Rod Sullivan, Supervisor, Johnson County, Iowa

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SULLIVAN'S SALVOS

January 25, 2018

Sullivan’s Salvos     1/30/18



In this edition:


*Government Shutdown, CHIP, and DACA
*Iowa Caucuses
*What is a Millionaire?
*Did You Know?



*Government Shutdown, CHIP, and DACA
         Republicans: you have majorities in the US House and US Senate, and the Presidency. If you cannot keep the government running, that is on you!

         Democrats – thank you for fighting to extend the Children’s Health Insurance Plan (CHIP) for 6 more years! This is a critical policy that was not going to get done without extreme measures!

         Now we move on to DACA. I hope the Dreamers get the justice they deserve, but I am nervous.



*Iowa Caucuses
Iowa's precinct caucuses are best known for their first in the nation role in the presidential nomination process. The parties also hold caucuses in non-presidential years to choose party officers, debate platforms, and conduct other business. The three full-status political parties will host caucuses on Monday, February 5, 2018. Democrats and Republicans will meet at 7 pm; Libertarians will meet at 5:30.

The caucuses are a function of the political parties. The Auditor's Office does not conduct the caucuses, report results, or play a direct role. The parties are required to report caucus locations to that office, and must turn in any voter registrations they receive.

To participate in the caucuses, you must be a resident of the precinct, 18 years old as of the general election date (born on or before November 6, 2000) and registered to vote with the party whose caucus you attend. 

Caucus participants must actually attend the caucus in the precinct in which they live - there is no absentee voting. You can register to vote or update your registration on caucus day. The parties are then responsible for returning the voter registration forms to the Auditor’s  Office.

Caucus participants discuss issues and candidates, choose party precinct officers, and elect delegates to the party's county convention. County conventions elect delegates to congressional district and state conventions. Rules and procedures are set by each respective party.
The number of county convention delegates elected from each precinct is determined by each party, based on how many votes the party's candidates received in that precinct in recent elections.

The Libertarians will have one caucus for all 57 precincts on February 5 at 5:30 pm at the Iowa City Public Library, Meeting Room D. Democratic and Republican locations can be found on the Auditor’s webpage.



*What is a Millionaire?
         In light of the dreadful Tax Bill recently passed by the Republicans in Congress, we are going to be hearing more and more about “millionaires”. But what do we mean when we use that word? Do we mean $1 million in annual income? Do we mean $1 million in net worth? Those are VERY different definitions.

         I turned to Wikipedia, and found it quite helpful on the subject:

“There are multiple approaches to determining a person's status as a millionaire. One of the two most commonly used measurements is net worth, which counts the total value of all property owned by a household minus the household's debts. According to this definition, a household owning an $800k home, $50k of furnishings, two cars worth $60k, a $60k retirement savings account, $45k in mutual funds, and a $325k vacation home with a $250k mortgage, $40k in car loans, and $25k in credit card debt would be worth about $1,025,000; and every individual in this household would thus be a millionaire.”

I like the fact that they offered an example of how one might calculate $1 million in net worth, but I find the example itself to be a bit unrealistic, especially for Iowa. It does not reflect how people in Iowa do things.

Let’s go with a $500,000 house – still very much within the top 1% of all home values, but more in line for our area. Furnishings at $50k is pretty low if you ask an insurance agent; let’s say $100k. We’ll keep two cars at $60k.

$60k in a retirement account is REALLY low for someone with these resources. In keeping with the Iowa way, our millionaire would be a saver. We will say she has $200k in a retirement account. We will also keep the $45k in mutual funds.

We are going to make the “vacation home” a cabin, and reduce the value from $325k to $150k. We will correspondingly decrease the mortgage to $50k.

$40k in car loans? Are you serious? This person pays cash for a new vehicle, minus the trade in. $25k in credit card debt? Are you serious? This person pays the balance on her card every month.

This puts our Iowa millionaire at $1,005,000 in net worth, if I am doing my math correctly. While this certainly does not describe most Iowans, we can all visualize someone in this position. It is probably a two-wage earning family who are nearing retirement. And frankly, this is a person who can afford to pay some taxes.

Why do I say that? I am almost 52 years old, and by my calculations, I have earned about a million dollars over the course of my lifetime. Assuming I keep a job that pays a similar amount (definitely no sure thing) and work another 15 years (definitely no sure thing), I could get close to another million. And while I am not likely to reach millionaire status per say, I can afford to pay some taxes.

