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rodsullivan.org
SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
February 27, 2011
Sullivan’s Salvos 3/1/11 In this edition: *RIP Charlie Duffy *Prairie Preview *Addressing the Financial Crisis *Crisis Center Pancake Breakfast *Arc Chili Supper *Where Your Tax $ Goes! *Did You Know? *RIP Charlie Duffy Longtime Supervisor Charlie Duffy died Tuesday morning following a long illness. Charlie was elected Supervisor in 1988 and served in office from 1989 through 2000. Charlie also served as Johnson County Farm Bureau President, and was appointed by President Jimmy Carter to a soil and water conservation committee with Bruce Babbitt. Known as “Mr. Johnson County”, Charlie knew the Johnson County road system like the back of his hand. Charlie sometimes claimed to know everyone in Johnson County, and he was not too far off. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus, and served many years as an usher at St. Wenceslaus Parish *Prairie Preview Another sure sign of spring… Prairie Preview XXVIII
"Rain Gardens & Beyond... Time for ACTION!" This year’s event is Tuesday, March 8 at 7:30
at Parkview Evangelical Free Church. Doors open to public to view exhibits at 6:30. Refreshments Provided. The program includes Liz Maas, Restoration Ecologist; Judith Krieg, PWS-President, EarthView Environmental, LLC & President of Take a Kid Outdoors; Fred Meyer, Executive Director, Backyard Abundance; Chant Eicke, Senior Environmental Scientist, EarthView Environmental, LLC and Community Conservationist; Jason Grimm, Food Systems Planner, Iowa Valley RC&D. This program is sponsored by the Johnson County Heritage Trust, Friends of Hickory Hill Park, Project GREEN, Four Seasons Garden Club Environmental Advocates, Johnson County Songbird Project, Johnson County Conservation Board, and the Department of Natural Resources. Funded in part by a grant from Iowa’s Living Roadway Trust. For more information, call 319 338-7030. *Addressing the Financial Crisis The US is still suffering a financial crisis. Unemployment is about three times the ideal, houses are in foreclosure, and governmental revenues are falling short. Who should fix things? Certainly not public employees – they had nothing to do with the crisis! How about Wall Street? They CAUSED it, after all! How about reinstituting the 90% top rate for the income tax that the US had in the 1940s and ‘50s? Worried about those wealthy folks leaving the country? I say they are free to go – but their income earned in the US is still taxed at that rate. And if they leave, they should be required to renounce their citizenship. When trying to reenter, they should be stopped at the border the same way a poor Mexican worker would be. State, county and municipal employees did not cause this. Let’s ask the folks who DID cause it to pay for the damages! *Crisis Center Pancake Breakfast The Crisis Center is holding its annual Pancake Breakfast on Saturday, March 5 from 7 AM to 12:45 PM at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Iowa City. Tickets are $5 for adults, $2 for children under 10, and are available at the door. *Arc Chili Supper The Arc of Southeast Iowa is holding its annual Chili Supper Friday, March 4 from 4:30-7:30 at River Community Church in Iowa City. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children 12 and under (age 3 and under eat free). All proceeds fund The Arc, providing services to people with disabilities so they can realize their goals relating to where and how they live, learn, work, and play. *Where Your Tax $ Goes! From Iowa Fiscal Partnership: At a time when unemployment in Iowa neared 7 percent and Iowans coped with steep cuts in critical state and local services, three corporations received over $30 million in corporate subsidy checks from the Iowa Treasury. They are among 133 corporations that paid no state income tax but still received checks from the state. This and other disclosures come from today’s release of the annual report on Iowa’s Research Activities Credit (RAC) for 2010. They show the fiscal scandal that the RAC has become. Rockwell Collins, Deere and DuPont had the largest corporate claims — $14.2 million, $12.8 million and $5.9 million, respectively. Of that $32.9 million in claims, at least $30.7 million was paid out in checks, because it was above and beyond the amount of taxes those companies owed. Overall, corporate RAC claims totaled $45.2 million — $43 million of it, or 95 percent, being paid out as so-called “refunds” for taxes never paid. When we are asking Iowa government to be efficient and frugal, and to not promote special interests, how can this be justified? It cannot. There is some good news — and that is that we have any news at all. This report is the first to give Iowans a full year’s look at the biggest recipients of these corporate giveaways. It is a result of a law passed in 2009 to bring some transparency to this highly costly and clearly unaccountable program. Previously, RAC “refunds” were paid out as secret checks from the state treasury. The law now requires an annual review of RAC claims, information about “refunds” and the names of recipients and amounts for claims in excess of $500,000. These industry giants make their profits from being on the cutting edge for research; they don’t need incentives for investing in research activities, they must do it anyway. What they need from Iowa are skilled, educated workers, good roads and infrastructure, and a good quality of life. Research and common sense tell us these would be better smart investments for Iowa’s economic prosperity, not subsidy checks to wealthy corporations. The Iowa Fiscal Partnership has produced a number of reports on the research activities credit, including reviews of economic analyses that conclude such credits have very little impact upon business decisions. * Rockwell Collins ($561 million in profits in 2010), Deere and Company ($1,865 million in profits in 2010), and El DuPont Nemours And Company, Inc. ($3,031 million in profits in 2009). (After-tax profits, figures from corporate statements.) For more information about Iowa fiscal issues, visit the Iowa Fiscal Partnership at www.iowafiscal.org . *DID YOU KNOW? Women make up only 15% of the US House of Representatives. There are only 2 Hispanic Senators, and no African American Senators. 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 3/1/11
In this edition:
*RIP Charlie Duffy
*Prairie Preview
*Addressing the Financial Crisis
*Crisis Center Pancake Breakfast
*Arc Chili Supper
*Where Your Tax $ Goes!
