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SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
August 29, 2019
Sullivan’s Salvos 9/3/19
In this edition:
*United Way 100thYear
*Veteran’s Tailgate
*Volunteer for a Board or Commission!
*Remember – It Is Child Abuse!
*Did You Know?
*United Way 100thYear
The United Way of Johnson and Washington Counties kicked off the annual campaign recently, and it is campaign number 100! That is correct – the local United Way is 100 years old!
Unfortunately, 100 years of good work has not eliminated all our problems. Locally, one in six children under age 5 lives below the poverty line. One in three households struggle to make ends meet. Over 7% of adults are uninsured. And on and on.
Melissa and I have long been supporters of the United Way; I think I have been giving since the late 1980s. The 30 local agencies funded by the United Way are a big part of what makes Johnson County a great place to live! Please volunteer your time at one or more of these magnificent organizations!
In honor of 100 years, and in honor of Campaign Chairs Bob and Sue Dvorsky, we are going to increase our giving by 7.5%. I hope you will consider giving to the United Way this year. The community needs your help!
*Veteran’s Tailgate
Veterans and their immediate family members are invited to attend a free away-game “tailgate” event inside the historic Kinnick Stadium Press Box on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2019, to watch the live broadcast of the Iowa-Iowa State football game. The Johnson County Commission of Veterans Affairs is hosting the event to show appreciation for the region’s military veterans. No RSVP or ID is required.
Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m.; gates open at 2:15 p.m. The event will end 30 minutes after the conclusion of the game. Limited free parking on the west side of Kinnick Stadium will be available (enter the press box through Gate D). Light tailgating snacks and refreshments are free to attendees. Information about the tailgate is available at www.johnson-county.com/tailgate. Questions may be directed to Gary Boseneiler, Veterans Affairs Director, at 319-356-6049 or gbosenei@co.johnson.ia.us.
About the Johnson County Commission of Veterans Affairs: The Johnson County Commission of Veterans Affairs assists County residents who served in the U.S. Armed Forces, their relatives, beneficiaries and dependents in receiving aid and benefits to which they may be entitled. The Commission also provides temporary emergency financial assistance to honorably discharged Johnson County veterans who meet eligibility criteria.
The Johnson County Veterans Affairs office is located in the Health and Human Services Building, 855 S. Dubuque Street, Suite 109C, Iowa City.
*Volunteer for a Board or Commission!
The Johnson County Board of Supervisors is seeking volunteers to serve on various County boards and commissions. Board and commission members serve in an advisory role to help direct policy by making suggestions and recommendations to the Board of Supervisors and County staff.
Vacancies are available on the following Johnson County boards and commissions:
- Board of Health (one vacancy for a three-year term) – Application deadline: Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019.
- Building Code Board of Appeals (one vacancy for a four-year term) – Application deadline: Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019.
- Compensation Commission (28 vacancies for one-year terms) – Application deadline: Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019.
- Conservation Board (one vacancy for a five-year term) – Application deadline: Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019.
- Food Policy Council (one vacancy for a two-year term) – Application deadline: Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2019.
- Historic Preservation Commission (three vacancies for three-year terms) – Application deadline: Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019.
- Juvenile Justice and Youth Development Policy Board (one vacancy for a one-year term, three vacancies for three-year terms) – Application deadline: Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2019.
- Medical Examiner (one vacancy for a two-year term) – Application deadline: Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019.
- Planning and Zoning Commission (one vacancy for a five-year term) – Application deadline: Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019.
- SEATS Paratransit Advisory Committee (one vacancy for a two-year term) – Application deadline: Friday, Sept. 20, 2019.
- Zoning Board of Adjustment (one vacancy for a five-year term) – Application deadline: Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019.
Information about specific boards and commissions, vacancies and application forms are available on the Committee/Board Openings page of the Johnson County website at www.johnson-county.com/vacancies and in the office of the Johnson County Board of Supervisors, second floor of the Johnson County Administration Building, 913 S. Dubuque Street, Iowa City. Questions can be directed to the Board of Supervisors Office at 319-356-6000 or applications@co.johnson.ia.us.
Completed applications must be returned to the Board of Supervisors Office by 4:30 p.m. on the day of the stated deadline.
*Remember – It Is Child Abuse!
