rodsullivan.org
SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
July 25, 2014
Sullivan’s
Salvos 7/29/14
In this edition:
*Happy Anniversary, Melissa!
*Community Health Initiatives (Haiti)
*Swisher Fun Days
*TIF For The Chauncey
*Homeless Children’s Trust
*Did You Know?
*Happy Anniversary, Melissa!
August
1st is a very important day in my life – it marks the anniversary of
my marriage to Dr. Melissa Fath.
Life
is full of ups and downs. It can be a rough ride. I cannot imagine what it
would be like without such a beautiful, smart, tough, funny, loving and committed
partner.
I could blather on here, but I’ll cut to the chase: I am a VERY
lucky man! Happy anniversary, Honey. I love you!
*Community Health Initiatives (Haiti)
As
many of you know, Melissa and I went to Haiti in April with a group called
Community Health Initiatives (CHI). The work this group is doing is beyond
description here. So we want to continue to help.
With
that in mind, we would like to invite you all to this fundraiser. It just so
happens that it is our anniversary the day before, so we would love to spend
the night with old friends and CHI friends, all helping a great cause!
We'd
be honored if you would join us! Details are below; you can buy tickets at www.chihaiti.org. Feel free to call Melissa or I with questions.
Saturday,
August 2nd 6:00-10:00P (Dinner served at 6:30P)
2nd Floor Hotel Vetro.
Dinner,
live music, silent auction and cash bar. $50 investment per ticket ($20 is tax
deductible). Open to the public. Formal attire suggested.
*Swisher Fun Days
Fun
Days in Swisher runs Friday, August 1st and Saturday, August 2nd.
If you have never visited Johnson County’s northwest corner, give it a try!
I have been attending Fun Days since the late ’80s, and this looks
like the most full schedule of events they have ever had!
See for yourself at: http://www.swisheria.org/20140620140950684.pdf
*TIF For The Chauncey
How much "public good"
does $15,000,000 buy? Apparently not what it used to!
In case you have not heard, Iowa
City is voting on a $15,000,000 Tax Increment Financing project (TIF) for Marc
Moen, developer of The Chauncey. The Chauncey is the 15-story tower proposed
for the old John Wilson Sports lot at the corner of College and Gilbert
Streets.
As you might guess, I
am opposed to this TIF. I know what you are thinking… he’s opposed to ALL TIFs!
Not true. Let
me be clear - I'm not opposed to TIF in every case. I simply believe the public
needs to reap very clear and significant benefits from any TIF project. I think
the bar has been set SO low when it comes to "public benefit" as to
not even matter.
$15,000,000 could go a long way
toward solving our affordable housing problem. It could re-do 15 miles worth of
city streets. It could buy all the city's police vehicles for about 50 years,
or all the fire vehicles for 40. It would cover the whole Park and Rec budget
for several years. Want tax base? For $15 million, the city could buy a small
industrial operation and move it to the industrial park. Or, if you simply
prefer lower taxes - well, $15,000,000 goes a long way.
So can someone please
explain to me the $15,000,000 worth of "public good" we are supposed
to receive from The Chauncey?
I have heard people argue that Iowa City needs greater density
in our urban core. I agree. Building up rather than out makes sense. But at
what cost? I don't think it is worth what we are paying.
I have also heard people argue that he couldn’t make the
financing work for a 15-story building without TIF. OK. That leads to two
follow-ups from me:
First, so what? Build a ten-story building, then. Be it a
business or home, the rest of the world builds what they can afford. (Or they
SHOULD, anyway!)
Secondly, think about this loan. Hills, Midwest One,
UICCU... they won't make the loan on the prescribed terms. So why should IC? In
purely financial terms - what is the payback on this $15 million dollar loan?
Where is the public benefit?
Understand - I'm not critical of Mr. Moen. His job is to do the
best he can for himself. My criticism is directed at the Iowa City Council. It
is their job to protect and promote the public interest. This deal fails
MISERABLY when viewed through that lens.
