rodsullivan.org
SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
May 25, 2017
Sullivan’s
Salvos 5/30/17
In this edition:
*Memorial Day
*Award Winner!
*Middle Class
*Don’t Mow The Ditch!
*Haiku
*Did You Know?
*Memorial Day
Monday, May 30 is Memorial Day. I hope you have a wonderful holiday, and I hope you spend at least a
part of it remembering those who have died while serving our Country. Happy
Memorial Day to all!
*Award Winner!
An informational kiosk at Johnson County’s Armory and Veterans
Memorial has been recognized with an Achievement Award from the National
Association of Counties (NACo) in the category of Information Technology. The
NACo awards honor innovative, effective county government programs that enhance
services for residents.
The kiosk, installed in 2013, is located south of the Johnson
County Administration Building at 913 South Dubuque Street in Iowa City. Like
its companion webpage (www.johnson-county.com/memorial), the kiosk maps the location of paver
bricks engraved with the names of veterans and supporters and a link to the
honoree’s biography, if available. The Armory, constructed in 1937, was destroyed
during the 2008 floods. The memorial was created not only to honor Johnson
County veterans and supporters, but also to educate the public on the history
of the Armory.
In addition to the NACo Achievement Award, the kiosk also won the
Iowa State Association of Counties’ (ISAC) Excellence in Action Award in 2016. ISAC’s
Excellence in Action Award is a competitive awards program that seeks to
recognize innovative county government employees, programs, and projects.
*Middle Class
Is it tougher to
make a go of it in today’s America? The answer is definitely YES!
A
2014 Bankrate survey found that only 38 percent of Americans could cover a $500
emergency-room visit or car repair with money they’d saved. A report published
last year by the Pew Charitable Trusts found that 55 percent of households
didn’t have enough liquid savings to replace a month’s worth of lost income.
Before
you go blaming this on the “bad choices” made by Americans today, consider
this: median net worth has declined steeply in the past generation—down 85.3
percent from 1983 to 2013 for the bottom income quintile, down 63.5 percent for
the second-lowest quintile, and down 25.8 percent for the third, or middle,
quintile.
People are living on
the edge because they simply are not making enough money! Income inequality –
behind climate change, the foremost issue facing America today!
We have seen this
first hand with Foster Children. Most of us have a place we could stay for two
weeks if need be. Most of us could get someone to let us use a printer. Many of
us could get a ride if we needed one. Many of us could borrow a bit of money if
necessary. Some of us have someone we could call to help change a tire. Some of
us have a person that would bail us out of jail.
For a whole bunch of
Americans, this is not true. And when you lack these things, you lose jobs.
Lose jobs, and you lose housing. And the downward spiral begins…We have created
a society full of people living on the edge. It simply has to change!
*Don’t Mow the Ditch!
The
County’s Integrated Roadside Vegetation Management (IRVM) program reminds
residents that Iowa law prohibits the mowing of ditches along county secondary
roads and state primary and interstate highways each year prior to July 15. The
no-mow order allows time for hatching and development of ground-nesting birds
and pollinators.
Johnson
County Roadside Vegetation Manager Chris Henze said that in 2010, legislation
changed the date from July 1 to July 15. “Studies have shown a significant
increase in nesting success, with more nestlings ready to fledge, given this
extra time,” Henze explained. The law also expanded the restrictions to include
county roads, thereby protecting an additional 500,000 acres of vegetated
right-of-way statewide.
“The
two-week extension also allows refugia—a suitable habitat—for pollinators
during these peak flowering times for many native plants,” Henze said.
Exceptions
to the law allow for maintaining sightlines and for controlling weeds. Cutting
for hay is not among the exceptions. The law reads:
Mowing
roadside vegetation on the rights-of-way or medians on any primary highway,
interstate highway, or secondary road prior to July 15 is prohibited, except as
follows:
- Within 200 yards of an inhabited dwelling
- On rights-of-way within one mile of the
corporate limits of a city
- To promote native species of vegetation or
other long-lived and adaptable vegetation
- To establish control of damaging insect
populations, noxious weeds, and invasive plant species
- For visibility and safety reasons
- Within rest areas, weigh stations, and wayside
parks
- Within 50 feet of a drainage tile or tile
intake
- For access to a mailbox or for other
accessibility purposes
- On rights-of-way adjacent to agricultural
demonstration or research plots
“In
an agricultural state like Iowa, the law serves as a reminder to mow only the
shoulder and leave the rest for the birds,” Henze said. “Aggressive mowing
weakens vegetation along slopes, which allows erosion and soil loss. That can
also create openings for weeds.”