*Did You Know?
*RIP Charlie Duffy
Longtime Supervisor Charlie Duffy died Tuesday morning following a long illness. Charlie was elected Supervisor in 1988 and served in office from 1989 through 2000. Charlie also served as Johnson County Farm Bureau President, and was appointed by President Jimmy Carter to a soil and water conservation committee with Bruce Babbitt.
Known as “Mr. Johnson County”, Charlie knew the Johnson County road system like the back of his hand. Charlie sometimes claimed to know everyone in Johnson County, and he was not too far off. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus, and served many years as an usher at St. Wenceslaus Parish
*Prairie Preview
Another sure sign of spring… Prairie Preview XXVIII
"Rain Gardens & Beyond... Time for ACTION!"
This year’s event is Tuesday, March 8 at 7:30
at Parkview Evangelical Free Church. Doors open to public to view exhibits at 6:30. Refreshments Provided.
The program includes Liz Maas, Restoration Ecologist; Judith Krieg, PWS-President, EarthView Environmental, LLC & President of Take a Kid Outdoors; Fred Meyer, Executive Director, Backyard Abundance; Chant Eicke, Senior Environmental Scientist, EarthView Environmental, LLC and Community Conservationist; Jason Grimm, Food Systems Planner, Iowa Valley RC&D.
This program is sponsored by the Johnson County Heritage Trust, Friends of Hickory Hill Park, Project GREEN, Four Seasons Garden Club Environmental Advocates, Johnson County Songbird Project, Johnson County Conservation Board, and the Department of Natural Resources. Funded in part by a grant from Iowa’s Living Roadway Trust.
For more information, call 319 338-7030.
*Addressing the Financial Crisis
The US is still suffering a financial crisis. Unemployment is about three times the ideal, houses are in foreclosure, and governmental revenues are falling short.
Who should fix things? Certainly not public employees – they had nothing to do with the crisis! How about Wall Street? They CAUSED it, after all! How about reinstituting the 90% top rate for the income tax that the US had in the 1940s and ‘50s?
Worried about those wealthy folks leaving the country? I say they are free to go – but their income earned in the US is still taxed at that rate. And if they leave, they should be required to renounce their citizenship. When trying to reenter, they should be stopped at the border the same way a poor Mexican worker would be.
State, county and municipal employees did not cause this. Let’s ask the folks who DID cause it to pay for the damages!
*Crisis Center Pancake Breakfast
The Crisis Center is holding its annual Pancake Breakfast on Saturday, March 5 from 7 AM to 12:45 PM at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Iowa City.
Tickets are $5 for adults, $2 for children under 10, and are available at the door.
*Arc Chili Supper
The Arc of Southeast Iowa is holding its annual Chili Supper Friday, March 4 from 4:30-7:30 at River Community Church in Iowa City.
Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children 12 and under (age 3 and under eat free). All proceeds fund The Arc, providing services to people with disabilities so they can realize their goals relating to where and how they live, learn, work, and play.
*Where Your Tax $ Goes!
From Iowa Fiscal Partnership: At a time when unemployment in Iowa neared 7 percent and Iowans coped with steep cuts in critical state and local services, three corporations received over $30 million in corporate subsidy checks from the Iowa Treasury. They are among 133 corporations that paid no state income tax but still received checks from the state.
This and other disclosures come from today’s release of the annual report on Iowa’s Research Activities Credit (RAC) for 2010. They show the fiscal scandal that the RAC has become. Rockwell Collins, Deere and DuPont had the largest corporate claims — $14.2 million, $12.8 million and $5.9 million, respectively. Of that $32.9 million in claims, at least $30.7 million was paid out in checks, because it was above and beyond the amount of taxes those companies owed.
Overall, corporate RAC claims totaled $45.2 million — $43 million of it, or 95 percent, being paid out as so-called “refunds” for taxes never paid. When we are asking Iowa government to be efficient and frugal, and to not promote special interests, how can this be justified? It cannot.
There is some good news — and that is that we have any news at all. This report is the first to give Iowans a full year’s look at the biggest recipients of these corporate giveaways. It is a result of a law passed in 2009 to bring some transparency to this highly costly and clearly unaccountable program. Previously, RAC “refunds” were paid out as secret checks from the state treasury. The law now requires an annual review of RAC claims, information about “refunds” and the names of recipients and amounts for claims in excess of $500,000.
These industry giants make their profits from being on the cutting edge for research; they don’t need incentives for investing in research activities, they must do it anyway. What they need from Iowa are skilled, educated workers, good roads and infrastructure, and a good quality of life. Research and common sense tell us these would be better smart investments for Iowa’s economic prosperity, not subsidy checks to wealthy corporations.
