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rodsullivan.org
SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
April 26, 2013
Sullivan’s
Salvos 4/30/13
In this edition:
*RIP Cletus Redlinger
*Thank You MidWest One!
*A Bad Idea…
*Earth Day Proclamation
*On Understanding Black…
*May Day
*Dems Hall of Fame
*Did You Know?
*RIP Cletus Redlinger
Former Johnson
County Treasurer Cletus Redlinger passed away Sunday April 21st at Mercy
Hospital in Iowa City. Cletus served as Johnson County Treasurer from
1984-1998, and was employed in the Treasurer’s office from 1963 to 1998.
I
know many people in County government have warm memories of Cletus. I have
heard many stories of his skill as a politician. He was obviously successful in
government and politics. It just so happens that his son Andy is a buddy of
mine. I can tell you this – if the measure of a man can be taken by looking at
his children, then Cletus was indeed a very successful man!
RIP,
Cletus!
*Thank You MidWest One!
I
hope everyone noticed the recent development proposal from MidWest One Bank in
Iowa City.
As
you probably know, MidWest One has been operating out of the old Sabin School
building just south of downtown. They have proposed a mixed-use development for
the location, containing 22 condos and the MidWest One Home Loan Center and
drive up location. This would be the first new downtown office building since
1977.
The move to Sabin was actually the second time that MidWest One
has sacrificed a building to help the Iowa City/University of Iowa community.
Back in the 70s, Iowa State Bank gave up their drive through location to allow
for Old Capitol Mall. 40 years later, they sacrificed their drive through to
the UI School of Music.
Having
been headquartered in downtown Iowa City for many years, they wanted to stay.
So MidWest One decided to kick start the process of expanding Iowa City’s
downtown south of Burlington Street – into the Riverfront Crossings area.
So,
this is all good news, right? Oh, it gets better! Note this quote from MidWest
One CEO Charlie Funk: “We realize
other financial institutions have applied for TIF; we don’t really think we
need to have TIF,” Funk told the Economic Development Committee. “We’re willing
to pay our taxes and be a player in downtown Iowa City where our headquarters
is.”
BRAVO,
MidWest One! Rather than take tax dollars intended for the schools and the
County, MidWest One is going to pay its own way.
I
have written here on previous occasions that I am a proud customer of MidWest
One. They are a local bank, they truly care about this community, and I think
they do a great job. This is yet another example! Congrats, MidWest One!
*A Bad Idea…
It seems as though
there is always some bad news to offset any good. You just read the good news
above on local use of TIF. The bad news on local government financing can be
found here: http://iowapolicypoints.org/2013/04/24/some-bad-ideas-never-die/
In the link, Peter
Fisher of the Iowa Policy Project (IPP) explains how HF641 (which passed 87-9)
would allow cities to divert sales tax revenue and do whatever they want with
it. Including handing it over to developers.
Why? The State of
Iowa has all kinds of needs that are underfunded: k-12, Regents, environmental
protection, courts, social services… why give this revenue to cities? Now who
will fund those state funded needs? Answer? No one!
Thanks to Representatives
Mascher and Lensing for being two of the nine that got this right. And thanks
as always to IPP for being a great watchdog!
*Earth Day Proclamation
Earth Day was last
week. To recognize this fact, the Johnson County Board of Supervisors passed a
proclamation. Unfortunately, that proclamation only passed 4-1.
In my eight years on
the Board, I think we’ve only had three proclamations that failed to get a 5-0
vote. Two have occurred in the past month.
I
simply do not understand a vote against Earth Day. I like Earth Day. I voted
for the proclamation.
*On Understanding Black…
I have had a few
folks recently who have claimed that I am a racist. Some (but not all) of these
claims surround my support of a new Justice Center. A few folks claim I “do not
understand” what it means to be black. (These folks are all educated white
“liberals”, by the way.)
These folks don’t really
know me, of course. It is very easy to opine on topics about which you know
NOTHING.
Here is the thing:
my three children are African American. So are many of our dozens of foster
children. For the past 15 years, my family has been majority black. Every night
when I kissed my children goodnight, I kissed black foreheads. When I said my
prayers, I was praying for black people. I have been called names. I have cried
with them and for them when they got called names. I have walked the walk.
