rodsullivan.org
SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
June 29, 2017
Sullivan’s
Salvos 7/4/17
In this edition:
*Happy Independence Day!
*Downtown Block Party
*Bad Board Policy
*Wallace on Inequality
*Trumpcare
*Mosquito Surveillance Program
*Did You Know?
*Happy Independence Day!
Happy
Birthday to the USA! 241 years old! 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.
*Downtown Block Party
Iowa
City held its’ first-ever Downtown Block Party on June 24th, and I
have to say, it was a rousing success! This has previously always been viewed
as something that could not be done in Iowa City. And the majority of the crowd
knew it! Just as the event ended at 11 PM, a glass bottle broke on the street
near us. As a friend of mine jokingly put it, “This is why we can’t have nice
things.” In fact, I think Iowa City proved it CAN have nice things!
Congratulations
to Nancy Bird and everyone who put the event together. It was wonderful, and I
hope it continues!
*Bad Board Policy
I recently learned of the Iowa City Community
School District (ICCSD) Board policy that says members "shall not publicly
make or express individual negative judgments about superintendent or staff
performance."
I understand quite
well the perils faced by public employees. Their bosses go on TV every week or
two, and just might throw them under the bus. Unfortunately, I have seen it
happen at Johnson County, and it is very uncool. I have always believed that if
Elected Officials feel employees deserve a tongue lashing, it should be done
privately.
This is particularly
true of rank and file employees. Frankly, they aren’t paid enough for that
crap! The more responsibility (and pay) an employee has, the more likely she/he
is to be questioned in public. And that is how it should be.
And remember, this
IS public business! There may be instances where Elected Officials NEED to
question an employee in the public interest. No policy should prevent that.
I think the piece
that really shocked me was the tone the Superintendent used toward the Board
when he wrote, "This behavior cannot be allowed to continue without some
type of warning that it must not occur again and that if it does so appropriate
consequences will be imposed."
That took guts! It
also demonstrates that staff people can get confused, and begin to think that
the Board works for them rather than the other way around. This attitude
strikes me as extremely problematic. It should be addressed immediately – and
privately!
I was honestly amazed
to see that such a policy exists. I do not understand why anyone would ever
agree to such a policy. What’s more, it is a clear violation of the First
Amendment.
ICCSD
Board Members – you have a very bad and unnecessary policy here. Please do away
with it!
*Wallace on Inequality
I
have long been a fan of Henry Agard Wallace, the Iowan who served as FDR’s Vice
President and Secretary of Agriculture. Wallace was a great thinker – a man of
ideas. So I was not surprised to find that some of the earliest thoughts on
income inequality in the US are attributed to Wallace.
In 1936, Wallace wrote, “Liberty is impossible if 36,000 families
at the top of the economic pyramid have as much income as 12 million families
at the bottom.”
I
agree. And I regret to inform you that the numbers have grown much worse. With
a combined worth of $2.34 trillion, the Forbes 400 own more wealth than the
bottom 61 percent of the country combined, a staggering 194 million people.
36,000 to 12,000,000 is a 1:333 ratio. That worried Wallace. 400
to 194,000,000 is a ratio of 1:485,000. It is getting worse, folks. Much worse.
*Trumpcare
What do I think is
going to happen in the great healthcare debate? I think Mitch McConnell is going
to get his 50 votes, and the GOP will pass the bill. The top 1% gets a trillion
dollar tax cut, and 22 million Americans lose health coverage.
Why am I so certain?
When was the last time the GOP in Congress did anything to help anyone BUT the
1%? They don’t give a damn. They just need to make it look like they give a
damn.
I’m betting it
passes. Iowa’s Senators are DEFINITE yes votes. I sincerely hope I’m wrong, but
I am not optimistic!
*Mosquito Surveillance Program
This
summer Johnson County Public Health will collecting mosquitoes to conduct surveillance
for mosquito-borne diseases across Johnson County. In cooperation with the Iowa
Department of Public Health, Iowa State University and the State Hygienic
Laboratory, Johnson County Public Health will utilize traps to collect mosquitoes
for further analysis.
