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SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
November 29, 2013
Sullivan’s
Salvos 12/3/13
In this edition:
*The Best Government Money Can Buy
*Obamacare Info
*Recall Elections
*Did You Know?
*The Best Government Money Can Buy
Johnson
County recently considered a controversial zoning matter. A wealthy local
businessman wanted to rezone some property. His proposal went against our
adopted Land Use Plan. He was told no by a 3-2 margin.
As
he left the room, the gentleman complained about how much he pays in taxes. I
did not say anything at the time, but I have thought about it ever since.
He
has no interest in speaking to me, I’m sure. And I do not want to rub salt into
a wound. But I’d honestly like to hear more from this guy. I am sincerely
interested in the thoughts he expressed.
I
want to know if he really believes we should consider the amount an applicant
pays in taxes when making our decisions. Should he get treated better because
he pays more? Should the government favor him over someone who does less to
fund that government?
On the other hand, some governments are creating “express”
services for people that can afford them. Just like the “express pass” at
Disney – if you pay enough, you cut to the front of the line. Governments who
have adopted this stance argue that they are simply following the lead of the
private sector. Plus, the ability to charge extra fees is attractive in an age
of tight budgets.
Some
might argue this gentleman already receives this type of favoritism. After all,
two Supervisors were willing to go against our Land Use Plan to give him what
he wants; would they do that for someone who was poor?
I’ll admit - I myself have given this gentleman what I would
consider to be better than average service simply because of his status. Twice
when the County was considering ordinance changes, I preemptively reached out
to him to solicit his opinion. I did not do that with random poor people!
I’m
certain that I am viewed as insufficiently “pro-business” by this gentleman and
several others. Sometimes I find this frustrating, as I would argue that I have
been a bigger advocate of “buying local” than any other elected official. I
truly want to see him and all our local business owners do well.
But I often wonder – do they REALLY want a government whose
decisions are for sale to the highest bidder? Like many locals, this guy is a
big fish in a small pond. What if the next thing he wants is opposed by
MidAmerican? What if it is opposed by Microsoft? Does he really want
governmental decisions made on the basis of who pays the most taxes?
Meanwhile,
what are your thoughts? Should government services/decisions depend upon how
much one pays in taxes?
*Obamacare Sign Up
The following came from Lynette Jacoby, Johnson
County’s Social Services Director. (We are lucky to have her, by the way!)
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) will allow many
uninsured and under-insured Iowans the opportunity to obtain free or low cost
healthcare. The trick now is ensuring that everyone is informed on how to
accomplish this and assisting them in making it happen!
The Johnson County Healthcare Outreach Group
(representatives from local health and social services agencies, Johnson
County, United Way, UIHC, and insurance brokers) has developed strategies to
build awareness and offer assistance on accessing health insurance through the
Healthcare Marketplace.
1.) Individual service providers working directly
with families earning below 400% federal poverty level are critical to outreach
efforts and informing consumers about the ACA. Tara Clark, UIHC Social Worker,
will provide a training on the Affordable Care Act/ Healthcare Marketplace for
social services and healthcare providers on Friday December 6, 10:00 -11:30 in
room 203 of the Health and Human Services Building. Providers will learn the
nuts and bolts of the Healthcare Marketplace available in Iowa through the
Affordable Care Act and the role they can play to assist consumers with
enrolling in a healthcare plan. For those unable to attend the training
the Iowa Insurance Division has a variety of webinars available for targeted
audiences. These webinars can be accessed at: http://www.shiip.state.ia.us/cab/cabwebinars.asp
2.) The attached brochure identifies access points
to assist consumers in applying for assistance. Please distribute the brochure
widely.
4.) Check the United Way website; http://www.unitedwayjwc.org for up-to-date
information on enrollment fairs offered throughout the county.
Thanks,
Lynette, for this important update!
*Recall Elections
I
think recall elections are extremely bad policy. When a person gets elected,
she/he deserves to fill out the term of office, no matter how badly she/he
performs. I feel strongly that recalls are bad at any level of government.