Visit
the Secondary Roads page at www.johnson-county.com/roads and click on Roadside
Vegetation Management for more information on the County’s IRVM program.
*Haiku
Iowa City.
City of
Literature.
Motivates
Haiku.
*DID YOU KNOW?
Johnson
County’s IRVM policy was awarded the 2011 Achievement Award for Roadside
Vegetation Management for our Native Plant Community Policy. The award was
presented at the annual conference of the National Association of Counties, a
national organization representing county government with a membership of about
75 percent of US counties.
Anyone
interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the
County website-
"Sullivan’s
Salvos" is sent once per week to any interested party. It will give a
brief update on issues of interest to Johnson County residents.
These messages
come solely from Rod Sullivan, and neither represents the viewpoints of the
whole Board of Supervisors nor those of groups or individuals otherwise mentioned.
If you do NOT
want the weekly E-mail, simply reply to this message, and type
"unsubscribe" in the subject line.
If you know
anyone else who might be interested, just forward this message. They can E-mail
me at rodsullivan@mchsi.com with "subscribe" in the subject line.
As always,
feel free to contact me at 354-7199 or rodsullivan@mchsi.com. I look forward to
serving you!
---Rod
May 18, 2017
Sullivan’s
Salvos 5/23/17
In this edition:
*Mental Health Background
*Mental Health Update
*Did You Know?
*Mental Health Background
I have an update on Mental Health funding, but I thought it might
make sense to first offer some background. The following was published in Salvos
on 3/31/15.
First, some background. The history I’m about to give is specific
to Iowa; each state does things differently. Up until the early 1990s, counties
funded all MH/DS services through local property taxes. Starting in the early
’90s, Iowa began to rely much more heavily on Medicaid (otherwise known as
Title 19) to fund services. Other states had begun doing this almost a decade
earlier – Iowa was very late to the game.
Why
utilize Medicaid services? The reasoning is simple; Medicaid services are
funded primarily by the federal government. There is a “local match”, which
varies depending upon the relative wealth of your state. So in the early ‘90s,
Iowa began enrolling every eligible person in Medicaid, and assigned counties
to pick up the local match.
This
had an extremely positive impact for people with disabilities. Many more people
became eligible for services, and many more people received them. Additionally,
Medicaid picked up the health insurance for these folks, providing coverage where
little had been available. So the ‘90s were good times for people with
disabilities.
The
‘90s were TOO good for people with disabilities if you asked the Iowa Farm
Bureau. They saw the roles of people served tripling and quadrupling, and
became very concerned about their future property taxes. This led the Iowa
Legislature to pass a 1996 property tax relief act known as Senate File 69,
which limited the amount of property taxes going into MH/DS funding. The idea
was that counties would be capped at a hard dollar amount, and the state would
pay for any growth in the system.
Unfortunately,
this promise only lasted two years. After 1998, the state began to renege on
this promise. Meanwhile, the MH/DS levies changed depending on which county you
were in. In some western Iowa counties they were losing both population and
taxable valuation. In those same places, people with disabilities often moved
to more urban areas, where they had greater access to services, medical care,
transportation, etc. In those counties, the MH/DS levy went up every year in
order to generate that same capped dollar amount.
Johnson
County was the opposite. Population skyrocketed, and taxable valuations went
up. People with disabilities moved here in droves. So in Johnson County, the
levy rate required to generate our capped amount went down every year. Soon,
Johnson County could not meet the demand for services. Because of this, the
State had to step in and prop us up financially. Statewide, county budgets were
under pressure, and services varied wildly depending upon the county in which
you lived.
Let’s
fast forward to a couple years ago. The Iowa Legislature and Department of
Human Services decided to undertake a huge MH/DS redesign. (One of the key
architects was Johnson County State Senator Joe Bolkcom.)
Under
redesign, counties were forced to merge into MH/DS regions. These regions were
charged with pooling their property tax dollars, and providing equivalent
services to every county in the region. In exchange, the State would pick up
the local match – the nonfederal share – of all Medicaid services. This came
along at the same time as the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare), which made
Medicaid available to many more people. The State also continued to prop
Johnson County up financially due to our low levy rate.
So,
Johnson County needed to create a region. There was a bit of discussion about
being our own region, but DHS made it quite clear that only Polk County would
be allowed to go it alone. DHS wasn’t alone in feeling this way; our own
Legislative delegation also wanted us in a region.
