rodsullivan.org
SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
October 26, 2017
Sullivan’s
Salvos 10/31/17
In this edition:
*Recert Elections
*Commercial Property Tax Backfill
*The Local Agenda
*Senator Corker and “Courage”
*Trust in Trump?
*Solar Award
*Did You Know?
*Recert Elections
Republicans
in the Iowa Legislature tried to kill organized labor last session. Instead,
they awoke a sleeping giant!
New
laws required all public sector bargaining units to hold recertification
elections. In this
round of voting, 28,448 people voted to maintain their union affiliations, 624 people
voted against it and 137 ballots were voided. That is a 98% approval rate!
Keep
up the great work, my sisters and brothers!
*Commercial Property Tax Backfill
I
was recently at a City Council Candidate forum hosted by the Iowa City Area
Chamber of Commerce. One of the Chamber’s questions asked candidates how they
would deal with the Iowa Legislature’s expressed interest in eliminating the
Commercial Property Tax Backfill.
You
mean the Commercial Property Tax cut that went primarily to out of state
businesses? You mean the Commercial Property Tax cut that took millions from
local governments? You mean the Commercial Property Tax cut that dramatically
shifted the cost of government to homeowners? You mean the Commercial Property
Tax cut that you said would reduce rents, yet exactly the opposite has
occurred?
More
importantly, you mean the Commercial Property Tax cut that you FORCEFULLY
ADVOCATED FOR, over the objection of Iowa City, Coralville, North Liberty, and
Johnson County? The Commercial Property Tax cut that, while you were gloating
over its’ passage, you called, “too modest”?
Is
irony dead? Have you really forgotten your stance that quickly? I know the former
Chamber President remembers, because I let her know in no uncertain terms how
truly horrible this legislation was (is). You do not get to walk away from
this. You need to own it. Please excuse me while I vomit.
*The Local Agenda
I
am very pleased that local governments are discussing important topics. But it
was not that long ago that these topics were off limits.
In
2010, we had some brief conversations about mental illness, homelessness, and
how we address people in need. The Council then decided that the important
thing was getting “those people” out of downtown. Now, 7 years later, everyone
is in favor of a behavioral health/sobering/detox facility.
In
2010, Iowa City could not afford to take steps toward sustainability. The
Council then saw any requirements as untenable “burdens” on developers. Now, 7
years later, every Iowa City project is built with an eye to sustainability.
In 2014, before the
Core Four began running for office, we had some brief conversations about
minimum wage. Cities refused to even discuss it. Now, 3 years later, everyone
is disappointed the minimum wage was lowered by the Governor and Republicans in
the Legislature.
In
2014, before the Core Four began running for office, there was lip service paid
to affordable housing. Now, 3 years later, over a million dollars is flowing
into affordable housing projects.
In
2014, we were happy to spend tax dollars helping rich people, but loathe to
spend money on poor people. Now, 3 years later, we are questioning both sides of
this equation.
My personal favorite – the Iowa City Council used to refuse to
meet with the Board of Supervisors. Now we meet jointly a couple times per year
in very productive fashion.
Don’t
get me wrong – I am REALLY happy with these changes! The Iowa City Council has
made some great strides! Those of us who have been pushing on these and other
issues have many reasons to be pleased.
My point is just ask yourself: how did these changes happen? I’ll
give you a hint: elections matter!
*Senator Corker and “Courage”
I
am frustrated to hear media outlets talk about the “courage” demonstrated by
Tennessee Senator Bob Corker as he trades barbs with President Trump.
That
is NOT courage! Corker, who has already announced his retirement, has nothing
to lose. Courage requires some assumption of risk. That is not the case here.
This is why we need term limits at the Federal level. Imagine if 12
or so Senators were ALWAYS on the verge of retiring! We could have the most
courageous Congress ever!
I suggest that we limit it to two 6-year terms in the US Senate,
and three 4-year terms in the US House. (Switching from 2 to 4 year terms would
lessen the constant campaigning that goes on in the House.) In theory, the same
person might be able to serve 24 years, max.
Needless to say, I don’t expect this to happen anytime soon. Why?
Because the same “courageous” bunch that inhabit the seats currently would have
to enact it.
Meanwhile, spare me the fawning over Bob Corker. He never stood up
for anything other than that which his funders wanted – until he decided to
retire. That is not courage. Corker is a coward who now feels safe to throw
sucker punches.
Trust in Trump?