There are many, many good developers and builders who wanted
that site. Given that, why is this costing the city ANYTHING? Why not hold out
and get a better deal?
Unfortunately,
this Iowa City Council has routinely chosen to benefit the wealthy at the
expense of the rest of us. This vote will go the same way – guaranteed.
Is
there anything you can do? Yes. You can recruit good candidates for City
Council, support their campaigns, and turn out the vote. Otherwise, don’t
expect anything to change.
People
raved about the turnout in the past City election. HA! While the numbers were
bigger than normal, turnout was 22%. That is pathetic! One out of every 5
registered voters actually voted. We simply MUST do better, or we will continue
to get the same results.
*Homeless Children’s Trust
The
Back to School Collection Drive was a great success last year and we were able
to provide backpacks of school supplies as well as socks and underwear for 114
needy youngsters in the Johnson County area.
This
year the drive will start on Monday July 21 and run through August 11. The
Homeless Children's Trust is a part of HACAP (Hawkeye Area Community Action
Program) and is funded completely by private donations and staffed by
volunteers from the community. HACAP provides Head Start classrooms for 260
children, 52 transitional housing units, LiHeap service (heating assistance), employment
counseling and other programs in Johnson County. Any donations received in
Johnson County are used to help families in Johnson County.
Counselors
from HACAP, The Domestic Violence Intervention Program, MECCA and the Shelter
House will designate the children receiving backpacks. We should also have
enough supplies left over to make up additional backpacks for these groups to
have on hand for new arrivals.
This
year we will pack the backpacks on Wednesday, August 13 at 1:00pm at The HACAP
Family Resource Center at 367 Southgate.
If
you are interested in donating, make checks out to the Homeless Children's
Trust and mail to the address above. Any questions call Mary Larew at 337-2264
or 338-1212.
*DID YOU KNOW?
212 of the 250 poorest counties in the US are rural. (Source: National
Association of Counties.)
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
July 18, 2014
Sullivan’s
Salvos 7/22/14
In this edition:
*Johnson County Fair
*Community Health Initiatives (Haiti)
*ADA Celebration
*Sixth Judicial – By The Numbers
*Lessons From Little Rock
*Best. Headline. Ever.
*Did You Know?
*Johnson County Fair
The
Johnson County Fair runs from Monday, July 21 through Thursday, July 24. This
is a great opportunity for the whole family to take a step back toward our
agricultural roots!
I
love the way the Johnson County Ag Association manages the County Fair. I am
particularly fond of the fact that there is never an entry fee, and parking is
free. In many counties, you would pay $10 to park and $5/head admission, if not
more. That is $30 minimum for a family of four before you have even done
anything!
The
Board of Supervisors started a “tradition” three years ago of holding our
weekly Thursday meeting on the main stage at the Fair. While we have yet to
draw a big crowd, it has been a fun change of pace.
Yes, it is typically hot out there. But that is why they sell ice
cream! So, please stop out and enjoy the Fair. You’ll be glad you did!
For the full daily lineup of events, see: http://www.johnsoncofair.com/entertainment.html
*Community Health Initiatives (Haiti)
As
many of you know, Melissa and I went to Haiti in April with a group called
Community Health Initiatives (CHI). The work this group is doing is beyond
description here. So we want to continue to help.
With
that in mind, we would like to invite you all to this fundraiser. It just so
happens that it is our anniversary the day before, so we would love to spend
the night with old friends and CHI friends, all helping a great cause!
We'd
be honored if you would join us! Details are below; you can buy tickets at www.chihaiti.org. Feel free to call Melissa or I with questions.
Saturday,
August 2nd 6:00-10:00P (Dinner served at 6:30P)
2nd Floor Hotel Vetro.