The Iowa Fiscal Partnership has produced a number of reports on the research activities credit, including reviews of economic analyses that conclude such credits have very little impact upon business decisions.
* Rockwell Collins ($561 million in profits in 2010), Deere and Company ($1,865 million in profits in 2010), and El DuPont Nemours And Company, Inc. ($3,031 million in profits in 2009). (After-tax profits, figures from corporate statements.)
For more information about Iowa fiscal issues, visit the Iowa Fiscal Partnership at www.iowafiscal.org .
*DID YOU KNOW? Women make up only 15% of the US House of Representatives. There are only 2 Hispanic Senators, and no African American Senators.
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 3/1/11
In this edition:
*RIP Charlie Duffy
*Prairie Preview
*Addressing the Financial Crisis
*Crisis Center Pancake Breakfast
*Arc Chili Supper
*Where Your Tax $ Goes!
*Did You Know?
*RIP Charlie Duffy
Longtime Supervisor Charlie Duffy died Tuesday morning following a long illness. Charlie was elected Supervisor in 1988 and served in office from 1989 through 2000. Charlie also served as Johnson County Farm Bureau President, and was appointed by President Jimmy Carter to a soil and water conservation committee with Bruce Babbitt.
Known as “Mr. Johnson County”, Charlie knew the Johnson County road system like the back of his hand. Charlie sometimes claimed to know everyone in Johnson County, and he was not too far off. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus, and served many years as an usher at St. Wenceslaus Parish
*Prairie Preview
Another sure sign of spring… Prairie Preview XXVIII
"Rain Gardens & Beyond... Time for ACTION!"
This year’s event is Tuesday, March 8 at 7:30
at Parkview Evangelical Free Church. Doors open to public to view exhibits at 6:30. Refreshments Provided.
The program includes Liz Maas, Restoration Ecologist; Judith Krieg, PWS-President, EarthView Environmental, LLC & President of Take a Kid Outdoors; Fred Meyer, Executive Director, Backyard Abundance; Chant Eicke, Senior Environmental Scientist, EarthView Environmental, LLC and Community Conservationist; Jason Grimm, Food Systems Planner, Iowa Valley RC&D.
This program is sponsored by the Johnson County Heritage Trust, Friends of Hickory Hill Park, Project GREEN, Four Seasons Garden Club Environmental Advocates, Johnson County Songbird Project, Johnson County Conservation Board, and the Department of Natural Resources. Funded in part by a grant from Iowa’s Living Roadway Trust.
For more information, call 319 338-7030.
*Addressing the Financial Crisis
The US is still suffering a financial crisis. Unemployment is about three times the ideal, houses are in foreclosure, and governmental revenues are falling short.
Who should fix things? Certainly not public employees – they had nothing to do with the crisis! How about Wall Street? They CAUSED it, after all! How about reinstituting the 90% top rate for the income tax that the US had in the 1940s and ‘50s?
Worried about those wealthy folks leaving the country? I say they are free to go – but their income earned in the US is still taxed at that rate. And if they leave, they should be required to renounce their citizenship. When trying to reenter, they should be stopped at the border the same way a poor Mexican worker would be.
State, county and municipal employees did not cause this. Let’s ask the folks who DID cause it to pay for the damages!
*Crisis Center Pancake Breakfast
The Crisis Center is holding its annual Pancake Breakfast on Saturday, March 5 from 7 AM to 12:45 PM at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Iowa City.
Tickets are $5 for adults, $2 for children under 10, and are available at the door.
*Arc Chili Supper
The Arc of Southeast Iowa is holding its annual Chili Supper Friday, March 4 from 4:30-7:30 at River Community Church in Iowa City.
Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children 12 and under (age 3 and under eat free). All proceeds fund The Arc, providing services to people with disabilities so they can realize their goals relating to where and how they live, learn, work, and play.
*Where Your Tax $ Goes!
From Iowa Fiscal Partnership: At a time when unemployment in Iowa neared 7 percent and Iowans coped with steep cuts in critical state and local services, three corporations received over $30 million in corporate subsidy checks from the Iowa Treasury. They are among 133 corporations that paid no state income tax but still received checks from the state.
This and other disclosures come from today’s release of the annual report on Iowa’s Research Activities Credit (RAC) for 2010. They show the fiscal scandal that the RAC has become. Rockwell Collins, Deere and DuPont had the largest corporate claims — $14.2 million, $12.8 million and $5.9 million, respectively. Of that $32.9 million in claims, at least $30.7 million was paid out in checks, because it was above and beyond the amount of taxes those companies owed.
Overall, corporate RAC claims totaled $45.2 million — $43 million of it, or 95 percent, being paid out as so-called “refunds” for taxes never paid. When we are asking Iowa government to be efficient and frugal, and to not promote special interests, how can this be justified? It cannot.
There is some good news — and that is that we have any news at all. This report is the first to give Iowans a full year’s look at the biggest recipients of these corporate giveaways. It is a result of a law passed in 2009 to bring some transparency to this highly costly and clearly unaccountable program. Previously, RAC “refunds” were paid out as secret checks from the state treasury. The law now requires an annual review of RAC claims, information about “refunds” and the names of recipients and amounts for claims in excess of $500,000.