The
traps are located across Johnson County in areas of likely mosquito habitat.
Each week the mosquitoes will be collected by Johnson County Environmental
Health staff and sent to Iowa State University for species identification.
After identification occurs, samples will be sent to the State Hygienic
Laboratory to test for the presence of Zika Virus and West Nile Virus.
The
Zika Virus is an emerging public health threat, and increased surveillance is
key to prevention and management. Zika can cause birth defects if contracted by
pregnant women. It is generally found in tropical climates; however, it was
first seen in the United States in 2015 by infected travelers returning home.
It is unlikely to see the species of mosquito that carried the Zika virus in
Johnson County, however, this type of surveillance helps public health
officials know exactly when that could change.
While
it is not expected that Zika will be identified in Iowa this year, active
surveillance and testing will help determine if the mosquito species that
carries the virus does reach Johnson County. The monitoring program serves as
an early warning system and provides data for state and nationwide surveillance
efforts.
*DID YOU KNOW?
New research
from economists Annette Alstadsaeter, Niels Johannesen, and Gabriel Zucman —
just published as Tax Evasion and Inequality — neatly debunks the canard that
the super rich cheat on their taxes no more frequently than the population as a
whole. Households in the highest net-worth bracket, the three economists show,
are evading taxes at a rate roughly 10 times higher than households overall.
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 23, 2017
Sullivan’s
Salvos 6/27/17
In this edition:
*Poor Farm Housing
*Did You Know?
*Poor Farm Housing
As you may know,
Johnson County is putting together a plan for the future of the County Poor
Farm. While there are several areas of agreement, there are also several things
upon which we disagree. The most critical of these issues is the need for
housing as a component.
On Friday, June 23,
the Board voted 3-2 to move forward with a Poor Farm planning process that
includes some housing as a part of the mix. Supervisors Friese, Carberry, and
Sullivan voted yes; Supervisors Green Douglass and Rettig voted no.
You are going to
hear a bunch of hyperbole around this. One Supervisor has falsely said that we
“want to develop the whole Poor Farm,” and “sell the whole Poor Farm,” and “pave
the whole Poor Farm,” among all sorts of other indiscretions. Please allow me
to be very clear about what we want to do.
I happen to believe
housing at the Poor Farm is absolutely critical. In fact, I would argue that a
housing component is SO critical that no plan is worthwhile without it. Here
are but a few of the reasons for my thinking:
Affordable
housing is the number one need in Johnson County, period. We have a rare
opportunity here. We have a valuable resource – land in Iowa City – that
matches the single biggest need in our community. We should not squander this
opportunity.
Yes, we could build
affordable housing elsewhere in the county. But while we have a mechanism to
buy land (the Conservation Bond) and conserve it as prairie, we have no comparable
mechanism for buying land for housing. We already own this land. This is our
one shot.
Think about that for
a moment. Imagine we want both 10 acres of prairie and 10 acres of affordable
housing. Which is easier to create in the county? Almost any cornfield could be
converted to prairie, as could most pastures, etc. But our own zoning laws
(which I support) would prohibit turning that same 10 acres into affordable
housing.
The cost isn’t even
close. 10 acres of farmland in an Ag area could be purchased for between $5,000
and $15,000 per acre. That is the cost to buy land and set it aside as prairie.
There are literally hundreds of parcels where this could occur. To buy 10 acres
zoned appropriately for affordable housing, on the other hand, might run five,
ten, or twenty times as much. Don’t taxpayers expect us to use our resources –
both land and tax dollars – more wisely than that?
What’s more,
affordable housing in the unincorporated areas is a recipe for disaster. Just
look at the history of rural mobile home parks. For affordable housing to be
successful, it requires city services, such as sewer, water, schools, and
transit. Any attempt at affordable housing in the rural areas would lack those
amenities; being in Iowa City proper, any affordable housing at the Poor Farm
would have all of them.
The attempt to
incorporate housing into the Poor Farm has been criticized as, “urban sprawl.”
This is a stretch, since it is already in city limits, contiguous to literally
hundreds of existing homes.
