SULLIVAN'S SALVOS

January 25, 2023

Sullivan’s Salvos 1/31/23

In this edition:

*Happy Groundhog Day!

*One Year Post Move

*Debt Ceiling

*Bowl For Kids Sake

*DVIP Souper Bowl

*Food Versus Private Schools

*How Did Democrats Do?

*Did You Know?

*Happy Groundhog Day!

Hey, we need to celebrate anything we can, right? By the way – the 1993 movie Groundhog Day really is a classic, isn’t it? OK. Enough small talk. I wish you six less weeks of winter!

*One Year Post Move

My family of four (wife Melissa, daughter Rachel, and granddaughter Zuri) moved one year ago this week. After 21+ years at 2326 E. Court Street on the east side of Iowa City, we moved to 514 N. Linn Street on the north side of town. And I have to say, we are very happy we did it!

We have a big porch, which I love. We are within a very quick walk of downtown, which I love. Zuri is only 3 blocks from her school. There is a lot to love!

The neighborhood is interesting, though. Whereas my neighbors at the old place were in their 90s, the neighbors now are barely 21. As someone who spends a lot of time considering quality of life issues, it has provided a very different perspective.

*Debt Ceiling

The fight over the Debt Ceiling is about to begin once again. Here are just a few things you should know:

1.) This is *NOT* about spending! That is done during the budget. This is about simply paying bills you have already accrued. If you feel spending is too great, address it at budget time.

2.) This is the fault of Republicans in the House of Representatives. No one else – just House Republicans. Democrats stand ready to pay our bills. Republicans are trying to tank the economy.

3.) What do these Republicans want? Cuts to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.

4.) There are two additional people you can be angry with – Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema. If they would have agreed to end the filibuster JUST FOR THIS MATTER, Democrats could have taken the issue off the table permanently. So whatever economic damage is done, they have blood on their hands.

Let’s hope the standoff ends quickly, with minimal damage. But please understand, this is *NOT* a political negotiation. It is akin to hostage taking.

*Bowl For Kids Sake

The Sullivan for Supervisor team is once again raising money for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Johnson County by Bowling For Kids’ Sake.

BBBS is REALLY important! Statistics show that having a trusted adult mentor makes an unbelievable difference in the life of a child. Kids with BBBS matches do better academically, are less likely to abuse drugs and alcohol, and are less likely to be involved in the criminal justice system. This simple idea WORKS.

Please contribute to the Sullivan for Supervisor team at:

https://bbbsjc.bbbsfundraise.org/bfks2023/myhq

*DVIP Souper Bowl

The Domestic Violence Intervention Program (DVIP)’s 26th Annual Souper Bowl Fundraiser will be held on February 23rd, 2023 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel and Conference Center from 5:30-7:30 PM. The event will be back in person, with drive-through and delivery options available. “Soupporters” will be able to choose from several soups donated by local restaurants.

For over 40 years, DVIP has partnered with the community to support victim-survivors and provide safety solutions. As DVIP and other victim service programs face funding cuts, “this event is vital because it provides the financial support to ensure our advocates are there when victim-survivors need them,” said Alta Medea, director of community engagement. “In addition, the Souper Bowl demonstrates that we, as a community, support and believe victim-survivors. This event shows them that they are not alone.”

This community event raises funds for victims of intimate partner violence, human trafficking, stalking, and harassment in the counties that DVIP serves. The “Souper Bowl” was created by Executive Director Kristie Fortmann-Doser to challenge the myth that more violence occurs against women around the NFL Super Bowl.

To buy tickets see: https://dvipiowa.org/dvip-hosts-26th-annual-souper-bowl-february-23-2023/

*Food Versus Private Schools

Please read the following article by Gazette columnist Todd Dorman. It needs to be spread far and wide!

https://www.thegazette.com/staff-columnists/people-need-food-to-be-alive-iowa-gop-isnt-so-sure/

*How Did Democrats Do?

I wrote this for Salvos in mid-January of 2021. I thought it might be an interesting exercise to take a look back and see how Democrats did!

Lost in the tragic events of the past couple of weeks is the fact that Democrats have a trifecta, with the Presidency, Senate, and House. So what comes next? What do they take on first?