Dinner,
live music, silent auction and cash bar. $50 investment per ticket ($20 is tax
deductible). Open to the public. Formal attire suggested
*ADA Celebration
Johnson
County is hosting its’ 24th Annual ADA Celebration on Saturday, July
26th from 11am-2pm on the Ped Mall in downtown Iowa City. A special
keynote address will feature Iowa Senator Tom Harkin, the author of the Act.
The festival will also feature art, games, and a variety of performances.
ADA
stands for Americans with Disabilities Act, and you see the impact of this law
everywhere you turn. Whereas public buildings used to be off limits to people
with mobility issues, public places are now largely accessible.
It
is interesting - President George Herbert Walker Bush considered the 1990 signing
of the ADA as one of his greatest achievements. But in early 2013 the Senate failed to ratify the Convention on the Rights of
Persons With Disabilities, an international treaty that would have urged other
countries to adopt similar laws. Obviously, much has changed in the GOP since
1990.
The ADA has been an incredible piece of civil rights legislation!
Please join in the celebration!
*Sixth Judicial – By The Numbers
I
serve on the Board of Directors for the Sixth Judicial District. The Sixth
provides probation, parole, work release, batterer’s education, victim
services, and other services for Tama, Benton, Iowa, Linn, Johnson, and Jones
Counties. The Board consists of one Supervisor from each county, plus law
enforcement and judicial appointees.
The
Sixth Judicial District is a big operation, with offices in each county. In
Johnson County, there are offices at the John Stratton Center in Coralville;
Broadway Neighborhood Center; Kirkwood Avenue; and the Hope House in
Coralville. District wide, there are just under 300 employees.
Services
are state funded, and employees receive checks from the State. They are covered
by the State AFSCME contract. Yet debate remains as to whether they are State
employees or not. The Sixth (and other Districts) are viewed as
“semiautonomous”, which leads to many questions.
Over
time, the Sixth Judicial gained a reputation as a leader in innovative
programming. The District has won numerous national awards for excellence –
most recently Johnson County’s own Valerie Kemp being named the National
Probation/Parole Officer of the Year.
I thought readers might find the following statistics interesting.
These are “point in time” from late June of this year, so they are unlikely to
be exactly the same now. That said, most of these figures are pretty average
for each category:
Johnson
County has 67 parolees, 94 people on pretrial release, 372 people on probation,
and 40 sex offenders. There were also 56 people living at the Hope House in
Coralville.
Have
more questions about the Sixth Judicial District? Let me know!
*Lessons From Little Rock
My family and I just
returned from a conference (and some vacation time) in the deep south. One of
our stops was Central High in Little Rock, Arkansas. If you have never been
there, go! The National Park Service has done a great job.
The events of 1954
were the closest the US has been to civil war since the Civil War. That time
was critical in the history of our nation, and the museum captured it. It was
an intensely moving experience.
Little Rock Central
is still in operation, and is widely viewed as the top high school in Arkansas.
The student body is now 48% white, 48% black, 2% Latino, and 2% Asian.
As I wept my way
through the exhibits, my mind kept returning to our current situation in the
ICCSD. Our issues are so small compared to what they faced. When challenged,
folks in Little Rock chose the hard road and did the right thing. Do we have it
within us to do the same?
*Best. Headline. Ever.
I
have served as a County Supervisor for ten years, but this is the first time
something like this has EVER been written: http://thegazette.com/subject/opinion/blogs/lynda-waddington/sullivan-botchway-got-it-right-20140705
While
the headline made me smile, the issue at hand is quite unfortunate. Far too
many people in our community are food insecure. And if we wish to actually
address the issue, we must begin by ending our demonization of those who access
SNAP (Food Stamps) and other public benefits.
Thanks
to Johnson County’s food panties for holding this important event!
*DID YOU KNOW?