A million bucks sounds like a lot, and it is. Most Americans will not be lucky enough to earn anywhere near that. But even a perfectly healthy person in retirement can run through $30-40k per year. And a nursing home costs $200/day. Stay there 3 months, and you have run through $20k. A year will run you $80k. So one’s older years are expensive!

Going again to Wikipedia: “However, according to the net financial assets measurement used for some specific applications (such as evaluating an investor's expected tolerance for risk for stockbroker ethics), equity in one's principal residence is excluded, as are lifestyle assets, such as the car and furniture. Therefore, the above example household would only have net financial assets of $105,000. Another term used is "net investable assets" or working capital. These practitioners may use the term "millionaire" to mean somebody who is free to invest a million units of currency through them as broker. For similar reasons, those who market goods, services and investments to High Net Worth Individuals (HNWIs) are careful to specify a net worth "not counting principal residence".

Now we are talking about a much wealthier person. While a millionaire in net worth is right around the top 1% of all Americans, the second definition gets closer to the .1% or even .01%. We are talking rarefied air. And we are talking greater and greater benefit from the recent Tax Bill.



*DID YOU KNOW?  At the end of 2011, there were around 5.1 million HNWIs in the United States, while at the same time there were 11 million millionaires in a total of 3.5 million millionaire households, including those 5.1 million HNWIs. (Source: Wikipedia.)



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



January 18, 2018

Sullivan’s Salvos     1/23/18



In this edition:


*Missed Opportunity
*Free Tax Help!
*Real Economic Development!
*Stock Market Perspective
*Radon Action
*Did You Know?



*Missed Opportunity
         The Board of Supervisors missed a golden opportunity last week. On the same evening that we passed a proclamation honoring the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Junior, we passed on the opportunity to appoint an African American woman to one of our Boards and Commissions.

         We like to talk about diversity, and recruiting people of color, but when faced with an opportunity to appoint an African American female to the Board of Adjustment, we went another direction. This saddens me.



*Free Tax Help!
Don’t pay a fee to get your refund! The IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program provides trained volunteers that will help you file your taxes. This service is available FOR FREE to people who earned less than $55,000 in 2017. E-filing is available, and interpretation services are available at many sites or by appointment.
“You Earned It. Now Claim It!”

Sites are the Iowa City Public Library, SEJH in Iowa City, NWJH in Coralville, and Garner Elementary in North Liberty. Services are available Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday – see http://www.johnson-county.com/dept_soc_ser.aspx?id=275
for the complete schedule.

Spanish interpreters are available; interpreters for other languages can be scheduled by calling 356-6090.



*Real Economic Development!
         This appeared in Salvos several times over the years, but it bears repeating as we approach tax season.

*What if I told you we could bring in 50 full-time jobs that would pay $15 per hour?

         *What if I told you these jobs could neither be outsourced overseas nor subcontracted?

*What if I told you those jobs would be filled by hard-working low-income people, all of whom are local?

*What if I told you NO bribery (aka “tax incentives”) would be required to land these jobs?

*What if I told you there were no special workforce training programs required?

*What if I told you virtually ALL of the money earned would be spent locally?

         What would happen? Well, the Chamber of Commerce would put it in their newsletter, and the Ambassadors would do a ribbon cutting. Debi Durham would come over from Des Moines and do a big press event, and the Governor just might join her. ICAD would tweet this success to the world. Mayors would grab gold shovels and pose for a photo. You might get a visit from a US Senator. The Press Citizen and Gazette would both do front page stories. The Corridor Business Journal would write a nice editorial. The region would be hailed for its forward thinking, and folks would talk far and wide about how well we do economic development.

         So what if I told you the exact equivalent has already occurred? It has.

         Several years ago, I went to a National Association of Counties (NACo) conference and learned about a program that had started in Cook County, Illinois.

         As it turns out, a huge number of low-income workers leave money on the table when it comes to the federal income tax system, particularly the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). Cook County created a series of free tax clinics to ensure this money returned to their county.

         I did some investigating, and it just so happened that Johnson County had the same problem, though obviously on a much smaller scale.

         So I pushed for Johnson County to begin a free tax help program. It struck me that we had a potential partner in the Tippe College of Business, and as luck would have it, I could not have had better timing. Dr. Joyce Berg was ready to greatly expand the work her student tax preparers would do. It was a perfect fit.