I know I may be getting repetitive, but we should all still be outraged! The US Government is committing child abuse on a massive scale on our southern border! Have you called your member of Congress yet?
The vast majority of child development experts agree – even a brief separation from parents can lead to lifelong psychological consequences. Our government is doing much worse than that, and they are doing so in our name! Hell yes we should be outraged!
*DID YOU KNOW? As of July 1, 2018, Johnson County was home to 5399 Veterans. (Source: US Census.)
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
August 22, 2019
Sullivan’s Salvos 8/27/19
In this edition:
*Labor Day
*Labor Day Picnic
*The Electability Myth
*Did You Know?
*Labor Day
Happy Labor Day Monday, September 2! I love Labor Day. Every Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day we set aside time to recall the folks whose service has given us our freedom. I have long felt we need to treat Labor Day in a similar fashion.
Please take a moment this Labor Day to remember the people who fought (and often died) to give us child labor laws, 40 hour weeks, weekends, overtime, vacations, the minimum wage, sick leave, parental leave, OSHA, employment nondiscrimination, pensions, Social Security, health insurance, and so much more.
Do not be fooled! Benevolent corporations did not GIVE these benefits to workers! They were earned by workers who sacrificed! It is a shame that so many average Janes and Joes have chosen to support our corporate masters versus supporting those whose efforts really benefit the masses.
Unions continue to provide the best protections working people can have. I feel as though I have accomplished some good things as a member of the Board of Supervisors. One of the accomplishments of which I am most proud is starting an employee appreciation lunch every year the week of Labor Day. Johnson County employees deserve much more, but this is one extra opportunity to say thank you.
Trust me – the average person has nothing to fear from unions. We all benefit when folks have safe and healthy workplaces. We all benefit when workers get adequate rest. We all benefit when workers receive good training. We all benefit when folks earn a living wage and have health insurance. Unions help improve the quality of life for all of us.
One example of a way in which unions benefit everyone: much is made of the automobile industry expanding into the southern US. While these are not union plants, workers still have good wages and benefits. Some see this as an indictment of unions. It is precisely the opposite.
Do not think for a minute that these companies pay $22 per hour because they WANT to. They would be much happier to pay $4 per hour. And, when China’s workforce improves in quality to the point that they can do automotive work, the companies will move there.
Understand – large corporations exist for one reason, and that is to earn a profit. If the laws allowed slavery, some companies would use it. Because it is cheaper.
So why do they pay $22 in the southern US? Because of the threat of the United Auto Workers (UAW). If the wages or benefits ever sink too low, UAW could unionize those workers. The car companies don’t want that, so they pay the lowest possible acceptable wage.
See? The UAW does not represent the workers at those plants. But they have driven up the wages and benefits for the workers there all the same.
Labor has been hit hard, but not everything is doom and gloom. Look at the recent public employee recertification elections. 436 out of 468 public-sector bargaining units voted to recertify their organizations. Voter participation was 88 percent.
I am proud to be a member of Local 716 of the American Federation of Teachers, an affiliate of the Iowa City Federation of Labor. Happy Labor Day!
*Labor Day Picnic
The Iowa City Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, will host its annual Labor Day picnic on Monday, September 2, starting at 12 PM at City Park. Burgers, brats, veggie options and beverages provided. Please bring a dish to share. Political speeches and a good time guaranteed. Free and open to all Friends of Labor.
*The Electability Myth
Every time I hear someone talk about “electability,” I cringe. What the hell is “electability”?
Did you HONESTLY believe in 2006 that a black man named Barack Hussein Obama could be elected? (I was on his team that early, but I was far from certain!) Did you HONESTLY believe in 2015 that Donald Trump could be elected? I didn’t.
And the list goes on and on. “Electability” is not real. It is a creation of pundits – pundits whose predictions are about 80% wrong. “Electability” can only be measured after the fact – did the person in question get elected? Anyone who pretends to know something about “electability” before an election is simply a fraud.
Now the pundits have regular people thinking about this completely fabricated idea. And regular people are making decisions based upon guessing how their neighbors might guess. The whole thing is a big farce! The Emperor has no clothes!
What’s more, when asked to define “electability,” we often get into racist, sexist, homophobic traps. Who “looks like” a President? Well, all but one are old white guys. So I guess it is the old white guy?
