rodsullivan.org
SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
February 27, 2015
Sullivan’s
Salvos 3/3/15
In this edition:
*Gold and White
*Kingsley Botchway
*Lying About War
*Giving Back
*Affordable Homes Discussion
*St. Patrick’s Day Party!
*Did You Know?
*Gold and White
Need I say
more? J
*Kingsley Botchway
Kingsley Botchway is
my friend. I’ll just put that out there. I have been thinking recently about
this friend of mine, and I realized that his situation deserved a mention in
Salvos.
What is his
“situation”, you ask? Well, as I see it, Kingsley is under a great deal of
pressure.
In his day job,
Kingsley is employed as the Equity Director for the ICCSD. If you follow the
news at all, you are aware of the ICCSD issues with the Diversity Policy, MLK
Day, redistricting, disproportionate minority punishment, difficulty recruiting
and retaining minority faculty, and other hot button issues. Kingsley stepped
into the middle of all of these issues when he became the Equity Director.
None of these issues
is an easy fix. Emotions run high in each case. People have very high
expectations. And people expect Kingsley to make it all better.
That is just his day
job. Kingsley is also a member of the Iowa City Council. As the youngest
Councilor in years, many young people have placed their hopes and dreams
squarely on his shoulders. As the only person of color on the Council, many
people of color have placed their hopes and dreams squarely on his shoulders.
As one of only a couple progressives on the Council, many progressives have
placed their hopes and dreams squarely on his shoulders. No pressure there!
An
example: at the 2/23 Council meeting, Iowa City discussed a TIF for the 15
story private student housing building to be built on Madison Street. The
developer had made a few interesting concessions on both the structure of the
TIF and affordable housing. Were these concessions worth a yes vote?
Kingsley
wanted to negotiate further, but Councilor Mims made it clear the time for
negotiation was over. (Despite the fact that this was the first time the
Council had discussed anything publicly.) So Kingsley was stuck. Take it or
leave it. He voted for the project.
I’m
sure a number of folks wish Kingsley had joined Councilor Throgmorton in
opposition. Others are no doubt pleased that he chose to be pragmatic and take
what staff had negotiated. Regardless of how you feel about this specific
project, one should be able to see that deciding how to vote in this case was a
struggle for Kingsley.
Like everyone else,
I have high expectations for Kingsley. We are all hungry for leadership, and in
this young man, we see reason for hope. That is good. But we must also know
that he cannot do it alone.
Yes, hold him
accountable. But also lend him a hand. Support him. Be kind to him. He needs
your help. Then great things will come.
*Lying About War
In just the past
couple of weeks, we have seen several prominent Americans – Bill O’Reilly,
Brian Williams, VA Secretary Robert McDonald – all lie about the role they
played in various military action.
I have a foolproof
solution! Let’s get American troops out of all these places around the globe.
Reduce the size of our military, especially arms projects the Pentagon doesn’t
even want. Cut that bloated budget by 10%, but allow the experts to decide how
to do the cutting. (The only exceptions being no cut in pay for enlisted men
and no cuts to VA benefits.) Stop all drone strikes. Focus on keeping Americans
safe here at home. Ramp up diplomacy. Get the hell out of the middle east.
Butter, not guns.
Once we do that,
O’Reilly, Williams, and the rest will have to find something else to lie about!
*Giving Back
It will not belong
before we have a gaggle of candidates for City Councils and School Boards. And
when asked why they decided to run, 80% will answer with some version of, “I just
want to give back.”
Ah, the candidate
who “wants to give back.” This is a pet peeve of mine. For several reasons.
First, I think there
is more truth to this statement that most candidates even realize. Assuming the
candidate was born in the US, she has been given a lot by her government. There
are no wars at home. She was born in a hospital with access to amazing healthcare
infrastructure. Public health infrastructure then got her vaccinated, and
ensures that her food, water, air, and medical products are safe. She had
access to all sorts of goods, services, and information, because of public
roads, airports, and utilities. Public schools were available for our candidate.
She was protected by fire, police, EMS, and the legal system. Her student loans
made college possible. As her parents aged, they accessed Medicare and
Medicaid. And now, she has the right to vote and run for office.
I’ve been to Haiti.
These things we take for granted are NOT there for much of the world’s
population. So when our candidate says she wants to “give back,” I think it is
important to recognize that an American can never truly repay the fantastic
system into which she was born. We are all damned lucky.
