29 Jul 2015

HUD releases audit of Omaha Housing Authority at Grassley's urging

By Nicholas Depew

Sen. Chuck Grassley asked the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for a copy of an audit of the Omaha Housing Authority, following a series of Nebraska Watchdog stories.  HUD has released the audit at Grassley's urging.  Grassley is a long-time advocate for government transparency and for making sure HUD conducts proper oversight of the billions of federal dollars deemed to provide safe, affordable housing for those in need.  Grassley made the following comment on the audit and its release.

"The audit has damaging findings about the housing authority that require correction, as HUD says.  It's unclear why the audit hasn't seen the light of day, but now that it has, HUD should continue to make sure the Omaha Housing Authority is in compliance with rules for spending federal tax dollars.  In the future, HUD should be more transparent with audits conducted at taxpayer expense in the public interest."

The audit is available here.
29 Jul 2015

Q/A: Americans With Disabilities Act Turns 25

By Vonnie Hampel

With U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley

Q: How has the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) shaped American society?

A: The landmark civil rights law this summer observes 25 years since President George H.W. Bush signed the bill on July 26, 1990.  Iowans will recall that one of the key architects of the legislation was my long-time Iowa colleague in the United States Senate. Throughout his years of public service, Sen. Tom Harkin built upon his advocacy to champion change for those living with a disability so that they may participate more fully in American society. In the last 25 years, the ADA has helped remove barriers to education, employment, transportation and access to public places and services. Perhaps the most influential change in the quarter century since passage of the ADA is a shift in expectations for the millions of Americans who live with a disability. For those who previously identified with the limits of their disability rather than embracing the potential of their skills and talents, the ADA has raised society's bar of expectations to foster integration and inclusion in our schools, communities and places of work. For individuals who live with a physical or mental impairment, the ADA affords equality under the law to enjoy the rights and responsibilities of citizenship like Americans who do not have a disability. An entire generation has grown up with the ADA as the law of the land. To the extent that the ADA has worked to erase a divide between those living with or without a disability, this 25th anniversary of the ADA gives us reason to celebrate. It's good for America when public policy encourages Americans to dream big in their pursuit of happiness and prosperity.

Q: What is the Transition to Independence Act?

A: Just as the ADA has helped pave the way for millions of Americans to more fully participate in American society, policymakers can do more to help people with disabilities achieve integrated employment in the U.S. workforce. In communities across the country, a network of service providers helps to make it possible for people with disabilities to live and work alongside non-disabled peers. By far, Medicaid is the largest program that provides the financial framework that pays for services for people with disabilities, such as primary health care, community-based care, transportation, workforce training and residential support services. Just as the ADA served as a catalyst to help individuals with disabilities integrate more fully in their communities and achieve their God-given potential, the Transition to Independence Act seeks to build on that progress and give even more individuals with disabilities real opportunities to land a job in their local communities. The bipartisan bill I introduced this summer is a consensus proposal with broad support and includes valuable input from key advocacy groups that are committed to help individuals with disabilities achieve maximum success in their communities. The bill would create a five-year, 10-state pilot program within Medicaid. The participating states would qualify for bonus payments if reforms they adopt help drive better outcomes for people striving to become productive contributors and wage-earners in their local communities. The demonstration program would change the financial formula to give states incentives rather than disincentives to reform business-as-usual among the multi-disciplinary patchwork of service providers serving this community. States would be rewarded for improving outcomes and helping individuals with disabilities seeking to secure maximum participation in the local job market. For example, states could receive more funding for growing the workforce that provides support services for the disabled community. States could increase their revenue stream by implementing reforms that encourage collaboration among a mishmash of agencies and service providers. In a nutshell, participating states would be rewarded for achieving targets of integrated employment.

People living with disabilities have every right to pursue the American Dream. So many families and individuals with disabilities I have talked with tell me they want to earn money in a fulfilling job. I'm all for championing ambition and rewarding a strong work ethic. That's why I'm working to craft public policy that will help even more individuals with disabilities to join the workforce, earn a paycheck, pay taxes and contribute to their local economies. For those who are able to participate in an integrated work setting and maximize their potential in the local community, my bill would improve the policy tools to help drive inclusion and better outcomes for people with disabilities.

