SULLIVAN'S SALVOS

November 26, 2024

Sullivan’s Salvos 11/28/24

In this edition:

*Happy Thanksgiving!

*Welcome Erin!

*Local Food Event

*County Charter?

*Real Talk on Affordable Housing

*Did You Know?

*Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to Salvos readers! In many ways, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. (Imagine that coming from a fat guy, huh?)

Actually, I love the idea of giving thanks. It is a simple act that does not happen enough.

While I am at it – thanks to all of you who read Salvos each week. And a special thanks to those of you who follow up by sharing your thoughts. I appreciate it! Happy Thanksgiving!

*Welcome Erin!

The Johnson County Board of Supervisors is very excited to announce the hiring of Erin Shane as the Board Office Executive Director.

If the name sounds familiar, it is because Erin Shane was selected to serve as the interim County Auditor in August of this year after the former Auditor announced his resignation. Previously, she worked in the Johnson County Auditor’s Office as a Deputy Auditor and for the University of Iowa as the Associate Director of Parking & Transportation.

I am really happy about this hire! Erin demonstrated the necessary leadership and managerial skills to ensure a smooth election process for Johnson County voters. Her ability to build trusted relationships with County employees and her work ethic are some of the many reasons why I feel good about this appointment. I know she will hit the ground running and do very well in this role.

The Board Office Executive Director provides administrative guidance to the Board of Supervisors and ensures the effective operation of the Board Office and its staff. The Executive Director is also responsible for overseeing the Board Office’s daily operations, projects, policies, budgets, and strategic initiatives on behalf of the Board of Supervisors. Erin’s start date is Dec. 2.

*Local Food Event

The 10th annual Johnson County Food Policy Council public forum will take place from 9 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, at the Iowa Conservatory, 123 N Linn St, Iowa City.

This year’s forum, “From Policy to Plate: Unpacking the LFPA in Johnson County,” explores how state-level investments in local food can lead to a more equitable, resilient, and community-based food system. The forum will begin with an explanation of the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA) at the federal and state levels, followed by a discussion from a panel of guest speakers on how the LFPA has impacted their work in Johnson County. There will also be opportunities for attendees to engage in break-out discussions with panelists.

The forum's goal is to build support for the LFPA and motivate advocacy around local, state, and federal food policy. Additionally, the council hopes to gather input on community needs for advocacy training and updated information on food policy.

The event is free and open to the public. Kindred Coffee will provide breakfast and coffee to attendees. Registration information and additional details are available on the Facebook event page at https://www.facebook.com/share/15UqmxGCXq/ and on Johnson County’s website at www.johnsoncountyiowa.gov/localfoods.

The Johnson County Food Policy Council was created in 2012 by the Board of Supervisors to provide guidance on food and agriculture issues. The council is charged to provide annual recommendations on how to improve our local food system, hold public forums to obtain feedback on food system issues and to educate County residents on the value of supporting a strong community-based food system.

*County Charter?

I have opined several times about the City of Iowa City’s once-per-decade Charter Review. But I have not taken the time to mention an obvious difference in Iowa law: counties are not given permission to do a charter.

That’s right. Cities can adopt a charter, and then have wide latitude to design a government to fit their needs. Counties get very few choices. What choices do we have for county government? Here is the list:

3 Supervisors or 5. Elections by districts or elections at-large (no hybrids). County Manager or no. Elect a Sheriff, County Attorney, Treasurer, Auditor, and Recorder, or do some combination of the last 3 offices mentioned. So there are really only 4 choices. Here are my thoughts on those four:

*3 or 5: I wish we could go to 7. Johnson County is a populous, diverse county. But given the binary choice, 5 is the only way to go.

*Districts: I would definitely support districts, but only if there was some way to have a hybrid system. Given a binary choice, I prefer at-large.

*County Manager: I am one of many Iowa Citians still scarred by the Eric Shaw shooting. I like the fact that in County government, elected officials are forced to be more accountable to the public. You don’t like what we did? Vote us out! So no County Manager for me.

*Combined offices: People have *NO* idea how difficult these jobs are. No one with any knowledge of the work they do would ever suggest that they be combined. And someone still has to do the work- they are simply less accountable. So I say keep them all.

