SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
September 9, 2016
Sullivan’s
Salvos 9/13/16
In this edition:
*Linn County Conservation Bond
*Linn County Supervisors – 3 or 5?
*Linn County Minimum Wage
*Aesthetics
*Did You Know?
*Linn County Conservation Bond
In
November voters in Linn County will have the opportunity to follow Johnson
County’s lead, and pass a Conservation Bond initiative.
Johnson
County voters passed this in 2008 by a whisker, just more than the required
60%. (Note – we were in the midst of an economic collapse at the time!) The
Johnson County effort was $20 million dollars, but the overall investment is
much greater, as we have leveraged other dollars at a rate of almost 2:1.
Linn
is shooting for $40 million, and I wish them luck! I was extremely glad to see
that Linn County is working with the Trust for Public Land (TPL). The TPL
assisted us, too, and we would never have gotten our bond passed without their
help!
Unfortunately,
Linn County has a fight on its’ hands. Cedar Rapids Mayor Ron Corbett showed
his hypocrisy. Corbett has long argued against the Des Moines Waterworks suit,
claiming locals could figure out solutions to our water quality problems. Well,
the Linn Supervisors have put forth the ultimate local solution, and Corbett refuses
to endorse it. Voters – REMEMBER that!
It
is also sad, frankly, to see so many other “leaders” in Linn County who only
want to criticize the plan. Ummm… that is NOT leadership! What Linn County is
doing IS leadership. You had your chance to do this, and punted. Now it is time
to get on board, or get out of the way!
One
frequent criticism is, “I want to know specifically what land might be
purchased.” This criticism is pure foolishness. First, the bond lasts 20 years.
Who could possibly know what might be for sale 18 years from now? Secondly, if
people know the County is looking at land, it throws off the market. That is
why governments are allowed to discuss the purchase and sale prices of land in
closed sessions. Wanna spend way too much on Conservation properties? Force
them to list them all now!
The Conservation Bond has been a great thing for Johnson County; I
think every county ought to do it! Best of luck to our friends in Linn County!
*Linn County Supervisors – 3 or 5?
Linn
County voters have another issue on the November ballot. Voters there will also
decide whether or not to stay with 5 Supervisors or switch back to 3. (Linn
County switched from 3 to 5 in 2006.)
To
be honest? This vote is stupid. Linn County has over 200,000 residents. That
calls for more than 3 representatives. They need the extra two sets of eyes,
ears, and minds.
Proponents
of cutting down to three Supervisors claim it will save money. Well, it MIGHT…
but let’s put this in perspective. Linn Supervisors make about $100,000
annually. We’ll throw in a generous benefit package, and call it $125,000.
Times two positions is $250,000. The Linn County budget is well over $100
million annually. If money is the issue, Linn County could cut less than one
quarter of one percent anywhere in the budget and get a better result.
The
bigger issue, in my mind, is that I honestly believe a three person Board is
incapable of following Iowa’s Open Meetings Law. According to the law, any time
a quorum of the Board talks any County business, the meeting must be noticed
and minutes must be kept.
I
refuse to believe that 3 Supervisors could work in the same office every day
and NEVER ONCE have two of them discuss ANYTHING business related. If you did
it just one time, you broke the law!
Why
mess with this? Linn County is a big, diverse place. The people deserve more
representation, not less.
*Linn County Minimum Wage
I
was very pleased to see Linn County vote to increase the minimum wage in that
jurisdiction. I am particularly proud of Linn County Supervisor Ben Rogers.
When it appeared the increase was on shaky ground, Rogers stepped up into the
leadership role and got it done. Nice work, Ben!
It
is interesting – I have used Linn County as a point of comparison thus far.
Neighboring counties. Same laborshed. Historically, unemployment in Linn County
has been about one percent higher than Johnson County. It was that way for the
year prior to Johnson County raising the wage. And for the ten and a half
months since we raised the wage, the gap has stayed at one percent.
What
does that mean? It means the people who claimed jobs would move elsewhere where
COMPLETELY wrong. Raising the wage has not cost Johnson County jobs.
I
am very glad to see that Linn County will be coming on board. Low-wage workers
there deserve a raise!
*Aesthetics
It
seems there are always a number of issues in Johnson County that center around
aesthetics. How tall should buildings be? What constitutes a “well-maintained”
yard? Does color matter on historic properties? What is the definition of art?
How much is art worth?
Personally,
I have always been very much in the “function over form” camp. If you have ever
seen any clothes or shoes I have worn, haircuts I’ve had, or cars I have
driven, you should easily recognize this. And I’ll be honest; I wear my
“function over form” like a badge of honor. I am pretty certain it saves money
and natural resources. And I do not have to worry about keeping up with the
Jones’.
On
the other hand, I know my proclivity toward function can cross the line into a
fault. I helped the kids duct tape the mirror to our old van. Probably should
have gone another route. Melissa certainly deserves prettier things than I
typically provide. And yes, I can be judgmental when I see people spend what I
consider to be too much on clothes, cars, phones, etc.
I
remember a big civic fight back in the late 1990s that found advocates for
funding for public art pitted against advocates for services for the poor. The
Iowa City Council at that time did a great job of pitting those who wanted
money spent on public art versus those of us who wanted money spent on public
services. In fact, BOTH groups needed to challenge the arguments of the City.
There was enough money for BOTH arts and services; it simply wasn’t a priority
of that City Council.
Over
the years, I have been quite frustrated by people who seem to be too focused on
aesthetics. I would imagine they have also been frustrated by me.
So
what is the right balance? Do we need more emphasis on aesthetics? Less? Or do
we strike a pretty good balance? More importantly, how can we bridge our
differences so that those who would oppose us both are not allowed to divide
us?
*DID YOU KNOW?
Linn County is Iowa’s second most populous county, with 220,000
residents. Johnson County is 4th at about 150,000. (Source: US
Census.)
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.
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come solely from Rod Sullivan, and neither represents the viewpoints of the
whole Board of Supervisors nor those of groups or individuals otherwise
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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
posted by Rod Sullivan @ 2:21 PM
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