Secondly, some of
the folks who “just want to give back” think they made it on their own. She is
where she is because of her own hard work, period. And people who have not
succeeded simply have not tried hard enough.
I think she is
wrong. Just look at the long paragraph above. Had she been born in Saudi
Arabia, no amount of hard work would have mattered. Same with China, Ivory
Coast, and most of the countries on planet earth. By being born in the US, you
won the birth lottery. Hard work is a great thing, and it should be commended.
But there are many more variables.
Thirdly, let’s
assume you disagree with my last point. But you still want to “give back”. What
are you giving, and to whom? If our candidate is selected by local business
leaders, she is likely to “give back” to them. What does it mean to each
candidate when she says she is “giving back”? What are you giving? To whom?
When? How?
My final problem
with the statement, “I just want to give back,” is that it implies the
candidate has no real agenda except to do good.
Well, that ain’t how
things work. If you are running for elected office and have no agenda, DO NOT
RUN! Elected officials should be running on a set of ideas. If all our
candidate wants to do is “give back”, she is either stupid or covering up her
real intentions.
“Giving back” is a
nice sentiment. It simply does not work in the real world of politics.
*Affordable Homes Discussion
On
March 11th at 5:30pm at the Coralville Library, the Affordable Homes Coalition
is hosting a panel discussion on Affordable Housing. This is a chance for all
of us -- activists, general public, public officials, the press -- to learn
from people who live in affordable homes about the impact of these homes on
their lives.
Reverend
John McKinstry of First Christian Church will moderate the panel. Please come
and bring a friend!
*St. Patrick’s Day Party!
We
are having a St. Patrick’s Day Party on Tuesday, March 17 from 4:30-8:30pm at
our home in Iowa City.
The
party is serving as a fundraiser for Sullivan for Supervisor. That said, please
do not feel obligated to donate – you can just show up! We would request that
anyone who plans on attending please RSVP so we know what to expect. Just reply
to this email address.
*DID YOU KNOW? We are past Presidents Day, but this bit of trivia
is too good to ignore: the 10th president of the United States was John Tyler,
who was born in 1790, and he has two living grandsons.
You read that sentence correctly! John Tyler has two living grandsons!
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
February 20, 2015
Sullivan’s
Salvos 2/24/15
In this edition:
*Congratulations, Denny!
*Bernie Sanders
*Dane County
*”Qualified Electors” and the Iowa City Charter
*Shelter House Used Book Sale
*Did You Know?
*Congratulations, Denny!
Congratulations to
Iowa City Assessor Denny Baldridge on his retirement!
The Assessor has a
difficult job. The Assessor must determine the value of every piece of land in
that jurisdiction – from houses, to apartment buildings, to farm fields, to gas
stations, to malls… the Assessor decides what each is worth.
Obviously, property
owners all wish their property was assessed lower. That way, they would pay
less in taxes. That is the case until the property owner goes to sell – then
owners tend to believe their property is worth much more! Basically, people are
always upset with the Assessor.
Because of this
inherent distrust, it is critical that Assessors do their jobs very well. The
public needs to have confidence that they are not paying too much (or too
little), and that their neighbors are not paying too much or too little. People
need to have confidence that the process is fair.
Denny Baldridge can
retire head held high, knowing that the Iowa City Assessor’s Office routinely
ranks in the top 2-4 offices in the state. If you own property in Iowa City,
you are being assessed fairly. And the credit for that goes to Denny Baldridge.
In addition to doing
his job well, Denny is a great guy. I have really enjoyed getting to know him,
and I’ll miss having him in the building. Good luck, Denny, and thanks for all
the good work!
*Bernie Sanders
It was great to have
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders in town this week! I hope he runs for President
– we need a real Iowa Caucus season!
If you feel the same
way, please let the Senator know! He can be reached at: http://www.bernie.org.
*Dane County
I have some exciting
news! The Johnson County Board of Supervisors is making a trip to Dane County,
Wisconsin on May 4th and 5th.
Dane County is home
to Madison and the University of Wisconsin at Madison. Of all the counties in
the US, it is one of the most similar to where we live. It is only about two
and a half hours away, and yet we have done very little in terms of exchanging
information.
I am proud to say I
was at the forefront of changing this. At our first Local Food Summit, just
about a year ago, our keynote speaker was Kyle Richmond, a Dane County
Supervisor who has been very involved in local food efforts there. As we
talked, I mentioned that we should come see the things he was talking about.