I cannot say that I
“know” what it means to be African American in Johnson County, Iowa. I think
one must actually live it to truly understand. That said, I will guarantee you
I have a better idea than 99% of all white folks. I will guarantee you I have a
better idea than my critics.
What’s more, the
critics have done nothing but criticize. I have been a part of several events
and several groups that have tried to improve understanding between races.
Never saw one of the critics there. Never will, either. Because they are all
talk.
Racism
is real. It exists in Johnson County. I’m guilty of it, to some degree. Because
we all are. I’m just not as guilty as my ignorant accusers believe.
*May Day
I celebrate May Day.
You should, too! May Day continues to be a worldwide worker’s holiday; it used
to be celebrated in the US, too, until McCarthyism. Workers earned the holiday
then, and deserve it still today. So feel free – celebrate May Day!
*Dems Hall of Fame
The Johnson County
Democratic Party is holding its annual Hall of Fame event on Saturday, May 11
at 7pm at the Marriott in Coralville.
Honorees this year
are Anita Sehr, Maureen Donnelly, Joyce Carman, Rebecca Reiter, and the late
Lori Bears. An amazing group of people who deserve your appreciation!
Tickets
are a suggested donation of $25 apiece. Desserts and coffee are included, and a
cash bar will be available.
I hope you will join
me on May 11 to help honor these 5 deserving volunteers.
*DID YOU KNOW?
The earliest May Day celebrations appeared in pre-Christian times,
with the festival of Flora, the Roman goddess of flowers.
Anyone
interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the
County website-
"Sullivan’s
Salvos" is sent once per week to any interested party. It will give a
brief update on issues of interest to Johnson County residents.
These messages
come solely from Rod Sullivan, and neither represents the viewpoints of the
whole Board of Supervisors nor those of groups or individuals otherwise
mentioned.
If you do NOT
want the weekly E-mail, simply reply to this message, and type
"unsubscribe" in the subject line.
If you know
anyone else who might be interested, just forward this message. They can E-mail
me at rodsullivan@mchsi.com with "subscribe" in the subject line.
As always,
feel free to contact me at 354-7199 or rodsullivan@mchsi.com. I look forward to
serving you!
---Rod
April 20, 2013
Sullivan’s
Salvos 4/23/13
In this edition:
*Technical Difficulties
*Supervisor Districts
*NAMI Walk
*Kites for Kids
*Take Back the Night
*Did You Know?
*Technical Difficulties
Unfortunately,
I am having a very difficult time getting my weekly Salvos out. Problems with
Blogger and Mediacom are creating headaches that I cannot seem to fix.
Please bear with me. And if you know anything about mass e-mails and want to
donate some time, please let me know.
Meanwhile, I am going to repeat a portion of last week’s Salvos in the hope you
get it this week. I apologize for the difficulties!
*Supervisor Districts
The issue of County
Supervisor Districts has reared its ugly head in Johnson County. This is a
lousy idea. For starters, Districts cost taxpayers more money! Plus, I do not
believe geography matters nearly as much as people think.
One high-profile example - Supervisor Harney lives in Newport Township, yet
disagreed with the vast majority of Newport residents over the road.
Personally, I voted to vacate a road that is home to one of my friends, very
near where I grew up. That was not fun, but I felt I needed to ignore the
geography.
Geography is but one thing that binds people together. Despite the immigration
of the past two decades, we remain a small community in many ways. Frankly,
most elections are won because of who your Mom and Dad are/were. There are old
friendships to take into account. Every election has issues of gender, race,
religion, occupation, education, political party, and income level, just to
name a few.
These issues aren't usually well publicized, but it is clear that many farmers
vote for farmers, many UI folks vote for UI folks, many Catholics vote for
Catholics, and so forth. This does not even take into account the actual issues
of the day - public safety, roads, social services, taxes, and the like. Does
geography matter? Yes, but not nearly as much as people think.
This leads to the issue of Supervisor districts. Linn and Washington Counties
recently adopted a district system, where the county is divided into 5
districts and only the people in that district vote for that Supervisor. Sups
must live in the district they represent. I have several issues with a district
system.