These industry giants make their profits from being on the cutting edge for research; they don’t need incentives for investing in research activities, they must do it anyway. What they need from Iowa are skilled, educated workers, good roads and infrastructure, and a good quality of life. Research and common sense tell us these would be better smart investments for Iowa’s economic prosperity, not subsidy checks to wealthy corporations.
The Iowa Fiscal Partnership has produced a number of reports on the research activities credit, including reviews of economic analyses that conclude such credits have very little impact upon business decisions.
* Rockwell Collins ($561 million in profits in 2010), Deere and Company ($1,865 million in profits in 2010), and El DuPont Nemours And Company, Inc. ($3,031 million in profits in 2009). (After-tax profits, figures from corporate statements.)
For more information about Iowa fiscal issues, visit the Iowa Fiscal Partnership at www.iowafiscal.org .
*DID YOU KNOW? Women make up only 15% of the US House of Representatives. There are only 2 Hispanic Senators, and no African American Senators.
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 3/1/11
In this edition:
*RIP Charlie Duffy
*Prairie Preview
*Addressing the Financial Crisis
*Crisis Center Pancake Breakfast
*Arc Chili Supper
*Where Your Tax $ Goes!
*Did You Know?
*RIP Charlie Duffy
Longtime Supervisor Charlie Duffy died Tuesday morning following a long illness. Charlie was elected Supervisor in 1988 and served in office from 1989 through 2000. Charlie also served as Johnson County Farm Bureau President, and was appointed by President Jimmy Carter to a soil and water conservation committee with Bruce Babbitt.
Known as “Mr. Johnson County”, Charlie knew the Johnson County road system like the back of his hand. Charlie sometimes claimed to know everyone in Johnson County, and he was not too far off. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus, and served many years as an usher at St. Wenceslaus Parish
*Prairie Preview
Another sure sign of spring… Prairie Preview XXVIII
"Rain Gardens & Beyond... Time for ACTION!"
This year’s event is Tuesday, March 8 at 7:30
at Parkview Evangelical Free Church. Doors open to public to view exhibits at 6:30. Refreshments Provided.
The program includes Liz Maas, Restoration Ecologist; Judith Krieg, PWS-President, EarthView Environmental, LLC & President of Take a Kid Outdoors; Fred Meyer, Executive Director, Backyard Abundance; Chant Eicke, Senior Environmental Scientist, EarthView Environmental, LLC and Community Conservationist; Jason Grimm, Food Systems Planner, Iowa Valley RC&D.
This program is sponsored by the Johnson County Heritage Trust, Friends of Hickory Hill Park, Project GREEN, Four Seasons Garden Club Environmental Advocates, Johnson County Songbird Project, Johnson County Conservation Board, and the Department of Natural Resources. Funded in part by a grant from Iowa’s Living Roadway Trust.
For more information, call 319 338-7030.
*Addressing the Financial Crisis
The US is still suffering a financial crisis. Unemployment is about three times the ideal, houses are in foreclosure, and governmental revenues are falling short.
Who should fix things? Certainly not public employees – they had nothing to do with the crisis! How about Wall Street? They CAUSED it, after all! How about reinstituting the 90% top rate for the income tax that the US had in the 1940s and ‘50s?
Worried about those wealthy folks leaving the country? I say they are free to go – but their income earned in the US is still taxed at that rate. And if they leave, they should be required to renounce their citizenship. When trying to reenter, they should be stopped at the border the same way a poor Mexican worker would be.
State, county and municipal employees did not cause this. Let’s ask the folks who DID cause it to pay for the damages!
*Crisis Center Pancake Breakfast
The Crisis Center is holding its annual Pancake Breakfast on Saturday, March 5 from 7 AM to 12:45 PM at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Iowa City.
Tickets are $5 for adults, $2 for children under 10, and are available at the door.
*Arc Chili Supper
The Arc of Southeast Iowa is holding its annual Chili Supper Friday, March 4 from 4:30-7:30 at River Community Church in Iowa City.
Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children 12 and under (age 3 and under eat free). All proceeds fund The Arc, providing services to people with disabilities so they can realize their goals relating to where and how they live, learn, work, and play.
*Where Your Tax $ Goes!
From Iowa Fiscal Partnership: At a time when unemployment in Iowa neared 7 percent and Iowans coped with steep cuts in critical state and local services, three corporations received over $30 million in corporate subsidy checks from the Iowa Treasury. They are among 133 corporations that paid no state income tax but still received checks from the state.
This and other disclosures come from today’s release of the annual report on Iowa’s Research Activities Credit (RAC) for 2010. They show the fiscal scandal that the RAC has become. Rockwell Collins, Deere and DuPont had the largest corporate claims — $14.2 million, $12.8 million and $5.9 million, respectively. Of that $32.9 million in claims, at least $30.7 million was paid out in checks, because it was above and beyond the amount of taxes those companies owed.