Monday, July 27, 2015
29 Jul 2015

Amana Festival of the Arts is Saturday August 8th.

By Executive Director

The Amana Arts Guild will sponsor its Festival of the Arts on Saturday August 8, 10 AM - 5 PM at the Middle Amana Park in Middle Amana, Iowa.

This special event will feature sales of fine arts, crafts and traditional Colony folk arts by local and guest artists. A unique part of the festival will be demonstrations as visitors will enjoy observing: woodturning, quilting, tinsmithing, basket-making, spinning and painting.

Guests will also enjoy local foods such as Amana bratwurst, kraut, homemade apple fritters and baked goods along with a special homemade rhubarb drink.

Entertainment throughout the day: Sweet Cacophony, Dustin Busch and Blame Not The Bard

Also a children's art corner and an Amana Colony Quilt raffle.

Amana Arts Guild: 319 622-3678

E-mail:  amanarts@southslope.net

29 Jul 2015

Prescription drug take-back program re-instated; Grassley pushed for this result

By Grassley Press

Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, chairman of the Judiciary Committee and the Caucus on International Narcotics Control, was among several senators who urged the Drug Enforcement Administration to re-instate a popular take-back program for unused opioids and other prescription drugs.   The Drug Enforcement Administration confirmed in a letter to Grassley that it has re-instated the program.  Grassley was an original cosponsor of the Secure and Responsible Drug Disposal Act of 2010, which became law, and encourages drug take-back efforts.  Grassley made the following comment on the re-instatement.

"Iowans turned in literally tons of unused prescription drugs under the program.  Getting medicines out of the house, where they can be taken by teen-agers or used beyond the need for the prescription, is important for reducing opioid abuse and addiction.  I appreciate the Drug Enforcement Administration's turn-around on this program.  The more options we have to reduce the scourge of opioid addiction, the better."

The letter Grassley signed urging a re-instatement of the drug take-back program is available here.  The Drug Enforcement Administration's letter to Grassley on the re-instatement is available here.  More information on the results of drug take-back days in Iowa is available here and here.

-30-
29 Jul 2015

Iowa leaders send letter to President Obama, EPA Administrator McCarthy on proposed RFS rule

By Randy Stalsberg

Comments are sent ahead of the comment deadline tonight

(DES MOINES) - Iowa Gov. Terry E. Branstad, Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds, Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey, Director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority Debi Durham, Director of the Iowa Department of Transportation Paul Trombino and Director of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Chuck Gipp today sent a letter to President Obama and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy encouraging the administration to revise their ill-advised proposed rule on the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and submitted comments to the EPA in support of a robust RFS. The comments were sent today, July 27, 2015, the final day the EPA will accept comments on the proposed rule regarding the RFS volume obligation levels. The comment period ends at 11:59 p.m. ET tonight. Iowans interested in commenting on the proposed rule can do so here.

In the letter to Obama and McCarthy, Iowa leaders write, "As state leaders, we are keenly focused on helping create a business and public policy environment that drives job growth throughout the State - in communities both large and small, urban and rural. We share the concerns of many Iowans and citizens throughout the Midwest that the EPA's current proposal will undermine our shared goal of a healthy economy in rural America and abandon the various public policy benefits that flow from the RFS. For decades, the agricultural economy lurched from crisis to crisis and farmers often depended on government subsidies to stay afloat. The RFS helped brighten the future of the agricultural and biosciences sectors by providing a stable policy framework that gives value-add opportunities for various agricultural commodities, while helping reduce transportation emissions - a true win-win."

[...]

"If the EPA's proposed rule stands, consumers across America would be limited in their choices at the pump. When consumers have choices, like they do in Iowa, they choose ethanol and other biofuels. The oil companies are preventing fuel choice in other parts of the country and consumers lose, paying much more for fuel. The Iowa Department of Revenue tracks biofuels sales and the data is clear - when given the choice, Iowans choose biofuels. Consumer purchases of E85 (85 percent denatured ethanol fuel and 15 percent gasoline) in Iowa continue to increase - growing from 9.12 million gallons in 2012 to 11.15 million gallons in 2013, to 12.08 million gallons in 2014 - a growth of nearly 33% in that period according to Iowa Department of Revenue data. Total B100 (100 percent biodiesel) sales in Iowa have expanded from 7.4 million gallons in 2010 to 33.3 million gallons in 2014. In 2010, the average blend level of biodiesel-blended gallons sold in Iowa was 3.1 percent and by 2014, the average blend level had more than tripled to 9.4 percent. Big Oil does not like competition - but American consumers deserve and demand choices at the fuel pump."