I
do think every level of government needs a provision for impeachment. If an
elected official is convicted of a felony, fails to fulfill the duties of the
office, or commits some other high crime, there should be recourse available to
remove that person from office.
Note,
however, that impeachment should not EVER be used because elected officials
disagree. It should ONLY be used when the law and/or oath of office has been
violated.
Eight
states allow recall elections, but only when laws have been violated. 11 states
allow recalls with no reason necessary. Iowa is one of the 31 states with no
provision for recall elections.
I
am very glad Iowa does not allow recall elections without cause. That probably
means the Legislature will pass it this year!
*DID YOU KNOW?
Clarion (Wright
County) is the only Iowa county seat in the exact center of the county.
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
November 22, 2013
Sullivan’s
Salvos 11/26/13
In this edition:
*Thanksgiving
*RIP Dennis Ryan
*Save PATV!
*Zoning/Land Use Plan
*A Tale Of Two Counties
*Did You Know?
*Thanksgiving
Happy
Thanksgiving to all Salvos readers! I hope you and yours have a wonderful
holiday!
I
have many things for which I am thankful. Family, friends, health, relative
wealth… I am a pretty lucky guy! One thing that I do not acknowledge enough,
however, is the Salvos audience! I really appreciate the fact that you take the
time to hear what I have to say. It is humbling, and I truly am honored to have
this soapbox.
So
thanks for reading, and have a great holiday!
*RIP Dennis Ryan
Johnson County is
well-known for colorful characters. We recently lost one of those characters in
Dennis Ryan. Dennis was a labor stalwart, a peace activist, and a firm believer
in equality and economic justice. He never gave me any passes when it came to being
progressive - not once!
More than any person I
know, Dennis was always "fighting the man." Even small issues that
caused most of us to roll our eyes - those were the fights Dennis accepted with
glee. Just try to tell him how often he needs to mow his lawn!
My Dad once told me about
Dennis nominating himself for Union President, then arguing with the bylaws
committee - basically pissing off everyone in the room. After winning that
argument, he lost the election - the only vote he got was his own. But that was
Dennis; proving a point was worth it.
But despite his willingness
to fight a fight, Dennis was funny and pleasant. He was always willing to lend
a hand to friends and strangers alike.
RIP, Dennis.
*Save PATV!
*Zoning/Land Use Plan
Remember
how I told you that our Land Use Plan was going to be challenged? Remember how
I asked you to show up if the Land Use Plan was important to you?
Yeah.
Well, nobody showed up. Including the media. Typical. The Gazette now does
economic development instead of news, and the Press Citizen doesn’t even do
that. Neither has regularly covered the Supervisors in a few years.
Luckily, three Supervisors held firm. Thanks to Supervisors Neuzil
and Rettig for doing the right thing. Shame on all of you who claim this is important,
but cannot get your hands dirty. Where were all the people who have complained
about Newport Road? Where was ANYONE?
Folks,
you WILL get exactly the government you deserve! This is why you get crappy
laws! We just dodged a bullet by a 3-2 vote. We might not be so lucky next
time. We all need to do a better job of being engaged citizens!
*A Tale Of Two Counties
I
frequently write about issues of wealth and poverty. Thanksgiving offers me the
opportunity to do this to an even greater extent.
The
country as a whole is becoming more and more unequal. The same phenomenon is
taking place in Johnson County. It really is a “Tale of Two Counties”, with a
small but growing wealthy population, a shrinking middle class, and a huge and
growing population of poor people. This is not hyperbole – it is fact. There
are all kinds of statistics backing this up.
Some
people honestly believe this is good. Social Darwinism. Survival of the
fittest. Free markets. Invisible Hand. Call it what you want; we can see the
results. I happen to believe these results are unacceptable. I also believe
that a proper role of government is to help regulate in areas where the
unregulated results are unacceptable. In my mind, our economic results are
unacceptable.