Overall, corporate RAC claims totaled $45.2 million — $43 million of it, or 95 percent, being paid out as so-called “refunds” for taxes never paid. When we are asking Iowa government to be efficient and frugal, and to not promote special interests, how can this be justified? It cannot.
There is some good news — and that is that we have any news at all. This report is the first to give Iowans a full year’s look at the biggest recipients of these corporate giveaways. It is a result of a law passed in 2009 to bring some transparency to this highly costly and clearly unaccountable program. Previously, RAC “refunds” were paid out as secret checks from the state treasury. The law now requires an annual review of RAC claims, information about “refunds” and the names of recipients and amounts for claims in excess of $500,000.
These industry giants make their profits from being on the cutting edge for research; they don’t need incentives for investing in research activities, they must do it anyway. What they need from Iowa are skilled, educated workers, good roads and infrastructure, and a good quality of life. Research and common sense tell us these would be better smart investments for Iowa’s economic prosperity, not subsidy checks to wealthy corporations.
The Iowa Fiscal Partnership has produced a number of reports on the research activities credit, including reviews of economic analyses that conclude such credits have very little impact upon business decisions.
* Rockwell Collins ($561 million in profits in 2010), Deere and Company ($1,865 million in profits in 2010), and El DuPont Nemours And Company, Inc. ($3,031 million in profits in 2009). (After-tax profits, figures from corporate statements.)
For more information about Iowa fiscal issues, visit the Iowa Fiscal Partnership at www.iowafiscal.org .
*DID YOU KNOW? Women make up only 15% of the US House of Representatives. There are only 2 Hispanic Senators, and no African American Senators.
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 19, 2011
Sullivan’s Salvos 2/22/11
In this edition:
*Wisconsin Labor Woes
*Property Assessment Appeals Board
*News from IPP
*Bowl For Kids Sake
*Chamber Ag Series
*Did You Know?
*Wisconsin Labor Woes
Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and others in the GOP want to divide the middle class. They cleverly pit nonunion households against union members in an effort to cause a rift in the middle class. But I think even mentioning the “haves” and the “have nots” is risky for the GOP.
Union members are not the “haves”. The wealthiest 2% are the haves! The folks in the middle class are scared, and many are hurting. But they aren’t stupid.
Unions are not the problem, and they have never been the problem. The problem is the ultra rich and the politicians who serve them. And the people are beginning to see it. Good luck to my brothers and sisters in Wisconsin!
*Property Assessment Appeals Board
State government is often guilty of “fixing” things that are not broken. One such example is the Property Assessment Appeals Board (PAAB).
A bit of background: local governments (county, city, school) operate primarily on property taxes. In order to know how much each property should be charged, the property must be periodically assessed.
Property taxes are assessed at the local level. Each county must have an Assessor; a few of the larger cities (including Iowa City) also have them.
Here in Johnson County, we are home to the very best Assessor’s Office in the state of Iowa! According to the Iowa Finance Authority, County Assessor Bill Greazel and his staff rank number one in Iowa in terms of the accuracy of their assessments. They finish in the top two every year.
Why does this matter? Because when it comes to taxes, fairness is paramount. People need to be assured that both they and their neighbors are paying their fair shares of taxes. In Johnson County, we can prove that statistically.
When a property owner disagrees with her assessment, she can appeal the assessment to the Board of Review. The Board of Review is a three-member panel of local experts who review the available data, hear both sides of the issue, and set the correct valuation.
Not many cases go to the Board of Review; out of the tens of thousands of properties that get assessed, only a couple dozen go to the Board of Review. If a property owner is not satisfied with the decision of the Board of Review, her final appeal was to District Court.
At least, that WAS the system, until two years ago, when the State of Iowa created a PAAB. The PAAB has been a fiasco for many reasons. Here are a few:
For starters, the PAAB consists of people who sit in Des Moines. They never visit the property, and they see the same info the local experts get to see. Doesn’t it make sense that realtor and banker from Johnson County would know Lone Tree better than a realtor and banker from Des Moines?
Similarly, the system allows the State to “give away” tax revenues that were intended for local governments. This is no big deal to the state, as the revenue was never headed their way in the first place. But it has an impact on local schools, cities, and counties.
Oh, but it gets worse! There is no cost (and therefore no risk) to folks who appeal. The cost of the PAAB is paid through our state taxes. This plays into the hands of the anti-government faction that will appeal no matter what.
The opposite is true for counties, who bear the burden of proof. There are considerable costs to the counties. Assessors need to spend countless hours preparing, as do County Attorney’s offices. Yet there is no reimbursement when they go to the PAAB and win.
This creates a situation where big corporations appeal every assessment. Several large corporations (Best Buy, for example) appeal EVERY assessment as a course of doing business. Many jurisdictions decide to settle rather than fight, so the PAAB in effect transfers tax dollars from local schools to out of state corporations!
The results thus far back this up; it is not the local farmer who appeals to the PAAB and wins – it is the big box. So, when tax revenues decline, who gets asked to pay more? The farmer, of course!
Finally, and most importantly, the previous system was not broken! District Court was the perfect way to decide such disputes – fairer and cheaper for all taxpayers.
I hope our Legislators will heed the advice of Assessor Greazel, and eliminate the PAAB.