Plus,
the Board advocates setting aside dozens of acres as prairie. So it is not as
though prairie would be absent here. It simply wouldn’t be the sole use.
As a matter of fact,
the proposed plan also sets aside dozens of acres for farmland, and dozens of
acres of open public space. Housing would occupy only a tiny fraction of the
available land; perhaps 10-20 acres out of 150 or more.
I am just scratching
the surface here. There are many more reasons to include housing as a part of
the Poor Farm Plan.
Another big reason
is that the Board of Supervisors has expressed a commitment to Local Foods. I
have taken the time to speak to the folks who grow food locally. They have told
me what is needed. Small farmers want and need housing. Just ask them. I am not
making this up. I am not substituting my judgment for the judgment of the
people who do this every day. I have spent the past decade talking to small
producers and people who want to enter farming. While it is not easy, they can
find a couple of acres of land to lease. The difficulty is that they cannot
find places where they can both live affordably and farm. Living in Iowa City
and farming a couple acres near Lone Tree or Swisher is simply not effective. I
am not making this up – one simply needs to talk to the local foods community.
They will tell you they want this. You just have to listen.
In the plan we
approved, several beginning farmers could buy or lease an affordable home at
the Poor Farm, then lease adjacent farmland from the County. If they quit
farming, the lease would be broken, and the land could be rented to someone
else. Same thing if they moved out of the home. It would become a farm
incubator. Proximity might allow the sharing of some sheds, tractors, tools,
etc., not to mention the benefits of community and the sharing of ideas.
And we have
witnessed it being done successfully. Most Supervisors traveled to Madison,
Wisconsin to visit Troy Gardens. Troy Gardens has real world experience, and
will reinforce my arguments.
Again, we could
allow the Poor Farm to become prairie, then try to implement this idea
somewhere else out in the County. But why in the world would we choose to take
a route that is so much more costly and so much less effective? (Remember –
contrary to the way one Supervisor presents it, the vast majority of the Poor
Farm is NOT currently open green space. It is 120 acres of GMO corn!)
Then there is the
idea that people need to be able to visit a working farm. I agree, and that is
why I have been so excited to support Grow Johnson County and other farming
efforts at the Poor Farm. I am positive access to farms and farmers will be a
big part of this plan.
Does that mean
people need cornfields in which to walk? Well, Iowa has over 32 million acres
of land dedicated to the production of commodity crops- 90% of the total land
mass of the state. Johnson County is not much different. We have 297,209 acres
of ag land. Of that, 246,987 – 83% - is row cropped. So if you want to see a
cornfield in Johnson County, you can. We do not lack those. What we DO lack is
affordable housing and available land for local food production.
Let’s move on and
talk about history. I have often said that we tend to focus on the “farm” part
of the Poor Farm and ignore the “poor” part. Go back in time to the era in
which the Poor Farm was created. A settler could simply ride up to a piece of
ground, set up camp, and claim the land as his own. File a couple documents,
and the land was his. That is how pretty much all our farms started. It was not
particularly noteworthy to start a farm. Thousands of people did it.
So
what made the Poor Farm different? It is the “poor” piece. Counties date back
several hundred years, coming to the US from Great Britain. From the very
beginning, counties were charged with caring for those who could not care for
themselves. The way that settlers in the 1800s chose to provide this care was
through a system of Poor Farms. They recognized, even back then, that counties
had an obligation to help house those in need.
It
wasn’t the “farm” piece that was special. Again, you could set up a farm almost
anywhere. It was the “poor” piece that was special. Counties had an obligation
to help house those in need.
You
know what? That obligation has not gone away. Counties still have a duty to
assist the poorest among us. Turning the Poor Farm solely into a park, while
nice, would be a betrayal of the County’s historic mission to provide for those
in need. Housing for the poor is why this land was purchased in the early
1800s. We owe it to our forefathers to continue to house low-income people
there today.
I
could go on, but I think you get the idea. We have a historic opportunity, and
we need to think big. I feel the plan that includes housing, small farms, and
parkland is the best way to accomplish this.
*DID YOU KNOW? From
the Johnson County Historical Society: In 1855, the Johnson County supervisors
decided to procure 160 acres on the edge of Iowa City for a “poor farm” to
provide systematic care with economy.
