rodsullivan.org
SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
June 26, 2015
Sullivan’s
Salvos 6/30/15
In this edition:
*Same Sex Marriage
*Obamacare lives!
*Happy Independence Day!
*Think Big!
*TPP
*Did You Know?
*Same Sex Marriage
The
US Supreme Court weighed in on the topic of same sex marriage, and Love won!
The
Court hates this type of ruling. The argument is always that the Court should
not “get ahead of public opinion”. Additionally, the SCOTUS typically prefers
that Congress act before the Court weighs in.
But
Obergefell v. Hodges forced the hand of the Court. Public opinion has changed
at a rapid pace. More and more judicial decisions had come down. And thousands
of Americans had become snagged in a legal limbo.
Two different issues were at stake: First, do States have a right
to define marriage as between a man and a woman, or is this a matter of the
Constitutional rights of the individuals? Secondly, if states do not allow same
sex marriages, must they still acknowledge same sex marriages performed in
other states? Obviously, since the first issue prevailed, the second was moot.
There
is a great deal of injustice in our society today. Too many people are
systematically excluded. Powerful economic interests manipulate our government,
and pit people against each other. I often struggle to stay positive in the
face of all this.
But the Court’s decision in Obergefell v. Hodges restores some
hope. It seemed like a no-brainer to me, but we all know that the powerful
interests I mentioned earlier own four Justices. Nothing is a given with this
Court.
Meanwhile, congrats! Celebrate the day!
*Obamacare Lives!
The
US Supreme Court recently ruled 6-3 in the case of King v. Burwell, leaving in
place the Affordable Care Act (ACA), otherwise known as Obamacare.
This
whole case was a joke from the very beginning, and everyone knew it. Chief
Justice John Roberts said as much when he wrote in his majority opinion: “Congress passed the Affordable Care Act to improve health
insurance markets, not to destroy them.”
And
the ACA HAS improved health care markets. Let’s look at a few facts on the ACA:
1.)
The
number of uninsured in the US has fallen by as much as 12 million people.
(Source: Congressional Budget Office.)
2.)
There
has been no “government takeover” of healthcare. The ACA is run by private
health insurance companies.
3.)
Obamacare
has not cost the US jobs. Job growth has actually increased since the ACA
became law. (Source: Congressional Budget Office.)
4.)
While
insurance rates have increased since the passage of the ACA, they have
increased at a much slower rate since its’ passage. (Source: Congressional
Budget Office.)
5.)
While
some people did see rate increases, they also got better coverage. Meanwhile,
the net number of people who now pay less for healthcare (because of tax
credits and expanded Medicaid) is greater than the number that pays more.
(Source: Manhattan Institute.)
6.)
The
overall cost of healthcare is rising at the slowest rate in years. (Source:
Congressional Budget Office.)
7.)
The
overall budget impact of Obamacare has been to lower the federal deficit.
(Source: Congressional Budget Office.)
If you consider yourself a fiscal conservative yet still feel the
ACA has been a terrible thing? I don’t think you are being intellectually
honest.
*Happy Independence Day!
Happy
Birthday to the USA! 239 years old and going strong! I hope you and yours enjoy
a great Independence Day!
Looking
for ways to celebrate? The Jazz Festival is in downtown Iowa City, and the 4th
has parades in Coralville, Sharon Center, Oxford, and Hills.
*Think Big!
What
better way to celebrate our Independence than by talking a little politics?
As
I have mentioned in this space before, I plan on caucusing for Bernie Sanders.
Other candidates and their supporters have taken notice of Bernie’s grassroots
support, and they are beginning to attempt to explain why Senator Sanders is
“not viable.” I’d like to address this for a moment.
You
are going to hear a lot of elected officials and political operatives giving
lectures on pragmatism. They are going to offer up some version of, “I agree
with you, but…”
Look
– I am an elected official. I know how this stuff works. The things Bernie
Sanders talks about are doable. Lots of people are campaigning on messages of,
“We can’t. Not yet. Wait.”
We
cannot improve Social Security; we can only hope to protect it. We cannot have
single payer health insurance; we must tweak the ACA. We cannot end our
military involvements in the Middle East; we must move more slowly. We cannot
end NSA spying on American citizens; we must protect ourselves from terrorists.
We cannot require billionaires to pay their share in taxes; the billionaires
might take our jobs elsewhere.
Readers,
you are smart people. Which side do you believe?
It
is precisely this defeatist attitude that has hurt the Democratic Party SO
badly over the past 30 years. We CAN improve things. And the first step on that
road is adopting a more positive attitude.