First, as I pointed out, geography is often less important than people realize.
(See my arguments above.)
Secondly, we have a system of one person, one vote. Iowa City, with 68,000
residents, will always have more voters than Oxford, with 800. Law would not
allow a district to be gerrymandered in such a way to guarantee a Supervisor
from Oxford. If we had districts, each would contain about 27,000 residents. A
district that included Oxford, Tiffin, Swisher, Shueyville, and lots of rural
residents would still only amount to 7,000 people. Even if you added North
Liberty to the mix, the district would be 7,000 people short. So the idea that
you are going to get an Oxford-based Supervisor is still slim.
The best bet for someone wanting a Sup from Oxford is to find a good candidate
in Oxford, work with her on issues, and urge her to run. Good candidates CAN
win regardless of where they live; it is difficult to win BECAUSE of where you
live.
Thirdly, districts actually eliminate good candidates. It is entirely possible
that the two best candidates live next door to each other. Why eliminate one
from holding office? If it was a job interview in the private sector and you
were determined to hire the two best people, you wouldn’t even look at where
they lived.
Fourthly, districts add inefficiency to government by creating a patronage
system. If Swisher gets a road repair one year, Lone Tree will get one the
next, whether it is needed or not. Because rather than looking out for the best
interests of the entire county, you have created a system that rewards
“bringing home the bacon.” This WILL increase the cost of government!
It also adds expenses to elections. Supervisor Districts create additional
ballot types, driving up the cost of elections while adding to voter confusion.
That does not even take into account the fact that you need to hold an $80,000
special election just to vote on the change!
Fifthly, districts eliminate some of the representative nature of government.
All 5 Sups vote on ordinances, the budget, and everything else. If a Sup is
going to spend my tax dollars, I want to have a say by being able to vote for
or against her. And the Rural Fund makes up only $3 million of the $84 million
dollar county budget.
In Polk and Linn Counties, there are multiple Supervisors who do not have a
single county road or rural resident in their Districts. This would likely
occur in Johnson County, too, if a District system was in place. This creates
an incentive for the urban representative to push all the expenses of County
government to the rural side of the budget.
Rural people – you think you want this? Think again! You might well end up with
3 out of 5 Supervisors who represent NO rural residents. Why would those three
continue to tax their residents (all city dwellers) for things such as rural
patrol deputies? I think districts will lead to additional expenses for rural
people.
Similarly, when people claim to feel “unrepresented” – you have five
Supervisors now. How “represented” will you be when you have one? You just
might find yourself at odds with the sole Supervisor that represents you.
Finally, I dislike identity politics. I frequently hear, “We need a couple
rural folks on the Board.” I understand the reasoning, but I disagree. Look at
all the flaws in this argument:
1. Not all rural folks think alike, and not all rural folks will vote alike.
Remember – rural does not necessarily equate to farmer!
2. Johnson County has about 4,000 on-farm residents. (That amounts to 3% of
overall county residents, and a little less than one in 5 rural residents.)
Johnson County has many more teachers than farmers; why don’t we need a teacher
on the Board?
3. In continuing the identity politics, Johnson County is home to 4,300
Latinos; 6,000 African Americans; 13,000 people with disabilities; 6,000 gays
and lesbians; 19,000 seniors; 25,000 people with Master’s Degrees or higher.
Must we ensure that each of these groups is represented? If so, how do we
accomplish this on a 5 person Board?
4. What does it mean “to be represented?” While not African American, I am
sensitive to issues of race through having three African American children.
While not a farmer, I grew up on a farm, and we still have several in the
family. While I do not have a disability, I used to work at The Arc. Each
Supervisor could go on similarly as to why she/he represents everyone well.
Several local business leaders have been advocating for governments to think
bigger and more regionally. This proposal goes the opposite direction. I hope
Chuck Peters, Clay Jones, and others who have been advocating for less
government will publically oppose this silly plan!
I hope that Johnson County never heads down the ill-conceived path of
Supervisor districts. It only serves to drive up the cost of government,
without improving services.
*NAMI Walk
This week is the NAMI Walk of Johnson County, the
signature walkathon event of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
The event is being held in Iowa City at City Park on Saturday, April 27, 2013.