Before we get into that, let’s review the playing field. The Democrats have control, but by the slimmest possible margins. I talked last week about the way in which Mitch McConnell has broken the Senate, and therefore broken our democracy. God forbid something happens to one Democratic Senator – if so, McConnell stops EVERYTHING. So everything is urgent, and everything hangs by a thread.

Even if things get passed, they will run into a hostile Supreme Court. It does not matter what the law is, if it was passed by Democrats, Alieto and Thomas want it repealed. Kavanaugh and Gorsuch might be a bit better, but not much. Coney Barrett’s reputation precedes her. And Roberts is a longtime advocate of voter suppression, among other things. So it will not be easy getting ANYTHING done.

So what should get done first? Here are my suggestions, in the form of a top ten list. And yes, these are in order, as far as I am concerned:

1. Justice Steven Breyer needs to retire, and Biden needs to replace him.
Breyer is 82 years old. We have seen this before. One thing happens to Sherrod Brown, Jon Tester, Joe Manchin, etc. and this becomes yet another GOP appointment. This needs to be done within hours of Biden being sworn in, and I am not kidding!

2. Send $2000 COVID relief checks.
Democrats pushed for this; they should follow through.

3. Do all the other COVID relief that needs to be done.
There are many common sense COVID relief measures that McConnell refused to entertain. We should get them done.

4. Improve vaccine distribution; perhaps with Defense Production Act.
The best way to save lives and fix our economy is to improve vaccine distribution. The Biden Administration can do this.

5. Confirm Biden’s cabinet selections.
No need to worry about McConnell blocking anyone.

6. Pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act.
The House will pass it. Some Republican will filibuster it. Democrats should make them do this as long as the law allows, then hold them to account. So while I don’t see this passing, at least Democrats will have given it a go.

7. Fill vacant judicial openings.
There are no longer filibusters on judicial nominations. So Biden should fill every single vacancy as fast as humanly possible. First up? Merrick Garland’s old seat on the DC Circuit.

8. Reverse the Trump tax cuts for the wealthy.
This should be brought to a vote in the Senate – again, make them filibuster it. Then pass it through budget reconciliation.

9. Reverse all Trump’s Executive Orders.
Trump has done tremendous damage to the environment, labor, civil rights, and other areas. Just as it was done by the stroke of a pen, it can be undone.

10. Forgive most student loan debt.
Like several previous issues, this should be brought to a vote in the Senate – again, make them filibuster it. Then pass it through budget reconciliation. This is TREMENDOUS economic stimulus, and good politics, too!

That is my top ten. What do you think?

So? What do you think? I would have to say Democrats fared pretty well.

*DID YOU KNOW? Groundhog Day has been celebrated in Punxsutawney, PA since 1886.

Anyone interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the County website-

www.johnsoncountyiowa.gov.

"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.

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---Rod

January 19, 2023

I am angry about the recent decision by Kirkwood Community College to close their Iowa City campus. Iowa City has ALWAYS gotten short shrift from Kirkwood, though plenty of IC property taxes flow to that institution.

I heard their justifications, and I heard how they plan on “mitigating” the loss. And I don’t buy it. They simply want more resources for their Cedar Rapids fiefdom. I think we should get a group together and see if we can get a competing junior college to take over the space. Maybe a different group could do better than an 11% graduation rate for black students.

Yes, I’m pissed. My constituents are being done wrong by this institution once again, and I am sick of it.

I read a great article once by a gentleman named Jamie Vollmer. Vollmer was a top executive with Great Midwestern Ice Cream Company. (One of the downtown Iowa City businesses I miss the most!) The story goes like this:

Vollmer was one of the many who thought the public education system was broken, but was blaming the wrong people. He was certain that a great business mind like his could fix what ailed public education. So he started to get involved.

One day, a teacher asked him about his ice cream. “You think it is the best in the world?” “Yes, I do.” “Why is that?” Vollmer named a few things, but right at the top was “quality ingredients.” The teacher stopped him. “So what if you got a bad shipment of blueberries?” “Oh, that has happened,” Vollmer replied. “We will not accept that. We send it back.” The teacher just smiled and said, “And public schools do not get to do that.”