I
mention this, because you will still hear people say that Johnson County should
have gone it alone. I am 100% certain that this was NEVER an option. Had we not
chosen our own partner counties, DHS would have done it for us.
And
it gets worse! DHS wanted Linn County to anchor a group of counties to its
north; they wanted Johnson County to anchor a group of counties to our south.
The problem is, the counties to our south are MUCH more anti-government and
anti-services. I am convinced that the people we serve would have been harmed
by Johnson County playing games and getting assigned to a region to our south.
So
– you may hear people say that we had other options. I am firmly convinced that
any other options would have been MUCH WORSE for the people we serve.
The
way things did play out were interesting. Iowa County came calling right away.
90% of the Iowa County MH/DS budget was spent in Johnson County anyway. Benton
County had a very similar relationship with Linn County. Meanwhile, Linn and
Johnson Counties had worked together well on previous issues.
So
we moved forward with a group of 4 contiguous counties. Jones County wanted in,
and that made sense. Then, suddenly, we heard from Dubuque County. While we
were not familiar with Dubuque County, they did bring a history of similar
politics to the table, in addition to a variety of resources. We let Dubuque
in. Finally, in a last second move, Buchanan and Bremer Counties requested to
join. After some deliberation, we let both in. That gave us a 9 county region,
home to about 600,000 people, making us the most populous of Iowa’s 15 regions.
We
soon created an intergovernmental agreement, and officially set up a governing
board of one Supervisor from each county. (I am the Johnson County appointee to
the regional board.) Each county then began the process of pooling our MH/DS
funds. Jones County was selected as the fiscal agent for the region, meaning
that for a small fee, they collect the dues and pay the bills.
All
things considered, I feel our region has worked pretty well. The Supervisors
have created a framework, staff have worked well together, and advocates have
kept everybody honest.
Meanwhile,
the fact that the State and ACA have picked up much of the cost of services has
freed up money to do things that were only dreams just a few years ago. The
region is relatively flush right now, and ready to spend on long overdue
services.
Within
the next month, we will have jail diversion programs in all 9 counties. That
will be coupled with mobile crisis response. We will have telepsychiatry
available at our rural hospitals. We will have crisis phone, text, and chat
services. We will have crisis stabilization beds in each of the more populous
counties. Family psychoeducation will be available. All this, plus our previous
menu of services. This will amount to the biggest expansion of services since
Medicaid came into play in the ‘90s. We are poised to usher in the best era for
MH/DS services in quite some time!
While
I am excited by what the future holds, there are still a few issues to watch:
First,
Iowa must maintain its’ commitment to the Medicaid program. States have great
latitude in terms of what they do with Medicaid programs. We must keep ours
broadly available. Should Iowa make more folks ineligible for services, those
same people will fall to regional funding. That will impact our ability to expand
services.
Secondly,
Iowa has committed to a system of managed care for Medicaid services. I don’t
know about you, but when I think of managed care, I think of bureaucrats
denying services to sick people in order to increase corporate profits. I hope Iowa
can prove me wrong.
Finally, the State must help regions establish a long-range plan
for funding. Remember how I was talking about the differences in levy rates?
And how the State has been propping up Johnson County of late? Well, the State
money is gone this year. The regions must figure it out on our own.
Some counties in our region have per capita rates that are double
Johnson County’s rate. (We are still frozen at those 1996 rates.) If nothing
changes, those counties would pay double what Johnson County pays. This is
obviously unfair, and needs to be corrected. Johnson County should pay a bit
more, while other counties pay a bit less.
This
is another area in which you are going to hear complaining. No Supervisor wants
to be the one who raises taxes, right? Thing is, almost every individual who
has run for Supervisor since 1996 has said that she/he would raise taxes to pay
for MH/DS services if only the State would allow it. Just check the record –
everybody who has been elected has said this! Well, be careful what you wish
for - the State just may allow it.
Personally,
I don’t fear this. There is nothing we do that is more important than providing
services to our MH/DS population. If we have to raise taxes a bit to do so, I
am OK with that. Yes, the State screwed counties for 15+ years. They probably
will again. But we still need to provide services.
Like
all my peers, I have spent years stating that I’d raise taxes for this purpose
if given the opportunity. I don’t need political cover. I don’t need to blame
anybody. I am willing to raise taxes for the people that need it. Let’s just
get this done.
So,
that is where the MH/DS system sits today. Please let me know if you have any
questions!