Kyle agreed.
A few months later,
I ran into Kyle and one of his colleagues at the National Association of
Counties (NACo) meeting. We spent some time together, and I once again broached
the subject of a visit. This time, Kyle gave me a contact name. Thanks to a LOT
of hard work by Executive Assistant Andy Johnson, the visit has been arranged.
We plan on focusing
on a few of the most important issues facing our county – local food, disproportionate
minority contact, affordable housing, and more. While Dane County has not
solved any of these problems, they offer us a fresh perspective on things. In
addition, they are ahead of us when it comes to addressing these issues. I’m
hopeful we can learn from the things they got right, as well as the things they
got wrong.
There may be
opportunities for some members of the public to attend, assuming they paid
their own way. Let me know if you are interested. Otherwise, please let me know
if there is something you want me to pursue while in Dane County.
*”Qualified
Electors” and the Iowa City Charter
As you have heard here, the Charter Review Commission will soon
be making recommendations to the Iowa City Council regarding the City Charter.
Of all the things that could or should be changed, the issue of “qualified
electors” is the number one issue in my book.
If you take out a petition from any level of government, you
will find a disclaimer. It warns anyone signing that their signature testifies
that she/he is an eligible elector, and that any type of misrepresentation is
punishable by law. So there is little incentive to lie on a petition.
If you turned this petition in to the County Auditor, the office
would verify signatures. In Iowa City, however, you’d get another step. The
City Clerk’s office would then compare every address listed on the petition to
the address listed in the voter file. If they do not match, the signature is
disallowed.
I find this very troubling. Iowa offers same day voter
registration. The signer is verifying that she/he is an eligible elector, and
that is true! That should be the end of it.
You hear “concerns” from grumpy old white men, who say that
those signatures should not be counted. They say, “If they don’t care enough to
register, why do we care what they think?”
This obfuscates the main point: the vast majority of petitioners
ARE registered to vote. They just aren't registered at their current address.
Most Iowa City citizens between 17 and 26 or so move every year.
So they sign a petition. Again, the City Clerk checks the address they have
given versus the address at which they are registered. The addresses don't
match. That signature does not count.
This process systematically disenfranchises thousands of people
- not "irresponsible" people as some would have you believe - but
YOUNG people. Who make up about half our population.
Imagine for a moment that instead of being
young, they were disenfranchised because of race or gender? Would we stand for
it?
This is just another
way in which Iowa City treats students as commodities to be exploited. Bring
your daddy’s money to town, pay tuition and fees, pay exorbitant rents, pay a
couple $500 PAULAs, and don’t try to involve yourself in the decision making.
Get a pat on the head from those who have exploited you, and go away tens of
thousands in debt.
This rule is wrong.
(I happen to believe it is unconstitutional.) I hope the ACLU sues over it. Of
course, they wouldn’t HAVE to if the Council simply did the right thing. I hope
the City Council will see fit to change this terrible rule.
*Shelter House Used Book Sale
The
annual Shelter House Used Book Sale is Saturday, March 7th from
10:30 am-4:30 pm and Sunday, March 8th from Noon-4:00 pm at the
former Ben Franklin store in the Iowa City Marketplace (formerly Sycamore
Mall).
Early
Birds can get in Saturday at 10:00am for a $10 entrance fee. All proceeds go
toward supporting the mission of Shelter House.
*DID YOU KNOW?
The Johnson County Assessor’s Office ranks number one in the state in
the most recent statistical ratings. The Iowa City Assessor’s Office ranks
second.
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
February 13, 2015
Sullivan’s
Salvos 2/17/15
In this edition:
*County Budget Hearing
*City Fed Chili Supper
*North Liberty Mayor Amy Nielsen
*Mount Rushmore
*Pitchers and Catchers Report!
*Bowl For Kids’ Sake
*Did You Know?
*County Budget Hearing
The public hearing on the proposed budget for FY
2016 is Wednesday, February 25th at 6:00 PM in the boardroom. There will be a
reception prior to the meeting starting at 5:30 PM.
*City Fed Chili Supper
The
annual Iowa City Federation of Labor Chili Supper is at 6pm on Thursday,
February 26 at the City Fed office, 940 Gilbert Court in Iowa City. All friends
of organized labor are welcome!