Last year, Ohio Senator Rob Portman changed his view on same sex
marriage after his own son came out as gay. I heard a few comedians remark,
“Too bad his son didn’t come out as poor.” Not sure who first said this, but I
love it! We need an awakening!
So,
what governmental interventions do I suggest? Most of the best anti-poverty
programs are federal. Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Food Stamps, school
lunches, Section 8 housing and many other federal programs are proven to be
effective anti-poverty measures. Sure, each of these programs has had its
problems, but the successes number in the hundreds of millions! The national
media likes to pretend these programs do not work. Nothing could be further
from the truth. We should support these programs – not just their maintenance,
but their expansion.
There
are also things can and should be done at the local level. One that I have
mentioned frequently is inclusionary zoning. Developers do NOT build affordable
housing without being forced to do so; local governments should simply require
it. Done. It is that easy, and it would really help poor people.
We
are working on the FY15 Johnson County budget. Some time in January, there will
come a day where we see what county government will cost the owner of a
$100,000 property. And once we see this amount, the Board will begin to cut
programs and services.
It
happens the same way every year. Supervisors will want to prove their fiscal
bona fides, and make indignant comments such as, “How much more can people
afford?” It is all great theater.
Yet we will be discussing $3 per $100,000 assessed value. $3. And
believe me, much of that $3 will be cut. So the owner of a million dollar house
will not have to spend that extra $30. And we Supervisors will pat ourselves on
the back and talk about how frugal we are.
But
few people ask about what was cut. Who is not helped? What service was cut?
What position was not funded? What agency cut back on staff?
Yes,
we have a Tale of Two Counties. We are living it. If you are reading this, you
are likely one of the fortunate people. This is a great time of year for you to
count your blessings. Trust me – many folks in Johnson County do not share in
your good fortune.
*DID YOU KNOW?
Most Iowa Counties now have some sort of zoning. Washington County
rescinded zoning last year.
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.
November 15, 2013
Sullivan’s
Salvos 11/19/13
In this edition:
*Elected Officials & Affordable Housing
*General Assistance
*JFK Assassination 50-Year Anniversary
*TIF Pot, Meet TIF Kettle!
*Did You Know?
*Elected Officials & Affordable
Housing
Now
that City Council elections are over, it is time for us to get to work on
affordable housing. As I have said many times, I am firmly convinced that a
lack of affordable housing remains our number one challenge.
The
Public Policy Center at the UI just finished a report on inclusionary zoning.
Jerry Anthony, local housing expert and UI Professor of Urban and Regional
Planning is the main author. (Inclusionary zoning is a key missing piece to the
affordable housing puzzle.) You can find this report at http://ppc.uiowa.edu.
In
Iowa City, all the election winners listed affordable housing among the issues
upon which they wanted to work. Now is the time to make those campaign promises
come true!
In
Coralville, Councilors Mitch Gross and Jill Dodds have agreed to work on this
issue; hopefully, they can bring their city to the table. North Liberty is
already interested in talking. Tiffin might be.
School
Board member Jeff McGinness has spoken out in favor of addressing affordable
housing, and Director Tuyet Dorau told me she favors inclusionary zoning. We
will need the support of the ICCSD!
The
issue is at crisis level; we simply must get to work on this! Elected officials
– we were elected to lead! We have talked the talk – now we need to walk the
walk! Let’s do this!
*General Assistance
Below is a portion
of the FY13 General Assistance (GA) report. GA provides short-term monetary
help to Johnson County residents in extreme financial crisis. GA offers a
safety net for those not eligible for other government programs and promotes
community strength by encouraging individual stability, self-sufficiency and
responsibility.
Financial
assistance is available to address the following needs: rent, utilities,
prescriptions, food/provisions, and burial/cremation to eligible applicants. As
per the Code of Iowa, Chapter 252.25, counties are required to provide General
Assistance for poor persons in need. The code directs the Board of Supervisors
in each county to establish general rules and eligibility requirements for the
program.