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 15, 2017
Sullivan’s
Salvos 6/20/17
In this edition:
*Trumpgate?
*Distractions
*Facts
*Juneteenth
*Did You Know?
*Trumpgate?
The
Watergate Scandal added an interesting twist to the English language. Now every
scandal is given the suffix “-gate”. I went ahead and applied it above!
It
has been quite some time since I have written on National politics. In the
meantime, we have serious questions over Russian involvement in US elections.
This would seem to be a pretty significant concern.
But
that was before the Republican Party decided to change everything.
What
do I mean by that? I mean there is now one single rule by which the GOP
operates, and that is GOP politics is the only thing that matters. Facts do not
matter. Laws do not matter. Lives do not matter. The only thing that matters is
GOP politics.
President
Trump said during the campaign that he could shoot someone on 5th
Avenue and not lose any votes. Amongst Republican leaders, that is 100% true.
Look
at the way Trump personally insulted the families of Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio,
yet they stand by his side. There is truly NOTHING Trump can do that crosses a
line for these Republicans. He could literally shoot someone on 5th
Avenue, and they would initiate the process of defaming the person he shot.
Obviously,
not every Republican feels this way. Many are concerned over the current state
of events. But until their leaders are willing to vote against Trump and his
enablers (Including Iowa’s US Senators), nothing will change.
*Distractions
Are
these Russia investigations important? I believe they are. But they can also
serve as a huge distraction from issues that could have MONUMENTAL impacts on
American citizens.
Look
no farther than the US Senate, where Republican Senators are quietly drafting a
bill designed to cut healthcare for poor Americans while giving tax breaks to
the wealthiest.
It
may be exciting to watch testimony, or to check out the Presidents’ daily
buffoonery, but we need to stay diligent on many other important issues.
*Facts
In
all seriousness, I have never been more concerned for our country. The reason?
We can no longer agree on the facts.
Climate
change is a fact. But we destroy the messenger. John Kerry was a war hero. But
he gets “swiftboated”. Those recent incidents set the stage for our current
politics, in which facts simply do not matter.
The
President bears much of the blame for this. The media are liars. The judiciary
is a bunch of liars. Scientists are all liars. The CBO is full of liars. Only
the President has the facts.
In
the good old days, this would be easily solved. The American people would see
how dangerous this is for our Democracy. They would simply look at the facts.
But
now we have no facts. Because the media, the judiciary, the CBO, and scientists
are all liars.
Where
do we go from here? I honestly do not know. Democrats can provide opposition,
but there aren’t enough of us. Independents and Republicans are going to need
to stand up. I hope they do so before it is too late!
*Juneteenth
The
Johnson County Juneteenth Community Committee is hosting a day of family fun
from noon-6 pm on Saturday, June 24, at Mercer Park in Iowa City. Juneteenth
commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. The free event will
include free food (while supplies last), live music, and games and activities
for the whole family.
This
year’s theme is “U & I in commUNITY,” said event coordinator LaTasha
DeLoach. “This is such a great opportunity to bring people together to not only
focus on unity, but also remember the past that divided us. This event is for
everyone who cares about freedom,” she said.
The
event will kick off with a panel discussion from 10 am to noon: “Essentials for
Success: Passion and Direction,” featuring alumni and the head track and field
coach from Wartburg College who will share their personal stories and tips on
how to be successful in school, work, athletics, and life. The interactive
discussion is intended to get youth motivated and thinking about their futures.
The
awards presentation for the Iowa City Human Rights Commission’s Youth Essay
& Art Contest will take place at approximately 12:15 pm. Afternoon
activities for children include body painting, double dutch, and hopscotch.
Live entertainment will be provided by The Dream Center Performance Art Academy,
a spoken word performance by Micah Ariel James, gospel trio Charism, the Funk
Daddies and DJ Risquisimo. There will be historical displays and a presentation
from the African American Museum of Iowa, as well as an indoor health and
information fair and local vendors selling art, clothing, books and more. Learn
more about the Juneteenth event at http://icjuneteenth.wordpress.com.