I
am proud to note that the Johnson County Board of Supervisors is being honored
at this event. As a lifelong supporter of labor, I am truly grateful.
*North Liberty Mayor Amy Nielsen
I
was incredibly proud of the leadership demonstrated by North Liberty Mayor Amy
Nielsen recently.
As
you may recall, Amy was elected back in November, upsetting the incumbent. She promised
to try some new things, and I see that her words are turning into actions!
Mayor
Nielsen convinced her fellow councilors to put $50,000 in the budget to address
transportation alternatives. From the description I read, there was a great
deal of spirited discussion over this issue.
Some
councilors did not want to set aside the money without knowing specifically how
it would be spent. Mayor Nielsen argued that this would lead to the same old
results, because even if an idea was floated, there would be no funding
available. And if no good idea is forthcoming, you do not need to spend the
money.
I happen to agree with Amy on this. I often hear folks complaining
about the lack of available transportation in North Liberty. Yes, some of that
is transportation to and from Iowa City/Coralville. But more often, people want
a ride to Fareway, the local UIHC clinic, or the City offices.
More importantly than the transportation issue itself – I saw
great leadership in this story. Mayor Nielsen changed the old thinking, and
bought everyone else along. It was impressive. The future is bright!
By the way, I read about this whole thing in the North Liberty
Leader. Thanks, Leader, for the great coverage!
*Mount Rushmore
You
are all familiar with Mount Rushmore, a South Dakota mountain home to the huge
sculptures of four of our greatest Presidents. My family and I visited a couple
of summers ago, and it is worth the trip.
It has become trendy to refer to a “Mount Rushmore” of any given
set of people. A “Mount Rushmore” of jazz drummers. A “Mount Rushmore” of
cancer research. A “Mount Rushmore” of NFL quarterbacks. Basically, naming the
four best at any given thing.
I
don’t have any problem with folks comparing and contrasting folks who are great
at what they do. The people who are included in those discussions are worthy of
our praise. But I DO have a problem with the basic premise behind every “Mount
Rushmore” analogy.
I
am not convinced that the real Mount Rushmore represents our four greatest
Presidents. I think the man who was President when Mount Rushmore was created –
Franklin Delano Roosevelt – is among the four best Presidents of all time.
Thing
is, you will find lots of Roosevelt streets, schools, etc. – but they are all
named for Teddy Roosevelt. That is because they were all built during the
Presidency of FDR! A remarkably small number of things actually honor the man
who got us through the Depression and won WWII.
So,
have your “Mount Rushmore” debates. They are all in good fun. Just remember,
the four best aren’t on the real thing!
*Pitchers and Catchers Report!
I
love baseball. I love everything about it. Perhaps the thing I love the most is
the hope that accompanies every spring. Like Easter, like nature, baseball
offers us a rebirth. A new opportunity for better things.
Pitchers
and catchers get it all started this week. I can hardly wait! I hope you and
your team are excited at the prospect of a new beginning!
*Bowl For Kids’ Sake
You still have time
to sponsor us as we Bowl For Kids' Sake! The 2015 Bowl For Kids’ Sake event
will be February 28-March 1, and is presented by University of Iowa Community
Credit Union.
Through
Bowl For Kids Sake, one of the area's oldest and most successful fundraisers,
you'll be making a real difference in a child’s life--both now and in the
future. Raise pledges for BBBS mentoring programs, and we’ll thank you with
free BBBS t-shirts, a free round of bowling and shoe rental, music, door prizes,
and more. (It’s kind of like a big party that’s being thrown in your honor.)
Even
better, you’ll be rewarded by becoming a partner in the effective, reliable,
and sustainable services provided by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Johnson
County.
For more info, see: http://www.bbbsjc.org
*DID YOU KNOW?
Youth in Big Brothers Big Sisters’
mentoring program meet regularly with their adult mentors for an average of
two-and-a-half years (31 months).
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
February 6, 2015
Sullivan’s
Salvos 2/10/15
In this edition:
*DVIP Souper Bowl
*School Busing
*Shelter House Celebration
*Injustice On Our Plates
*A Friend Of The Show
*Real Tax Info
*Did You Know?
*DVIP Souper Bowl
The annual DVIP Souper Bowl is Thursday,
February 19 from 5:30-7:30 at the Clarion Highlander. With each $25 ticket, you
get to pick one soup bowl, which is donated by community members, antique
stores, and Fired Up through out the year. Many groups and organization collect
the very unique and fun bowls.
