SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
August 25, 2022
Sullivan’s Salvos 8/30/22
In this edition:
*Using My Name
*The UI is Back!
*Student Loan Forgiveness
*Inflation Reduction Act
*Did You Know?
*Using My Name
I learned an interesting thing this week. If you type “rodsullivan.org” into your browser, you are redirected to Republican Supervisor candidate Phil Hemingway’s Facebook page. I tried it several times, and sure enough, that is where you go.
I find this somewhat interesting. Obviously, I was not using the domain. I do not own it – I never did. I don’t have any particular right to it. But Phil had to very specifically seek out that domain and purchase it. Why?
Why buy a domain containing my name? I’m not up for election. Redirecting people who enter that to his Facebook page might get him a few clicks, but it feels a bit misleading to me.
I checked all the other Supervisors – it appears he only bought my name. I guess I am not sure why he didn’t buy the others; perhaps they were unavailable? I should also note that while I like Phil, I am not supporting him in his run for Supervisor. I support Jon Green and V Fixmer Oraiz. I want to be clear about that.
Anyway, I guess this is no big deal. But I feel a bit wronged. Maybe violated is the correct word. I wish Phil had spoken to me before using my name.
*The UI is Back!
The University of Iowa is back in session, and you can just feel the energy. 35,000 or so people have joined our ranks, and it almost feels as though the community is swelling.
I have an interesting vantage point from my house here on N. Linn Street. There are only two owner occupied homes on our block. There is an apartment building, a rooming house, and several historic properties that serve as rentals. We have been surrounded by beer pong, but we really can’t complain. The parties have been reasonable thus far.
We moved in February 1, so this will be our first fall in the neighborhood. We are absolutely loving it so far; I hope that is still true as we begin the 2022-2023 academic year!
*Student Loan Forgiveness
Sticking with the student theme, President Biden recently announced a plan to forgive up to $10,000 in student loans for all borrowers earning less than $125,000. I think this is a GREAT idea! I will really help our economy, and it will disproportionately help women and people of color.
Now let me refute some common objections:
1. “This is not a long-term fix.” I agree. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do it! Pass the relief, then work on long-term solutions.
2. “I paid back my student loans.” Great. But the Federal and State governments paid a much higher percentage of the cost of your schooling. This is simply leveling the playing field.
3. “What about people who didn’t go to college?” Society decided long ago that it was critically important to have an educated populace/workforce. It benefits everyone to have doctors, dentists, teachers, engineers, etc. We used to pay it through State taxes. This is just a different way.
4. “This just benefits rich people.” First, rich people do not take out student loans. Their parents simply pay. Secondly, the income cap eliminates much of that argument. Thirdly, statistics show that poor people are paying back much more per capita than wealthier students.
5. “We didn’t get forgiveness when I was that age.” My Dad had the perfect response to this type of argument. He was born in a house with a dirt floor, no running water, and no electricity. He would tell people, “Why the Hell would I wish that on my kids?”
I am really glad President Biden took this step.
*Inflation Reduction Act
The Inflation Reduction Act passed recently, and there is a lot of good stuff in it for average Americans! Now our job is to educate people as to what that stuff is! Here are some details, straight from the White House!
The Inflation Reduction Act lowers prescription drug costs, health care costs, and energy costs. It’s the most aggressive action on tackling the climate crisis in American history, which will lift up American workers and create good-paying, union jobs across the country. It’ll lower the deficit and ask the ultra-wealthy and corporations to pay their fair share. And no one making under $400,000 per year will pay a penny more in taxes.
The Inflation Reduction Act creates good-paying union jobs that will help reduce emissions across every sector of our economy. As President Biden promised when running for president, the law includes some of the strongest labor protections and incentives ever attached to clean energy tax credit programs. It will:
Incentivize prevailing wages. The expanded tax credits for energy efficient commercial buildings, new energy efficient homes, and electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure will include bonus credits for businesses that pay prevailing wages and hire registered apprentices, ensuring local wages are not undercut by low-road contractors.
Stop companies from ripping off workers. It will penalize companies that promise to pay prevailing wages but don’t follow through, and workers who are owed prevailing wages will receive the difference, plus interest.
Make it in America. For the first time ever, the Inflation Reduction Act establishes Make it in America provisions for the use of American-made equipment for clean energy production. The law provides expanded clean energy tax credits for wind, solar, nuclear, clean hydrogen, clean fuels, and carbon capture, including bonus credits for businesses that pay workers a prevailing wage and use registered apprenticeship programs.
The Inflation Reduction Act will make our tax code fairer by cracking down on millionaires, billionaires, and corporations that evade their obligations, and making sure the largest corporations pay their fair share. No family making less than $400,000 per year will see their taxes go up by a single cent. The Inflation Reduction Act will raise revenue by:
Going after tax dodgers, ensuring the wealthy and large corporations pay the taxes they already owe.
Cracking down on the largest profitable corporations that currently get away with paying little to no federal income tax, instituting a minimum corporate tax of 15%.
Imposing a 1% surcharge on corporate stock buybacks, to encourage businesses to invest instead of enriching CEOs or funneling profits tax-free to shareholders.
Making transformational investments in taxpayer service so that regular Americans can get their questions answered and access the credits and benefits they are entitled to.
The law’s tax reforms won’t just raise revenue to finance critically needed investments to lower costs for working families and combat climate change, they are also an important component of building an economy that rewards work rather than wealth and doesn’t let the rich and powerful get away with playing by a separate set of rules.
President Biden made a promise to re-energize American manufacturing, and he kept his promise. The President already has the strongest record of growing manufacturing jobs in modern history, and this law invests in American workers and industry. The Inflation Reduction Act will:
Build American clean energy supply chains, by incentivizing domestic production in clean energy technologies like solar, wind, carbon capture, and clean hydrogen.
Support American workers with targeted tax incentives aimed at manufacturing U.S.-sourced products such as batteries, solar, and offshore wind components, and technologies for carbon capture systems.
Strengthen America’s manufacturing base. The Inflation Reduction promotes domestic sourcing and American jobs. For example, clean energy tax credits are increased if the amount of American steel used in wind projects meets the domestic content threshold, and bonus credits apply to employers who use of prevailing wages and apprenticeships, ensuring that federal tax policy supports good-paying, high-skilled jobs.
Create good-paying union jobs in energy communities. Clean energy tax credits will be increased by 10% if the clean energy projects are established in communities that have previously relied upon the extraction, processing, transport, or storage of coal, oil, or natural gas as a significant source of employment, creating jobs and economic development in the communities that have powered America for generations.
President Biden has followed through on his promise to lower the cost of prescription drugs. The Inflation Reduction Act will protect Medicare recipients from catastrophic drug costs by phasing in a cap for out-of-pocket costs and establishing a$35 cap for a month’s supply of insulin. And, as an historic win, Medicare will be able to negotiate prices for high-cost drugs for the first time ever. For union members or family members who benefit from the Affordable Care Act, it extends health insurance premium subsidies.
Whew! That is a lot! I am going to keep focusing on this huge win! I hope you do as well! Remember, ZERO Republicans voted for this. ZERO. Great job, Democrats!
*DID YOU KNOW? The Wharton School of Business estimates that the Inflation Reduction Act will reduce cumulative deficits by $248 billion. $248 billion! So when you hear Republicans complain about spending? This actually REDUCES the deficit!
Anyone interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the County website-
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---Rod
posted by Rod Sullivan @ 8:00 AM
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