In
its second year, the Juneteenth Trailblazer Awards event will take place on
Friday, June 23, at the Radisson Hotel and Conference Center in Coralville from
7 to 10 pm. Doors open at 6:30 pm. Trailblazer Awards honor Emerging Activists,
Outstanding Leaders and Transformative Icons in the area of civil rights
activism. Advance tickets can be purchased at Eventbrite.com (IC Juneteenth
Trailblazers Award). http://bit.ly/2qBnSAi
The
Trailblazer Awards will honor local individuals Kendra Malone with the
Outstanding Leader Award, and Monique Green with the Emerging Activist Award.
The Transformative Icon Award will honor the Center for Worker Justice.
Marian
L. Coleman, who served nearly 40 years as an educator and administrator in the
Iowa City Community School District, will be the keynote speaker for the event.
Coleman is well known as a leader and a strong advocate for education, civil
rights and community service.
Juneteenth
event sponsors include the City of Iowa City, the Johnson County Community
Partnership for Protecting Children, Johnson County Social Services, Waterfront
Hy-Vee, Veridian Credit Union, the Iowa City Parks & Recreation Department,
Johnson County Democrats, Hills Bank and Trust Company, Scheels, RAYGUN,
Prairie Lights Bookstore, and Forbidden Planet. Trailblazer Awards sponsors
include Hills Bank and Trust Company, the University of Iowa Chief Diversity
Office, and the Radisson Hotel and Conference Center.
*DID YOU KNOW?
69 Nixon Administration officials were indicted as a part of Watergate,
with 48 being found guilty, including the US Attorney General and White House
Chief of Staff.
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 8, 2017
Sullivan’s
Salvos 6/13/17
In this edition:
*Father’s Day
*Iowa City Pride
*Quality of Life
*Urban Wildlife
*Kmart Closing
*Dad’s Phone Number
*Did You Know?
*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.
*Iowa City Pride
Come celebrate community,
individuality, and PRIDE at Iowa City's Pride 2017! The Parade is Saturday, June 17 and starts at noon at College Green Park.
The Festival is also June 17, from 12 PM - 5:30 PM in the Pedestrian Mall. The Festival features vendors
and information booths from all over the area.
Festivities continue this year along
Linn Street with food vendors, a dunk tank, and the party space of Studio 13!
And new this year: be sure to check out
our dedicated community spaces for queer people of color, transgender &
nonbinary folks, and LGBTQ Elders. More information will be coming about these,
too!
*Quality of Life
On Wednesday, June 7, the Johnson County
Board of Supervisors hosted the event “Enhancing Quality of Life in Johnson
County: A Celebration of Community Partners,” at the Johnson County Health and Human
Services Building. The event was an opportunity for the Johnson County Board of
Supervisors to recognize and thank community organizations that receive county
funds.
For fiscal year 2018, the Johnson
County Board of Supervisors allocated more than $2.25 million through various
grant and fund allocation processes to more than three dozen community
partners, including social services organizations, libraries, and economic
development groups. The Board directed additional funds to address food
insecurity and, for the second year, the Board also committed $600,000 to
address critical affordable housing needs.
Unlike many grant
programs, county funding can be used by organizations for critical operating
expenses, helping build financial stability. In addition, county funds can be
used to leverage additional money from federal, state or private resources.
*Urban Wildlife
It
has become a bit of a joke between myself and Brad Freidhof of Johnson County
Conservation, but I have a lot of wildlife at my house! (Brad suggests a
Conservation Easement!) You might think that is no big deal, but I live right
in the middle of Iowa City!
Of course we have the ubiquitous urban wildlife: squirrels,
rabbits, chipmunks, raccoons, sparrows, and mourning doves. We also have had
several visits from animals that are a bit more rare in the urban areas: deer,
opossums, moles, cardinals, blue jays, hawks, barred owls, and honey bees.
But what have really struck me are our visits from mink. I grew up
in the country, and spent many, many hours in the woods and in the creek.
Despite that experience, other than those caught by trappers, I had never seen
a mink in the wild. Until they began showing up in my yard!