Again, it would be fun to have charter power like cities do. We could create something really neat for Johnson County. But alas, counties have never been given the same latitude.

*Real Talk on Affordable Housing

I attended a community meeting the other day and left quite frustrated. People in the room were demanding that Iowa City and Johnson County solve our affordable housing crisis.

I LOVE to talk about this topic! But we have to start the conversation with facts. Here is one: the most affordable way to house people permanently is in a 3-story apartment building. Under existing code, it can be stick built, without an elevator, and gives you the most units per acre. It might not be the highest quality or most aesthetically pleasing, but it would be the cheapest. So think about a 3-story, 24 unit building.

We will make our units 3 bedroom. Many families need bigger apartments, but for the sake of argument, we’ll say 3 bedroom. Each of those 24 units is going to run at least $150,000 to build. It might be a lot more. But we’ll be generous. So the single building costs $3.6 million.

Johnson County is short about 10,000 units of affordable housing. Let’s use *HALF* of that number. 5,000 units at $150,000 equals $750 million dollars. That is equal to the whole annual budgets of Iowa City and Johnson County added, then doubled. And that only solves half the problem!

Iowa City and Johnson County are quite generous when it comes to affordable housing. No local governments in Iowa are doing more per capita. That is a fact – look it up. But we *HAVE* to face reality here! Between the two municipalities, they put about $1.7 million into affordable housing last year. That funded just over 100 units. That is great. But in doing so, we met about 1% of the local need. And the need continues to grow.

So the public says, “Do twice as much!” Can both governments find an additional $1.7 million? Yes. But you will not like where it comes from. In Iowa City, it might mean closing a rec center, ending free bus service, and cuts to library hours. All things needed most by the very folks who need affordable housing. In Johnson County, you might see cuts to nonprofit agencies and public health services – both things needed most by the very folks who need affordable housing.

People get angry at me for telling the truth here. They claim I do not care, they claim I am just not progressive enough, they claim I am not creative enough. All those claims hurt. I’ve been working hard on affordable housing for almost three decades now. It feels like a swift boating.

I can tell you one thing: I can do math. And Iowa City and Johnson County are not going to solve our affordable housing crisis alone. It is going to require *SIGNIFICANT* investments from the Federal and State governments to put a dent in our 10,000 unit shortage. And that help is not coming for at least 4 years.

People hate it when I say this. They say, “We must do better.” I agree. But what would you have us do? I have yet to hear a single suggestion that will make much of a difference. I am simply being realistic here.

We need to keep doing what we have been doing. We need to do more of it. We need to be open to new ideas. All that is true. It also will not come anywhere near solving our affordable housing crisis. We need help from the State and Feds!

*DID YOU KNOW? The annual tradition (which I detest) of a “Presidential Pardon" for a turkey began under President Reagan.

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.

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 rodsullivan29@gmail.com with "subscribe" in the subject line.

As always, feel free to contact me at 354-7199 or rodsullivan29@gmail.com. I look forward to serving you!

---Rod

November 19, 2024

The calendar has turned to November, when many of us begin to think about charitable giving. Personally, I hope you will consider gifts to the United Way and Iowa Shares.

The United Way of Johnson and Washington Counties is in its’ 105^th year. It consists of 32 partner organizations that serve thousands of local residents. Meanwhile, Iowa Shares is 26 years old, and consists of 21 social justice organizations.

We hope to increase charitable giving among county employees. It is easy to give you time and money. Please consider making a contribution today!

I have been sitting on this for some time, but I wanted to share these 2023 statistics from the Iowa City Public Library (ICPL):

I truly believe the ICPL is a special place. It has meant a lot to me ever since I was a little boy. But it is important to note that we have several top-flight libraries in Johnson County! These stats are only Iowa City! So imagine how great these numbers are countywide!

Thank you to our librarians, volunteers, and patrons for creating such special places, and to our elected officials for providing the resources to maintain them!

This first appeared in Salvos in 2020. Unfortunately, it remains as relevant as ever.

I had a couple of Salvos readers ask me, “What happened?” regarding Tuesday’s red wave through Iowa. One was talking about just Tuesday; one was talking about the past 50 years.