I
would urge you to do exactly what Bernie asked us to do when he spoke in Iowa
City: Think Big.
We
can do this. We can address all our problems. But we need to begin with one
simple step – Think Big!
*TPP
You
have probably heard of the Trans Pacific Partnership trade deal, otherwise
known as the TPP. I am no fan.
First,
you have “Investor-State Dispute
Settlement,” or ISDS. ISDS would allow foreign companies to challenge U.S. laws
— and potentially to pick up huge payouts from taxpayers — without ever
stepping foot in a U.S. court.
That
is not even the #1 reason that I know the TPP is a REALLY bad deal for the US.
You know how I know that? Because those in power will not allow us to read it.
How
DARE any person sitting in or seeking public office claim that such secrecy is
OK? It is appalling!
No
TPP for me, thanks! I prefer legislation that I have a right to read!
*DID YOU KNOW?
One US President was born on the 4th of July: Calvin Coolidge, the 30th president, in 1872. Three of the first five US Presidents
died on the 4th of July, including Thomas Jefferson and John Adams,
who both died on the 50th anniversary of the signing of the
Declaration of Independence.
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
June 19, 2015
Sullivan’s
Salvos 6/23/15
In this edition:
*Coralville Murder
*Charleston Terrorism
*RIP Dow Voss
*Juneteenth
*Did You Know?
*Coralville Murder
My
heart goes out to everyone affected by the recent murder at Coral Ridge Mall. I
have heard a couple people say, “You never think something like that would
happen here.”
It
does happen here, of course. We simply tend to forget about all the victims
over time. Worse yet, we vote every two years to ensure that more homicides will
happen.
Since 1968, more Americans have died from gunfire
than died in all the wars of this country's history. The totals are 1.4+
million firearm deaths compared with 1.3+ million deaths in war. About 60,000
American lives were lost over roughly 20 years in Viet Nam; meanwhile, gun
deaths total about 32,000 annually.
This
murder is a horrible, tragic event. But it is not unexpected. We will claim
there is nothing we can do. We will soon forget about this violence, and we
will then have more violence. Then we will forget about this event. And so it
goes.
*Charleston Terrorism
I
wrote the above paragraphs a few days before writing this. I wish I had not
been so prescient. By now, you have likely all heard about the mass murder in
the African American church.
The
public wants to label the murderer as mentally ill. But most murderers are NOT
mentally ill. That is a fact. We might wish it were otherwise; it might help
explain how one person can kill 9 innocent beings. But the fact remains – most
murderers are NOT mentally ill. They are seeking to exercise power over another
person.
This
guy was a racist. That is why he did it. He said so himself. Why are we
surprised? He has been told his whole life that he needs to “take his country
back.” He is simply following through on that message. The Confederate flag
flies high above the Capital in South Carolina, sending a clear message as to
what he is fighting for.
And
now I return to the paragraph I wrote just a few days earlier, and repeat it:
This
murder is a horrible, tragic event. But it is not unexpected. We will claim
there is nothing we can do. We will soon forget about this violence, and we
will then have more violence. Then we will forget about this event. And so it
goes.
*RIP Dow Voss
Local
Labor leader Dow Voss passed away last week. Dow was a great storyteller, a
funny guy, and a diehard liberal.
Dow brought another thing to the table that I believe is sorely
missing in our country today. He was able to discuss sensitive subjects
(politics, religion, etc.) with people with whom he disagreed. We need so much
more of that!
RIP, Dow. You will be missed.
*Juneteenth
The
Johnson County Juneteenth Community Committee is hosting a day of family fun
from noon-6 p.m. on Saturday, June 27, at the Robert A. Lee Recreation Center
in Iowa City to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the end of slavery in the
United States. Free parking will be available in the Rec Center lot and upper
level of Chauncey Swan Parking Garage; later in the afternoon, free parking will
also be available in the main level of Chauncey Swan Parking Garage.
The
free event will include free food, live music, a theatrical performance, and
games and activities for the whole family. Activities for children include a
puppet show, story time, a bouncy house, face painting, water games, and a
“discovery tour” of the community garden near the recreation center.
Live
entertainment will be provided by local youth from The Dream Center Performance
Art Academy, the Funk Daddies, Eulenspiegel Puppet Theatre, and a live play
written and performed by local writers and actors. In addition, the African
American Museum of Iowa and the Iowa City Public Library will set up
informational displays about the history of slavery and black Iowans.
At
the indoor health fair, small children can get free vision screening while
adults can get free blood-pressure checks, donate blood, and explore the
resources offered by a variety of local programs.