Are you wondering why more
Republican politicians refuse to follow Senator Corker’s lead and rebuke
President Trump? If so, look no further than this recent poll:
A HuffPost/YouGov poll from
last week turned up the following results:
Clinton voters who believe accusations against
Weinstein: 77%. Against Trump: 83%.
Trump voters who believe accusations against Weinstein:
66%. Against Trump: 8%.
We
do not even recognize the same reality. I honestly do not know how to move
forward when this is the case.
*Solar Award
Johnson County just
received the Sol Smart Gold Award. This award recognizes County efforts related
to solar use in the County’s unincorporated areas and solar used by the County
itself; we were also recognized for leadership in adopting solar-friendly
policies and creating efficient solar inspection and permitting processes.
This
is not only the only Gold award given in the State of Iowa, but the only Gold
award to any County in the Midwest.
Johnson County
now has over 330 KW projects powering County buildings, and last fiscal year there were 33 solar
projects in unincorporated Johnson County.
*DID YOU KNOW? People have stereotypes of labor
unions, but they look much different in reality. 46% of all union members are
women. 36% are people of color. 42% have a BA or greater education.
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
October 19, 2017
Sullivan’s
Salvos 10/24/17
In this edition:
*IC Council Race
*Local Politics and Labor
*Local Politics and the Chamber
*Local Politics and Friends
*Did You Know?
*IC Council Race
I have heard calls recently for “ideological diversity” in the
Iowa City Council race. On the face of it, this makes some sense. We should all
be open to hearing different opinions. At my own work, I like to hear as many
sides as possible on an issue.
It is interesting, however, that this is an election issue NOW.
Since the advent of the personal computer in the late 90s, I have every letter
I have ever sent to the Iowa City Council. And trust me, I have sent several!
I recently went through many of those letters. You know what? Other
than a couple individual Councilors, I was pretty much summarily dismissed
EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. For 20 years. No one ever thanked me for providing
“ideological diversity.” They simply ignored me. That is, until 2015. Nobody
ever gave a DAMN about “ideological diversity” until the Core Four were
elected.
Jim Throgmorton likely understands how I felt. Jim was treated
terribly by his fellow Councilors prior to 2015. Nobody was interested in
“ideological diversity” when Jim was the lone progressive voice on Council. Jim
was alternately ignored, scolded, patronized, and ridiculed. And none of his
ideas were ever given a hearing. If he was even acknowledged, it was so that he
could get some sort of condescending lecture. It was shameful. But now we are
interested in “ideological diversity”. Why the sudden change?
*Local Politics and Labor
I am an Organized Labor guy. Always have been. I think I can say
it is both figuratively and literally in my DNA. I was raised that way, and as
I have grown older, my pro-labor attitudes have only deepened.
As a result of this, I have spent over two decades involved in the
Iowa City Federation of Labor. City Fed, as it is known, has had an interesting
record when it comes to local politics.
For some reason, City Fed has been almost unbeatable when it comes
to getting pro-labor candidates elected to the Iowa Legislature. Yet it has
been almost the opposite when it comes to County and City races; only very
recently has labor had much success at all.
Why is this? For one thing, the local Chamber, development
community, and other conservative groups have always punted on high-turnout
partisan elections. They focus all their efforts on Democratic Sheriff and
Supervisor primaries and local City Council elections. And that focus has
served them well. Despite the fact that Johnson County is a pretty progressive
place, until recently, local government was quite conservative.
Another obstacle Labor has had to overcome is our own endorsed
Democratic Legislators! I know, it sounds strange, but it has been true for
decades. Here is an example:
Minnette Doderer was an unbelievable Legislator; on a Mount
Rushmore of Iowa Legislators, she would be the very first of the 4 people
represented. Her labor record was close to perfect over a Legislative career of
almost 40 years; there is no way I could do her career justice in an edition of
Salvos. She was an unabashed liberal well before it was cool! Minnette is THE
trailblazer when it comes to women in Iowa politics. She is a true legend!
Yet when it came to local politics, Minnette had other ideas. She
routinely endorsed candidates who were anti-union, anti-worker, and opposed
social services and human rights initiatives. She rarely supported labor-endorsed
candidates.
I had a theory that perhaps this stemmed from the fact that Minnette’s
husband Fred had served as the Mayor of Iowa City, and she seemed to defer on
City issues. Despite my love and admiration for her, I always found this disconnect
frustrating.
But this incongruity is not rare – not at all. It continues to happen
to this day. Legislators from Johnson County go to Des Moines, and achieve
remarkable records of support for labor issues. Then they come home and support
the opposite candidates of those backed by their supporters in local labor.