         Former Supervisor (and current Legislator) Sally Stutsman was very supportive. Amy Correia had just been hired as Johnson County’s first Social Services Director, and Amy took the ball and ran with it, including securing grants to cover all operating costs. The Tippe College, ICCSD, United Way, Iowa City Public Library, and many others have become valued partners. In recent years, current Social Services Director Lynette Jacoby has maintained and improved upon all this success.

         What are the results? The Free Tax Help Program brings well over $1.5 million into the local economy every year. It goes to low-income local workers, who spend it locally. And it uses no local tax dollars.

         Remember when I said “50 full-time jobs at $15 per hour”? That adds up to a $1.5 million annual impact, just like the Free Tax Help Program. But the Free Tax Help Program is actually even better, because it serves over 1,100 Johnson County tax filers and their families!

         Economic Development can take many forms. I happen to believe the Free Tax Help program has contributed a lot of good things to the local economy. We have not had any fancy groundbreakings or ribbon cuttings, but we have accomplished something!

         So if you know Lynette Jacoby, thank Lynette Jacoby. She has done great work! If you know Joyce Berg, thank Joyce Berg. Her students have given much more back to this community than they could ever take.



*Stock Market Perspective
From Steven Greenhouse: “As we celebrate the Dow reaching 25,000, let’s not forget: Half of all Americans are not helped by this. 40% of all stocks are owned by the richest 1%. 85% of all stocks are owned by the richest 10%. The top o.1% of Americans has the same wealth as the bottom 90%.”



*Radon Action
Radon is an odorless, colorless, naturally-occurring gas formed by the decay of radioactive materials. Radon itself is radioactive and poses a health threat when sufficient concentrations collect in enclosed areas such as basements and crawl spaces. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer overall and the leading cause among nonsmokers. Iowa has the largest percentage (71.6%) of homes above the US Environmental Protection Agency action level of 4pCi/L, in the US.

January is National Radon Action Month. Radon test kits are available at Johnson County Public Health, (319) 356-6040. Kits are available at our office for $8.00, or $10.00 if you would like the kit mailed directly to you.



*DID YOU KNOW?  There are almost 1 million Haitian Americans living in the US. Well over half live in just two states – Florida (450,000) and New York (200,000).



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




January 11, 2018

Sullivan’s Salvos     1/16/18



In this edition:


*Hoover Got One Right!
*Number and Length of Meetings
*Marriage Under Age 18
*Legislative Priorities
*Did You Know?



*Hoover Got One Right!
         Despite his nearby roots, I am no big fan of former President Herbert Hoover. Our political philosophies are quite different. But Hoover did something important for the country I wish we could replicate today!

         Hoover served as Commerce Secretary in the 1920s, when electricity was beginning to sweep the nation. Because there were no standards, there were many difficulties making appliances work, and many fires started as a result. To address this, Hoover created standards we still have today. Electrical outlets and cords are pretty much universal.

         To paraphrase Archie and Edith Bunker, “We sure could use a man like Herbert Hoover today!” Specifically – why can’t we create universal standards for cell phone chargers? Just look around at any family event – every young person is trying to find a cord that will work with her/his phone. Why can’t we simply standardize this? It is frequently a safety issue.

         Of course, I can answer my own question – the phone makers will simply say “no”, so the will of the people matters not a whit. Isn’t it scary to think that we long for the good old days of Hoover?



*Number and Length of Meetings
         I recently learned that the number of meetings Johnson County held went up a bit in 2017. In addition, the length of meetings increased fairly significantly in 2017. What are we to make of this?

         On one hand, one could argue that this is an improvement. Perhaps there is more work getting done. Perhaps more items are getting a public airing. Perhaps things are being done with greater thought more discussion, and greater public input.

         On the other hand, one could argue that this is the sign of problems. Perhaps the Board is making decisions it should delegate. Perhaps there is too much micromanaging. Perhaps there is too much infighting. Perhaps people ramble on too long.

         Either situation could be the case. Both situations could be the case. I have my opinions, but really, you should form your own. Listen in to part or all of a few meetings. Recordings of every meeting are available on our website. Check it out, and see what you think. Then let us know – positive, negative, or a bit of both – what you think. We don’t get much feedback on this sort of thing; I’d like to know your opinion.



*Marriage Under Age 18
         The sordid story of Roy Moore has me thinking about the way we Americans treat female children under the law. More specifically, why do we allow children under the age of 18 to get married?

         If you think about it, children under 18 may not vote, serve in the military, serve on a jury, own land, buy tobacco, buy fireworks, get a tattoo, or play the lottery. In an even more relevant example, children under 18 are not allowed to enter into contracts. Given all the things we do choose to restrict, why do we allow children under 18 to marry?