A couple things about all this urban wildlife: First, these are
wild animals. Leave them alone and keep your distance. Secondly, while it is
cool to see them in town, it could well mean that their previous habitat has
been disturbed. We must protect it! Finally, this serves as a great reminder
that nature is all around us!
*Kmart Closing
I
was extremely disappointed to hear that the Iowa City Kmart is closing. I
sincerely hope the Iowa City Council can find a similar business to take its’
place.
That
area of town desperately needs a department store. It is critically important
to the economy and quality of life for the SE side of Iowa City. Yes, we are
moving to an Amazon economy. But I still believe that if people have to drive 5
miles or more to buy the type of basics Kmart offered, they may simply choose
to live somewhere else.
Selfishly, I will miss this Kmart for several reasons. It is the
closest place to my house to buy many items. What’s more, I have been going to
that Kmart since I was a young child. It is just one of those things I take for
granted. Or it was.
*Dad’s Phone Number
I
had a really interesting thing happen the other day, and it has been on my mind
ever since. I want to see if others have had similar experiences.
I
was at a Building Trades meeting, and the gentleman from the Laborer’s Union
handed me his business card. I glanced at the card, saw his phone number, and
was overcome by a flood of emotions.
You see, my father had worked for Laborer’s Local 43 in Cedar
Rapids for over 30 years. As it turns out, they still have the same phone
number. The number I called when I was 4 and just wanted to talk to my Dad. The
number I called when I was 16 and wanted to borrow the car. The number I called
when I was 23 and wanted to talk about the Hawkeyes. The number I called until
almost the day he died when I was 31.
I
was shocked, frankly, by the emotions that came back from simply seeing that
phone number. Obviously, it is still on my mind. Anyone else out there ever
experience anything similar?
*DID YOU KNOW?
Laborer’s Local 43 has just under 500 dues paying members in Eastern
Iowa.
Anyone
interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the
County website-
"Sullivan’s
Salvos" is sent once per week to any interested party. It will give a
brief update on issues of interest to Johnson County residents.
These messages
come solely from Rod Sullivan, and neither represents the viewpoints of the
whole Board of Supervisors nor those of groups or individuals otherwise
mentioned.
If you do NOT
want the weekly E-mail, simply reply to this message, and type
"unsubscribe" in the subject line.
If you know
anyone else who might be interested, just forward this message. They can E-mail
me at rodsullivan@mchsi.com with "subscribe" in the subject line.
As always,
feel free to contact me at 354-7199 or rodsullivan@mchsi.com. I look forward to
serving you!
---Rod
June 1, 2017
Sullivan’s
Salvos 6/6/17
In this edition:
*Bridge Over I-80
*The Politics of Bridge Building
*City Growth in Johnson County
*Haiku
*Did You Know?
*Bridge
Over I-80
Johnson
County got some bad news last week, as we were informed that the Iowa
Department of Transportation (IDOT) plans to eliminate the Lower West Branch
Road bridge over I-80.
A
bit of background: I-80 was built over the course of a decade, with the Johnson
County sections among the last to open in 1963. The intersections we had then
are the same ones we have now, including the Herbert Hoover Highway (HHH) exit
and the West Branch exit. (The West Branch exit is technically in Cedar County,
just half a mile or so over the county line.)
Building
I-80 caused dozens of county roads to become dead ends. This was an
inconvenience for neighbors, obviously, but probably a fair trade for the overall
convenience of I-80. Still, some local roads needed to cross the Interstate.
Emergency vehicles need to be able to reach residents without lengthy detours.
Farmers need to get to town. You simply couldn’t close every local road.
So between those two exits (HHH and West Branch), the IDOT built
bridges to allow Wapsi Avenue and Lower West Branch Road to cross I-80. These
would be the roads that locals could use to get north and south.
And they have worked! For 54 years! HHH to Wapsi is about a mile
and a half. Wapsi to Lower West Branch Road is about 2.5 miles. Lower West
Branch to West Branch is another 1.5 miles. This arrangement has served the
people of Johnson County well.
