SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
February 1, 2026
Sullivan’s Salvos 2/5/26
In this edition:
*RIP Pat Cancilla
*Know This About Tom Homan
*Politics and Morality
*Small Town Mayors Rock!
*Jail Inspector Report
*Tax Policy and Age
*Tax Policy in General
*Did You Know?
*RIP Pat Cancilla
We lost a great one with the recent passing of Pat Cancilla. I knew Pat and his wife Enid several ways: first through Democratic Party politics, second through environmental advocacy, third through the League of Women Voters, and finally, through my work on the Board.
Pat was a slight man with a quiet voice and a gentle demeanor that was the opposite of his ferocity when it came to the issues he cared about. Pat co-chaired the Johnson County Land Use Plan Update in 2007-8; I was the lone Supervisor representative on the group. Pat fought and argued with his co-chair (Dean Oakes) on almost every point. Pat felt Johnson County was not doing nearly enough to protect natural areas, to protect farmland, and to reign in developers. He told Dean, in a crowded meeting, “I refuse to be intimidated by you, and I refuse to allow you to ruin this county.” Pat may have been small, quiet, and gentle, but he was a fighter! (Pat also won the argument in terms of future policies.)
Pat really believed what he said to Mr. Oakes, and he walked the talk. Pat and Enid bought a farm on Sugar Bottom Road when Pat moved from teaching at UCLA to teaching at the UI, and Pat maintained it almost like a nature preserve. Later, his daughter and son-in-law (Erin and Brian Melloy) donated and sold the land to Johnson County. It is now known as Two Horse Farm, and is managed by the Johnson County Conservation Department.
Pat and Enid always volunteered for the Johnson County Democrats when I was Party Chair, often using their truck to move tables and chairs, etc. Pat and Enid routinely outworked volunteers half their age.
Pat chaired the local League of Women Voters, and usually got referred to as “Patricia” in phone calls and emails until he explained that he was a man. Pat led the League through some important moments, and did so in his unfailingly fair manner.
Pat Cancilla was a great man, and I am proud to have considered him a friend. Thank you for all your important work, Pat. RIP.
*Know This About Tom Homan
Donald Trump has created a couple of scapegoats for his federal invasion of the Twin Cities. Trump claims things will be fine now that Tom Homan is in charge.
Here is what you should know about Tom Homan. He was caught ON TAPE accepting a $50,000 bribe from a private prison company. Caught red-handed! But Attorney General Pam Bondi refuses to do anything about it.
So this is the guy you are supposed to trust now. Sigh.
*Politics and Morality
I continue to be amazed – and perhaps alarmed – by the number of people who seem to believe that shared politics equate to a shared morality.
There are liberal liars, moderate liars, and conservative liars.
There are liberal thieves, moderate thieves, and conservative thieves.
There are liberal rapists, moderate rapists, and conservative rapists.
There are liberal murderers, moderate murderers, and conservative murderers.
No set of political leanings has a monopoly on morality. Human beings are imperfect creatures, who often do terrible things to each other. They do these things regardless of political ideology. We need to do better. Much better! One way to begin this improvement is recognizing that politics and morality are not the same thing.
*Small Town Mayors Rock!
I was thinking recently about the small-town Mayors in Johnson County. They are a remarkable group of people!
With all due respect to the Mayors of our larger cities – all fine people – small town Mayors have VERY difficult jobs! They lack the staff support of their colleagues in larger cities, yet expectations can be just as high. They serve on innumerable committees, and would amaze you with their vast knowledge!
I am not certain why these folks are not held in higher regard. Too many people think “Mayor” and conjure up an image such as the bumbling Mayor Quimby on the Simpsons. I am here to tell you, that is just not the case!
The stories are too numerous to mention. Loose dog? Call the Mayor. Incorrect water bill? Call the Mayor. Noisy neighbors? Call the Mayor. Does not fit neatly into any other category? Call the Mayor!
These folks do phenomenal work for very low pay. The headaches are many, and the appreciation rare. Thank you to every member of this outstanding group!
*Jail Inspector Report
Johnson County got our annual report from the Jail Inspector last week. As you can probably imagine, the jail fails to meet most modern standards. The report says as much.
