rodsullivan.org
SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
October 31, 2014
Sullivan’s
Salvos 11/4/14
In this edition:
*Happy Birthday Rachel!
*Vote!
*Questions For The Candidates
*Monday Morning Quarterbacks
*Affordable Housing
*Raising Ms. President
*Happy Birthday CWJ!
*Did You Know?
*Happy Birthday Rachel!
My oldest daughter Rachel turns 23 on November 6th.
Rachel has always been fun to be around; her smile can light up a room. I am
proud of the fact that she is maturing and really starting to figure things
out.
Happy
Birthday, Honey! I love you!
*Vote!
Today
is your day! You’ve had all fall to listen to commercials; it is time to get
out and act like a citizen!
And
please do not forget the back of the ballot. Nonpartisan offices, judge
retentions, and ballot initiatives all deserve your attention!
*Questions For The Candidates
Throughout
every campaign, various groups of well-intentioned individuals hold candidate
forums. At the same time, a few of the various media outlets do a variety of
things to inform the public. Yet I find very little of this to be helpful to
voters.
I
think every forum - whether it is for President of the US or Township Trustee –
and every “voter guide” - would be better if they just stuck to the following
questions:
*What
experiences qualify you for this office?
*What do you
see as the three biggest issues facing the office?
*How would you
address those three issues?
*Why should
the voters select you instead of the other candidate(s)?
*Is there
anything you would like to ask another candidate?
*Would you
like to say more about anything discussed here?
In
all honesty, I think that set of questions would shed more light than any I
have ever heard asked. The opportunity to ask candidates questions is critical
– we must not squander the opportunity!
*Monday Morning Quarterbacks
You
know how this phrase got started…. It is easy to sit in judgment after the
fact, and complain about what a quarterback (or coach) SHOULD have done. I am
sometimes guilty of this; we all are.
But I see a difference between a loyal fan questioning her team
and a person who did nothing to support the cause. I may question something the
Hawkeyes do, but my love of the Hawkeyes runs deep. I support them emotionally,
financially, etc. In my mind, I have paid my dues, and therefore earned the
right to comment.
The elections are over, and now it is time for the Monday Morning
Quarterbacks of the political world to rear their ugly heads. Like the football
variety, they seem to know what should have happened after the fact.
Both Republicans and Democrats have plenty of these folks. They
can tell you exactly what Braley or Ernst SHOULD have done.
So, my question to the MMQs: Did you make any calls? Did you knock
any doors? Did you contribute any money? Did you write any letters? Did you pay
your dues in any way?
The people who suffer most from the slings and arrows are the
local political parties themselves. Apart from several temporary college-aged
staff people, local political parties are made up of local people. They are
volunteers. And yes, often they do not operate as well as they could. But you
know what? Half the battle is showing up! Don’t like how your local party
operates? Join it, and try to make some changes.
There is an old saying: “If you don’t vote, don’t complain”. But
in reality, that saying is not the law. As Americans, we are free to say just
about anything we want. So get ready to listen to a whole bunch of people who
should be quarterbacks and Senators.
*Affordable Housing
Affordable Housing was the topic at the October 27 Joint
Government Meeting. That is a good thing, in my mind… I continue to believe
that affordable housing is by far the number one problem facing Johnson County.
I was pleased by the discussion at the Joint Meeting. There was a
committee suggested, but committees rarely work in this type of circumstance.
The one person from each elected body who is interested serves on the
committee, then it dies for a lack of interest.
What we decided to do instead - each entity is going to have a
public discussion on the topic in the next couple months, and invite some of
the local housing experts. Each entity is charged with deciding what specific
steps it is willing to take. This will be documented, then presented at the
next joint meeting.
This is good, because we were NEVER going to get all the entities
to agree to the same standards. NEVER. So instead, let’s ask each individual
city to do what it is willing to do.
It is not perfect; far from it. I wish everyone at the table agreed
that affordable housing was a problem they have a responsibility to address.
But that is not the case. So let’s do the best we can with what we have.
At least we'll know where every entity stands. Speculation will be
over. If you like what a certain city is doing, you can tell them so. If you
want a given city to do something different, you can tell them so. And
hopefully we can compare notes and learn from each other.