*Mental Health Update
So
here we are. After 4 or more years of lobbying, the Iowa Legislature actually
passed a Bill (SF504) that allows Johnson County to raise our levy rate.
In
one way, the timing could not be better. If nothing had changed, Johnson County
would be unable to meet our financial obligations to people with disabilities.
This situation would have occurred about a year from now, in the 4th
quarter of FY18.
In
another way, the timing could not be worse. The county budget was turned in to
the state in early March. The process is over. If we go back and add the
necessary funds (about $1.5 million) to MH/DS, taxes will be higher than we
than the totals we just reported.
To
be honest, I did not think the Legislature would pass anything. They had failed
to do anything for four straight years. It required GOP votes, and they have
been unwilling to do anything that would raise any tax at any time for any
purpose. Luckily, several legislators (including our own Joe Bolkcom) helped
craft a plan that kept the total amount of taxes levied statewide the same,
while allowing individual counties to raise their levies. And guess what? It
passed!
SF504
gave counties that want to raise their levies 30 days from the date the bill
was signed to reopen their budgets and pass new levies. That means it must be
completed by June 4.
I
had originally hoped that perhaps we could wait on the budget, see what happens
in FY18, then fix it all in FY19. Unfortunately, the State says this option is
not available to us. The options we do have?
1.
Reopen
the budget, raise the MH/DS levy, and be done.
People will see their taxes go up, but it is for a very good cause, and Johnson
County will be paying its’ fair share.
2.
Reopen
the budget, raise the MH/DS levy, make other cuts.
Taxes would not go up, but other things already approved in the budget will be
cut. I spoke to many people at the recent NAMI Walk, and no one wanted to see MH/DS
scapegoated as the cause for cuts to the Sheriff, County Attorney, SEATS, food
banks, etc.
3.
A
combination of options 1&2.
Taxes will go up some, but we will drop the amount the County keeps in reserve
to fund the rest. Then we “pay ourselves back” over a few years.
4.
Do
nothing.
If we do nothing, Johnson County runs out of money, and gets sued by the other
8 counties in our Region as well as local people with disabilities.
After good discussion, the Board will be voting on option #3. We
follow through on our promises and fund MH/DS services, but also lessen the
single year impact.
Questions
about any or all of this? Please let me know!
*DID YOU KNOW?
The East Central Region served 2800 people in FY16, at a cost of $18
million. This is in addition to all the services funded by Medicaid.
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
May 11, 2017
Sullivan’s
Salvos 5/16/17
In this edition:
*Welcome, Zuri!
*One Community. One Bond.
*Inside Out Fundraiser
*Friday Night Concert Series
*Did You Know?
*Welcome, Zuri!
I
am excited to announce the birth of our first grandchild! Zuri James Foote (a
daughter) was born Wednesday, May 10 at UIHC. Parents are our oldest daughter
Rachel Sullivan and her boyfriend Collin Foote. Zuri came along at 12:47 AM,
and weighs 6 pounds, twelve ounces.
I
had the opportunity to be in the delivery room during the birth, and I have to
say, it was amazing! I have experienced a lot of things with a lot of kids over
the years, but this was the first time I have been a part of childbirth!
Mother, father, and daughter are all doing well. Oh, and Grandpa,
too! He’s doing great! J
*One Community. One Bond.
The ICCSD is going to the voters on September 12 with a bond
referendum. I wholeheartedly support it, and have joined the group urging
passage – One Community. One Bond.
Here are my
thoughts:
1. Our kids
need it. Johnson County keeps growing, and our schools haven't kept up. We add
over 300 students per year in the ICCSD; the equivalent of one elementary
school. Our kids deserve climate controls. They deserve rooms for art, music,
and PE. If nothing changes, 60% of our students will be forced to have class in
a temporary classroom. And ADA accommodations are a matter of federal law!
2. Our
teachers deserve it. Working conditions vary wildly in the ICCSD. Our teachers
are magnificent, and at a minimum deserve to work in safe, comfortable
environments.
3. Johnson
County IS education! Education is at our core. Education is our biggest
industry, our biggest employers, and our greatest point of pride. We are
defined by education.
4. Buildings
schools is great for the local construction industry.
That is why I support the bond. Now allow me to address some of
the bond’s critics:
Some say, "You can't trust the Board." All the more
reason to pass a bond! Bonding language spells out every project. Passing a
bond is the best way to hold them accountable.