         My guess is that this stems from the longstanding Christian desire to see everyone remain chaste until marriage. Many Christian denominations are overly concerned about young women having sex before marriage, when they should be concerned about the fact that the same young women may be victims of rape, statutory or otherwise.

         One of the questions at the crux of the matter is whether parents should be able to legally approve of their daughter’s underage marriage. There are definitely cases of parents doing this. I think it sets up a terrible situation, ripe for human trafficking. I simply do not believe parents should be able to “waive” this protection for their children. Let’s take all financial and other incentives away from child marriage.

         Obviously, children under 18 do maintain some rights. Children have rights to safety and education, for example. If parents do not provide those things, parental rights can be terminated.

Children under 18 also enjoy certain Constitutional rights, like a right to due process and a right to equal protection. But what about healthcare? In 1944, parents who were Jehovah’s Witnesses refused a blood transfusion that would have saved their son’s life. In Prince v Massachusetts the US Supreme Court determined that “parents may not make martyrs of their children.” Similarly, I do not think parents should be able to “marry off” their underage children.

Are children under 18 going to continue to have sex? Yes. They always have, and they always will. But who are we helping when we codify it through marriage?

         26 states (including Iowa) allow some type of marriage under the age of 18. I think it makes perfect sense to change state and federal laws to require children under 18 to wait until that age to get married. How about you?



*Legislative Priorities
The Johnson County Board of Supervisors has released its 2018 Local Legislative Priorities, giving residents of Johnson County an overview of the initiatives that the Board will pursue with state and federal lawmakers in the coming year. The Board recently met with local legislators, including Senators Joe Bolkcom, Robert Dvorsky and Kevin Kinney, and Representatives Dave Jacoby and Mary Mascher, to discuss their priorities.

The Board’s top 2018 legislative priorities and issues include 1) securing funding for local crisis intervention training and facilities; 2) fully funding the backfill of commercial and residential tax cuts; 3) increasing the minimum wage; and 4) funding Johnson County courthouse security, maintenance and improvements.

Additional priorities and issues affecting Johnson County include Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs); county home rule, spending, and local governance; election modernization; decategorization programs; disclosure of sales prices of real estate included in the sale of LLCs; Early Childhood Iowa; retroactive Medicaid; emergency medical services (EMS) as an essential service; independent boards operating under county authority; Local Public Health Services Grant (LPHSG); marijuana reform; medical examiner; mental health funding; recreation and conservation; renewable energy; veterans; and collective bargaining rights.

A complete overview of the Board’s 2018 legislative priorities and issues is available on the Johnson County website at http://www.johnson-county.com/dept_supervisors.aspx?id=10736.



*DID YOU KNOW?  The per-enrollee cost growth in Medicaid (6.1 percent) is lower than the per-enrollee cost growth in comparable coverage under Medicare (6.9), private health insurance (10.6), and monthly premiums for employer-sponsored insurance (12.6). (Source: Kaiser Family Foundation.)



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






January 4, 2018

Sullivan’s Salvos     1/9/18



In this edition:


*MLK
*CRC MLK Event
*Serving as Chair
*Did You Know?



*MLK
Monday, January 15th marks the federal holiday celebrating the birthday of the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Junior. I am so pleased that our country has chosen to honor this great man, and I hope you enjoy the holiday in his name. As usual, the Board of Supervisors will be doing a proclamation in his honor; this year, that will be Thursday, January 11 at 5:30 PM.

         We would like to think America has come a long way since the 60s. After the 2016 elections, I’m not certain I feel that way any longer. Race was a HUGE issue in the 2016 election, and the team the racists supported won.

         Look at America today. Black Lives Matter is a response to the epidemic of black men being killed by police. The US Supreme Court killed much of the Voting Rights Act, and they are likely to kill Affirmative Action. Black men are more likely to go to prison than college. The list goes on and on. Our society still has a deep racial divide.

We also need to recognize that King was a radical. America grudgingly accepted racial reforms because they were less dangerous to the status quo than the other issues King championed. King took seriously the Biblical teachings that the love of money is a sin, and that rich men will not be welcomed into Heaven. (Yes, King was a Social Democrat!) He proposed seismic changes to the political and social structures that exist in America. In addition, King was adamantly anti-war. To the status quo, he was the most dangerous man in the world.