The event will begin
promptly at noon with a brief presentation that will include reading
proclamations by the City of Iowa City and Johnson County, followed by a
balloon drop of 150 balloons dropping from the ceiling.
The
winning essay of the Iowa City Human Rights Commission’s Youth Essay & Art
Contest may be read during the opening ceremony, as well. Essays submitted by
youth ages 14-18, and visual art displays submitted by youth ages 5-18 are due
by June 12. Prizes range from $50 to $150.
“This
is our group’s fifth year hosting this event, and with it being the 150th
anniversary of the abolition of slavery in the United States, we have gone all
out to provide a variety of informational and fun activities,” program
coordinator LaTasha DeLoach said. “I am thrilled that we have been able to pull
together so many events for both adults and children to honor the strength of
those who endured slavery.”
Event
sponsors include the City of Iowa City, the Johnson County Community
Partnership for Protecting Children, Johnson County Social Services, the Iowa
City Parks & Recreation Department, Veridian Credit Union, the Iowa City
Human Rights Commission, Southgate Development Co., and New Pioneer Co-op.
*DID YOU KNOW?
Terrorist Dylann Roof had Confederate Flag license plates.
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
June 12, 2015
Sullivan’s
Salvos 6/16/15
In this edition:
*Congratulations, RJ!
*Pride Events
*Caitlyn Jenner
*Father’s Day
*Public Opinion
*Did You Know?
*Congratulations, RJ!
RJ
Moore is retiring from Johnson County Planning and Zoning after 20 years of
county employment.
It
may be bad form to say this, but RJ has always been one of my favorites. There
are several reasons for this:
First,
RJ has always been on the front line. As much as any County employee, RJ has
been had to endure the slings and arrows of the public. RJ has often been put
in the position of being the bad guy – forced to tell people “no”. It is not
easy to play that role, especially for 20 years.
Secondly,
I LOVE RJ’s passion! RJ gets excited about good planning, and the excitement is
contagious! It is great to work with people who enjoy what they do. I came into
the job of Supervisor liking P&Z. I now LOVE P&Z, and I thank RJ for
that.
Thirdly,
RJ has a great presentation style. He is really good at explaining our rules, determining
how those rules apply, and laying it out in a way people can understand. Those
are important skills!
Finally,
I give RJ tremendous credit for overcoming obstacles in his personal life. From
growing up in Foster Care to surviving horrors in Viet Nam, RJ has proven
himself to be an honest-to-goodness hero. He could have given up many times.
But he persevered, earned a Master’s Degree, served as an important cog in
local government, and became a great husband and father. He is a fantastic role
model for others that have been dealt a difficult hand.
Congratulations
on your retirement, RJ. You are a great guy, and I’ll miss you!
*Pride Events
The
annual IC Pride events run all throughout the month of June. I love the annual
Pride Festival, and I marvel at how far we have come. I remember Pride in the
early ‘90s, being one of only a few people marching with the Johnson County
Democratic Party, and being videotaped for participating. Things have sure
changed!
Some upcoming Pride
events: Friday night June 19, join us for a laid back evening in Upper City
Park with free food till it's gone (over 200 servings). We will be serving
sandwiches and sides donated by Chik-Fil-A, desserts by Pizza Pit, and free
Frisbees for all from Studio 13. A vegetarian option will also be available.
On Saturday, June 20,
the Pride parade is at noon, followed by Pride Fest events on the Ped Mall.
Everything is free and open to the public.
*Caitlyn Jenner
Worldwide
hero, to joke, to worldwide hero. That is the trip taken by Bruce – now Caitlyn
– Jenner.
I
was a young man when Bruce Jenner won the Olympic Decathlon. The World’s
Greatest Athlete, with Iowa connections to boot! He was a hero to many of us.
Fast
forward to the 2000s. Bruce Jenner had become a joke – a reality television
buffoon. I felt pity for him. I would explain to my kids that he “used to be” a
hero.
Now,
in 2015, Caitlyn Jenner is a hero once again. By going public with her story,
Caitlyn is rapidly becoming the role model young transgendered folks need.
Who
says there are no second acts in life? Good luck, Caitlyn. I respect your
bravery in this situation even more than I respected your athletic achievements
40 years ago.
*Father’s Day
Happy Father’s Day to all the Dads out there! Being a dad is the
best thing I have ever done. It is also the most difficult. I imagine that is
the case for most fathers.
It has been several years since I have had the pleasure of
enjoying a living father or grandfather. If you are lucky enough to have a
father or grandfather around, please take a moment to reach out to him this
weekend.