*Raising Ms. President
Several
area agencies are partnering to bring “Raising Ms President” to the Iowa City
area. The film will be shown Saturday, Nov. 8, at 2 p.m. in the Iowa City
Public Library.
The
partners include Iowa City Public Library, League of Women Voters of Johnson
County, Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois, 50-50 in 2020, Girls
on the Run of Eastern Iowa and the University of Iowa WISE program.
Raising
Ms President is a non-partisan documentary about raising the next generation of
female political leaders. The film explores some of the reasons women don’t run
for office and uncovers where political ambition begins. The film is
recommended for ages 14 and older. A panel discussion will follow the
screening.
For
more info, contact: Gaylen Wobeter, League of Women Voters Johnson County, gaywob@live.com or 338.5218; Shelly Wells Cain, ShellyW@GirlScoutsToday.org;
Mary Ellen Miller, 50-50 in 2020, Memo@netconx.net; Ginny
Ryan, Girls on the Run of Eastern Iowa, ginny.buresh@girlsontherun.org;
Christine Brus, University of Iowa WISE program, christine-brus@uiowa.edu.
*Happy Birthday CWJ!
Saturday,
November 8 from 2-6pm is the second birthday of the Center for Worker Justice
(CWJ)! Come celebrate two years of organizing together for a better future with
the Center for Worker Justice.
It's
a potluck, we've got children's activities, good stories, and best of all,
great company. Stop by with your family and friends at your convenience and
join the celebration.
*DID YOU KNOW? Francis Drake was 66 years old at his
inauguration and Iowa's oldest governor.
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
October 24, 2014
Sullivan’s
Salvos 10/28/14
In this edition:
*Happy Halloween!
*Vote!
*Editorial Board Outrage
*Solar
*Calling All Environmentalists!
*Did You Know?
*Happy Halloween!
Halloween
is Sunday the 31st. I have been amazed in recent years by the amount
of effort (and money) that goes into decorating homes for the season. When I
was young, few homes displayed anything other than carved pumpkins. Now, there
are huge blow up characters, lights, and much more.
Regardless of how you view Halloween, we need to remember a few
key things: First, be careful! One thing that has not changed is an abundance
of young children in dark costumes excitedly crossing streets. Secondly, you
may want to temporarily take down your campaign yard signs. Despite annual
accusations to the contrary, I think most signs that disappear are teen pranks.
Finally, have fun! Halloween offers all of us an opportunity to be young again.
*Vote!
If you have not voted yet, now is the time! Remember, Iowa law
allows for Election Day registration! Plus, there are plenty of opportunities
to vote between now and next Tuesday!
And
it is not enough that you vote yourself! You simply must convince someone else
to get out and vote with you! Time to get to work!
*Editorial Board Outrage
US
Senate candidate Joni Ernst has raised the hackles of the Des Moines Register,
Cedar Rapids Gazette, and Iowa City Press Citizen for refusing to meet with
their Editorial Boards.
First,
let me be clear: I think Ernst should have met with all the Editorial Boards
she chose to ignore. Further, I think it is entirely appropriate for the papers
she ignored to factor that into their editorial decisions.
But
methinks the papers doth protest too much. The Register has done a pretty
admirable job of trying to be Iowa’s statewide newspaper. I’m going to cut them
some slack here.
Gazette?
You want to speak with Joni Ernst? Why don’t you first speak to the Linn County
Board of Supervisors? Why don’t you first speak to the Cedar Rapids, Marion,
Hiawatha, Center Point, Mount Vernon, Lisbon, Springville, Central City, and
other City Councils? Why don’t you first speak to the CR, Linn Mar, Prairie,
CPU, North Linn, Mount Vernon, Lisbon, Springville, Central City, and other
school boards?
And
that is just Linn County. If you are going to pretend to cover Johnson County,
I can double the list.
Joni Ernst ignored you. But I’ll bet any member of the Cedar
Rapids City Council would be willing to share her/his thoughts on dozens of
topics that REALLY MATTER to your readers. So quit pining for Joni Ernst, do
the right thing, and cover something local. Put those Editorial Board energies
into actual conversations with actual elected officials who actually impact the
lives of your readers.