From Wikipedia: Many members of the business
community opposed the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Testifying before Congress, The US Chamber of
Commerce argued that the costs of the ADA would be
"enormous" and have "a disastrous impact on many small
businesses struggling to survive." The National Federation
of Independent Businesses, an organization that
lobbies for small businesses, called the ADA "a disaster for small
business." Pro-business conservative commentators joined
in opposition, writing that the Americans with Disabilities Act was "an
expensive headache to millions" that would not necessarily improve the
lives of people with disabilities.
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
July 5, 2014
Sullivan’s
Salvos 7/8/14
In this edition:
*No Salvos Next Week!
*Financial Counseling Available
*Democratic Processes Matter!
*Rights of Business Owners
*Did You Know?
*No Salvos Next Week!
There
will be no Salvos next week, as I will be attending the National Association of
Counties (NACO) Conference. Enjoy your break! Please have some stimulating
conversations without me!
*Financial Counseling Available
Iowa
Valley Habitat for Humanity is pleased to announce a new partnership which
brings affordable financial literacy to families in need in Johnson County.
“Iowa
Valley Habitat for Humanity is proud to begin hosting staff from Horizons, a
HUD approved non-profit counseling agency, at our offices so that those needing
unbiased financial counseling can more easily meet. We believe Horizons will
enable families to take charge of their finances so they and their children can
escape the vicious cycle of unending debt and falling credit scores,” said Mark
Patton, Executive Director of Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity.
Horizons,
A Family Service Alliance, has been providing financial and housing counseling
services in Linn, Johnson and the surrounding counties for more than 30 years.
The Iowa City office will offer budget and credit counseling, debt management,
housing counseling, foreclosure counseling and consumer education.
Hours
available for appointments in Iowa City are Tuesdays 1-5, and Thursdays and
Fridays 8AM – Noon. Appointments may be scheduled by calling 800-826-3574. Fees
for services are based on income and family size, and will be provided
regardless of the client’s ability to pay. For additional information, call
Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity at 319.337.8949
*Democratic Processes Matter!
Quick
– what is the most influential group in Johnson County? The Iowa City Council?
Coralville Council? Chamber of Commerce? ICAD? Wrong, wrong, wrong, and wrong.
There is a group that meets monthly that is much more influential.
It consists of the President and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce, the President
and CEO of the Convention and Visitors Bureau, the President and CEO of the
Iowa City Area Development Group, The President and CEO of the Iowa City
Downtown District, the City Managers of Iowa City and North Liberty, and the
City Administrator of Coralville. (Johnson County’s Executive Assistant may or
may not participate; I’m not certain.)
This group meets monthly to “set the agenda” for our region,
despite the fact that no one in the group is elected to any office.
The group voiced support for the war on the poor in downtown Iowa
City. They wrote a letter to the ICCSD Board encouraging the closure of Hills
Elementary. Now they have written a letter to the Board of Regents. (Some
members abstained from some letters.)
I am very much opposed to two of these initiatives, and very much
in favor of the other. But that is not the issue. Regardless of how any of us
feel about any of these issues, I have some serious problems with this process.
The
Downtown District has a Board. It does not receive public funds (SMID money is
not public). The Chamber has a Board. It does not receive public funds outside
of public sector memberships. The CVB has a Board. It receives lots of public
tax dollars. (I used to serve on both the Chamber and CVB Boards.) ICAD has a
Board. It receives lots of public tax dollars. (I currently serve on it.) The
cities have democratically elected councils. Obviously, they operate on tax
dollars.
So
many of the people sitting around this table are in jobs that are largely
taxpayer funded. Now consider for a moment how taxpayer funded groups are
supposed to operate:
Meetings
are open to the public. Meetings are noticed. Agendas are posted. Minutes are
kept and made public. Votes are recorded and made public. Typically public
comment is allowed. None of those things occur in this case. Yet it is public
business being discussed.
I
strongly support every individual’s right to speak out on any issue she/he
chooses. Free speech should not depend upon one’s job. If each of these people
independently wrote letters? That would be a very good thing. They are smart
people; personally, I care what they think.