There
is an old Zen proverb: “Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After
enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.” I view the bond vote in much the same
way: “Hate the Board? Our kids need the bond. Love the Board? Our kids need the
bond.”
For
adults to allow their petty political differences to stand in the way of
facilities our children need is simply not cool. This is not about the Board,
and not about the Administration. Neither group will be here for long; our
children will be. While the adults bicker, the children suffer.
Some say, "It is too expensive." The ICCSD has bonds
coming off the same time these would go on. It makes the overall tax increase a
very manageable $.98/$1000, or $4.25 per month on $100,000 assessed value. Even
if the bond passes, the ICCSD will still have the lowest tax rate of any urban
district in Iowa – lower than our neighboring districts.
Some
complain because the proposed bond would be the largest in state history. So?
The 2003 Yes for Kids campaign, which among other things built North Central
Junior High, Tate High, and Van Allen Elementary, was the largest in state
history when it was passed.
Will
the bond perfectly anticipate every future need? Probably not. But critics of
the plan have no viable ideas. The current plan took seven years to get this
far. If we vote no, we are telling our ten year olds they will never see any
facilities improvements during their academic careers. Putting everything on
hold in search of perfection would be a clear case of the perfect being the
enemy of the good.
Finally,
please consider this: With all the negativity in
Washington and Des Moines, where they can do whatever they want to us - here is
an opportunity for us to stand up and show that we support education.
Much more information is available at passthebond.com. I hope you
will join me in supporting One Community. One Bond.
*Inside Out Fundraiser
Join
us for an afternoon of FREE MUSIC, FOOD, and FUN! The Inside Out ReEntry
Community includes people returning to Johnson County after incarceration and
their supporters, working together toward successful reintegration for
returning citizens and broad based criminal justice reform.
Join
us as we build friendships and work toward reaching our fundraising goals! Featuring
performances by B.F. Burt & Band, Jim Kennedy & Friends and others. Food
provided by Pop's BBQ and others. Sound by Steve Cook Sound Production.
Admission
is free, but donations are encouraged. Join us on Saturday, May 20 from 4-7 at
500 N. Clinton (First Baptist Church).
*Friday Night Concert Series
Friday,
May 19 marks the first Friday Night Concert of the season, and it is a doozy! David Zollo & the Body Electric
with Brian Johannesen will be rocking downtown Iowa City!
The concert runs 6:30-9:30 PM on the Ped Mall, and the Stage Sponsor is Kum & Go. The Friday Night Concert Series run
through August 25, and are a product of Summer of the Arts.
*DID YOU KNOW?
At passthebond.com you can find
detailed information about how the ICCSD Facilities Master Plan impacts schools
throughout the District. EVERYONE will see progress by the time we are
finished! There is a project sheet for every school in the District so that
people know what to expect in their neck of the woods.
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
May 5, 2017
Sullivan’s
Salvos 5/9/17
In this edition:
*Happy Mother’s Day!
*Minimum Wage After the Fact
*Bike Month
*Did You Know?
*Happy Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 14. I know that this is a difficult
day for many people, and I want to respect that. Yet I feel the need to talk
about a special person in my life.
I want to wish a particularly Happy Mother’s Day to my Mom, Susan
Sullivan Smith, and my wife, Melissa Fath. One is a birth mom, one is an
adoptive mom – both are amazing people who have touched many lives.
I
sometimes wish people could actually see how amazing Melissa is. We’ve had over
50 foster children over the years, and she has never missed a beat once.
Melissa has done all that parenting, while at the same time doing full time
cancer research. She is truly incredible!
Two
years ago at this time, I was afraid I might lose her. Melissa was fighting
cancer, and we did not know exactly what to expect. Thank God things went well,
and this Mom-of-all-Moms is still with us today!
I hope all the moms out there have a wonderful day! You deserve
it! Thanks for all you do!
*Minimum Wage After the Fact
In
November of 2015, the Johnson County Board of Supervisors raised the minimum
wage $.95 countywide to $8.20. It went up another $.95 on May 1, 2016 to $9.15.
It went up yet another $.95 to $10.10 on January 1, 2017. Then, in late March
of 2017, Republicans in the Iowa Legislature lowered the minimum wage back to
$7.25.
So
– Johnson County had a higher minimum for just under a year and a half. What
was the impact?
For
one, other counties took similar action. Polk, Linn, Wapello, and Lee Counties
followed suit. And with their actions, the Republican Legislators took higher
wages away from as many as 85,000 Iowa workers.