Press
Citizen? At least the Gazette is putting a half-hearted effort into covering a
region. What is your excuse?
Take
my own example. I have been elected three times. I have spoken to the Press
Citizen Editorial Board twice – once, for 30 minutes, with two fellow
Supervisors; once, for twenty minutes, alone.
The
Press Citizen has published about 3700 issues during this time. I would have
gladly accommodated them a few more times over the past decade. I’m sure all
the various City Councilors, School Board Members, Iowa Legislators, etc. would
have been happy to do the same.
Yes,
Joni Ernst should have met with you. And you are right to endorse Braley
because of it. Now you should try talking to local elected officials. You might
actually uncover something of interest to your readers.
*Solar
Johnson
County recently did a Request for Proposals (RFP) to investigate the use of
solar energy at our SEATS/Secondary Roads campus on Melrose Avenue just west of
Highway 218.
As
you may recall, the Secondary Roads garage was badly damaged by fire last
spring. In designing the new building, we made certain to include the ability
to use alternative energy sources.
It
soon became clear that wind was not a viable option for that location, but that
solar would be. Hence the RFP. We received 3 good proposals, from Anderson
Electric of Sigourney, IA; Eagle Point Solar of Dubuque, IA; and Moxie Solar of
North Liberty. Each company suggested doing things slightly differently, but
came up with similar solutions.
One
thing that was clear from all the RFPs was that Johnson County would need to
enter into a power purchase agreement (PPA). Under this arrangement, the vendor
actually produces the electricity, not the county. The power is then sold to
the county under this PPA. The rates are set, and the agreement is in effect
for ten years.
There
are several reasons for this odd arrangement, but the biggest is taxes. A
private company can receive a hefty tax credit for using solar energy. Since
Johnson County pays no taxes, there is no credit available. Still, we want to
bring this savings to our taxpayers. So we will pursue the PPA. Aside benefit
is that we know exactly how much our power will cost for the next ten years. And
our rates are locked in, no matter what energy prices do.
Again,
any of the RFPs would have served us well. But after some discussion, Johnson
County has chosen to enter into negotiations with Moxie Solar. The bottom line
for me was pretty simple: 1.) Moxie provided the best return on investment, and
2.) Moxie is a local company.
As
for the numbers: a ten-year PPA with Moxie will save us about $309,000 over 25
years. (We would just be using our own energy the last 15 years, not buying
through the PPA.) And that is just the cost savings! We also reduce our
greenhouse gas emissions and do not contribute to global warming. The impact is
roughly the same as taking 275 cars off the road, or eliminating 16 single
family homes.
Solar
energy is a very good thing. I’m very proud of Johnson County for pursuing it.
*Calling All Environmentalists!
Note: This piece ran in Salvos on 9-16-14.
To my knowledge, NO ONE has contacted the Board on this matter. No one!
Environmentalists – this is important. Let me tell you – the fact that three
Supervisors are not held to account here is EXTREMELY frustrating! I NEED YOUR
HELP!
One of my proudest accomplishments as a Supervisor is the passage
of a Sensitive Areas Ordinance. Under our existing ordinance, whenever streams,
wetlands, slopes, woodlands, prairies, and other environmentally sensitive
areas are identified, they have to be protected. It has worked very well, and
we have protected several areas because of it.
Unfortunately,
the ordinance has a loophole. It only applies to subdivisions of more than
three lots. So we are seeing an inordinate number of applications for 3 lot
subdivisions. When asked, Glen Meisner from MMS Consultants simply stated that
they were doing 3 lot subdivisions because they were cheaper for their clients.
Needless
to say, I’d like to close this loophole. I’d like to see every application go
through the process. (I might consider an exception for two lot farmstead
splits.)
The
problem is, we have voted on this and I lost. Supervisor Rettig joined me in
trying to close the loophole; Supervisors Neuzil, Harney, and Etheredge voted
to keep the loophole in place.
We
just had another three-lot subdivision in a critical piece of habitat off Sugar
Bottom Road. We really need to fix this. And time is of the essence. But I need
your help.
Please
contact the three Supervisors who refuse to amend our Sensitive Areas
Ordinance. Show up at a Board Meeting. Write a letter to the Editor. Let them
know you support a change! This is important!