While I am flattered that they care what I think, it is probably worth noting that I am no expert. But I have some explanations that I find persuasive. So let’s start there.

First, a little history is important. Iowa is a state that has typically been led by Republicans. There were only two windows EVER – one in the 1960s and one from ’06-’10 – where Iowa Democrats held a trifecta of the House, Senate, and Governor. Democrats typically did not run things, but made up a large enough minority that the GOP needed them to govern. So compromises were struck.

More importantly, the Republicans of my youth were a VERY different party. For one, they supported education almost as much as the Democrats; in individual cases, even more. Most Iowa Republicans would have been considered moderates; some, notably longtime Governor Bob Ray, would be viewed as a liberal today. Newt Gingerich had not come along yet with the idea of “zero sum game” politics. Negotiations were the order of the day, and that is what you got.

Honestly, it is pretty hard to argue the results. Iowa was #1 in education. The economy was strong. Iowa’s “live and let live” approach put us decades, sometimes centuries, ahead of other states on civil rights matters. The budget was in good shape. You could do a lot worse. But the Iowa Republican Party has changed dramatically, and with it, our state.

Now let’s move to the work of Iowa State Economist Dave Swenson. I love his work! It doesn’t always tell me what I want to hear, but it is always enlightening. A few years ago Swenson began talking about “micropolitan” areas of Iowa. These are those cities in the 15,000-35,000 population range that do not serve as suburbs to larger cities. They are typically home to a hospital, community college, and serve as a regional employment center. Iowa has several of these places – Fort Dodge, Mason City, Ottumwa, Clinton, Burlington, Muscatine, Ft. Madison/Keokuk, Marshalltown, Newton, and maybe 1-2 more. (The definition doesn’t fit perfectly everywhere.)

If you look at those cities in the 1960s, each was home to a thriving manufacturing base. And most of those manufacturing jobs were union jobs. People in these micropolitan cities (and the smaller cities near them) lived the classic American Dream.

When things were going well, voters in these areas supported Democrats. Democrats supported the unions, and made sure the schools were good. Thousands of Iowa moms and dads watched proudly as their sons and daughters got diplomas from ISU, UNI, and Iowa. All was well.

What happened? Manufacturers had trouble competing with Germany and Japan. (Which, by the way, were worker-friendly nations; just not tilted toward corporate greed.) Manufacturers like Maytag that once cared deeply about these communities decided to instead put shareholder profits first. Good union jobs were lost. Then the farm crisis hit. Manufacturers like Deere made deep cuts. Unions were broken at meatpacking plants. Locally owned banks disappeared. Then NAFTA put the final nail in the coffin. Jobs that used to be in micropolitan Iowa were now in Mexico and China.

Communities did the best they could. Many made huge efforts at job creation. Unfortunately, they were often trading a $20/hour union manufacturing job for a $9/hour telemarketing gig. Bottom line? Large numbers of unemployed and underemployed people were stuck. Poverty increased, and with it, crime and drug abuse. Many of the college educated folks moved away. Properties and public spaces were less well-maintained. Property values dropped, and with them, funding for schools and roads. The community becomes a less desirable place to live, and even more people move away. It is a downward spiral.

Those that are left are now poorer and less educated. They feel as though they got screwed. Because they did. So, they go to the ballot box looking for someone to blame. In this case, Dems took the hit. Did they deserve all the blame? Definitely not. Not even the majority of the blame. But they were gutless while corporations ran roughshod over our state. Losing big was the result.

If I had to blame one person? I’d blame Bill Clinton. But it isn’t that easy. The problems began in the late 70s. Then Iowa faced amazing struggles in the 80s, before Clinton was even on the national scene. It wasn’t one thing or one person that got us here, and it will not be one person or one thing that fixes everything.

Don’t tell that to the GOP, though. They are great at casting blame. Whose fault is this? Gays, trans folks, people of color, immigrants, non-Christians, women getting abortions, welfare moms, teacher’s unions, etc. There is ample anger out there, and instead of focusing that anger on Chuck Grassley (who has overseen this shit show) they focus their anger on vulnerable minorities. It is evil, but effective.

