people I served?
As Warren Buffet has pointed out previously, “Class warfare has been raging for a long time. And my class won.”
DID YOU KNOW? Johnson County’s free tax help program (You Earned It, Now Claim It!) helped complete over 660 returns in Johnson County in 2008 – a 100% increase from 2007.
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
February 8, 2009
Sullivan’s Salvos 2/10/09
Happy Valentine’s Day! I hope each of you will take the time to reach out to another human being this weekend… whether it is the love of your life, a new crush, or just a platonic acquaintance. Let’s spread some love!
I know folks are anxious to hear about the FY10 County budget. Here is what I know so far:
The budget the Supervisors are bringing to the public hearing is for approximately $84,100,000 dollars. The total budget is $125,000 less than last year, which translates to an overall decrease of -.001%.
This is inclusive; the Joint Emergency Communications Center and Conservation Bond initiative are included. Obviously, some departments got a bit more funding than the current year, others got a bit less. Most stayed very close to where they were a year ago. All 500-plus County employees are getting raises of 3%.
This budget gets submitted to the State, then published in the local papers. After the public hearing, the budget can be lowered, but not increased. So what I describe is really a final draft.
I am pretty happy with the way this budget turned out. I think it responsibly meets the needs of the citizens of Johnson County without a huge tax increase.
I wrote the following in the January 13 edition of Salvos: “In short, big cuts are not called for at this time. The Board is working very hard to minimize any tax increases… if I get my way, tax bills are going to stay pretty close to the same as last year. I think we can do that without hurting the people of Johnson County.”
I think that has come to pass. I am proud of the budgetary work of the Board of Supervisors this year. If you have questions, comments, or concerns on the budget or any other matter, just give me a shout.
Johnson County resident Janelle Rettig serves on the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Commission. At her regular meeting last week, they had a presentation on State Air Plan & Non-Attainment.
You might have heard in the media last month that Muscatine and Scott County are out of attainment. You might be surprised to hear that on Fine Particle Monitoring for 2005-2007, Iowa City ranked next in concentration. In other words our Ambient Air Quality is almost as bad. http://www.iowadnr.gov/air/news/articles/08dec22.html
I appreciate Janelle bringing this to my attention. I think we need to do something about this. This hits close to home - literally, as the air quality gauge sits atop Hoover Elementary in Iowa City – my son’s school, one block from my house!
I have asked the Board’s Executive Assistant to look into getting a local presentation of this data. I know our local Board of Health is also interested in this topic. If my colleagues agree and we get something scheduled, I’ll let you know.
Meanwhile, thanks once again to Janelle for her outstanding work! We are lucky to have her on the DNR Commission.
There have been plenty of examples of government waste over the years. Unfortunately, these examples get all the press, while programs that serve people well are largely ignored. The right wing propaganda of the past 30 years has become well ingrained, and we need to reeducate the public as to the many good things governments do.
People who claim “Governments just need to quit spending,” just do not get it. When the government cuts back spending, poor children go without school lunch. Senior citizens go without glasses. There is no space in the domestic violence shelter. Working families go without insurance. People with disabilities sit idly. Scientific research dries up. Air and water get dirtier. Streets become more dangerous. Class sizes increase. Preventative services get cut.
This goes on for a few years, until the public gets fed up. Then spending increases to address some of these needs. Then there is an outcry over spending, and things are cut once again. It is a vicious circle.
Governmental cuts are rarely at the expense of the military. Cuts in governmental spending rarely have big effects on the wealthy. When governments cut back, the poor and middle class are hurt the most.
Obviously, we should never accept governmental waste. We should always be vigilant about the ways in which our tax dollars are used. At the same time, blanket calls for the government to spend less are often poorly disguised attacks on the poor and middle class.
Governments must not only look out for the most vocal taxpayers, but also for the silent masses who truly struggle to get through each day.
Governments CAN always cut back… the questions are SHOULD they cut back, and if so, HOW? We need healthy discussions on the needs of our citizens rather than mindless cries for less governmental spending. As President Obama has pointed out, we need to fund programs that work well, and end programs that do not. Notice the piece about fund those that work well!
It is time once again for one of my rants on grammar. This week, the topic is the word “incentive”. (Unfortunately, we get to hear about incentives all too often.)