NAMI is the largest education, support, and advocacy organization that serve
the needs of those who are touched by mental illness. This includes
persons with mental illness, their families, friends, employers, the law
enforcement community and policy makers.
The goals of the NAMI Walk is to fight the stigma that surrounds mental
illness, to build awareness of the mental health system, and to raise funds for
NAMI so that it can continue its mission. Please join us for the walk or
donate to support this great event. For additional information please visit: http://namiwalks.nami.org/Kandy68
*Kites for Kids
11, 474 children were abused in Iowa in 2011. At least 325
children were abused in Johnson County in 2011.
Prevent Child Abuse is an event geared towards bringing together the families
in Johnson County to raise awareness about child abuse.
Starting at 12:30 pm there will be kite flying, cupcakes, cookies, and hot
chocolate. All food, hot chocolate, and kites will be provided free of charge
for the first 50 people who arrive at the park!
Bring your children, moms, dads, grandparents, and neighbors and come fly kites
in Lower City Park, Shelter #5, Iowa City.
Cupcakes/Cookies donated by: Molly's Cupcakes, Yummy's Gourmet Cakes, Cookies
and More, and Cottage Bakery & Café.
*Take Back the Night
Take Back the Night is an annual march and rally organized by
the Women’s Resource & Action Center (WRAC). Historically, this event has
recognized sexual and relational violence against women, and this year, the
event will be extended to provide the opportunity for all oppressed groups to
speak out against sexual violence. We will be discussing the recently
reauthorized Violence Against Women Act, and the implications it has for women
in our community, as well as a discussion of men’s roles as allies in the fight
against sexual violence.
6:30 pm- We'll start the evening with a welcome. Then, five keynote speakers
from various campus/community organizations will address sexual violence in
their communities
7:30 pm- We will march through downtown Iowa City
8:00 pm- The event will finish on the Pentacrest where we will have an open mic
available for those who wish to share their personal experiences and stories
with sexual violence (note cards will be passed around for those who wish to
share their stories anonymously).
In case of inclement weather, Take Back The Night will be held at the regularly
scheduled time in the UI Pomerantz Center, Room C20.
This event is sponsored by the UI Women’s Resource & Action Center, and is
co-sponsored by the Domestic Violence and Intervention Program (DVIP) and the
Rape Victim Advocacy Program (RVAP).
For information and updates see www.uiowa.edu/~wrac
*DID YOU KNOW? Mediacom stinks.
Anyone interested in learning more about County government should take a look
at the County website-
www.johnson-county.com.
"Sullivan’s Salvos" is sent once per week to any interested party. It
will give a brief update on issues of interest to Johnson County residents.
These messages come solely from Rod Sullivan, and neither represents the
viewpoints of the whole Board of Supervisors nor those of groups or individuals
otherwise mentioned.
If you do NOT want the weekly E-mail, simply reply to this message, and type
"unsubscribe" in the subject line.
If you know anyone else who might be interested, just forward this message.
They can E-mail me at rodsullivan@mchsi.com with "subscribe" in the
subject line.
As always, feel free to contact me at 354-7199 or rodsullivan@mchsi.com. I look
forward to serving you!
---Rod
April 12, 2013
Sullivan’s
Salvos 4/16/13
In this edition:
*Supervisor Districts
*Crisis Center
*Hospice Walk for Dignity
*Did You Know?
*Supervisor Districts
The
issue of County Supervisor Districts has reared its ugly head in Johnson
County. This is a lousy idea. For starters, Districts cost taxpayers more
money! Plus, I do not believe geography matters nearly as much as people think.
One high-profile example - Supervisor Harney lives in Newport Township, yet
disagreed with the vast majority of Newport residents over the road.
Personally, I voted to vacate a road that is home to one of my friends, very
near where I grew up. That was not fun, but I felt I needed to ignore the
geography.
Geography is but one thing that binds people together. Despite the immigration
of the past two decades, we remain a small community in many ways. Frankly,
most elections are won because of who your Mom and Dad are/were. There are old
friendships to take into account. Every election has issues of gender, race,
religion, occupation, education, political party, and income level, just to
name a few.