OK. You heard it twice now. Time to act!
*DID YOU KNOW?
Using current technologies, and by just putting arrays on roofs where
they make sense, solar has the capability of providing 25% of the energy needs
for the State of Iowa.
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
October 17, 2014
Sullivan’s
Salvos 10/21/14
In this edition:
*Iowa City Human Rights Awards
*Taxes and Credit Cards
*New Voter App
*Picking Your Battles
*Pat Meyer Vision Award
*Did You Know?
*Iowa City Human Rights Awards
The Iowa City Human Rights Commission will recognize six people
at its 31st Annual Awards Breakfast. The event is Oct. 29 at the Iowa Memorial
Union. Breakfast will be available starting at 7:15 a.m. with the program
starting promptly at 7:30 a.m. Tickets to the breakfast are $20 and can be
purchased at the cashier's desk at City Hall. To purchase tickets by credit
card, contact 319-356-5066. Tickets must be purchased by Oct. 24.
It is
pretty personal this year, too. Almost every winner is a friend of mine! This year the commission will honor the following individuals and
organizations:
Ginny Naso, United Action for Youth — Linda Severson
Service Award
Diane Finnerty — Rick Graf Award
Dr. Christopher Buresh — International Award
Mike Quinlan — Isabel Turner Award
Council for International Visitors to Iowa Cities — Bill Reagan
Community Award
John Stimmel — Special Recognition Award
I love these awards. I am so proud to live in a community that embraces
these ideals, and demonstrates it by holding this type of event.
What’s more, we need the Iowa City Human Right Commission now more
than ever. My own personal experiences with racism in our community have shaken
my faith a bit. It is good to see that people are willing to publicly state
otherwise. It is helpful to know that most people in this community truly value
human rights.
Thanks to the Commission for their important work, and
congratulations to all the deserving winners!
*Taxes and Credit Cards
I recently had a friend use a credit card to pay her property
taxes. Unfortunately, she received a bit of a shock when she saw the fee
associated with that transaction. We have tried to come up with a better way,
but cannot as of yet.
Here is the problem - credit card providers add a surcharge to
every transaction. Typically, the business then passes that on to consumers,
resulting in slightly higher prices. We accept this as the price we pay for the
convenience of using cards.
So if we both go to the gas station, and you use a credit card for
ten gallons while I pay cash for ten gallons, we pay the same price. In reality,
I have subsidized your gas purchase. Because it cost the retailer a bit more to
deal with the credit card in your case. Again, most of us just accept this.
When we have the same situation at the county, we are not allowed
to spread the cost of using a credit card. So if you and I both go to pay $1500
in property taxes, and I pay cash, I have no fee. The county cannot increase my
taxes a little bit to cover the expense of you using a card. So the county is
forced to charge you the full cost of using the credit card.
That full cost gets expensive, as my friend found out. We'd really
like to find a better way, because we TOTALLY agree that we should be making
payment of property taxes as convenient as possible. We just haven't figured
out how to do it yet. We'll keep trying, because we agree - this is something
we should offer.
*New Voter App
The Johnson County Auditor’s
Office announces a new smart phone app to help voters find their polling places
and early voting locations. We believe Johnson County is first in the state to
release a smart phone app with these functions.
To download and install the
free Android app, search for “Go Vote Johnson County” in the Google Apps store.
Voters can choose whether
they want to vote now (if a location is open) or on Election Day. The app will
map directions from the voter’s present location or home address to the polling
place or early voting site. The app works in English, Spanish and Arabic.
*Picking Your Battles
I
often hear people make the statement, “You have to pick your battles.” Heck, I
sometimes offer that advice to others. But what do we really mean when we say
this?
I
know there are people who will stand on a certain principle or principles no
matter what. They will NEVER let it go.
While
this can be admired, it can also be harmful. What if maintaining a certain
principle guaranteed your mother would die a painful death? Would you still
stand strong?
Yes,
that example is quite severe. But “always” is a strong word! I deal with many
people in my professional life who are forceful advocates for certain
positions, but are not very effective. Why? Because they do not know when to
pick their battles.
In
the immortal words of They Might Be Giants – “I can shake my tiny fist and
swear I wasn’t wrong. But what’s the point in arguing when you’re all alone?”