The problem is not the word incentive, it is the attempt to create a verb from the noun. We do not “incent” developers. We “incentivize” developers.
That said, if local leaders want to go ahead and quit using the word altogether, I am OK with that!
DID YOU KNOW? Johnson County’s free tax help program (You Earned It, Now Claim It!) helped complete over 660 returns in Johnson County in 2008 – a 100% increase from 2007.
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
February 1, 2009
Sullivan’s Salvos 1/27/09
I have written before about my frustration with our collective lack of historical perspective. Unfortunately, this is on display constantly. One incident that hit home with me occurred at a recent Iowa Wrestling meet.
Iowa was wrestling Wisconsin. Wisconsin is coached by Barry Davis. Barry and I knew each other in college and for a few years after; this explains why I am stewing over the issue. He’s a local guy, from the Swisher area. There is no finer human being out there. I’d be willing to bet he has never lied, cheated, or stolen. (Or bet, for that matter!) He is a good coach – his teams are always in the top twenty in the country.
What’s more, Barry Davis is one of the top ten greatest athletes ever to come from the State of Iowa and/or University of Iowa. At the time of his graduation, he was arguably the most successful wrestler in UI history. State champ, National champ, World champ, Olympic Silver Medalist… he did it all, and did it with style. Fans adored him, as well they should.
So when Coach Davis returns to Carver Hawkeye Arena and starts arguing with Iowa Coach Tom Brands, the Iowa crowd boos. Booing Barry Davis? I think back 25 years, and this scenario is unimaginable.
Is this a big deal? Of course not. The unfortunate thing is that our lack of historical perspective goes beyond sports to more important endeavors, like family, friends, economics, and government. The wrestling incident simply serves as one more example of the way we live in the moment, with no historical perspective.
Bowl for Kid’s Sake is happening again Saturday the 21st and Sunday the 22nd. This event raises money for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Johnson County, one of the worthiest organizations you will ever find. (For more on BBBS, see: http://www.bbbsjc.org.)
As always, there will be a Sullivan for Supervisor team participating again this year. (We bowl on Saturday.) I hope you get your own team and compete. If not, we welcome your pledges… if you are kind enough to sponsor us, checks can be made out to “BBBS”, and mailed to:
Sullivan for Supervisor
2326 E. Court St.
Iowa City, IA 52245
Or pledge online by visiting our site at BBBS: https://www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=296576&lis=0&kntae296576=F5B5E92A4F3D4D8B8FC0D1E490AA49F9
We are not great bowlers, but we are better than President Obama! We promise to try to make you proud! Thanks in advance for your support of this very worthy cause!
Johnson County is once again providing free tax help! You Earned It, Now Claim It! will provide at least 36 separate opportunities for people who earned under $40,000 to get their taxes done for free.
This free help is available at several locations throughout the county, and translators are available at several sites. And all this takes virtually zero in terms of County tax dollars! For more information, see
http://www.johnson-county.com/socialServices/tax_services.shtml.
The Press Citizen recently identified “mental health” as one of the unmet needs of the community. We can assist toward this unmet need by spreading the word about the upcoming "Family to Family" class that is starting February 1st (Sunday) from 5:30-8:00, to be held at the Iowa Realtor's Assoc. Education Conference Center, on Hwy 1, (in the strip mall by Paul's Discount Store).
This is a 12 week class that is free...taught by trained volunteer family members, using a structured and scripted manual. The class is based upon theories of stress, coping, adaptation and family outcomes. It is being taught in all 50 states...families teaching families.
Mental illnesses are REAL, and they are largely treatable. Rehabilitation and recovery are the goals of all who live with and love a person who is coping with illnesses such as major depression, panic disorder and OCD, schizophrenia, bipolar disorders, borderline personality disorders and disabling PTSD.
These are medical conditions... Check your insurance to make sure you are covered for these illnesses to the same extent as any other medical/physical/neurobiological disorder. With easy access to medical help, with informed family members...life with major mental illness is comparative to life with any other chronic medical condition.
For more info, contact the NAMI trained teachers: Marva Abel, 319-321-1383 or June Judge, 1-319-351-8694.
I strongly encourage you to try to attend the few remaining Iowa Women’s Basketball games. The coaches and players are wonderful people. The team is not only good, but exciting! And the price is extremely reasonable. This squad and these people have earned our support.