According
to the 2010 census, 18.2% of residents lived in poverty compared to 11.6%
statewide. The FY13 Fair Market Rent for an efficiency apartment was $559 per
month and $670 per month for a one-bedroom apartment. The 2013 estimated
average wage of a renter household in Johnson County was $8.03/hour, while the
estimated housing wage (that wage which is needed to afford to rent a two
bedroom home at the Fair Market Rent) was estimated at $16.40/hour (National
Low Income Housing Coalition, 2013).
The
maximum rent benefit in the Johnson County General Assistance Program in FY
2013 was $350 per month for a one-person household and $450 per month for 2 or
more persons in a household. The vast majority of assists, 73%, went to rental
assistance followed by other (prescriptions, health supplies and groceries) 16%
and assistance with utilities, 11%.
Services
rendered are paid directly to the landlord or other applicable vendor. Persons
seeking assistance must submit an application for each month in which help is
requested.
There
were 1330 applications submitted for General Assistance, and 1073 or 81% were
approved in fiscal year 2013. The number of applications received decreased
slightly while the number of households receiving assistance increased over
last fiscal year.
Providing
information and referrals to other resources is also an important component of
the General Assistance program. This fiscal year 556 referrals were made to
additional local resources.
*JFK Assassination 50-Year Anniversary
November
22, 1963 is one of those dates in American history that is burned into our
brains. I was not quite born yet, but for people who were old enough, they will
never forget where they were when they heard the news.
Local
writer Larry Baker is organizing an event to commemorate the 50-year
anniversary. The event will be Friday, November 22 at noon in Room A of the
Iowa City Public Library.
Though I was not around for the assassination, I have always been
fascinated by the events surrounding this dark day in our history. Nothing
about it ever seemed right. Go forbid we ever go through a similar series of
events!
*TIF Pot, Meet TIF Kettle!
You
may have seen that developers have submitted a plan to Iowa City that would
redevelop the former Mumm’s property on the banks of the Iowa River.
First,
a disclaimer. I have spent some time in Mumm’s. I know it was a dump, even when
it was open. But towns NEED a dive bar or two, if you ask me! So yeah, I’m a
bit sentimental. But setting that aside, this is certainly a good spot for
redevelopment. So I will admit this is a good thing.
My
issue is this – the developers for this project are Kevin O’Brien and Hunter
Parks. They sued Coralville over that city’s use of TIF and other overly
generous business incentives.
This
proposed redevelopment is in a TIF district. Are Mr. O’Brien and Mr. Parks
doing this without any incentives? I doubt it! I would LOVE to be proven wrong,
but I doubt they are doing this without the assistance of Iowa City.
If
only there was some group of businesspeople working to call attention to these
arrangements, pushing cities to stay out of financial deals that should be
handled by banks…
*DID YOU KNOW?
People are considered “cost burdened” by their housing if it exceeds 30%
of their income. In 2000, 34% of Iowa City residents were cost-burdened by
their housing. By 2012, that number had risen to 45%.
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
November 7, 2013
Sullivan’s
Salvos 11/12/13
In this edition:
*RIP Nancy Swisher
*City Election Results
*Planning and Zoning
*Green Building Certification
*Homeless Children’s Trust
*Center For Worker Justice
*Did You Know?
*RIP Nancy Swisher
We
lost a real gem a few days ago with the passing of Nancy Swisher of Iowa City.
Nancy was a kind soul who really cared deeply about making the world a better
place.
I
am glad I had the opportunity to know her. RIP, Nancy.
*City Election Results
The
voters have spoken, and the results are in!
In
Iowa City, the top issues seemed to be diversity, affordable housing, and
downtown. The status quo won 2/3 races, with incumbents Susan Mims and Terry
Dickens holding their seats. Newcomer Kingsley Botchway II claimed the other position.
She
did not win, but candidate Royceann Porter really set the terms of the
discussion. And Rockne Cole and Catherine Champion are unlikely to go away!
We’ll see what happens on these issues over the next two years.