You can use your bowl to eat soups that are
also donated by famous restaurants around town, all while you are listening to
the live music!
Tickets are available at Hills Bank, Fired Up
Iowa City, or by calling Missie at DVIP at 319-356-9863. You can also purchase
tickets online at:
*School Busing
I recently heard
some disconcerting news… it sounds as though the ICCSD is going to eliminate
discretionary busing. In other words, there will be no more busses for kids who
live under 2 miles from their assigned school.
Look, I understand
that the Republicans in the Iowa Legislature have put the ICCSD in a bind. We
should all be angry with Governor Branstad and those Legislators, and we should
let them hear it. The ICCSD Board is going to be forced to make some cuts, and
cuts are never easy.
Still,
must the cuts come from things that benefit our poorest students? I think this
discretionary busing disproportionately affects children from lower income
families. Busing would be eliminated for kids that go from Pheasant Ridge to
Weber. Busing would be eliminated for kids that go from Forest View to Horace
Mann. These are pretty critical services for poor families, many of whom lack
cars.
Isn’t
there something that can be cut that affects wealthy kids? That isn’t great,
either, but at least their parents can make adjustments. So, ICCSD – are there
other options?
*Shelter House Celebration
Shelter
House will be holding a celebration to honor contributors to the Temporary
Winter Emergency Shelter.
The
event is Sunday, February 15 from 2-4pm at the former Aldi’s location, which
served as the temporary shelter. Please RSVP by February 14 to Sarah Fletcher
at sarah@shelterhouseiowa.org.
*Injustice On Our Plates
The
UI Labor Center is holding “Injustice On Our Plates” a discussion on how the
working conditions for food workers affect us all.
Topics
include the challenges food workers face, how workers are coming together to
address these challenges, and what is happening in Iowa.
The
event is Saturday, February 28 from 9-3 on the second floor of the Old Capitol
Mall. Lunch is provided for people who register by February 23. To register,
call the Labor Center at 335-4144.
*A Friend Of The Show!
Have
you ever been watching a talk show or a pundit and heard them refer to someone
as a “friend of the show”? You know the type – regular guest, regular caller? Well,
if Salvos has such a thing as a “friend of the show”, it would definitely be
Sherman Johnson.
And
that is interesting, because Sherman doesn’t even LIVE here – he lives in
Maryland! Trust me – this will make sense in a moment.
Sherman
is the son of Nick Johnson and stepson of Mary Vasey, two prominent longtime
residents of Johnson County. Sherman’s brother Greg has been involved in all
sorts of interesting efforts in our community. And the apple did not fall far
from the tree!
Depending
upon the topic, I typically get 10-12 responses to each edition of Salvos. Some
have been as short as two words, including “Go, Rod!” and “F--- You!”
But
every two or three weeks, Sherman writes. (The guy is an excellent writer.)
Sherman will challenge me, congratulate me, and everything in between. He’ll
cite sources, and offer gut feelings. He puts a lot of thought, heart, and
effort into our exchanges.
And
once, after realizing it was midnight on a Tuesday and I was online arguing
local tax policy with a guy I had never actually met who lived in Maryland, I
uttered a sigh of frustration and typed, “Sherman – WHY do you care so much?”
His
response was quick and simple: “I care because my family lives there.”
Yes.
Exactly. I had asked precisely the wrong question to precisely the wrong
person. The question should have been to everyone else, and it should have
been, “Why don’t you care as much as Sherman?”
Since
we began emailing back and forth, I have had the opportunity to actually meet
Sherman three or so times. And I have only grown in my appreciation for his
emails.
I
wish more people cared more deeply about the issues of the day. I wish more
people were willing to discuss things. I’m glad I have my friend Sherman to
serve as an inspiration.
*Real Tax Info
“Friend
of the Show” Sherman Johnson just sent me this handy report on taxes across the
country. It is from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, and contains
lots of data and charts:
http://www.itep.org/pdf/whopaysreport.pdf
Quote: "Not that this should be entirely shocking but this
should end the debate about how is getting fleeced and who carries the burden
in society. And it's useful to have this handy to dispatch to the usual class
warfare deniers."
*DID YOU KNOW?
Hallmark has over 1330 different cards specifically for Valentine's Day.
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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