Well,
now IDOT says they are closing the Lower West Branch Road bridge. The existing
bridge is not long enough to allow the Interstate to expand to six lanes
through Johnson County. And building a longer bridge is money the state does
not want to spend.
I
think this is disingenuous on the part of the IDOT. First of all, THEY are the
group that put that bridge there in the first place! Why was it needed in 1963,
when our population was 53,000 residents, and not in 2017, when the population
is 153,000?
Secondly,
the IDOT is widening the Interstate because of the population growth! Doesn’t
it make sense that these additional people will not require LESS ways to cross
I-80?
I
am frustrated by this process, as are all my colleagues. We will do our best to
fight to keep the bridge. But let’s be honest – state government has no love of
Johnson County. If they can stick a thumb in our eye, they will do it. Even if
it puts the health, safety, and welfare of rural residents at risk.
*The Politics of Bridge Building
I
find that there are often disconnects between reality and the political
narratives we choose to embrace. The issue of rural bridges is a good example
of this disconnect.
First,
a bit of background: every Iowa county has hundreds of miles of gravel roads.
In addition, many of these roads have multiple bridges. Some are concrete, some
are steel, and some are timber, but they all serve the same purpose. We replace
a few of these bridges every year, and I can tell you the cost is pretty much
always between $300-$600,000, depending upon the length.
These
bridges are lifelines for the people who live in the area. This is how farmers
get to their fields. This is how farmers get to town. The rural economy
functions best when these bridges are well maintained.
In
addition, there is a public safety factor. Fire trucks, ambulances, and
Sheriff’s vehicles need to be able to access the residents of the area via a
quick and direct route.
On
the other hand, the cost of these bridges adds up. Say we set aside $1.5
million for these bridges each year. That is the same cost as one brand new
mile of paved road, or the rehabilitation of 3 miles of paved road.
Some of our paved roads see thousands of cars every day. Often
these gravel roads have traffic counts as low as 25 cars per day. Needless to
say, many people feel it is foolish to invest so much money in these bridges
when the total traffic counts are so low.
I understand both sides of the argument. But time after time, I
have come down on the side of the farmer. I have served as a Supervisor for 12
years. In that time, Johnson County has never permanently closed a bridge. I am
extremely proud of that fact!
But
you won’t find a bunch of farmers singing my praises. In fact, you’ll find the
exact opposite; farmers talking about how much they hate my work as a
Supervisor.
Here
is where the disconnect comes in. Washington County – with more farms than
Johnson County – has closed several of these bridges. The Washington County
Board is made up 100% of conservative Republicans. But they have been closing
bridges.
Cedar
County is the same way. The Cedar County Board is made up of 100% conservative
Republicans, including the Chair of the Iowa Republican Party. But they have
been closing bridges.
The
same disconnect exists in the case of the I-80 bridge described in the article
above. The Branstad Administration runs the IDOT. They are all Republicans in
charge. They could choose to serve our farmers and keep the Lower West Branch
Road bridge. But instead, they are closing it.
Like
many areas of our politics today, the politics of bridge building are not what
you might guess.
*City Growth in Johnson County
The
U.S. Census Bureau has released 2016 population estimates, and Johnson County
cities continue to boom. Tiffin saw a 54.4 percent population increase to 3,006
– the fastest growth in Iowa. North Liberty was the state's fifth
fastest-growing city, growing 38 percent to 18,520.
Iowa
City grew at 9.5 percent to 74,398 people. Coralville grew by 7.9 percent to 20,397.
Solon grew 24.5 percent to 2,587; Hills 15% to 808, Shueyville 14% to 646, Lone
Tree 7% to 1388, Swisher 5% to 924, and University Heights 3.6 % to 1,089.
The
State Library of Iowa said that 243 Iowa cities grew, 652 shrank, and 49 cities
stayed the same.
*Haiku
Yes! Summer is
here!
Baseball and
green plants.
Life is truly
good.
*DID YOU KNOW? Iowa
leads the nation in most bridges in poor shape, according to a new report. The report from
the American Road & Transportation Builders Association says “of the 24,184
bridges in Iowa, 4,968, or 21%, are classified as structurally deficient”.
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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