*Public Opinion
Last
week, one of my colleagues made an offhanded remark about the court of public
opinion. I thought it might be worth discussing exactly what role public
opinion plays amongst elected officials.
Let’s
begin with elections. One could call elections big opinion polls. And on some
occasions, that would be correct. Every four years, I am on a general election
ballot that includes the Presidential election. In Johnson County, we get about
85% turnout for a Presidential election. So it is truly a pretty good gauge of
public opinion.
City
Council elections can be a very different matter. In Iowa City, the 2013
Council election had a 22% turnout. 2011 saw 13% turnout. So are those
elections good measures of public opinion? Probably not nearly as good as the
General election results.
Should
elected officials govern according to public opinion? First you would have to
have a good way of measuring it. The guys who have coffee at Hy Vee are happy
to share their opinions, but are they representative of our entire County?
I
have certainly seen Supervisors who attempt to make decisions based upon public
opinion. Some do it all the time. The public probably doesn’t notice this so
much, but you can sometimes get a different result in a Board vote by filing
the Boardroom. That has always bothered me.
Some
may claim that elected officials should ALWAYS vote according to public
opinion. I disagree with this. I believe many of our greatest achievements as a
society (civil rights laws, for example) were never popular enough to win in
the court of public opinion. But it was the right thing to do. I firmly believe
elected officials should have several subjects over which they are willing to
lose an election.
Personally,
I do not make decisions based upon public opinion. That does not mean I do not
care what people think. It just means that I have principals that override
public opinion.
What
do you think? What role should public opinion have in terms of the way elected
officials operate?
*DID YOU KNOW? Although
the Pride Movement did not galvanize until after the Stonewall Riots, there
were a handful of gay rights demonstrations prior to 1969. The most direct link
to the early parades were called Annual Reminders. Every fourth of July,
beginning in 1965, groups would picket Independence Hall in Philadelphia to
inform and remind the American people that LGBT people did not enjoy basic
civil rights protections. After Stonewall, picketing seemed too pacifistic, and
Reminder organizers instead helped plan the first Gay Liberation parades.
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
June 4, 2015
Sullivan’s
Salvos 6/9/15
In this edition:
*Property Tax Mistake
*Chamber Pledge
*More On Bernie Sanders
*Cheese Factory
*Did You Know?
*Property Tax Mistake
There
was quite the hullabaloo recently over the mistake made by the County
Assessor’s Office several years ago and the recent request for a refund.
Let
me begin by noting that by every imaginable measure, the Johnson County
Assessor’s Office is the best in the State. That is the truth. Look at any
objective set of measurements, and you’ll find them number one. It is also true
that they made a mistake here – that is not at issue. They screwed up, and they
admit it.
So is there an easy fix? The public seems to believe so. I think
it is a bit more complicated.
I’ll be honest – I think the media missed three very important
points in their coverage. First, they should have spoken to the Assessor and
Treasurer. Secondly, they failed to report that the complainant had a remedy
available to her, and chose not to exercise it. Thirdly, they failed to report
the myriad legal questions that exist. Had the media reported any of those
things, the public might have recognized that this was not such an easy
decision.
I sincerely appreciate the 4-5 folks who asked me questions about
this situation. Most folks just assume they understand all the details, then
jump straight to criticizing. And in fact, most of the folks who demanded we
take certain actions were just plain wrong.
Even after a long discussion with our County Attorney’s Office, I
am still a bit uncertain how this situation should be handled. Again, say you
owe me money. If you offer me a reasonable process for getting my money, and I
refuse to follow it… what happens?
We received a letter requesting payment. Was the request for the
correct amount? No, it was not! So all of you who demanded that we refund
$5000? We can only LEGALLY refund $2800. Your demands were wrong.
Not to mention who pays – is it the Assessor’s Office, or the
County? Does the school district owe, too? Turns out, every taxing entity
repays – so most of the money will end up coming from the Solon schools. So all
of you who demanded that County pay it all? Your demands were wrong.
The easy thing, from a public relations standpoint, is write a
check and be done with it, whether it is legal or not. I get that. I was just
not certain it was legal, or that doing so was the best course of action. The
discussion is online and you can listen to it yourself. Just visit: www.johnson-county.com and go to
agendas and minutes. Look for the informal meeting on June 4. It is a very
interesting discussion.
I will likely vote to refund taxes that were wrongly paid – now
that all my questions have been answered to my satisfaction. This is pretty
uncharted territory; I don’t think it is wrong to make certain we have our
ducks in a row.