And
it is not just labor. Odds are, anyone even a bit left of center feels a sense
of abandonment when these things happen. Environmentalists, people of color,
civil libertarians, etc. – there is a big collective shaking of heads.
So
why does this happen? I can see several reasons:
First,
Labor has not traditionally talked much with Elected Officials. I go to every
City Fed meeting; we almost never have Legislators present. Meanwhile,
Legislators are ubiquitous at Chamber events. Labor needs to have more frequent
conversations with the people they send to Des Moines.
Secondly, Labor needs to hold elected officials accountable. I
understand that this can be awkward. But frankly, we all perform better in a
world where we are both supported and also held accountable. Labor dipped its’
toe in this water a couple times in the mid-2000s, and it did not work too
well. Some heads rolled, yet nothing improved. And that sucks. But you cannot
quit holding people accountable. It is the only way things ever get better.
Thirdly, Legislative candidates have tended to come from the same
backgrounds. They are older, white, Christian, straight, and middle or upper
class. They share more in common with the Chamber folks than they do with lower
wage households.
Fourthly, these are often people with deep roots in the community.
Many times it is much more important that you really be “FROM” Iowa City, or
Coralville, or Solon, or fill in the blank. That matters more to policy makers
than how you feel about any labor related issues.
Finally, local elections are low turnout affairs. The people who
are used to controlling things locally have not had to worry about the hoi
polloi participating in “their” elections. “Those people” only vote when Barack
Obama is on the ballot.
Labor
can (and should) fix this. I know that I have not done enough personally. But
it is not going to happen overnight, and it is not going to come easily.
*Local Politics and the Chamber
Let
me be clear – I have never had a bad relationship with a Chamber staff person.
Not one. Every single person I have ever met was kind, friendly, smart, and
engaging. They really all have been wonderful people!
But
those are staff people. When you start talking about local politics, the
opinions of staff people don’t matter. So when it comes to local politics, I am
not popular there.
I
am not so egocentric as to believe that that most Chamber members have any idea
who I am – they do not. But for a small group of Chamber members who desperately
attempt to influence local politics? In that group, I am hated.
So,
please don’t misconstrue my comments. Chamber staff people have all been great;
it is the old time political organization that dislikes me.
*Local Politics and Friends
I
have been around local politics a long time. And during that time, I have made
some very, very good friends. I have also seen many “friendships” that fell apart
as soon as political differences cropped up. Even worse, there are many
“friendships” ruined when one person chooses to throw the other under the
political bus.
I
have tried pretty hard to be a straight shooter when it comes to politics. If
something is annoying but small, I usually let it go. If I can massage a
situation, then I usually massage it. And if it really needs to be said, then I
say it. Many people view this as too outspoken. This approach hasn’t maximized
my political friends, but neither has it created a bunch of fake relationships.
Meanwhile, I feel I have been true to myself.
So
if you are just getting involved in politics, or considering getting involved?
Great, but don’t expect it to be your only source of friends. Because you are
going to get hurt. I cannot tell you exactly when, why, or how, but you are
going to get hurt. Not by everyone, mind you, but it will happen. Be prepared
so that when that happens, you have some other friends upon whom you can rely.
*DID YOU KNOW?
Turnout for Iowa City municipal elections is good as far as cities go;
it typically ranges between 10 and 30%. But compare that to the 2008
Presidential election – 80% of Johnson County voters participated in that
election.
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
October 12, 2017
Sullivan’s
Salvos 10/17/17
In this edition:
*Endorsements
*Democratic Gubernatorial Candidates
*City Council Endorsements
*IC Human Rights Awards
*Did You Know?
*Endorsements
It
is pretty unusual for me to wait on endorsements. I pay pretty close attention
to candidates, and typically endorse early. In 2008, I was behind Obama before
virtually anyone else in Johnson County. In 2016, I was the first elected
official in the whole country to endorse Bernie Sanders.
But
not this time. Not in Iowa’s Gubernatorial primary. This time, I am waiting a
while.
My
fellow Supervisors have not waited around. Janelle Rettig endorsed Cathy
Glasson several months ago. Mike Carberry endorsed Glasson a couple weeks ago,
and Kurt Friese endorsed her a few days later. (I haven’t heard of Lisa Green
Douglass endorsing anyone yet.)
So why am I waiting? First, I worked very hard on the ICCSD bond
campaign. It was like having a second job for 5 months. Secondly, I worked hard
for a couple ICCSD candidates. Thirdly, I am planning on working very hard on
the upcoming City Council elections.