The two Obama elections gave us a momentary reprieve from this slide. Why? An incredible candidate with a message of hope following a lackluster and corrupt Bush II administration. But then the House and Senate (including Grassley) decided to sabotage Obama at the expense of the American people. Obama could not deliver as much as people needed, let alone hoped for. This led to even greater anger.

Let’s stop talking politics and look at demographics. Look at the populations of these micropolitan areas since 1960. Most have lost people. If they have not lost population, it is only because of immigration, which many old timers resent. Talk to someone who has moved to the fast-growing cities or suburbs in Iowa. Everyone who lives in Tiffin is originally from Sigourney, or Mount Pleasant, or Oelwein, or Montezuma. You get the idea. Iowa is not growing as a state; people are simply moving from certain parts of Iowa to other parts where greater opportunities exist.

Iowa’s micropolitan areas used to reliably vote 60% Democrat. They now vote 60% Republican. Do the math: 30,000 voters in these counties. 18,000 used to vote Democratic. Now 18,000 vote Republican. That is a 12,000 vote swing each place. Multiply that by the 10 micropolitan areas. That is a vote swing of 120,000 statewide. This is where 120,000 voters switched from Democrats to Republicans. That is the ballgame, folks! Grassley won by 150,000 votes. I just found you 120,000 of them!

It is not just the micropolitan areas, either. Counties like Dubuque, Scott, and Woodbury are not as Democratic as they used to be, either. It is pretty much the same formula, just in a more populous place.

Obviously, this did not change overnight. And it will not change back overnight. Structurally, every day we spend in this deep red status makes it harder to crawl back out of the hole we have dug.

But we will get there. Someday. Democrats just have to keep fighting for the people in this story. Do what is right. That is always the answer. Sooner or later, things will turn. I just hope we learn some lessons along the way.

*DID YOU KNOW? Johnson County has never had a violation of its Human Rights Ordinance, although the County Attorney’s Office has had to explain the ordinance on a few occasions where it appeared a violation could be imminent. It has been a good deterrent.

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 rodsullivan29@gmail.com with "subscribe" in the subject line.

As always, feel free to contact me at 354-7199 or rodsullivan29@gmail.com. I look forward to serving you!

November 13, 2024

The 2024 Election is mostly in the books. I spent dozens of hours knocking on doors; while I certainly didn’t get all the outcomes I had hoped for, it feels good knowing I gave it my best effort.

Turnout in Johnson County was a record! More people voted in this election in Johnson County than ever before! Great work, citizens!

You all know what happened at the top of the ticket. Here are a few additional results:

US House: In Iowa’s First District, incumbent Republican Marianette Miller Meeks leads Christina Bohannan by just a couple hundred of votes. There are still ballots being cured here, so stay tuned. Overall, the US House is incredibly close. Right now, it looks as though the Republicans might take control, but if so, it will only be by a couple of votes! Stay tuned!

Iowa Senate: It looks like the GOP advantage is going to be 35-15 going forward. Iowa House: It appears Republicans will hold a 67-33 edge.

Locally, the three Democratic Supervisor candidates all won election – myself, Lisa Green-Douglass, and Mandi Remington. Brad Kunkel was reelected as Sheriff, and Julie Persons was elected Auditor. I am really looking forward to working with both!

Congratulations to all the winners, and thanks to everyone who threw their hat into the ring. We have a lot of work ahead!

Ever heard of someone who won an election yet ran a lousy campaign? Me, either! Since we are deep into the political season, I want to share one of my political pet peeves:

I get really tired of all the Monday morning quarterbacking. If the candidate wins, they “ran a great campaign”. If they lose, the campaign was “terrible”.

Sports analogies get overused in politics, but I think it is apt to use one here. Picture the game of golf. Sometimes you play very poorly, and can get beat by anyone. Sometimes you play poorly and your opponent plays even worse – then you win. Conversely, sometimes you play well and win. It is also possible to play your best and still get beat.

This also happens in politics, though it is rarely acknowledged. Yes, sometimes the loser ran a poor campaign. But just as frequently, they ran a good campaign and still got beat. It happens.

The “experts” who are commenting on these campaigns – their punditry is usually just hot air.