As low-wage workers
have more money to spend, consumer demand is creating jobs. Grocery stores,
restaurants, repair shops, clothing stores, etc. all have more customers with more
money. Businesses need to hire in order to meet demand. That means jobs.
(Consumer spending makes up 70% of the US economy.) Other jurisdictions have
seen increases in employment follow increases in the minimum wage; we are
seeing that, too.
Some claimed jobs
would move elsewhere. This did not happen. Unemployment in Johnson County
remains less than 2.5% - one of the lowest numbers in the whole country!
Others claimed that
business owners would cut back on hours. But our economy is lacking consumer
demand. When workers have more income, they spend it at local businesses. Those
businesses will need employees to keep up with demand. So while anything can
happen at any given business, most employers have seen a need to fill more
shifts, not less. This is borne out by federal wage statistics.
Some
claimed prices would go up. We were already paying for low wage jobs – through our
taxes. What’s more, studies do not bear out a huge jump in prices.
You
probably heard the debate over a lower wage for teens. But according to the
Economic Policy Institute, the average age of workers who benefitted from a
higher minimum wage was thirty-five. Eighty-eight per cent were over the age of twenty.
I
have heard concerns expressed for small businesses. But two-thirds of all minimum
wage workers are NOT employed by small businesses. Better yet, one survey shows
three out of five small
business owners favor raising the minimum wage; their profits require more
money in local consumers' hands. Sad to say, 50-80 percent of small businesses
already fail for various reasons,
even with a minimum wage that has not kept up with inflation. (Wage costs are
actually lower now than in the past; in 1968 the federal minimum was $1.60 per
hour, approximately $10.70 in 2013 dollars.) Factors other than labor costs
seem far more significant to business success.
Some
claim we need a single minimum wage for the whole state. Why? We have different
sales tax rates, different property tax rates, different prices for utilities
and insurance… heck, wages ALREADY vary dramatically throughout individual
companies. Why is the minimum wage different?
While
things might be a bit better because we raised the wage, still far too many of
our citizens are in crisis. One out of every six of our kids lives in poverty.
Families double up because they cannot afford the rents in Johnson County.
Families routinely use food banks to get through the week. (19,000 Johnson
County citizens are food insecure.) Cars go unrepaired. Kids go to school with
clothes that do not fit. One small anomaly – an illness, something breaks down,
etc. – and a family’s world comes crashing down. People work 2-3 jobs, yet
still cannot get ahead.
Federal
and state governments refused to address this crisis. So local government stepped
up. Raising the minimum wage has been a good thing for the people of Johnson
County. Why did the Republicans in the State Legislature take that away?
Whenever
possible, I like to make decisions based upon data. The data here is clear – raising
the minimum wage was good for our local economy.
*Bike Month
Every year, I would dutifully list the Bike to Work Week events in
Salvos. I cannot do that any more; Bike to Work Week is now Bike to Work Month,
and the events are far too numerous to list. From friends at thinkbicycles.org:
There
is too much going on in May, National Bike Month, in Johnson County to do it in
a week. The University of Iowa's spring term is over mid month, Bike to School
Days and Bike Rodeos are outside of BTWW, too, and while BTWW events will
continue, we plan to have events all month long with your help.
We
are patterning our event planning after Pedalpalooza/Portland. You can view its
website here: http://www.shift2bikes.org
It's
simple, think of an idea for a Bike Month event or program, the Pedalpalooza
site is great for stimulating your thoughts! The link below takes you to the
BikeIowa website, log in, enter your event, be sure to tag it to Johnson
County. It will show up on our RSS feed here on this page, as well as across
the globe.
As
for Johnson County, our events in May:
*May
5 - Fix-A-Flat. 12 to 1 p.m. Admin Patio (rain location = Admin Bldg Betty Sass
Room)
*May
16 - Commuter Breakfast 7 to 9 a.m. Admin Patio (rain location – HHS ramp)
*May
23 - How to Bus and Bike (we’ll have a city bus here for people to practice
putting their bikes on and off the bus front-end rack)! 11:30 to approx 1 p.m.
Admin Parking Lot.
*Plus
internal One Less Car competition week of May 14.
*DID YOU KNOW?
The League of American
Bicyclists recently recognized the Johnson County Downtown Campus with a
Gold-level Bicycle Friendly Business award. The local government campus was the
only entity in Iowa to earn a Bicycle Friendly Business (BFBSM) designation in
this round of awards. A total of 30 Iowa businesses have now earned BFB
designations, which can range from bronze to platinum.
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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