Local politics is important. The Gubernatorial people will do just
fine without me, but City Council candidates just might need my help.
So,
I will certainly endorse a candidate for Governor. But not until after the
November 7 city elections.
*Democratic Gubernatorial Candidates
Though
I am not endorsing just yet, it is worth noting that I have good relationships
with several of the candidates.
Needless
to say, there are two candidates with Johnson County roots, and I have known
both a long time. I met Cathy Glasson through my good friends Sarah Swisher and
Pauline Taylor; all were instrumental in SEIU gaining recognition at UIHC. I
know I met Cathy during that campaign, so it must have been sometime around
1997. Ross Wilburn first ran for the Iowa City Council in 1997, and I recall introducing
myself to him at that time. So that means I’ve known each for 20 years. Cathy’s
husband is the President of my union, AFT 716. Ross’ daughter Alex is one of my
daughter Jordan’s best friends.
But believe it or not, that is not even close to the longest I
have known a Gubernatorial candidate! I met John Norris when he headed up the
Jesse Jackson campaign in the 1980s! My friend and mentor Dave Leshtz
introduced me to John way back then, and we had some good times in our Rainbow
Coalition! We did well, too – Jackson finished second to Paul Simon, and
Johnson County was among his best counties in the whole US!
As
for the other candidates - I have met Andy McGuire on a few occasions, but
cannot say I know her well. I have met Nate Boulton three or four times, but
only since the last Legislative session. I have met Jon Niederbach two or three
times, and I have never met Fred Hubbell, though I was invited to do so and
could not attend.
So
how about you, Salvos readers? Do you support Governor Reynolds, Mayor Corbett,
or one of the Dems?
*City Council Endorsements
I
live in Iowa City, so I will reserve my Council endorsements for that city
alone. I am supporting Mazahir Salih, Kingsley Botchway, and Ryan Hall for the
Iowa City Council.
Mazahir
is smart, kind, compassionate, and a very hard worker. A Civil Engineer by
trade, she will bring a keen eye to city projects. More importantly, Mazahir
has been a community leader since arriving in Iowa City over 6 years ago. A
cofounder of the Center for Worker Justice, Mazahir has played a key role in
Johnson County’s adoption of the Community ID and increase of the minimum wage.
If elected, Mazahir would be our first Muslim Councilor, first black female
Councilor, and first Councilor of Sudanese decent.
Kingsley
can be described by the same adjectives I used for Mazahir. He is smart, kind,
compassionate, and a very hard worker. He has been a strong advocate for
programs that assist needy residents. Kingsley has advocated for affordable
housing, fighting food insecurity, and for greater opportunities for people
with disabilities. He helped the Council to make the right decision in the wake
of Rose Oaks, and voted the right way on that issue. Just as importantly, he
has been a leader in our community conversations on race.
Ryan
Hall is a relative newcomer to Iowa City, but has made a big impression in a
short time. Ryan served as an Americorp in three different capacities in three
different states. He is now finishing his education in Environmental Planning
at the UI. As a 24-year-old undergrad, Ryan would be the first student on the
Council since David Perret in 1979.
I
will have more to say on local politics in upcoming editions of Salvos. Stay
tuned!
*IC Human Rights Awards
The
Iowa City Human Rights Commission is hosting its annual Human Rights Awards
Breakfast on Wednesday, October 25th at 7:30 AM at the IMU.
I
have said it before, and I’ll say it again – this is one of the deciding
factors for me in choosing to live in Iowa City. Human Rights matter, and it is
great to see a community that recognizes that.
I
want to call particular attention to the Bill Reagan Award, which this year is
going to my friend Greg Hearns. The President of the Iowa City Federation of
Labor, Greg is a great guy who really works hard and never takes his eye off
the goal of social justice. He is also the first winner in the 30+year history
of the awards whose primary interest is organized labor. It is about time!
Congratulations
to the City of Iowa City, the Human Rights Commission, all the nominees, and
all the winners!
*DID YOU KNOW?
The record for highest vote total in an Iowa City Council election is
10,449 by Ross Wilburn in 2007. Wilburn was uncontested in the District A race.
Turnout that year was over 34%!
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
October 5, 2017
Sullivan’s
Salvos 10/10/17
In this edition:
*Apples!
*Rights Versus Privileges
*Free Speech
*Yes, Race Matters!
*JC Dems Fall BBQ
*Did You Know?
*Apples!