This story had an impact on Vollmer, who became a huge advocate for public schools and public school teachers. The link to the article is here if you want to read it yourself. https://www.teachers.net/gazette/JUN02/vollmer.html

Please keep this in mind as we discuss vouchers – public funds for private schools. The private schools will get public money, but they do not need to accept kids who require special ed services. No kids with emotional issues such as anxiety. No kids with depression or other mental health concerns. No kids with physical disabilities. No kids who speak languages other than English. No kids with ADD or ADHD.

Heck, they can even choose to refuse kids with allergies, kids who are not a certain religion, kids whose parents are divorced, and kids who cannot afford the tuition. They can require tests for admittance. They can choose their blueberries.

Private schools have every right to exist. But they should *NEVER* receive public funding. The Governor’s plan is simply a transfer of wealth from the poor to the rich. The exact opposite of Biblical teachings. I wonder how all the Bible-based private schools will explain that?

The City and County Conference Boards are meeting soon to discuss the performances and budgets of the Iowa City and Johnson County Assessors.

Assessors are the folks who determine the value of all our taxable real estate. Every county has an Assessor; so do several of the larger cities. In some areas, notably Des Moines/Polk County and Waterloo/Black Hawk County, the City Assessor’s Office has been absorbed by the County Assessor’s Office.

The Iowa City Assessor handles all the property inside Iowa City proper; the Johnson County Assessor does everything else. The IC Assessor is responsible for just over $7 billion in appraised value; the JC Assessor is responsible for just over $9 billion. (Meaning the actual total assessed value in Johnson County is just over $16 billion.) Both serve about 77,000 residents.

Houses, businesses, farms and the like all go up and down in value. Because Johnson County has historically been viewed as a very good place to live, property values here have gone up steadily. When property values across the country crashed as the housing bubble broke in ‘08, property values in Johnson County remained fairly flat. Since then, the rise has been precipitous.

Property tax-levying governmental units (county, cities, schools) are represented on the Conference Boards. So the IC Assessor’s Office is overseen by Johnson County, Iowa City, and the ICCSD. The JC Assessor’s Office is overseen by Johnson County, ten cities (all but IC), and ten school districts (including the ICCSD).

Now for some very good news: Assessors are measured for accuracy and ranked every year. The IC Assessor’s Office and JC Assessor’s Office routinely rank in the top 2-3 of about 115 offices statewide. That is correct – Iowa City and Johnson County are the best! In all my years as a Supervisor, Johnson County has finished number 1 seven times, number 2 six times, and number 3 four times.

In addition to being number one as a simple matter of pride, we should be extremely pleased by these results. This means that property taxpayers are likely paying their fair share. You are not likely paying too much, nor are you paying too little, relative to all property taxpayers. That is a very good thing.

I know, I know. You all think your assessed value is too high. There is an easy way to check this. Would you sell your property today at assessed value? Most folks I know would not; they think it is worth more. There is your answer. If you DO think it is too high, assessed values are easy to appeal. Just call the appropriate Assessor’s Office.

We are being well served by our Assessors. Congratulations to Iowa City Assessor Brad Comer, Johnson County Assessor Tom Van Buer, and all their employees on these tremendous accomplishments!

We are working on the FY24 budget, and I thought it made for a good time to revisit the subject of property taxes.

1. Value of the property: The Assessor for your jurisdiction determines how much a given property is worth. The property then receives an assessed value.

2. Classification of the property: A given property is classified into one of several categories. With a few minor exceptions, taxable properties are classified as either Agricultural, Residential, Commercial, or Industrial.

3. Levy rates: Each taxing jurisdiction has a levy rate for Ag, Residential, Commercial, and Industrial. The rate for each jurisdiction is applied.

4. Credits/rollbacks, etc.: There are occasional credits and rollbacks that artificially adjust the taxes due on certain taxable properties.

So, you take the value of the property, times the total levy rate for that class of property for each jurisdiction. Then apply any rollbacks or credits, and you have your total amount of property taxes due.

The taxing bodies do not have as much control over property taxes as you might think. Assessors value and classify the property. The state determines credits and rollbacks. All the taxing bodies control are the levy rates.

The levy rate in Johnson County has actually dropped 7 of the past 8 years. That is because values continue to rise.

*DID YOU KNOW? Johnson County has about $11 billion in assessed value; that does not count any UI or government buildings.