These issues aren't usually well publicized, but it is clear that many farmers
vote for farmers, many UI folks vote for UI folks, many Catholics vote for
Catholics, and so forth. This does not even take into account the actual issues
of the day - public safety, roads, social services, taxes, and the like. Does
geography matter? Yes, but not nearly as much as people think.
This leads to the issue of Supervisor districts. Linn and Washington Counties
recently adopted a district system, where the county is divided into 5
districts and only the people in that district vote for that Supervisor. Sups
must live in the district they represent. I have several issues with a district
system.
First, as I pointed out, geography is often less important than people realize.
(See my arguments above.)
Secondly, we have a system of one person, one vote. Iowa City, with 68,000
residents, will always have more voters than Oxford, with 800. Law would not
allow a district to be gerrymandered in such a way to guarantee a Supervisor
from Oxford. If we had districts, each would contain about 27,000 residents. A
district that included Oxford, Tiffin, Swisher, Shueyville, and lots of rural
residents would still only amount to 7,000 people. Even if you added North
Liberty to the mix, the district would be 7,000 people short. So the idea that
you are going to get an Oxford-based Supervisor is still slim.
The best bet for someone wanting a Sup from Oxford is to find a good candidate
in Oxford, work with her on issues, and urge her to run. Good candidates CAN
win regardless of where they live; it is difficult to win BECAUSE of where you
live.
Thirdly, districts actually eliminate good candidates. It is entirely possible
that the two best candidates live next door to each other. Why eliminate one
from holding office? If it was a job interview in the private sector and you
were determined to hire the two best people, you wouldn’t even look at where
they lived.
Fourthly, districts add inefficiency to government by creating a patronage
system. If Swisher gets a road repair one year, Lone Tree will get one the
next, whether it is needed or not. Because rather than looking out for the best
interests of the entire county, you have created a system that rewards
“bringing home the bacon.” This WILL increase the cost of government!
It also adds expenses to elections. Supervisor Districts create additional
ballot types, driving up the cost of elections while adding to voter confusion.
That does not even take into account the fact that you need to hold an $80,000
special election just to vote on the change!
Fifthly, districts eliminate some of the representative nature of government.
All 5 Sups vote on ordinances, the budget, and everything else. If a Sup is
going to spend my tax dollars, I want to have a say by being able to vote for
or against her. And the Rural Fund makes up only $3 million of the $84 million
dollar county budget.
In Polk and Linn Counties, there are multiple Supervisors who do not have a
single county road or rural resident in their Districts. This would likely
occur in Johnson County, too, if a District system was in place. This creates
an incentive for the urban representative to push all the expenses of County
government to the rural side of the budget.
Rural people – you think you want this? Think again! You might well end up with
3 out of 5 Supervisors who represent NO rural residents. Why would those three
continue to tax their residents (all city dwellers) for things such as rural
patrol deputies? I think districts will lead to additional expenses for rural
people.
Similarly, when people claim to feel “unrepresented” – you have five
Supervisors now. How “represented” will you be when you have one? You just
might find yourself at odds with the sole Supervisor that represents you.
Finally, I dislike identity politics. I frequently hear, “We need a couple
rural folks on the Board.” I understand the reasoning, but I disagree. Look at
all the flaws in this argument:
1. Not all rural folks think alike, and not all rural folks will vote alike.
Remember – rural does not necessarily equate to farmer!
2. Johnson County has about 4,000 on-farm residents. (That amounts to 3% of
overall county residents, and a little less than one in 5 rural residents.)
Johnson County has many more teachers than farmers; why don’t we need a teacher
on the Board?
3. In continuing the identity politics, Johnson County is home to 4,300
Latinos; 6,000 African Americans; 13,000 people with disabilities; 6,000 gays
and lesbians; 19,000 seniors; 25,000 people with Master’s Degrees or higher.
Must we ensure that each of these groups is represented? If so, how do we
accomplish this on a 5 person Board?
4. What does it mean “to be represented?” While not African American, I am
sensitive to issues of race through having three African American children.
While not a farmer, I grew up on a farm, and we still have several in the
family. While I do not have a disability, I used to work at The Arc. Each
Supervisor could go on similarly as to why she/he represents everyone well.
