Johnson County governments must keep their word on funding excluded workers

The joint entities of Johnson County local government must keep their word and honor their commitments to excluded workers. The Fund Excluded Workers Coalition demands a fully funded $4 million Excluded Workers Fund now, including $2,000 checks by Christmas with no red tape or restrictions.

We call on Johnson County to immediately approve a process to distribute the Excluded Workers Fund without delay. We call on Iowa City to honor its prior commitment to contribute an additional $1.5 million to the Excluded Workers Fund. We call on the cities of Coralville and North Liberty to each contribute an additional $250,000 from the American Rescue Plan Act to round out a fully funded $4 million Excluded Workers Fund now.

Local governments of Johnson County have the opportunity to be among the first in the country outside of major metropolitan areas to give relief to excluded workers for the first time in their lives.

In November, the Johnson County Board of Supervisors passed a $2 million Excluded Worker Fund to give direct cash payments to essential workers left behind without pandemic relief. But relief checks of only $1,400 by next March, more than two years after the pandemic began, are not acceptable. We need bold action now.

Last September, Iowa City proposed matching Johnson County with an additional fair share contribution of $1.5 million to an Excluded Workers Fund, which would bring the total fund from only $2 million to $3.5 million.

Since then however, Iowa City has taken no action on their pledged commitment to fully fund excluded workers. Iowa City is sitting on millions of dollars in public money that must be used for the common good.

Both the city and the county are underestimating the number of excluded workers in our community. According to U.S. Census Bureau data, there are 2,000 undocumented immigrant workers in Johnson County.

Two million dollars divided by 2,000 excluded workers is only $1,000 per person. Three and a half million divided by 2,000 is $1,750. These amounts are not nearly large enough to guarantee racial equity in pandemic relief.

Iowa City must do the right thing and immediately transfer the $1.5 million they previously committed to excluded workers but are now holding back on.

The average excluded worker in our community missed out on more than $18,000 in pandemic relief, including enhanced unemployment insurance and stimulus checks, even as they risked their lives to keep our society going.

According to a groundbreaking new report "Another Door That Doesn't Open," the New Jersey Excluded Workers Fund is facing significant setbacks because the paperwork requirements are too onerous and the size of the checks are too small. As a result, only a small fraction of eligible workers are applying for relief, and many who do are unfairly denied access.

In contrast, Tier One of the highly successful New York Excluded Workers Fund gave $15,600 checks to every eligible excluded worker. Tier Two guaranteed $3,200 checks even to excluded workers who couldn't meet proof of income and financial loss requirements.

Based on the New York model, there is no reason why a local system here in Iowa can't distribute $2,000 checks without any red-tape or restrictions.

Local governments of Johnson County have the opportunity to be among the first in the country outside of major metropolitan areas to give relief to excluded workers for the first time in their lives.

If they complicate the process with burdensome rules and stingy payments, it will fail. Requiring 1099s for eligibility is a nail in the coffin that will exclude the majority of eligible recipients.

We demand a $4 million Excluded Workers Fund now, including $2,000 checks by Christmas for 2,000 excluded workers, with no red tape or restrictions.

This column is co-signed by Manny Galvez, Ninoska Campos, Alejandro Guzman, Maureen Vasile, Barb Stanerson, Ann Houlahan, Pat Bowen, Kenn Bowen, Katie Biechler, Emily Sinnwell, David Goodner, Fund Excluded Workers Coalition, Iowa City Catholic Worker, Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, SEIU Local 199, AFSCME 12, Corridor Community Action Network, Iowa City Mutual Aid Collective, Iowa City Democratic Socialists of America, Community Transportation Committee, Nissa African Family Services, Veterans for Peace Iowa City, Iowa City Ad-Hoc Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Iowa Freedom Riders, LULAC 308, LULAC Statewide Council, Great Plains Action Society, Ex-Incarcerated People Organizing (EXPO) Iowa and Iowa Student Action.