The idea of “electability” also causes Democrats to move to the middle on issues when that is actually WORSE for their electoral chances and WORSE for the country! Look at the subject of background checks for firearm purchases. Polls routinely show support for background checks in the upper 80s and low 90s. But because of the “electability” boogie man, many Democratic candidates feel a need to move to the center on that issue.
Polling of Democrats continues to show that their number one issue – by far – is defeating Donald Trump. If this polling is accurate, then one becomes “electable” simply by winning the Democratic nomination.
So please… stop perpetuating the “electability” myth. Let’s talk policy. Let’s talk ideas. And let’s stop trying to guess what will happen.
*DID YOU KNOW? The first U.S. Labor Day was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, planned by the Knights of Labor. The Labor Day parade of about 10,000 workers took unpaid leave and marched from City Hall past Union Square to Elm Park at 92nd Street and 9th Avenue for a concert, speeches, and a picnic.
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
August 15, 2019
Sullivan’s Salvos 8/20/19
In this edition:
*Happy Birthday BJ!
*Medicare For All
*Did You Know?
*Happy Birthday BJ!
My son BJ turns 23 on August 22. He has already had several adventures, and there are no doubt more to come. BJ is a full time student at Kirkwood right now.
BJ is funny compassionate, kind, and all around wonderful! I am very proud of him! Happy Birthday, BJ! I love you!
*Medicare For All
All the Democratic Presidential candidates are talking about Medicare For All (M4A). Some are in favor, and others are not. This is a topic I know quite a bit about, as I spent 7 years working with the Iowa Medicaid Program. So let’s talk a little bit about M4A.
First: Why are we talking about this at all? The answer is simple – our current system of healthcare is badly broken! Our healthcare outcomes are bad – The United States ranks last overall among 11 industrialized countries on measures of health system quality, efficiency, access to care, equity, and healthy lives, according to a recent Commonwealth Fund report.
But not only are our outcomes bad, we are spending the most money! According to data from the OECD, the US spent $10,209 on healthcare per person in 2017. That's more than any other country in OECD's 36-country consortium, and over $2,000 more than Switzerland, the second-highest spending country.
So we spend the most money, yet get some of the worst results. And everyday Americans know this. Too many people lack coverage. If you can get coverage, it is too expensive, and comes with many out of pocket costs. And even if you have coverage, it is often limited. Finally, every coverage comes with a byzantine set of rules, procedures, and red tape. It is the number one cause of bankruptcy in the US. It leads to increases in stress, divorce, depression, addiction, and suicide. We are sick, and our broken healthcare system is making us sicker.
So most Democrats agree that our broken healthcare system is right near the top in terms of issues we need to address. And many of them are talking about doing so through some type of M4A.
Next, some background on Medicare. The most succinct description I could find came from Wikipedia: Medicare is a national health insurance program in the United States, begun in 1966 under the Social Security Administration (SSA) and now administered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). It provides health insurance for Americans over 65.
In 2018, Medicare provided health insurance for over 59.9 million individuals—more than 52 million people aged 65 and older and about 8 million younger people. Medicare is funded by a combination of a payroll tax, beneficiary premiums, co-pays and deductibles, and general U.S. Treasury revenue.
Any discussion of Medicare (or M4A) must also include a discussion of Medicaid. Again, tapping Wikipedia: Medicaid in the United States is a federal and state program that helps with medical costs for some people with limited income and resources.
Medicaid is the largest source of funding for medical and health-related services for people with low income in the United States, providing free health insurance to 74 million low-income and disabled people (23% of Americans) as of 2017. It is a means-tested program that is jointly funded by the state and federal governments and managed by the states, with each state currently having broad leeway to determine who is eligible for its implementation of the program.
About 35% of all Americans are on either Medicaid or Medicare. Throw in Veteran’s coverage, and 40% of all Americans have public health care coverage. That does NOT include Federal employees, such as postal workers, and their families, who are also on government-provided healthcare. That is another 10 million people.
