SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
July 13, 2017
Sullivan’s
Salvos 7/18/17
In this edition:
*No Salvos Next week!
*Foster Care Follow Up
*Johnson County Fair
*Wealth Transfer
*Did You Know?
*No Salvos Next Week!
No
Salvos next week, as I will be attending the National Association of Counties
Convention in Columbus, Ohio. I hope to come back with some good ideas for the
people of Johnson County!
Expect
your next issue, dated August 1, to show up in your inbox around July 28.
*Foster Care Follow Up
I
wrote last week about the many problems with Iowa’s foster care system, and how
staffing cuts are the root of all these problems. This prompted a response from
Ro Foege, former Democratic State Legislator from Mount Vernon.
For
those who do not know, Ro was a wonderful Legislator who had a long career as a
social worker and educator. He was THE go-to person in the Legislature on any
human services-related issue. I have known Ro since I was a kid, and he was an
idol and a mentor for me.
Last week I
mentioned foster kids transitioning to adults. In fact, Ro Foege wrote that
bill. It became known as PALS—Preparing for Adult Living Skills. As a kid, Ro
actually spent time in an informal foster home and considered foster family
care services as one of the motivating factors in his becoming a Social Worker.
Ro noted that it was an era of bipartisan cooperation, and Dave Heaton provided
the Republican support needed for passage.
Ro
even included photos of the bill signing with Gov. Vilsack, June 2, 2006! Ro
went on to say, “This is one of those accomplishments that made campaigning and
fund-raising and walking in parades worth while. Thanks for accurately describing
the current state of sad affairs of the Iowa Child Welfare system.”
Thanks,
Ro – for everything!
*Johnson County Fair
The
Johnson County Fair runs from Monday, July 24 through Thursday, July 28. This
is a great opportunity for the whole family to take a step back toward our
agricultural roots!
I
love the way the Johnson County Ag Association manages the County Fair. I am
particularly fond of the fact that there is never an entry fee, and parking is
free. In many counties, you would pay $10 to park and $5/head admission, if not
more. That is $30 minimum for a family of four before you have even done
anything!
The
Board of Supervisors started a “tradition” four years ago of holding our weekly
Thursday meeting on the main stage at the Fair. While we have yet to draw a big
crowd, it has been a fun change of pace.
Yes, it is typically hot out there. But that is why they sell ice
cream! So, please stop out and enjoy the Fair. You’ll be glad you did!
For the full daily lineup of events, see: http://www.johnsoncofair.com/entertainment.html
*Wealth Transfer
I
wrote the piece below in March of 2010. It is still quite valid today.
There
is a change coming to rural parts of the US, including the rural portions of
Johnson County. This is a quiet, slow-moving, and devastating change. No, it is
not disease, insects, or some other plague. It is wealth transfer.
Most
folks do not realize it, but the US is undergoing the most massive transfer of
wealth in the history of the planet. There are lots of people in their 80s and
older, and many of them are nearing the end of life. As they age, their assets
are being passed down to the next generation. On the farm, this becomes a huge
problem.
For the most part,
the folks inheriting the wealth are not farmers, and they do not live in the
small communities where the farm sits. Why does that matter?
Let’s use a
hypothetical Lone Tree couple as an example. While this is all made up, the
example should ring true. You have an 85-year-old couple who farmed 300 acres
outside of Lone Tree their whole lives. They have two adult children – a son in
Des Moines and a daughter in Chicago. Five adult grandkids are spread around
the US.
The
Dad coached little league, spent ten years on the Board of the local bank,
served twenty years as a Fremont Township Trustee, and is a member of the Lone
Tree American Legion. The Mom was a Cub Scout Den Mother, a 4H leader, a Deacon
in the Presbyterian Church, and a regular volunteer with Lone Tree Schools.
The couple was
active in church activities, and even in older age could be counted on to
support every school fundraiser. Every time the Lone Tree Volunteer Fire
Department held a pancake breakfast or chili supper, they slipped an extra $20
into the donation box.
After
long, full, wonderful lives, they pass away. The children in Des Moines and
Chicago are in the final ten years of their own careers; they cannot drop
everything to return to Fremont Township to farm. The 5 grandkids do not know
anything about farming, and the idea of living in rural Iowa scares them.
So,
the son in Des Moines decides to sell his half. The daughter in Chicago just
cannot bear to sell the family farm, so she decides to hire a farm manager and
rent out her half.
But
who gets what? Mom & Dad never really spelled it out. About half of the
ground is prime farmland, a quarter was hay and pasture, and a quarter included
the house, barns, and some woods. The daughter wants to keep the house, but
also wants the good land, because the rest is much tougher to rent. The son
wants to sell the good farmland, because it will bring a better price. They end
up chunking the family farm into three sections, two of which are sold and one
that is rented.
The son gets
$600,000 cash after the sale. He pays off his house in Des Moines, buys a new
car in Urbandale, and gives $20,000 to each of his three kids. Even after all
that, he has plenty to put in his Des Moines-based bank.
The daughter gets
$100,000 cash, and begins renting the land. A local farmer pays cash rent to
her. All the money is deposited in her Chicago-based bank.
Can you see what
happened? The land is still in Fremont Township, but the money is all gone.
Money now flows from Fremont Township to Chicago. The monetary capital has been
transferred.
Perhaps even more
importantly, the Legion lost a member; the bank and restaurant lost customers;
the fire department lost donors; and the school, nursing home, and church lost
volunteers. The human capital is gone.
I used a fictional
couple and Lone Tree as examples, but this scenario is playing out all over the
Midwest. Unfortunately, the story is often sad, and there are no good
solutions.
What can we take
away from this? I hope that younger locals will recognize how much this couple
has contributed to the community, and do their best to pick up the slack.
Meanwhile, if you have ideas, please share them. I think we need good
suggestions in order to avert a real crisis.
*DID YOU KNOW?
Over 70,000 people annually visit the Johnson County Fair.
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
posted by Rod Sullivan @ 8:17 PM
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