         Take some time this week to read some of the great books that are out there on Dr. King. More importantly, take some time to read the things he wrote himself.

And if you are so inclined, there are several worthwhile local celebrations. Here are a few:

The University of Iowa celebrates Human Rights Week in conjunction with the MLK holiday. There is a long list of events; see https://mlk.uiowa.edu for details.

Beginning at 9:00 a.m., the Martin Luther King celebration “Morning Glory Unity Prayer and Reflection Service” will be held at New Creations International Church, under the leadership of Pastor Anthony Smith.  Senior faith community leaders are asked to wear official attire, and to offer a prayer or a brief word of reflection. The church is located at 2929 E. Court St, Iowa City, with parking access on Raven St. For more information, call 319-654-4624.

Iowa City’s Unity March will be held on Monday, January 15. Citizens will gather at 10 a.m. at Faith Academy located at 1030 Crosspark Ave., and walk in a demonstration of strength and support, to Grant Wood Elementary School at 1930 Lakeside Dr. A program with entertainment, service projects, and a call to action town hall meeting will take place at Grant Wood Elementary until 2 p.m. Transportation will be provided to retrieve vehicles left behind.

Beginning at 2:30 p.m., the Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day “Community Celebration” will commence at Bethel A.M.E. Church, under the leadership of Reverend Kimberly Abram-Bryant. Community guest speakers, Praise Dancers, and musical selections will be featured. The church is located at 411 S. Governor St, Iowa City. For more information, call 319-338-7876, or contact bethelameiacity@yahoo.com

The Coralville Public Library will present a public reading of Martin Luther King Jr.’s iconic “I Have a Dream Speech” at 5 pm on Monday, January 15 in the Library Rotunda. Readers will include representatives (including yours truly!) from local government, library partners, and community groups who work to make Dr. King's vision a reality. Library patrons will also be encouraged to share their own dreams for a more just world, and the library will display them throughout the month. For details, contact: reference@coralville.org or 319.248.1850.

We have SO much work to do. We cannot forget that. But we also need to take the time to celebrate our successes. Happy MLK Day!



*CRC MLK Event
I was extremely disappointed to hear that the Consultation of Religious Communities is not holding its annual MLK service on the Sunday before the MLK holiday.

I understand why – we are all busy people. I do not blame anyone - it is just sad. We have attended every year, and every year it restores my faith. I guess I’ll need to find that feeling somewhere else. As you can see above, there are plenty of options!



*Serving As Chair
Supervisor Mike Carberry will serve as the Chair of the Board in 2018. Before you go in search of juicy election results, understand that the role of Chair is simply rotated amongst the members of the Board. Yes, there is technically an election, but tradition here has been that the position of Chair rotates.

         Each county does this somewhat differently. In some counties, a single individual has served as Chair for over 25 years. There are counties that have spirited, contested elections for Chair. In other counties, the role of Chair rotates, but only between members of the majority party. Many counties operate as we do. It is all over the board. (Pun intended!)

         Serving as the Chair is interesting. There really is more work involved – primarily legislative. The amount of extra work here can vary greatly, but for me in 2016 it was probably 3 extra hours per week for 25 weeks. As always, the amount of work any given Supervisor puts in can and does vary greatly.

There is also at least one additional meeting per week to set the weekly agendas. Plus, the Chair has to sign everything. That might not sound like much, but it would surprise you! I counted, and in the last week of 2016 I had over 175 documents requiring my signature!

The biggest difference between serving as Chair and simply serving as a Board member is running the meetings. Running meetings well requires more than just reading the agenda. To do it well, one needs to watch the clock, keep everyone involved, and clearly summarize things. It is tougher than it looks!

         The first time I served as Chair was 2008. Blizzards, floods, evacuations, curfews… 2012 and 2016 were pieces of cake compared to that!

         Good luck to Supervisor Carberry as he slides into the role of Chair for 2018! And good luck to our Vice Chair, Supervisor Lisa Green-Douglass!



*DID YOU KNOW?  "I want to say to you as I move to my conclusion, as we talk about "Where do we go from here?" that we must honestly face the fact that the movement must address itself to the question of restructuring the whole of American society. There are forty million poor people here, and one day we must ask the question, "Why are there forty million poor people in America?" And when you begin to ask that question, you are raising a question about the economic system, about a broader distribution of wealth. When you ask that question, you begin to question the capitalistic economy. And I'm simply saying that more and more, we've got to begin to ask questions about the whole society."
---Martin Luther King, Jr.



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