One consideration when discussing M4A – You have to pay extra for the prescription drug plan (Medicare Part D.) Also, Medicare does not pay for vision, dental, hearing aids, and a few additional services. This is why most Medicare recipients purchase some type of Medicare supplement – additional, private insurance for which they pay out of pocket. Medicaid DOES cover these services at no additional cost.
Another big concern that I hear is that Medicare only pays between 20-80% of the actual cost of most medical services. While this is true, the cost of those services is driven in large part by the overhead. Our current healthcare system is full of people who do insurance, accounting, billing, collections, and other related jobs. Those do nothing to improve care. Under private insurance, those costs account for about 15% of the cost of care. Under Medicare, that number is about 3%.
It is true that Medicare patients use more costly services, meaning that 3% is a percentage of a higher number. But comparing admin costs is a small portion of the actual money being spent here! Private insurance pays hundreds of millions in marketing costs. More importantly, they suck billions in profits out of the system. None of that is included under “admin”. Clearly, it is cheaper to go the route of the government-run Medicare program, which does not require as much marketing and needs only to break even.
There are several versions of M4A out there. Do you include private insurance companies? There is an argument that some people like their insurance. I call bullshit. No one likes their insurance. They simply fear the unknown. But be forewarned - once you take on the insurance companies, you are in for a huge and expensive fight. Just ask Barack Obama! If it comes to a choice, most members of Congress are going to choose the interests of insurance companies over the interests of the people they represent.
Some candidates promote an incremental response – some of these ideas include expanding Medicaid to 200% of poverty; requiring every state to comply with Medicaid expansion; enrolling all newborns in M4A; allowing people 50 and older to buy in to Medicare; and many more. Realistically, M4A will not happen overnight. We will require some time and some incremental steps to make it work. No one knows what those steps will be.
Medicare for all will cost $32 trillion over the first ten years, depending on how you proceed. But the current system will cost $60 trillion! Most people will actually spend less, even if some see higher taxes.
This points to a concern I have with some Presidential candidates. For example, Kamala Harris’ insistence on a “middle class” tax cut is very misguided. First, like most people, she grossly overestimates exactly who is in the “middle class”. Tax cuts for families who earn $100,000 annually? Those folks earn almost DOUBLE what is actually the median family income – about $59,000. Secondly, she simply cannot pay for everything she is promising while also doing big tax cuts. The math just doesn’t add up.
Overall, M4A will be good for the economy. Take the state of Montana, which expanded Medicaid in 2016 to more than 90,000 people. A study out this month from the University of Montana’s Bureau of Economic Research shows the expansion of Medicaid generates a half-billion dollars a year in healthcare spending. Of that, 70%, or $350 million, is new money in the economy.
I have always thought our current system is holding us back. We all know lots of people who are stuck in jobs because of the health insurance. Imagine freeing entrepreneurs up to leave jobs they are keeping just for the insurance!
So – will Democrats get M4A done? Language matters. People know Medicare. They all know people who use it, and they all know it works. The bottom line? What we are doing now is failing miserably. We can and must do better!
*DID YOU KNOW? Contrary to statements by some Presidential candidates, the National and Iowa AFL-CIOs support Medicare For All!
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
August 7, 2019
Sullivan’s Salvos 8/13/19
In this edition:
*Happy Birthday Melissa!
*Shootings
*Responsibility for Jail
*Both Can Be True!
*Cosgrove Pork Day
*Did You Know?
*Happy Birthday Melissa!
My wonderful wife Melissa Fath celebrates her birthday on August 17th. I have got to tell you – Melissa Fath is AMAZING! Her ability to balance cancer research with her roles as a wife, mother, and community member – I have no words to do it justice! I guess I’ll just stick to: Happy Birthday, Honey! I love you!
*Shootings
There is nothing I can add. Mitch McConnell is an evil, evil man. He will have an eternity in which he can discuss all these mass shootings with the killers themselves.
*Responsibility for Jail
The staff at the Johnson County Jail suffered through yet another untenable situation last week, as a clogged sewer pipe broke and flooded portions of the first floor. This is not a new phenomenon, unfortunately; it happens about once per year, to varying degrees.
Let’s be very clear: County employees should not have this happen at their place of employment. And Facilities staff should not have to clean it up. But the jail was underbuilt and poorly designed in 1981, and there is no easy fix.