We
have apples, and you are welcome to take all you want! The tree is in the
backyard of our house at 2326 E. Court Street in Iowa City. Just bring a bucket
and stop by!
*Rights Versus Privileges
Just
another day in the good old USA, where yet another white Christian man
exercises his apparently God-given right to murder a bunch of people.
Too
bad the people he shot have no right to medical care. OK – back to your next
online distraction. We will talk (briefly) in two days when the next white,
Christian male murders a bunch of people.
As
usual, the Onion nailed it with this headline: “No Way to Prevent This, Says
Only Nation Where This Regularly Happens.” Meanwhile, a hearty helping of
thoughts and prayers for everyone!
*Free Speech
White
protesters in Charlottesville can wave Confederate and Nazi flags – the flags
of nations that went to war with the US. But black NFL players cannot quietly
kneel during the National Anthem? Welcome to America!
Here
is the thing: anything white people do will ALWAYS be viewed as free speech.
Black people simply do not receive that same deference.
If
black people riot, they are thugs. If they march, they are disruptive. If they
kneel, they are disrespectful. White people brandish guns at police and walk
away; black people ask if they can reach for cell phones and get shot. Let’s be
honest – there is NOTHING a black person can do in protest that is acceptable
to white America.
People
focus on the fact that Colin Kaepernick has earned a lot of money as an NFL
player. Yes, he has. And to some extent, that does make his current life
experiences different than most of us.
But it is important to understand that even wealthy African
Americans get followed in stores, and stopped frequently by police. Plus,
Kaepernick never said he was protesting his OWN treatment; he was protesting
the treatment of African Americans in general.
Troops? This has nothing to do with troops. Flags? I wish
Americans would resolve to treat each other with the same “respect” they
reserve for an inanimate object. Heck, NFL teams were never required to stand
at attention for the National Anthem until 2009, when the Department of Defense
began a contract with the NFL. Before that, it was very hit-and-miss.
For
the record – I ALWAYS stand at attention, hand over heart, during the anthem.
And I hate it when kids jerk around during it. But this is different. These
protesters are not children! And as a free speech advocate, I support their
right to demonstrate however they see fit. I also recognize that as a white
man, I have no such grievances.
I
err on the side of free speech 99% of the time. I just wish that same right to
free speech I enjoy accrued to my black sisters and brothers.
*Yes, Race Matters!
I
will admit – compared to most elected officials, I talk and write frequently
about race. I also recognize that this is uncomfortable for some people. Many
Americans would prefer to ignore this difficult subject. It came up again
recently when I mentioned Richard Mentor Johnson, the man for whom Johnson
County is named.
Because
of my tendency to talk about the subject, I have received a fair amount of hate
mail. Here is a recent example. (I edited out the most offensive words. My
guess is you can still figure out what she said.)
Rod,
Your term will not be over fast enough! You're a complete asshole and
douche bag for even thinking about making race more of an issue than it already
is. I have ZERO respect for you and any ability to do your job.
"Stupid Moron" doesn't even begin to describe what I think of your use
of tax payer time and money. Why don't we dig through your stupid past and make
sure everyone knows what kind of idiot you truly are.
Go f___ yourself! And when you're done - try getting a real life that
doesn't involve inciting more hatred. In case you haven't noticed,
there's plenty of that already going around! And yes, I'm spilling my
hatred on you because I'm sick and f___ing tired of all the stupidity be
displayed by you and others like you. I'm grossly OFFENDED and I wish you
could be fired!
Obviously,
Ms. Miller is not happy with me! For what it is worth, I don’t believe I know
her. But I’ll bet she is white! (By the way – please do not respond to Ms.
Miller.) But this is the type of reaction you get when you talk about race.
I
really wish the many people who have been criticizing me could have been at our
October 5 Board Meeting. We had about a half dozen local Native Americans in
attendance, two of whom spent some time talking about their experiences. I am
extremely grateful that these folks shared some time with us, and I wish every
American had a similar opportunity for dialogue.
I
am not going to stop talking about race. It is too important. I hope our future
conversations are more productive than the one above!
*JC Dems Fall BBQ
When: Sunday, October 15,
4pm – 7pm
Where: Johnson County
Fairgrounds, 3109 Old Hwy 218 S, Iowa City
Description: Join the JC Dems
for good food, great conversation, and an opportunity to hear from leaders in
the Democratic party. This is the JC Dems' biggest fundraiser of the year. You
can buy tickets or sponsor the event at
https://secure.actblue.com/donate/jcbbq17
*DID YOU KNOW?
70% of the players in the NFL are black.
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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