*News From IPP
While much of the current discussion in Des Moines is focusing on yet another round of cutting taxes for businesses, research from the Iowa Policy Project shows better options for the state economy.
Check out the following IPP publications for more detail:
1). Whether one focuses only on the corporate income tax, or the whole range of taxes falling on business, Iowa’s state and local taxes are well below average, and have been for some time.
2). Proponents of business tax breaks claim that taxes are a significant factor in the location choices of businesses, and that a state can tax-cut its way to economic growth and generate tax revenue in the process. Several decades of research confirm that such claims are vastly overblown and sometimes completely misleading.
"Business tax breaks turn out to be an expensive and inefficient way to attempt to stimulate a state economy."
— Peter Fisher, in "Corporate Taxes and State Economic Growth"
For more info on this research or other work by IPP, visit: www.IowaPolicyProject.org
*Bowl For Kids’ Sake
Big Brothers Big Sisters is once again holding Bowl For Kids Sake! This is the single biggest fundraiser of the year for BBBS, supporting all their good work. The event this year is February 26 & 27 at Colonial Lanes.
Sullivan for Supervisor will once again be fielding a team, and we would LOVE you to sponsor us! You can let me know via E-mail, or visit Big Brothers Big Sisters online at http://www.bbbsjc.kintera.org
If you’d rather form your own team, there is still time! Call BBBS at 337-2145 to reserve your spot.
*Chamber Ag Series
Session 2 is February 25, and the topic is RECYCLING: WE AREN'T JUST TALKING TRASH.
Panelists: Jennifer Jordan, City of Iowa City; Andy Ockenfels, City Carton Recycling; Mark Patton, Habitat for Humanity ReStore; and Jennifer Ryan Fencl, Eastern Central Iowa Council of Governments.
For more info on the series, call the Chamber at 337-9637.
*DID YOU KNOW? Any month that starts on a Sunday will have a Friday the 13th in it.
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 12, 2011
Sullivan’s Salvos 2/15/11
In this edition:
*Weapons in County Buildings
*Pitchers and Catchers Report!
*The Warmth of Other Suns
*Sutliff Bridge Authority Fundraiser
*Local Food Summit
*Did You Know?
*Weapons in County Buildings
The Board recently discussed a ban on weapons in County buildings. Johnson County has long had an employment policy banning weapons in the workplace, but recent changes to State gun laws have called those rules into question.
According to County Attorney Janet Lyness, the County may ban weapons in county buildings. While this interpretation is open to a legal challenge, Janet feels certain a ban would hold up in court. This echoes the opinion put forth by the Iowa Attorney General.
Creating a single policy for Johnson County can be a challenge. For example, we often have armed law enforcement personnel in our buildings. They require an exception. Johnson County plays host to numerous controlled hunts on Conservation property. These too, require an exception. There may be other situations we have yet to encounter that will also require exceptions to policy.
I support limits on weapons in County buildings. I do not come to this decision lightly, as I acknowledge that an individual right to bear arms has become the widely accepted view of the Second Amendment. I keep a copy of the Constitution close at hand while I work. It means a great deal to me. We need to always be careful when we are discussing Constitutional Rights.
My decision is based in large part on the impact of a ban. Yes, an individual would have his or her right to carry limited while in the County buildings. Is that too great a limitation? I do not believe so. The same people can have guns at home, and on their person in most places. They will never need to be in a County building for long periods of time. While there, they may store their weapons in their vehicles. This single limitation is not unreasonable, in my mind.
My decision is also based upon our employees. I have heard several employees express their concerns with guns in the workplace; few employees seem to be on the other side. Employees are complaining about infringements of their own rights.
While this is an important Constitutional question, I am unimpressed by many of the gun advocates that have spoken to me on this issue. While some folks have made reasoned arguments, many people claim there should be no restrictions whatsoever on the Second Amendment.
This position is hard to argue. The legislatures and courts have been further defining the Constitution and the Bill of Rights since their creations. All of our rights have been interpreted as having some limits. This is generally accepted by all three branches of government, and widely accepted by the American people. We continue to argue over these limitations, as well we should. But some limitations are accepted by all but a few absolutists.
In my mind, an absolutist position is just stupid. The extremists claim 2 year olds should be allowed to have guns. They claim people who are seriously mentally ill should be allowed to have guns. They claim no background checks should be done, no training should be required, and no proficiency should be required. They claim that each of us has a right to nuclear weapons.
In my mind, these positions are extreme, and do not help the cause of the Second Amendment. There are good discussions to be had on this issue, but not at the fringes.
Thankfully, those who spoke at the Board meeting were largely thoughtful and reasonable folks. I appreciate their passion, but also their ability to present their case in a reasonable manner.
So, what is your opinion? Weapons in County buildings, or no?
*Pitchers and Catchers Report!
Need a sign of spring? Pitchers and catchers report on February 14! Even if you aren’t a baseball fan, ya’ gotta like this!
*The Warmth of Other Suns
A couple weeks ago, I mentioned that I would be reading something in honor of Black History Month. The book I chose was “The Warmth of Other Suns” by Isabel Wilkerson.
This is the story of the huge migration of African Americans from the south to the north between 1910 and 1970. It puts three real life stories in historical and cultural contexts.