There have been attempts to fix things. A Jail bond vote got 34% in 2000, before Sheriff Pulkrabek and myself were in office. We made a run at it in 2012 and got 56%; a year later, we got 54%.
I say “we” and I mean it! I was part of the campaign committee. I never missed a meeting. I wrote letters, made phone calls, spoke to civic groups, did interviews with radio and television – I did everything I could to get this to pass. I used a lot of political capital. I really tried. Unfortunately, it was not enough.
This is why I am furious at some of the recent comments on Sheriff Pulkrabek’s Facebook Page. I do not begrudge Lonny putting his frustrations out there; he SHOULD do that! His staff deserves better! But I am tired of all the armchair quarterbacks blaming the Board of Supervisors. Here are some facts to consider:
If you want to blame the Supervisors, understand that only two of us (Supervisor Rettig and myself) were on the Board for the ’12 and ’13 votes. I take responsibility for my role in the two failed efforts. It is unfair to hold the three newest Supervisors to the same standard.
If you want to blame Supervisors for not attempting a bond issue since ’13? Reconsider your anger. Lonny has not wanted to try. And I support that decision. The public spoke twice, and they earned a pause in our efforts. Additionally, there are no plans in terms of what, where, or when. Planning a jail takes a long time, and you simply can’t do a vote overnight.
If your argument is, “Supervisors should have paid for this instead of the Conservation Bond,” you don’t understand public finance. Over 60% of voters approved the Conservation Bond. The jail never got the required 60% supermajority. Supervisors do not decide this; the public does.
If your argument is, “Supervisors should have just saved for it,” again, you don’t understand public finance. We MIGHT be able to save $1-2 million per year. Maybe. A jail would be at least $50 million; probably $80 million. Accounting for inflation, it would take us almost 100 years to save enough to build that type of structure.
Finally, and most importantly, where were these critics when we were trying to get this passed? I remember every person who came to meetings, took call packets, etc. I do not recall seeing ANY of them!
Before you criticize other people for our failure to pass a jail bond, look in a mirror. What did you do? Did you actively work to get it passed? If not? Save your criticisms!
*Both Can Be True!
I think the most difficult thing in politics is dealing with a question to which there are multiple correct answers. For some reason, people just have a really hard time accepting the fact that more than one answer can be true.
Locally, the failed jail bond is a good example. Some people opposed it because of the cost. Some opposed it because of the location. Some opposed it because of the design. Some opposed it because of disproportionate minority contact in our criminal justice system. Some opposed it because they believe marijuana should be legal (or at least decriminalized). Some opposed it just to put a thumb in the eye of the local Democratic Party.
There are 6 separate, very different reasons for opposing that initiative. You do not have to agree with ANY of the stated reasons. But they are all real in the minds of some voters. And if each one led to 7% of the public voting no? There is the 42% that voted against the project. (60% was required to pass.)
I have seen the same thing applied to the 2016 Clinton Campaign. She was not likeable. She ran a poor campaign. She ignored battleground states. Misogyny. Russian interference. James Comey. Bernie Sanders. Jill Stein.
There are 8 separate, very different explanations for her loss. You do not have to agree with ANY of the stated reasons. But they are all real in the minds of some voters. Taken together, they add up to a loss.
Now we are poised for the 2020 Presidential Campaign, and I once again see folks struggling with questions that have multiple correct answers: Should we focus on the base? Should we focus on Democrats who failed to vote in ’16? Should we focus on Obama-Trump voters? Should we focus on healthcare? Should we focus on black women? Should we focus on rural voters?
The answer – in every case – is YES! We can have multiple truths! We live in a complex world. There is no silver bullet – we must do lots of things, and do them all well. And we can. The first step is stopping this silly fighting, and recognizing that sometimes the answer is, “all of the above.”
*Cosgrove Pork Day
St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Cosgrove is holding its annual Pork Day on Sunday, August 18, 2019. There is a Polka Mass at 11:00, followed by dinner from 11:00 - 1:00. (Under 5: free; 6-12: $9; 13+: $13) There is also a raffle, kiddie rides, music, a beer tent, and much more.
*DID YOU KNOW? There were several things “cut out” of the 1981 jail which continue to dog us to this day. It is is case study in why you need to build things correctly the first time!
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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