On
the other hand, too many folks defer TOO often. I would argue that most folks
do not pick ENOUGH battles! Far too many people fail to stand on principle far
too often.
Where
is the happy medium? When should we pick our battles? The answer, as you might
guess, is “it depends”.
In
the past two weeks, I have twice been charged with not knowing when to pick my
battles. I have also twice been charged with not standing strong enough for the
things in which I believe.
I
try to strike a balance. I don’t know if I’m doing it well or not. So –
readers… what are your thoughts? Do we need more standing on principle, more
negotiation and cooperation, or does it “depend”?How do you decide?
*Pat Meyer Vision Award
The Johnson County Coalition against Domestic
Violence has chosen Joey Matousek as the winner of the 2014 Pat Meyer Vision
Award.
The award is named after the woman who pioneered
the first Domestic Violence Shelter in the state of Iowa and led the charge to
protect victims. Joey is also a pioneer, the first agent to have a caseload
specifically made up of Domestic Assault Offenders. She facilitates both the
IDAP and Moving On curriculums.
Please join the Coalition in honoring Joey and her
work to end Domestic Violence on October 23 at noon at the Iowa City Public
Library. Congratulations again Joey, you are truly deserving of this honor!
*DID YOU KNOW?
5% of medical patients account for 50% of all health care expenditures.
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
October 10, 2014
Sullivan’s
Salvos 10/14/14
In this edition:
*Public Private Partnership (Follow Up)
*Conservatives, Liberals, and Property Taxes
*Courthouse Tours
*”Divide” By Matt Taibbi
*Did You Know?
*Public Private Partnership (Follow Up)
I
wrote last week about a proposed public-private partnership for land owned by
Johnson County.
The Board voted no on the
proposed public-private partnership. The vote was 3-2, with Neuzil, Harney, and
Rettig voting no, Sullivan and Etheredge voting yes.
So this vote means we
aren’t even going to ask for ideas. This Board decided it does not need to
request input. Now we miss out on:
1.) An immediate
savings in to taxpayers in terms of lower building costs;
2.) Increased
residential property taxes, a long-term benefit to taxpayers;
3.) An opportunity to
put a significant amount of affordable housing near downtown;
4.) An opportunity to
grow up rather than out, thereby reducing urban sprawl.
I think this is the
single most disappointing vote in my ten years on the Board.
*Conservatives, Liberals, and Property
Taxes
Supervisors received a letter recently that really has me
thinking. I have spoken to all sorts of people about it, and I have gotten all
different types of feedback.
Here
is the situation: a retired gentleman has $1200 monthly income from Social
Security, and a $600 monthly pension. He wrote to complain that he cannot
afford his $4000 annual property tax bill, and requested relief from the
county.
Without
naming names, I mentioned this situation to two friends that I’ll label as
“conservative”. One of them said, “Tough luck. If you cannot afford your taxes,
move.” The other chose to focus on local governments, and said, “See? Taxes are
just too high!”
Then
I spoke to three people that I will label as “liberal”. One suggested granting
him tax relief. Another thought we should change the property tax system. The
third said he should look into a reverse mortgage.
I
can see pros and cons in each of these arguments. While my friend who said,
“move” was not exactly a model of compassion, I have to believe she was right.
A person with a $4000 annual tax bill must have a $200,000 home. Perhaps our
letter writer should sell his $200,000 house, and purchase a $100,000 condo.
Perhaps he should sell, then rent a place. Whatever the case, while his income
is low, he has a significant asset that many people lack.
As
for property taxes being too high… I have written at length about this. I
happen to believe local property tax rates are quite fair. One irony is that
this person’s residential property taxes undoubtedly increased as a direct
result of Iowa’s commercial property tax cut – something conservatives pushed.
Of
my two “conservative” friends, I tend to agree more with the first. A common
theme among conservatives is personal responsibility, and frankly, personal
responsibility is a difficult thing with which to argue. Greater personal
responsibility would obviously be a good thing. And it seems to fit in this
case.
My
“liberal” friend who wanted to go straight to tax relief really frustrated me.