This was the best book I have read in a long time. I cried several times. It is the story of a struggle against huge odds, and a story that lots of people in this county need to read.
The book is available at local libraries – please check it out!
*Sutliff Bridge Authority Fundraiser
Mark Saturday, February 26 in your planner for the SBA spring fundraiser at the Solon American Legion. Between Monsters will be playing. Music starts at 8 pm. $5 donation at the door.
Status on the Bridge: The County recently signed an agreement with VJ Engineering to do a design. It should be finalized by May. This will be followed by bids in August. Construction work will follow with the bridge being complete by end of 2012.
Other things to note: The SBA has established an endowment fund with the Community Foundation of Johnson County. You can make your own tax deductable donation!
*Local Food Summit
A local food summit for producers and purchasers will be held February 18 from 1-5 PM at the Coralville Public Library.
Among the sponsoring organizations are the Johnson County Local Food Alliance and Iowa Valley Resource Conservation and Development, both of which are supported by Johnson County.
For more info, including registration, see www.iacorridor-localfood.org/localfoodsummit.htm
*DID YOU KNOW? The shortest war on record was fought between Zanzibar and England in 1896. Zanzibar surrendered after 38 minutes.
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 5, 2011
Sullivan’s Salvos 2/8/11
In this edition:
*Happy Valentine’s Day!
*Snow!
*Zach Wahls
*Legislation on Mobile Homes
*Free Tax Help!
*Conservation Meetings
*Bowl for Kids Sake
*Did You Know?
*Happy Valentine’s Day!
Happy Valentine’s Day to you all. I know that I am lucky – I have a wonderful spouse that I love very much. I wish every Iowan was as lucky as me!
I am spending this Valentine’s Day thinking about how some Iowans want to deny these rights to other Iowans. I just don’t get it. It is just plain mean, and it is NOT Christian!
I hope each of you is able to love whomever you wish. Happy Valentine’s Day!
*Snow!
A big thank you to all the state, county, and municipal workers who served the public during the recent blizzard. Despite the awful conditions and long hours, these workers kept us safe.
A note – most of these workers are covered by a UNION. So when you hear unions being criticized, remember the storm! Union employees work hard every day; you just rarely hear about it.
While Johnson County closed the Administration Building on Wednesday, several county departments do not have the luxury of shutting down. Special thanks to the Secondary Roads, Facilities, Medical Examiner, SEATS, and Ambulance Departments, the Sheriff’s Office, and the Emergency Management Agency! Great job!
*Zach Wahls
I do not know Zach Wahls. I have read his stuff in the newspaper before, but we have never met.
I want to meet him. Like much of America, I was blown away by the testimony of the UI freshman (and West High grad). If you have not seen it, just type his name into You Tube. You’ll be floored.
Zach, you are my new idol. Thank you!
*Legislation on Mobile Homes
At the urging of Johnson County, the Iowa State Association of Counties (ISAC) has listed mobile home reform as one of its top Legislative priorities for 2011. The Iowa Treasurer’s Association has suggested a series of reforms. Similarly, Senators Bolkcom and Dvorsky and Representatives Jacoby, Mascher, Lensing, and Willems have agreed to work on legislation that improves the laws surrounding mobile homes.
So, the ball is rolling. I am hopeful that we can get some needed changes made at the State level. Now, the onus is on those of us at the local level. It will require action at all levels of government to adequately address all the issues we face.
*Free Tax Help!
I know I wrote about this just a few weeks ago, but it is such a great opportunity – I decided to run it again.
Johnson County is proud to announce another year of free tax help! “You Earned It, Now Claim It” is a program that has done great things for taxpayers in Johnson County.
Don’t pay a fee to get your refund! The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program provides trained volunteers that will help you file your taxes. This service is available FOR FREE to people who earned less than $49,000 in 2010. E-filing is available, and translation is available at all sites.
The service is available almost every day in February and March, at sites throughout the county. Please spread the word, so even more of your friends and neighbors can avail themselves of this service!
For more information Call United Way Toll-Free by dialing: 2-1-1, or visit any of the following websites:
www.johnson-county.com • www.icpl.org • www.tippie.uiowa.edu/vita
*Conservation Meetings
The Johnson County Conservation Board (JCCB) will conduct two public meetings to present the proposed Johnson County Conservation, Recreation and Open Spaces Plan 2010-2015. Use of the $20 million Conservation Bond, approved by the voters in November 2008, will be addressed as part of the presentations. They will also include a recap of activities and accomplishments of the JCCB over the last two years.
The JCCB encourages all interested citizens to attend. Public comment and input will be solicited. Meetings will be held in Rooms 203 B & C of the Johnson County Heath & Human Services Building.
The first meeting is scheduled for 6:30 P.M. Tuesday, February 8. The second meeting will be conducted Wednesday, March 2 at 6:30 P.M, also in Rooms 203 B & C.
For additional information, contact Conservation Director Harry Graves at 319-645-2315.
*Bowl For Kids’ Sake
Big Brothers Big Sisters is once again holding Bowl For Kids Sake! This is the single biggest fundraiser of the year for BBBS, supporting all their good work. The event this year is February 26 & 27 at Colonial Lanes.