But, there are some silver linings within the report. The following are direct quotes from the Jail Inspector:
“The Johnson County Jail is the cleanest that I have observed.”
“Staff is doing an exceptional job considering the physical restrictions of the jail. It is a pleasure to work with the professional staff.”
“The policy and procedure manual was reviewed. The manual appears to be complete and well-written.”
We have a horrible jail building. But we have great staff! Thanks to everyone at the Sheriff’s Office!
*Tax Policy and Age
The Iowa Legislature is busy talking about tax policy – particularly property taxes. One of my frustrations is the way that the discussion so quickly shifts to age. Legislators in both parties are quick to propose tax cuts for people 65 and older. This is just a given. I am going to go ahead and ask… why? I have several theories, and in my opinion, none stand up to close examination. Here they are:
1. Older Iowans live on fixed incomes. Sure – but don’t most people? I mean, at least Social Security has cost of living increases built in. Working at a convenience store, nursing home, or fast-food joint offers no such guarantee.
2. Older Iowans will lose their houses because of property taxes. This should literally never happen. Iowa has a program that allows a low income senior to postpone their property taxes until the house is sold. You simply have to qualify through the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services. Once you qualify, the taxes are postponed until that person (or their estate) sells the property. Then the back taxes are due. We see a few of these in Johnson County, but they are rare. Why are they rare? First, I would say some folks do not know the program exists. But the bigger issue is that older Iowans losing their homes because of property taxes is not the epidemic that Legislators make it out to be.
3. Older Iowans are poorer than younger Iowans. No, they are not. Actually Iowans around 65 are the *wealthiest* age group in our state!
4. It will spur economic growth. Want economic growth? Cut taxes for people between 21 and 39! Seriously! The fact of the matter is, to be successful, the Iowa economy needs more workers, not more retirees.
5. Older Iowans vote! Now we are getting somewhere! This is the first true statement of the bunch. Older Iowans do vote -in much higher numbers than younger voters. So catering to seniors makes some sense for both parties.
There really isn’t a compelling reason to cut taxes on seniors, other than the fact that they vote. And while I get that, I’d like to see us aim higher, for a truly fair system. Base taxes on ability to pay, not age!
*Tax Policy in General
You know I do not believe in basing tax policy on age, though I recognize the electoral realities legislators are dealing with. So what does make good tax policy? Here is my prescription. You will find it pretty much 180 degrees in opposition to what has been happening at the federal and state levels. So, my tenets of tax policy, in order, are:
1. Taxes should be based on ability to pay.
Is there really any other way? Any of Bezos, Musk, etc. could cover ALL 0-4 childcare for every American forever and still be billionaires when it is paid for. Why not make them do so?
2. A Wealth Tax is the best tax.
Conservatives like to say this is undoable. That is bullshit. Basically, a property tax is a simplified wealth tax. Wealth is a more important measure than income. The REALLY wealthy people have pretty much zero income, but more wealth that the rest of the US put together.
3. A Wealth Tax can be done!
Elizabeth Warren has explained exactly how this could work. Check it out on her website.
4. Even with a Wealth Tax, there should be broad-based buy in.
It really is important that everyone but the very poorest pay into the system. We all need ownership and buy in. Taxes need to be graduated, so richer people pay a higher percentage.
5. Property taxes should still play a roll.
Even if no one lives there, properties require road access and emergency services. Property taxes should capture the costs of these services. But that should be it! Everything else should be covered with income/wealth taxes.
6. Inheritance taxes should play a roll.
You simply should not be able to come into millions of dollars of wealth without paying taxes on it! In the US right now, there is ZERO tax on up to $14 million for an individual; $28 million for a married couple. That is absurd! Inheritance taxes should kick in around a million, at a minimum.
7. We should eliminate sales taxes.
Sales taxes require poor people pay the most. They also require a huge buy in from every single business in the US.
Those are my tax thoughts. What are yours?
*DID YOU KNOW? February, the year's shortest month, is named after the Roman purification ritual februa, reflecting its history as a time for cleansing.
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---Rod
posted by Rod Sullivan @ 7:55 PM
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