We do not just waive taxes. Taxation simply MUST be fair, or there will not be
faith in the system. If we waived taxes for this guy, shouldn’t we also waive
them for everyone who makes less? And if we did so, how could we possibly
afford to provide all the necessary governmental services?
The
second “liberal” had a complex solution to the problem: lower property tax
rates for retirees, and raise them on everyone else. I’ll be frank – I HATE
this idea! First, it would require State action. Secondly, it is complex and
confusing. But most importantly - I spoke earlier about the importance of taxes
being “fair”. I believe fairness is critical. Every $200,000 residential
property in Johnson County should be assessed at $200,000, and every $200,000
residential property should pay the same amount in taxes. It should be based on
the property – NOT who lives in the property.
I
believe this is an increasingly large problem with our income taxes; income
should be taxed at the same rate, regardless of the source. While it feels good
to cut taxes for veterans, seniors, etc. – we should all pay the same tax rates.
$50,000 in salary should be taxed at the same rate as $50,000 in pension, which
should be taxed at the same rate as $50,000 in investment income. Income is
income. Tax it the same. We have gotten away from this, and it has become a
huge problem. I do not want to see property taxes go the same direction.
I like the approach of the third “liberal”. Let’s try to solve the
problem. A reverse mortgage may be the right answer. Perhaps the letter writer
could take in a renter. Different housing is certainly an option. Maybe he
would be interested in working part time. A financial planner might be able to
help him budget his money better. There are lots of potential solutions here
besides waiving taxes – let’s consider them. Why is the rush straight to
Johnson County? Did he ask MidAmerican to lower his gas and electric rates?
I
found it quite interesting that 5 different friends had 5 different responses
to this letter. I’m not even certain that is a “conservative” or “liberal” way
in which to view the issue. I just know that I have very strong opinions on tax
policy. So, I’m curious: what are YOUR thoughts?
*Courthouse Tours
As
you know, Johnson County residents are being asked to vote on a courthouse
annex. In preparation, the Clerk of Court and County Attorney are offering
tours of the existing facility.
Tours are
open to any interested person, but you must first register at www.johnson-county.com. Tours are on Wednesdays at 4:00 pm on October 1,
8, 15, 22 and 29.
I
urge you take a tour; more importantly, please vote!
*Divide By Matt Taibbi
I
recently finished a new book entitled “Divide” by Matt Taibbi. You may know
Taibbi from his work in Rolling Stone; he is well known for calling it like he
sees it.
The
story behind Divide is quite simple. In present day America, there are two
systems of justice: one for the poor, whose poverty is punished; and one for
the rich, whose wealth is rewarded.
Taibbi
contrasts stories of poor people done wrong by the system, and huge
multinational companies whose crimes go unpunished. More importantly, he points
out how these results are becoming institutionalized within our bureaucracies.
Unless we act now and act dramatically, a two-tiered system of justice is here
to stay.
Divide
by Matt Taibbi is available at local libraries and bookstores. Check it out!
*DID YOU KNOW?
The current courthouse was completed in 1901, when the population of
Johnson County was about 25,000.
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
October 3, 2014
Sullivan’s
Salvos 10/7/14
In this edition:
*Homecoming
*Run For The Schools
*Center for Worker Justice
*Public/Private Partnership
*Did You Know?
*Homecoming
Homecoming
is the week of October 10 & 11. I love Homecoming! Even if you are not a
football fan, there are many great activities taking place. A complete list can
be found here: http://homecoming.uiowa.edu
I urge you to throw on some black and gold and have a good time!
Go Hawks!
*Run For The Schools
The
Run For The Schools is coming up on Sunday, October 19. There is still time for
you to register, donate, or both.
*Center for Worker Justice
Hopefully
you have heard of the Center for Worker Justice (CWJ). I have written about
this group in previous editions of Salvos. I am really pleased that we have
this group doing such important work in our community.
Whether
you know them or not, I urge you to visit their website at: http://www.cwjiowa.org.
*Public/Private Partnership
Johnson
County has been discussing a new Ambulance and Medical Examiner facility for
some time now. Both departments need additional garage and office space.
When
searching for a location, we have been targeting our current facilities
building at the northwest corner of Clinton and Benton streets. The county owns
about a third of an acre there already, and there may be an opportunity to buy
a bit more land to increase the size of the lot. (The current lot is large
enough, however.)