Anyway,
the take away is this: review your tax bill. Review all your bills. I was
overcharged by my cell carrier a couple months ago. I caught it, called, and
got things corrected. Had I waited 4-5 years, it might not have been so easy.
I am certain that
mistakes of this type are exceedingly rare, but you should always check. And if
you find something, go through the proper channels and do so right away.
*Chamber Pledge
The
Board of Supervisors has maintained an ex-officio seat on the Chamber of
Commerce Board of Directors for many years. The seat goes to our Vice Chair;
that means that in 2015, I am that person.
Until
now. Unfortunately, the Chamber Board and I have reached an impasse regarding a
pledge that they have started requiring Board Members to sign.
I
don’t like the idea of pledges, period, but I am particularly opposed to
elected officials signing such documents. I think doing so compromises the
integrity of the elected official to an extent that I find untenable.
Don’t
get me wrong; I understand where the Chamber is coming from on this. Far too
many people fail to fully accept all their responsibilities as Board members,
regardless of the Board in question. The Chamber is simply trying to get people
on record as understanding their roles, and show that they are serious.
But
I cannot agree to the terms they set out, and they were not willing to change
them. My specific concerns were these provisions:
1.
Leave
personal prejudices out of all Board discussions.
2.
Represent
the organization in a positive and supportive manner at all times and in all
places.
3.
Support
in a positive manner all actions taken by the Board of Directors even when I am
a minority on such actions.
Anyone who has read my writing over the years will know that I
have had some significant issues with the Chamber. Given that, how could I
possibly surrender my autonomy in such a way? Even if I was in agreement with
the Chamber on every issue, this pledge goes into very dangerous territory.
I could not abide by these rules in any group, but particularly as
they apply to the Chamber. We have existing fundamental differences on property
taxes, sales taxes, income taxes, income inequality, Social Security,
affordable housing, the Affordable Care Act, the minimum wage, mandatory sick
days, environmental standards, labor standards, TIF, and much, much, more. I
fail to see how I can pledge that I will support everything for which they
stand.
I must admit, I fail to see how the three City Managers who serve
as ex-officio members can sign this pledge. What happens when the interests of
your cities diverge from the interests of the Chamber? You are creating a
situation whereby you are unfaithful to your employer, ignore the pledge, or
both.
I
am disappointed to surrender my seat on the Chamber Board. Though we disagree
on many things, I felt I had some things to offer. My intent was always to
serve that organization to the best of my ability. Now that is up to a
different Supervisor.
*More On Bernie Sanders
Presidential
candidate Bernie Sanders recently visited Iowa City, and the response was
excellent! I had the honor and privilege of introducing the Senator, who spoke
for about 40 minutes and took questions for another 35.
The
crowd was tremendous! I know we put out 250 chairs, meaning there were close to
400 people packed into the Rec Center Social Hall. From what I am told, just as
many or more filled both floors of the Rec Center without even being able to
get near the room!
Some
of Iowa’s Political Donor Class claims that the warm reception for Sanders is
Iowa’s way of sending a warning to Hillary Clinton. “Come here or you’ll be
punished,” they claim.
Frankly,
that is a bunch of poppycock. The thousands of Iowans who turned out for Bernie
Sanders were there for him! The message they were sending was they want change!
Why is there so much interest and excitement in this campaign? The
answer is quite simple, really… people recognize that we need to make serious
changes in this country! Money in politics, income inequality, climate change –
these are big, big issues. And they will not be solved without big ideas.
So
be bold. Think big. Consider Bernie Sanders for President!
*Cheese Factory
Great
news! The Twin County Dairy (the Cheese Factory) has been sold to Kalona
Creamery.
The
seller was Proliant out of Ankeny, which purchased the plant on Hwy 1 in rural Johnson
County a year ago from 2nd generation owner Johnny Roetlin. Proliant bought the
plant for the whey the facility generated in making cheese, but closed the
plant last fall after running up against pre-existing EPA wastewater issues.
The
buyer was a new company, Kalona Creamery, formed by Bill Evans, who is also the
owner or CEO of Farmers All Natural Creamery (aka Kalona Supernatural), Kalona
Organics, and Awesome Refrigerated Transit of Iowa. Kalona Creamery will
utilize most of the existing facilities, as well as intending to reopen the
retail storefront.
Bill
is a great guy, and I wish him all the best on this endeavor!
*DID YOU KNOW?
The 2014 census estimate for Johnson County is 142,287 – an increase of
8.7% from 2010.
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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