Several local business leaders have been advocating for governments to think
bigger and more regionally. This proposal goes the opposite direction. I hope Chuck
Peters, Clay Jones, and others who have been advocating for less government
will publically oppose this silly plan!
I hope that Johnson County never heads down the ill-conceived path of
Supervisor districts. It only serves to drive up the cost of government,
without improving services.
*Crisis Center
I
recently had the opportunity to spend some hands-on time at the Crisis Center,
and I came away impressed!
I’ll
make this very simple – the Crisis Center has amazing volunteers, a great
staff, and hard-working clients all in a respectful, helpful, caring setting.
I
am very proud to support the Crisis Center. I hope you are, too! They provide
great services to Johnson County.
*Hospice Walk for Dignity
Iowa
City Hospice Walk for Dignity Celebrates 30th Anniversary and the Iowa City
Hospice Volunteers!
Iowa City Hospice is celebrating a significant milestone – 30 years of bringing
comfort and peace to those they serve, adding life to each day.
In 1983, Iowa City Hospice was founded by volunteers who were firm in one
mandate: provide high quality, compassionate end-of-life care to all without
regard for ability to pay. Still a not-for-profit hospice, Iowa City Hospice
provided 1,822 days of community supported care in 2012!
After 30 years, volunteers are still the heart of Iowa City Hospice. To honor
them, Iowa City Hospice volunteers will serve as this year’s Walk for Dignity
Honorary Family! Volunteers in bright shirts will lead the Walk held at Willow
Creek Park on April 21, at 1PM.
All are invited to join the Walk and throughout this next year in celebrating
30 years of guiding families, honoring wishes, and securing this amazing
culture of compassionate end of life care for all.
Email or call 319-688-4213
or 800-897-3052 to get more information about Walk For Dignity.
*DID YOU KNOW? There are approximately 1,146 homeless
people in Johnson County. (Source: Shelter House.)
Anyone interested in learning more about County government should take a look
at the County website-
www.johnson-county.com.
"Sullivan’s Salvos" is sent once per week to any interested party. It
will give a brief update on issues of interest to Johnson County residents.
These messages come solely from Rod Sullivan, and neither represents the
viewpoints of the whole Board of Supervisors nor those of groups or individuals
otherwise mentioned.
If you do NOT want the weekly E-mail, simply reply to this message, and type
"unsubscribe" in the subject line.
If you know anyone else who might be interested, just forward this message.
They can E-mail me at rodsullivan@mchsi.com with "subscribe" in the
subject line.
As always, feel free to contact me at 354-7199 or rodsullivan@mchsi.com. I look
forward to serving you!
---Rod
April 5, 2013
Sullivan’s Salvos 4/9/13
In this edition:
*Dems Hall of Fame
*Pancake Day
*Celebration of the Young Child
*Shelter House Gala
*Thank You Iowa Senate!
*What’s An Elected Official To Do?
*Did You Know?
*Dems Hall of Fame
The Johnson County Democratic Party is holding its annual Hall of Fame event on Saturday, May 11 at 7pm at the Marriott in Coralville. Save the date!
Honorees this year are Anita Sehr, Maureen Donnelly, Joyce Carmen, Rebecca Reiter, and the late Lori Bears. An amazing group of people who deserve your appreciation!
Sponsorships are available at $100, $250, and $500 levels. Tickets are a suggested donation of $25 apiece. Desserts and coffee are included, and a cash bar will be available.
I hope you will join me on May 11 to help honor these 5 deserving volunteers.
*Pancake Day
The ICCSD is holding its annual Pancake Day fundraiser on Saturday, April 13 from 6:30 am – 6:30 pm at the West High cafeteria.
This event is the single biggest fundraiser for athletics at Southeast, Northwest, North Central, West, and City. Please eat a few pancakes and support our young athletes!
*Celebration of the Young Child
Saturday, April 13th from 10 am – 6 pm at the Iowa Children’s Museum. Free admission includes stories, dance, music, activities, and more.
*Shelter House Gala
Saturday, April 20 at the Celebration Farm. Silent Auction, Live Auction, dinner, and drinks. Call 338-5416 for more information.
*Thank You, Iowa Senate!