Sullivan for Supervisor will once again be fielding a team, and we would LOVE you to sponsor us! You can let me know via E-mail, or visit Big Brothers Big Sisters online at http://www.bbbsjc.kintera.org
If you’d rather form your own team, there is still time! Call BBBS at 337-2145 to reserve your spot.
*DID YOU KNOW? Repeal of the Affordable Healthcare Act (aka “Obamacare”) would add $145 billion to the national deficit. (Source: Congressional Budget Office.)
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 2/1/11
In this edition:
*County Budget
*Black History Month
*DVIP Souper Bowl
*Whose Fault Was That, Again?
*Did You Know?
*County Budget
The Board of Supervisors is putting the finishing touches on the FY11 County budget. The process is not complete until a few more steps are concluded: our Budget Coordinator fills out the State form, the proposed budget is published, a public hearing is held, and a formal vote is taken. That whole process takes a little over one month.
A few of the details: The proposal is for taxes to go up 1.8% on residential property. That amounts to an annual increase of $6.00 per $100,000 valuation. In other words, if you have a mortgage on a $150,000 house, your taxes would go up 75 cents per month. (Disclaimer: individual taxes depend upon MANY individual factors! We are discussing averages.)
I made an analogy during the budgeting process that I feel is worth sharing, because it sums up my philosophy toward budgeting.
I compare it to buying a car. You don’t usually buy the very cheapest car you possibly can. If you spend, say, only $500 on a car, you will likely spend more in other ways. You’ll spend more on maintenance, fuel, repairs, and when it isn’t working, you’ll pay for the inconvenience. So the most inexpensive is not necessarily the cheapest.
Similarly, a BMW might be the most reliable vehicle you could purchase, but you may get 95% of that reliability from a car that costs half the price. So the most expensive is not necessarily the best investment.
I take this same approach toward the budget. I believe in doing things right, and I believe you get what you pay for. We could have raised taxes less, but we would be reducing our services and/or our reserves to a level that makes me uncomfortable. Along the same lines, we could have raised taxes more, but the things we would have been buying seemed to be wants as opposed to needs.
I will write more about some specific budget highlights in future editions of Salvos.
Personally, I am pretty happy with this budget. It maintains services and reserve balances while minimizing tax increases. I hope the budget will have the support of all 5 Supervisors.
Please feel free to E-mail me if you have budget questions, comments, or concerns.
*Black History Month
February is Black History Month. I often wish that there was no need for a Black History Month – instead, black history would be a robust part of the history that is already taught in our schools.
The fact is, we all need a reminder of the amazing history of African Americans. I am planning on doing some reading on Little Rock and Brown versus the Board of Education. What will you be doing?
*DVIP Souper Bowl
The Domestic Violence Intervention Program (DVIP) is holding its 14th annual Souper Bowl, a dinner to support services for victims of domestic violence. Area restaurants, antique dealers, and artisans are donating their best soup, bread and bowls.
Join us at the Clarion Highlander Hotel Thursday, 2/3/11 from 5:30-7:30 PM. Tickets are $20.00 at the door. Don’t forget—with the purchase of a ticket you get to take home the bowl of your choice! Kids eat free (unless they want to take home a bowl)!
Come enjoy wonderful music and a great meal with your friends, while supporting the good work of DVIP!
*Whose Fault Was That, Again?
A funny thing happened on the way to 2011…remember the financial crisis of 2008? Big banks and Wall Street almost collapsed, and government came to the rescue.
Fast-forward 3 years, and Wall Street barons are overburdened. Government spending (much of it bailing out business) is the problem du jour. Somehow, the failure of unregulated capitalism turned into a crisis for government.
Cops, firefighters, teachers, Medicare and Medicaid recipients, etc. did not cause the financial crisis. Wall Street excesses that went unregulated caused the financial crisis. So why is the GOP intent on making government pay the price for capitalism’s failures?
It is unbelievable that in order to get support for benefits for the unemployed, our government feels the need to bribe the people who laid them off. That is the bargain that was recently struck, showering the wealthiest Americans with tax breaks just so needy Americans could keep their homes.
Listen to some of the new GOP governors: “We can no longer live in a society where the public employees are the haves and taxpayers who foot the bills are the have-nots,” says Scott Walker of Wisconsin. Really? If Mr. Walker REALLY cares about the “haves and have-nots”, then by all means, go for it! Use actual data, and take your pound of flesh from the haves! Of course, actual data will show Walker that very few public employees are in the top 2% of earners.
Of all the new GOP governors, John Kasich of Ohio appears to be planning the most comprehensive assault against unions. Kasich proposes to take away the right of 14,000 state-financed childcare and home care workers to unionize. If these state-funded jobs are so cushy, and these workers are the “haves”, why would they be unionizing?
You are about to be subjected to two years of “concern” over the deficit and the economy. Do not believe it. There is but one concern: largess for the wealthy. Everything the federal government does is designed with largess for the wealthy as a key priority.
*DID YOU KNOW? During the US Civil war, 200,000 blacks served in the Union Army; 38,000 gave their lives; 22 won the Medal of Honor.
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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