Caucus 08: If We Build It They Will Come
The Reg rounds up this month's scheduled visits by the wannabees. George Pataki is coming to Iowa City for Jim Leach on Sunday, which hopefully will remind everyone here that Leach is a Republican.
The Dems will see Daschle, Edwards and Bayh.
1 Şubat 2006 Çarşamba
31 Ocak 2006 Salı
Rod Sullivan: No To Sales Tax in Johnson County
Rod Sullivan: No To Sales Tax in Johnson County
Johnson County is the only major metro county* in the state with no local option sales taxes. But ever since the Temple of Consumerism (a/k/a Coral Ridge Mall) opened in `98, the sales tax has been a tempting treat for local governments.
* OK, so I'm applying an Iowa standard to the phrase "major metro."
The Iowa City School District is looking at taking a bite. County Supervisor Rod Sullivan shot this out to his email list this week:
Some history and rules:
A bond issue needs 60% to pass in Iowa. In most cases, you start off with about 20% that's going to vote NO on anything, for reasons of ideology (read my lips) or self-interest ("MY kids are done with school" or, more charitably, "the farm's barely making it"). That means to pass a bond, you have to get 3/4 of the remaining voters, and that's a steep hill to climb. And that's before you even factor in other reasons for opposition, such as dislike of a specific proposal.
But a sales tax only needs 50%, and is easier to portray (falsely) as something that's a "choice", that "someone else pays."
Every precinct in Johnson County voted no on a sales tax in 1999. (Word to the wise: never schedule a vote on a money issue the day before property taxes are due. And always schedule your pool vote for the hottest day of summer.) Iowa City would have used a chunk of the loot on a library; a year and a half later a BOND issue for the library passed with 67%.
While there were some read my lips types voting no on the sales tax, the predominant argument was regressivity.
There were some feints at a school sales tax in 2002, but the district decided to pursue a bond instead. That one passed with 71% - almost everyone but the Automatic No Vote.
Sullivan, then chair of the county Democratic Party, worked on that campaign, and so did I. So it's not funding for education that Rod and I are questioning - it's the regressive mechanism of a sales tax.
Johnson County is the only major metro county* in the state with no local option sales taxes. But ever since the Temple of Consumerism (a/k/a Coral Ridge Mall) opened in `98, the sales tax has been a tempting treat for local governments.
* OK, so I'm applying an Iowa standard to the phrase "major metro."
The Iowa City School District is looking at taking a bite. County Supervisor Rod Sullivan shot this out to his email list this week:
Dear Progressive Friends:
The issue of a sales tax is once again before us.
The ICCSD Board will be discussing the matter at their February 14 meeting.
We need to help our elected officials recognize that a local option sales tax would fall directly upon those who can least afford it.
The people the ICCSD serves every day are the very people who would be burdened. Children are our poorest segment of society. I will quote one of my favorite authors, Jonathon Kozol: "Charity is no substitute for economic justice."
You cannot raise money for Family Resource Centers and believe they will make up for the damage done by a local option sales tax. The ICCSD and other governmental agencies cannot improve their budget situations on the backs of the poorest of the poor. The needs of the poor will outpace any and all services that they have helped to fund.
Sales tax proponents frequently use the argument, "Sales taxes are better than property taxes." This argument is akin to saying, "Drinking is better than smoking, so we need more smoking." Neither tax option is good for the poor.
What's more, the argument that higher property taxes are automatically passed on to renters is simply false. Studies show conclusively that housing costs depend primarily upon the supply and demand of housing, not property taxes.
In the ICCSD, parents and kids at Twain, Wood, and Hills will pay about the same amount as parents and kids at Wickham, Lincoln, and Shimek. Does this make sense?
I cannot, in good conscience, support a shift of the tax burden to people who have less money. What's more, I have trouble saying that a person earning $25,000 should pay more tax just because she lives in Williamsburg, Riverside, West Branch, Mount Vernon, Tipton, etc. Especially when the local wealthy would be let off the hook at her expense.
I encourage you to take quick and decisive action to oppose any sales tax proposals. I hope you will consider acting proactively.
Sales taxes impact those least able to pay to a much greater degree than they affect others. I have been a proud opponent of each of the last three attempts (all failed) at passing a local option sales tax. Over 70% of the voting public has seen fit to agree with me each time.
Look at the Iowa City Public Library. It is undoubtedly the most popular institution in Johnson County. Parents have issues with the school district; rarely do they have issues with the Public Library. Yet that same Library was on the wrong end of a 70-30 vote. And that election was held in the midst of an economic boom!
But in difficult budget times, the issue continues to resurface. I urge you to preemptively contact the ICCSD to speak against this action.
I urge you to show up at the ICCSD Boardroom Tuesday, February 14 at 7 PM to oppose a sales tax.