But
in this case, the respective Boards of Directors should warn the participants
about using their titles. Feel free to write a letter as Joe Smith. But sign a
letter as Joe Smith, President and CEO of X organization? I feel that the
authorization to sign such a letter should come from the Board of Directors for
whom the person works. (I know some of the folks I have mentioned will be
certain to operate in exactly that fashion; others may not.)
Another
concern: who at the table speaks for the least among us? The business community
is well represented; about half the people work in that realm. But does that
really reflect who we are as a community? Half the households in Johnson County
earn less than $54,000 per year. HALF. Who comes to this table with that half
our population foremost in mind?
Don’t
get me wrong; there are some DARN good people sitting around this table. Given
the opportunity, I’d hire any of them in a second. Many of them I consider
friends. Having them meet and discuss issues is not a bad thing.
My problems stem from the fact that this is why we elect people,
and it is why we require those elected folks to follow all sorts of laws. We
should never get too hung up on process, but we shouldn’t ignore it, either.
To a great degree, this group is filling a vacuum. Our elected
officials meet, but refuse to discuss anything of substance. If an important
issue does get mentioned, folks are quick to table it or send it back to staff,
lest they be forced to actually address something important in public. So I’m
sure this group, hungry to tackle issues, is simply doing what they see fit.
But this work NEEDS to be done in full public view. Just because
city councils refuse to tackle tough issues in public does not mean we should
change the rules. I say keep the group, but stop the letters. We need more
transparency from public groups, not less.
*Rights of Business Owners
I wrote recently about individual versus collective rights. That
leads me to an interesting discussion that has become a hot topic of late: what
are the rights of business owners versus the rights of their customers?
Can a business owner refuse service to a person because they are
gay? Can a business owner refuse service to a person because they are black? Because
they are drunk? Because they are smoking? Because they are carrying a gun?
There is a very good chance the Supreme Court of the United States
will revisit these issues. And there is a very good chance you will not like
what they decide.
As
I said last week, I am generally a fan of individual rights. But that is
contingent upon the exercise of those rights not causing others harm. Back in
the 1800s a philosopher named John Finch said, “Your right to swing your arm
ends at my nose.” I have always embraced a similar view.
So,
whose rights reign supreme here? The merchant or the customer?
Envision
a situation where a woman owns a flower shop. Most of us would agree that it
should be illegal for her to refuse to serve blacks. Does it matter if there is
a “separate but equal” flower shop across town? What if the other shop is more
expensive, or lacks selection? What if it is ten miles away?
Previous
Supreme Courts have ruled that the creation of “separate but equal” facilities
is illegal when it comes to race. The current SCOTUS may disagree.
So
what if the same florist wants to refuse services to gays? By my way of thinking,
this should be illegal, just as it is illegal to refuse service to blacks.
Some
merchant versus customer dilemmas seem easy; others are more difficult. In
keeping with my Finch theory, a merchant should be able to prohibit smoking –
that affects other people. It seems reasonable that a merchant could refuse
service to someone who is drunk on the grounds of liability. It seems to be
generally accepted that merchants can ban unaccompanied minors; is this right,
though?
What
about breastfeeding? Can a merchant require a breastfeeding woman to leave? Can
a merchant refuse service to someone because of how they are dressed? Can they
forbid you because of a hat? Baggy pants? A tattoo? Where do we draw the line?
What
about firearms? The SCOTUS has ruled that individuals have a right to carry;
does that right trump a merchant’s right to ban firearms in her place of
business?
How
about union shops? Should a business owner be able to decide that his employees
will work with a specific union? Can an employer only hire fellow Muslims? Only
fellow men?
Does
it matter if the business is privately held or publicly traded? What about
nonprofits? Governments?
The
discussions are interesting, and the answers are not necessarily cut and dried.
*DID YOU KNOW?
The National President of NACO is Linn County, Iowa Supervisor Linda
Langston.
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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