SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
November 27, 2019
Sullivan’s Salvos 12/3/19
In this edition:
*Passing a Plan through Congress
*Farm Stats
*Still Wanting His Own Facts!
*Grow Johnson County
*Pandering on Taxes
*Did You Know?
*Passing a Plan through Congress
A lot of the moderates in the Democratic Presidential race claim that Medicare For All is unrealistic and cannot pass. They argue that their more moderate plans will collect Republican votes in the Senate.
Sorry, but this is a bunch of Bull. This idea that, “I can get my plan passed, while she cannot,”? Bull. Any improvements Democrats can make to health care will be made with only Democratic votes.
Remember Obama? He got exactly ZERO Republican votes for the Affordable Care Act (ACA). And a Democratic President in 2021 – regardless of who she is – should count on ZERO Republican votes for any health care reforms.
And it is not just health care. Republicans are not going to vote for ANYTHING a Democratic President proposes. Nothing. Being more middle of the road will not help.
Obama’s biggest problem was the DEMOCRATS who refused to support all or part of the ACA. It didn’t help any of the “moderate” Democrats to fight Obama on this; Max Baucus, Kent Conrad, Blanche Lincoln, Bill Nelson, and Ben Nelson are all gone. Might as well do the right thing and pass healthcare on the way out the door!
Seriously, many Democratic voters are at the end of the rope. If the Democratic Party underplays their health care hand, look for millions more Americans heading to third parties. 2020 is the last best chance for this party to stand for something! And Medicaid for All is the type of bold plan Americans want!
When we talk about “electability”, we tend to focus solely on the attitudes of people with good insurance who are nervous. We need to focus more on the millions of Dems who really need big, structural change! The need something for which to vote!
*Farm Stats
I recently came across some interesting statistics regarding agriculture in Iowa. The info comes from the Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers. The Coalition is a joint partnership involving the Iowa Beef Industry Council, Iowa Cattlemen’s Association, Iowa Corn Growers Association, Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, Iowa Pork Producers Association, Iowa Poultry Association, Iowa Soybean Association, Iowa Turkey Federation and Midwest Dairy Association.
Some stats:
The average farm size is 355 acres. (I would love to see the median farm size rather than the average. I think there are a lot of 5-acre farms coupled with a lot of 705 acre farms. That averages 355.)
Iowa farmers produce 2.6 trillion bushels of corn, almost 57 million laying hens, and almost 23 million hogs.
Iowa leads the nation in producing hogs, corn, eggs, and layers. Iowa is in the top ten for soybeans, cattle, and turkeys.
*Still Wanting His Own Facts!
I mentioned last week that a Solon-area farmer has been hitting me with a bunch of discredited right-wing talking points. Well, he won’t quit that easily.
His argument is once again that taxes in Johnson County are the highest in Iowa. No. Not even close. The Johnson County Rural levy ranks 47 out of Iowa’s 99 counties.
He points out that Johnson County property owners on average pay the highest dollar amount in taxes. That is easy to explain. Their property is worth more.
One needs to look at tax rates. He pays more in taxes than I do. Does that mean taxes in rural Solon are higher than they are in Iowa City? No. It means he owns more property. Higher property values = higher taxes. That is just common sense. The one thing we can control is the RATE. And our rate is nowhere near the highest.
It is such a load of BS that people are out there regularly spreading this type of misinformation.
*Grow Johnson County
Please check out the following great news from Grow Johnson County:
20,133.5 pounds. 10 tons. 1,438 stone. However you want to say it, we had a prosperous year in the fields at the Grow farm.
We grew over 30 varieties of vegetables on our five acres of land. Every field on those five acres was cover cropped at some point during the year (with 7 different species!). We installed 1,300 feet of habitat to support our favorite on-farm neighbors, the predaceous ground beetles. We trained two all-star Grow Apprentices, three future leaders through the YES! program, and hosted over 250 volunteers and visitors. Last, but far from least, we will soon be installing our new 96-foot-long greenhouse.
Many hands made this work possible: volunteers, apprentices, Grow staff, and you, our generous donors, outspoken champions, and friends. We need you all in our corner for this work to continue.
We have a few exciting ways to contribute to Grow during this season of giving:
- Ever wish you could donate a few dollars every month? Good news! Join the ranks of "Grow Shareholder" by visiting our donation page--now equipped with recurring monthly donation option.
- Ever wish your business could make a larger contribution? You're in luck! We just rolled out our 2020 Sponsorship Program. Check out our Sponsor Announcement to learn more about the four levels and the benefits to being sponsors.
- Stop in to the Not Your Mother's Craft Fair on December 7th and buy a beverage (or two!). Grow will be receiving 100% of the drink proceeds from this event.
*Pandering on Taxes
I get really upset when politicians design tax policies with an eye toward pandering as opposed to an eye toward fairness. A really egregious example is on display right now in the Des Moines Mayoral race, where candidate Jack Hatch is proposing a property tax cut for people over age 65. This may be good politics, but it is HORRIBLE tax policy!
This is wrong on so many levels. First, they have already moved much of the tax revenue from property taxes to sales taxes. This is a direct tax shift from richer people to poorer people. If you are going to cut a tax, cut sales tax.
Secondly, people over age 65 are often the wealthiest in the community! Why cut their taxes simply because they are 65? This is a tax cut for the people who need it the least!
Thirdly, even people over 65 who are struggling to afford their taxes have an option… they can sell the house! They have equity! Most people are NOT homeowners, and have no such option. So again, why target financial assistance to people with a valuable asset?
This is an attempt to grab votes disguised as tax policy. And it is shameful! Tax policy needs to be progressive, fair, and neutral.
*DID YOU KNOW? Grow Johnson County operates at the Johnson County Historic Poor Farm, just west of Highway 218 on Melrose Avenue.
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.
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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 @ 8:15 AM
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