The schedule can be found at: http://hawkeyesports.cstv.com/sports/w-baskbl/sched/iowa-w-baskbl-sched.html.
I wrote a while ago about my frustration with people using “an historic.” Here is another grammatical pet peeve:
We seem to be inventing new plurals. I often hear “persons” used as a plural for person, and “monies” used as a plural for money. The correct plural words are, of course, “people” and “money”.
If you ever (or always) catch something in Salvos that does not seem to fit the rules of grammar and usage, please let me know!
DID YOU KNOW? Johnson County has planted more than 153 memorial trees in county parks since the inception of the memorial tree program.
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
Sullivan’s Salvos 2/3/09
Johnson County has recently been forced to make some very difficult decisions regarding the services we provide to folks with mental health needs and people with developmental disabilities (MH/DS).
In Iowa, Counties manage the MH/DS system. The Federal government funds about 50% of the system (primarily through Medicaid), the State funds about 20% of the system, and Counties fund about 30%. In all but a couple states, the MH/DS system is a Federal/State system, with no local funding. So Iowa is somewhat unique in this regard.
MH/DS services are also unique in Iowa because they have a dollar cap rather than a levy cap. To illustrate the difference – a capped levy is multiplied by the taxable value of the property; we then pay taxes based upon that formula. If property values go up, even a capped levy rate will generate more revenue. With a dollar cap, the amount of money stays the same over time.
Counties are also limited in that MH/Ds expenses may only be paid from the MH/DS levy; no supplementing is allowed. Similarly, MH/DS funds may not be used for other purposes.
Our dollar cap is right around $14 million. This is only slightly higher than it has been for the past twelve years. So, over the course of twelve years, wages and insurance have gone up, plus we serve a couple hundred more people. Yet we are expected to do so on that same $14 million. In previous years, we have cut corners here and there, and made things work. People have agreed to less service than is ideal, but enough to survive. Unfortunately, this amount of money no longer cuts it.
So, what can Johnson County do? We can ask the Federal government to fund a larger share of the services; we can ask the State to fund a larger share of the services; we can ask the State to allow Counties to move from a dollar cap to a levy cap; or we can cut services.
The Feds have not responded. The State has not responded. So, after consultation with people who use services and people who provide services, Johnson County has decided to implement a waiting list for services. (No official vote has been taken yet, but staff and advisory groups have recommended a waiting list.)
Johnson County is not unique in having a waiting list. About 15 Counties have waiting lists already; by June, that number may be as high as 40 or 50. So people with disabilities and their families are struggling all across our State. And trust me, families DO struggle! It is tremendously challenging to have a family member with a disability.
Assuming Johnson County votes to institute a waiting list (again, there has been no formal vote yet), the waiting list could go into effect as early as April 1. It will almost certainly be in effect by the start of the FY10 fiscal year on July 1.
This is a very sad day indeed. I ran for office for a single reason - to represent the interests of those with less. Few people have less than our fellow citizens with disabilities.
What will happen to people on this waiting list? Good question. Some folks will be fine, as they rely upon the kindness of friends and family. Many will sit idly. Others may go without the medicine they desperately need. Some will go without food and shelter. It is not a pretty situation.
What can you do? Contact your Federal and State representatives. They can fix this. Let them know that asking our most needy citizens to wait for the services they desperately need is simply not OK.
I finished an interesting book recently - A People’s History of Poverty in America by Stephen Pimpare. The book takes a look at things through the eyes of the poor from roughly the Dark Ages through today.
There were several things in this book that struck home with me. I was particularly intrigued by the portions of the book that focus on the way society passes judgment on welfare recipients.
It is only a slight exaggeration to say that throughout history, “Christians” have worried principally about the morals of poor Americans, much the opposite of the example set by Christ himself. Meanwhile, poor Americans have been more concerned with securing food and shelter.
As the book also points out, instead of placing the blame for ghettos on the inhabitants, we might better blame those with the political and economic power to improve the situation.
I hear from too many people who believe the only worth an individual has is the amount he pays in property taxes. I disagree.
Pimpare created a very thought-provoking work – I recommend it to anyone interested in history, social services, public policy, or all three.
DID YOU KNOW? Johnson County’s free tax help program (You Earned It, Now Claim It!) brought in an additional $600,000 in returns into Johnson County in 2008.
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.
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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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