Some history and rules:
A bond issue needs 60% to pass in Iowa. In most cases, you start off with about 20% that's going to vote NO on anything, for reasons of ideology (read my lips) or self-interest ("MY kids are done with school" or, more charitably, "the farm's barely making it"). That means to pass a bond, you have to get 3/4 of the remaining voters, and that's a steep hill to climb. And that's before you even factor in other reasons for opposition, such as dislike of a specific proposal.
But a sales tax only needs 50%, and is easier to portray (falsely) as something that's a "choice", that "someone else pays."
Every precinct in Johnson County voted no on a sales tax in 1999. (Word to the wise: never schedule a vote on a money issue the day before property taxes are due. And always schedule your pool vote for the hottest day of summer.) Iowa City would have used a chunk of the loot on a library; a year and a half later a BOND issue for the library passed with 67%.
While there were some read my lips types voting no on the sales tax, the predominant argument was regressivity.
There were some feints at a school sales tax in 2002, but the district decided to pursue a bond instead. That one passed with 71% - almost everyone but the Automatic No Vote.
Sullivan, then chair of the county Democratic Party, worked on that campaign, and so did I. So it's not funding for education that Rod and I are questioning - it's the regressive mechanism of a sales tax.
House 89 Gets a Dem Primary
House 89 Gets a Dem Primary
So Miller joins Mark Nolte in the race. Either one would be a vast improvement over GOP incumbent Sandra Greiner.
A rural Iowa City resident announced his intentions to be a candidate in the Democratic primary for Iowa House District 89.
Steve Miller, 57, of 4358 Sharon Center Road SW lived in Washington County for more than 20 years before moving to Johnson County. He served 10 years on the Riverside City Council and said he initiated the idea of Riverside being the future birthplace of Capt. Kirk of Star Trek fame.
So Miller joins Mark Nolte in the race. Either one would be a vast improvement over GOP incumbent Sandra Greiner.
Morning Miscellany
Morning Miscellany
The Register has several interesting items this AM.
Vilsack is sounding like the head of the DLC again as he sticks up for the Bush domestic spying program: "Democrats are falling into a very, very large political trap. Democrats are not going to win elections until they can reassure people they are going to keep them safe." Maybe Joe Lieberman can be his running mate, too.
Blouin and Culver are pointing fingers and playing Dueling Donors. Maybe party activists make moral distinctions, but Real People don't care about this and file it all in the "They're All Crooks" file.
If this primary sinks to mutual name calling and finger pointing, it could be an opening for Ed Fallon. I think of Russ Feingold's 1992 primary win in Wisconsin, where people got so sick of the two big-spending, main chance contenders that they said "what the hell" and went 70% for Russ.
But Feingold played things a bit differently. He had enough money for some advertising, and it was brilliant: the Elvis endorsement, the pledge on the garage door, the mud flying between the two opponents. He came off as earnest and self-effacing. There's a fine line between that and the self-righteousness of a Dennis Kucinich. Fallon needs to be seen as quirky but not flaky.
More important, he needs to be really, really careful about going on the attack himself. Keep the message positive and let someone else carry the ball about Patty Judge's agribusiness money. (He may have already lost that high ground).
Meanwhile, the touchplay issue has cost Jim Nussle the support of the Kum & Go owners. Nussle, to his credit, holds to his "get rid of them all" position. Vander Plaats is there, too, and the Dems seem to have consolidated behind a status quo/more study position. It would be interesting to hear Jeff "Casey's" Lamberti's thoughts...
Does anyone else have to suppress a Beavis and Butthead "huh huh, huh" at the name "Kum & Go"? I heard there was a chain called Pump & Munch somewhere...
Update: Iowa Ennui gets what I, on my first cup of coffee, didn't think of first.
On State Of The Union morn, W is at 37% in Iowa.
The Register has several interesting items this AM.
If this primary sinks to mutual name calling and finger pointing, it could be an opening for Ed Fallon. I think of Russ Feingold's 1992 primary win in Wisconsin, where people got so sick of the two big-spending, main chance contenders that they said "what the hell" and went 70% for Russ.
But Feingold played things a bit differently. He had enough money for some advertising, and it was brilliant: the Elvis endorsement, the pledge on the garage door, the mud flying between the two opponents. He came off as earnest and self-effacing. There's a fine line between that and the self-righteousness of a Dennis Kucinich. Fallon needs to be seen as quirky but not flaky.
More important, he needs to be really, really careful about going on the attack himself. Keep the message positive and let someone else carry the ball about Patty Judge's agribusiness money. (He may have already lost that high ground).
Does anyone else have to suppress a Beavis and Butthead "huh huh, huh" at the name "Kum & Go"? I heard there was a chain called Pump & Munch somewhere...
Update: Iowa Ennui gets what I, on my first cup of coffee, didn't think of first.
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