I came up with an idea a while back, and I think it holds great
promise for Johnson County. There has been very little press coverage of this
discussion, but I believe it is a critical decision.
Rather than simply building a building estimated at around $3
million, I suggested that Johnson County put out a request for proposals (RFP)
for a public/private partnership on the parcel.
Given Iowa City’s plan for the area, I think there is tremendous
potential to partner with a developer who would build a building that would
suit the county’s needs, and then put 3-7 floors of apartments and/or condos
above it.
Iowa City and Coralville have both done projects of this type. Jeff
Davidson from the City of Iowa City has been extremely helpful in answering
questions. From my preliminary conversations, it seems that Iowa City would
like to see this happen.
The benefits to a private developer are obvious – she or he now
has access to a prime lot in the River Crossings District. The site will easily
hold 50 living units. Just for easy math, let’s say our partner gets
$1000/month for 50 units. That is $600,000 annually. While I understand that
this is not purely profit, it is pretty conceivable that one could pay off a $6
million mortgage over 15 years. After the building is paid off, even more of
that becomes profit. I’m sure the numbers will work out a bit differently, but
you get the idea.
Iowa City envisions a 5-10 story building on that corner some day;
why not give the city what it wants? The market may not be there quite yet, but
it is coming. And we know it is coming. A new building is going up on the former
Mumm’s site. A new building is going up on the former Davin site. A new
building is going up on the former Sabin school site. Each of these is within
three blocks. Vacancy rates in Iowa City are less that one percent. By the time
something gets built, it will get filled!
Supervisor
Etheredge and I support the RFP. Supervisors Harney and Rettig are opposed.
Supervisor Neuzil is opposed, but chose to allow the RFP to go forward. So this
idea lives by the slimmest of margins!
The
benefits of this type of relationship could be many:
Cost
to taxpayers: Rather than spending $3 million to build, the county can get a
building for free or at very low cost. Why wouldn’t we try to save that money?
It is a no-brainer!
Riverfront
Crossings: A single story building in that area will be an albatross. We must
exercise some vision. In thirty years, do we want to be remembered for doing
just enough? Or do we want to be remembered as having had vision?
Urban
density: Iowa City does not need another single story building. That helps to
produce urban sprawl. We need to be going up, not out. Living units at this
site will be easily walkable and bikeable to every amenity.
Affordable
housing: I believe affordable housing is the most critical problem facing
Johnson County. This project would give us an opportunity to address that
problem. We have been given a tremendous asset – valuable land. Don’t we have
some moral obligation to put that asset to work addressing our biggest issue? Even
if we do not put any affordable housing in the project, increasing the supply
of market rate housing will help to keep rents down.
Increased
tax base: Every taxing entity (including Johnson County) would benefit
financially from several floors of housing, which would all be taxable. A
single story county building will produce ZERO new property taxes now and in
perpetuity.
So obviously, I see many benefits to this arrangement. I simply
cannot imagine why any of my fellow Supervisors are opposed. The two biggest
concerns I have heard are 1.) We do not want the problems associated with
managing a building; and 2.) The RFP process will delay the building.
I
think there are very simple responses to those concerns. First, I would never
suggest that the county do the property management. Either our private partner
would do that, or we would hire it done. Johnson County has at least 15
property management companies we could hire. That is what most rental property
owners do. So this argument is a red herring.
I
am also not overly concerned by the idea of a delay. I believe most Johnson
County taxpayers would trade a delay in the building for a multi-million dollar
savings. I have spoken with the Ambulance Director, and he is willing to put a
new building on hold in order to pursue this. He is our expert, and he believes
we can make things work for a while. I agree with him. And we are pretty
resourceful – we’ve needed a jail for almost 30 years, and we have managed to
adapt. A one or two year delay here would clearly be worth $3 million plus
future tax revenues.
As
you can tell, I am a big fan of this approach. I hope you are, too! If so,
please share your thoughts with the other Supervisors. Support for this project
could not be more tenuous! Unless you can convince additional Supervisors to
support this idea, it is over!
*DID YOU KNOW?
The University of Iowa has celebrated Homecoming annually since 1912.
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
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If you know
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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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