In
Coralville, the issue was good versus evil. (Or so I was told.) Record voter
turnout gave us the following results: In the Mayoral race, incumbent Councilor
John Lundell easily defeated three other challengers. Incumbent Councilors Bill
Hoeft and Tom Gill also won, along with former city employee Laurie Goodrich.
So Americans for Prosperity went 0-4 in their misguided intervention into
Coralville politics. Now we’ll see if we can get a joint meeting!
A
couple other races of note: in University Heights, local elections once again approached
Gubernatorial levels of turnout. On Tuesday, over 60% turned out to elect the
more “pro-development” of the two slates. This probably means less compromise and
more pushing forward on the proposed St. Andrew development.
The race in Tiffin has been quite contentious; the interesting
result there is former Mayor and current Councilor Royce Phillips losing his
seat. Similarly, newcomer Markus Cannon defeated Bryan Bredman, incumbent Mayor
of Shueyville, by just two votes. In Oxford, Gary Wilkinson won the race to
replace Don Saxton, who is retiring after 44 years of service. Voters in Oxford
took this seriously, voting at a 45% clip.
I
have only touched on a few of the many races that were decided Tuesday; for a
complete list, go to www.johnson-county.com/auditor/.
Thanks
again to all who threw a hat into the ring and stood for election. And
congratulations to all the winners. You were just hired for some very important
jobs! I wish you all luck!
*Planning and Zoning
Members
of the Board of Supervisors often hear that our citizens really care about
Planning and Zoning. I believe people when they say this, and there is evidence
to back it up – candidates who support good Planning and Zoning principles have
won the majority of our elections over the past 20 years.
Still,
when the Board is actually faced with Planning and Zoning decisions, the only
people who speak want to subvert, change, or abolish our zoning rules. The
Board hears from these folks frequently; supporters of good planning? Not so
much.
One
real pet peeve of mine – our Sensitive Areas Ordinance only applies to
subdivisions of 3 or more lots. It should apply to all subdivisions of 2 or
more lots. This is a loophole that simply must be closed! But right now, only
two Supervisors support this change. Until we get three votes, the Sensitive
Areas Ordinance is impotent. It would be great to have the public begin to
pressure Supervisors to do the right thing in this case.
You
can change the way zoning decisions occur in this County! The Board meets
tonight (Tuesday, November 12) at 5:30pm to discuss several zoning matters. Show
up. See what you think. Speak your mind.
*Green Building Certification
Johnson
County recently won an Excellence in Action award from the Iowa State Association
of Counties (ISAC) for our Green Building Certification program.
This
ISAC award is given annually to a county that comes up with an innovative idea.
This is at least the 3rd and perhaps the 4th award
Johnson County has won since the award was created approximately 6 years ago.
The
Green Building Certification program is administered through the Building
Division of the P&Z Department. Our Building Inspectors work with builders
to certify that building elements are done according to the best practices in
environmental sustainability. Upon inspection, builders who chose to build
their home or business to the higher standard receive a certification. This
certification stays with the building, so future buyers will know how it was
constructed. Everything is voluntary, but because the public is demanding
greater sustainability, the program is growing.
We
will be able to pick this award up next week at the ISAC annual meeting in Des
Moines. Congratulations to Johnson County P&Z Department on this well-deserved
award!
*Homeless Children’s Trust
The
annual Homeless Children’s Trust Christmas Party is Saturday, December 7th.
Volunteers are needed – to help, please call Mary Larew at 338-1212 or
337-2264, or e-mail her at marylarew33@yahoo.com.
*Center For Worker Justice
The
Center For Worker Justice of Eastern Iowa (CWJ) is celebrating its 1st
Anniversary with an open house on Saturday, November 16 from 2-6pm.
This
is an opportunity to salute the hundreds of volunteers who have worked for the
past year to help the CWJ take root. This has been a year of education,
organizing, and social change. People are speaking up, wage theft is being
addressed, and good things are happening.
This
event will be held at the new office space recently secured by the CWJ at 940
South Gilbert Court in Iowa City.
*DID YOU KNOW?
The Johnson County Land Use Plan was adopted in 2008.
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
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