Yes, there are campaigns that are well run, and there are some that aren’t. But I rarely hear anything other than fawning over winners and piling on losers. That is not analysis!

You know how this phrase got started…. It is easy to sit in judgment after the fact, and complain about what a quarterback (or coach) SHOULD have done. I am sometimes guilty of this; we all are.

But I see a difference between a loyal fan questioning her team and a person who did nothing to support the cause. I may question something the Hawkeyes do, but my love of the Hawkeyes runs deep. I support them emotionally, financially, etc. In my mind, I have paid my dues, and therefore earned the right to comment.

The elections are over, and now it is time for the Monday Morning Quarterbacks of the political world to rear their ugly heads. Like the football variety, they seem to know what should have happened after the fact.

Both Republicans and Democrats have plenty of these folks. They can tell you exactly what Harris or Trump SHOULD have done.

So, my question to the MMQs: Did you make any calls? Did you knock any doors? Did you contribute any money? Did you write any letters? Did you pay your dues in any way?

The people who suffer most from the slings and arrows are the local political parties themselves. Apart from several temporary college-aged staff people, local political parties are made up of local people. They are volunteers. And yes, often they do not operate as well as they could. But you know what? Half the battle is showing up! Don’t like how your local party operates? Join it, and try to make some changes.

There is an old saying: “If you don’t vote, don’t complain”. But in reality, that saying is not the law. As Americans, we are free to say just about anything we want. So get ready to listen to a whole bunch of people who should be quarterbacks and Senators.

It has become very popular amongst Democrats to push for Election Day as a National Holiday. I think this is a mistake in priorities.

Election Day is a holiday in many countries. What do people do on said holiday? They travel, of course. Who travels? The only people who can – people with money.

So Election Day in these countries becomes a huge day for eating out, buying gas, going to movies, shopping, etc. What is required to have bustling restaurants, gas stations, malls, and theaters? Staff. Low wage, low benefit staff. Who now are under even greater pressure to work that day.

The ICCSD and other schools did not have school on Election Day. Ask the single parents you know if that made things easier or harder.

We might actually get LOWER turnout if Election Day was a holiday! The people who would benefit already have enough agency to go vote when it suits them. They don’t NEED a holiday to vote. The people who need time to vote need more days of early voting, more convenient satellite locations, and evening voting hours. That is what we should be prioritizing!

Please don’t fall for the “Election Day as a Holiday” trap! That is not the cure for what ails us!

Another election is over, and once again the Iowa City Eastside Democrats put on a virtuoso performance! Their work is truly unparalleled.

A huge thanks to Sharon, Tara, Gail, Becky, Jodi, Sue, Patti, Linda, and all the others for your amazing work! You are my heroes!

There is a lot going on in our world right now. Honestly, local politics is low on the list of important topics. But I would be remiss if I did not say some thanks after being reelected.

1. My wife, Melissa Fath. It is not easy to be the spouse of an elected official. I am SO blessed to have Melissa as my partner!

2. The voters. I have worked really hard. I think we’ve accomplished some great things. It feels great to know most of the voters approve!

3. My Treasurer, Gary Smith. Keeping track of the money and filing the official reports is tedious, thankless work. I could not do it without Gary’s dedicated behind-the-scenes service!

4. The Iowa City Federation of Labor and Laborer’s Local 43. The endorsements mean a lot, deep in my heart. I am so proud to be a delegate to Iowa City Fed!

There are plenty of other people I could thank, but readers would grow weary of the whole list. Please allow me to just offer a big THANK YOU! to everyone who helped with this election. I promise to do my best to make you proud!

*DID YOU KNOW? November’s name has remained unchanged since the ancient Roman calendar, which was in use until 45 BC. This first Roman calendar was only made up of ten months, with November being the ninth month. November translates rather appropriately into “ninth month” in Latin. When the Julian calendar was adopted in 45 BC, two new months were added, which pushed November back to the 11th month. Despite its change in position, November was never renamed.

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 rodsullivan29@gmail.com with "subscribe" in the subject line.

As always, feel free to contact me at 354-7199 or rodsullivan29@gmail.com. I look forward to serving you!

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