The Iowa Senate recently voted 26-23 to support Medicaid expansion in Iowa. All 26 Democrats voted in favor, and all Republicans were opposed. This issue has somehow become political to members of the GOP, and that is a shame.
This is a no-brainer! The feds will pay 100% for the first 3 years, and the federal portion will never dip below 90%. Iowans pay federal taxes; why shouldn’t Iowans have access to federal benefits?
Some in the GOP claim we cannot afford this. Hogwash! Medicaid is much more efficient than private insurance. Failure to provide basic health care to our fellow Iowans costs us all much more in higher insurance premiums.
The members of the Iowa GOP who claim we “cannot afford this” do not seem to care that we hand 100 million dollars to a disreputable foreign fertilizer company. They have no interest in the effect of two off-budget wars, huge tax cuts for the wealthy, a bloated military budget, prescription drug companies fleecing Americans, tax breaks to oil companies, tax loopholes – THAT is how Congress and the Bush Administration blew the surplus and created a deficit. Medicaid had little to do with it!
Medicaid expansion should NOT be a partisan issue! Just ask the Republican Governors of New Jersey, Florida, Ohio, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, and North Dakota.
To top it all off, the Senate Dems offered the Governor an “opt-out” after three years if the federal money failed to materialize. So there is zero risk. Not that there is any risk, anyway: the federal government has run Medicaid uninterrupted and without a hitch since 1965. The feds have a much better track record of keeping promises than does the State of Iowa!
Meanwhile, 150,000 poor Iowans go without health coverage. The GOP is not only wrong financially in this case – they are wrong morally. Thanks to the Democrats in the Iowa Senate for getting it right!
*What’s An Elected Official To Do?
Recent Board votes point out some of the struggles between elected representatives and the people they represent.
I must admit, I find being an elected official very challenging some times. The relationship with the public is difficult to figure out.
I don't really feel as though I need a lot of positive strokes, though others might. People rarely say anything when they agree with you. I guess I'm surprised our records do not count for more, however. I can vote according to an individual's wishes 100 times in a row, but vote against her once, and I'm a bum. There is a VERY tiny reservoir of trust. It is disappointing that people do not have a bit more faith.
Similarly – I have always and will always vote to support LGBT rights. So calls and e-mails are unlikely to move me on the issue. But I got roughly ten negative comments and ten positive. The negative comments were all adamant; the positive were mostly a quick “thanks”. So what about any Supervisors who struggle with the issue? The feedback they got this week was clear – it is not worth it to support LGBT rights. The public has spoken, and you may not like the message!
People tend to let you know when they disagree, and we should all do this as citizens. But people rarely offer criticism in a way that is timely or helpful. For example: including training sessions, public hearings, and work sessions, the County’s Land Use Plan Committee met almost 20 times. TWENTY! Public meetings every time. I was present at something like 17 of them. Where was everyone? Those sessions were critical opportunities for feedback!
This lack of engagement scares the hell out of me. It has already shown up electorally – witness the 6% turnout in the most recent special election. People – you will most assuredly get the government you deserve! You simply MUST pay attention, and you MUST let elected officials know what you think. Do not sit back and wait to criticize; be proactive!
I’m amazed at the number of times I sit in a meeting, criticized for parking tickets, the USDA, Medicaid, and the North Liberty Fire Department. (I use those just as examples. But they are all REAL examples!) The common thread between each of those issues? Each is outside of the realm of a County Supervisor!
I get that life is complicated. Not everyone is “into” government. But the public simply must have a better level of understanding!
I TRY to keep people informed. That is a part of my responsibility, obviously. It is also a responsibility of the press - they could do much better, in my opinion. It is also a responsibility of the public. I would argue that while I may not do as much as I should, I'm doing more than virtually any person out there. So, I'll continue to attempt to keep you informed. And I’ll try to do better. I simply ask that you do your part, too.
*DID YOU KNOW? The per-enrollee cost growth in Medicaid (6.1 percent) is lower than the per enrollee cost growth in comparable coverage under Medicare (6.9), private health insurance (10.6), and monthly premiums for employer-sponsored insurance (12.6). (Source: Kaiser Family Foundation.)
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
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