The full letter to President Obama and Administrator McCarthy can be read here.

Highlights of Iowa leaders' engagement on the RFS include :

  • State and Federal elected officials, including Gov. Branstad and Lt. Governor Reynolds, participated in a "Defend the RFS" event.
  • Gov. Branstad traveled to Washington, DC, joining a group of Iowa farmers and biofuels producers, to testify at the Federal government's only public hearing and met with EPA Administrator McCarthy.
  • Gov. Branstad, Lt. Gov. Reynolds, Secretary Bill Northey and the entire Iowa congressional delegation sent a joint letter to Federal leaders advocating for the many benefits that flow from the RFS.
  • Gov. Terry Branstad and Gov. Mark Dayton (D-Minn.) penned an op-ed in support of a strong Renewable Fuel Standard.
  • Gov. Terry Branstad brought together a bipartisan group of six governors to sign on to a letter to President Barack Obama, EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy and United States Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack expressing their support for a strong RFS.
  • Leaders from across the Midwest joined Gov. Branstad and Lt. Gov. Reynolds for their "Hearing in Heartland," which was open to all interested citizens; 83 panelists from across the Midwest Region spoke from the heart about the importance of the RFS to their livelihoods and a healthy rural economy while only two individuals expressed opposition to a robust RFS.
  • Gov. Branstad, in his Condition of the State address, called on the Iowa Legislature to pass a resolution in support of a robust RFS. The Legislature unanimously passed bicameral, bipartisan resolutions calling for the EPA to reverse course and support a strong RFS. View the resolutions: House Resolution 101 | Senate Resolution 101
  • State of Iowa leaders submitted formal comments to the EPA with current data and analysis that provides Federal leaders the opportunity and obligation to revise their initial volume obligations upward.
  • Gov. Branstad and Sec. Northey testify in support of a robust RFS before the EPA's hearing in Kansas City.
  • Lt. Gov. Reynolds submits written testimony to the EPA in support of a robust RFS.
  • Lt. Gov. Reynolds rallies for a robust RFS with Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts in Blair, Neb.
###
29 Jul 2015

Time Running Out to Stop Legislator Pay Raise

By Catherine Kelly

- Legislators have until Friday to stop pay hike -

- Pantagraph Newspaper: "Legislator Pay Hike Another Insult to Taxpayers" -

As Illinois legislators head back to Springfield, tomorrow will mark House members' last chance to stop a pay raise worth more than $1350 before they get paid Friday, July 31.

 

House Bill 4225 would stop the pay raises, but Speaker Madigan and the legislators he controls refuse to vote on it.

 

Background from the Associated Press

 

"House Speaker Michael Madigan won't answer questions about it. After years of well-intended, politically popular votes to reject raises, Chicago Senate President John Cullerton now says it would violate the Illinois Constitution not to take the pay.

 

When asked later to reconcile repeated votes to reject increases -- including in 2014, after the court ruling -- Cullerton spokeswoman Rikeesha Phelon released a statement reiterating the constitutional proscription.

That hasn't stopped Republicans from trying to nix the money. Democrats refuse to call a vote on the GOP legislation."

Additional Background

The General Assembly has previously voted to reject legislator COLAs in FY10, FY11, FY12, FY13, FY14 and FY15. (Compensation Review Act - 25 ILCS 120/5.6-6.2)

Pantagraph Editorial: Legislator Pay Hike Another Insult to Taxpayers

 

"..[I]t is another example of how the House Speaker Michael Madigan-controlled General Assembly puts its own priorities ahead of taxpayers...

...Legislators had a chance to rescind the pay raise, but a bill to do that was buried by, you guessed it, Madigan.

Gov. Bruce Rauner has been using the pay raise to tweak legislators, especially Madigan. Last week, he said accepting the pay raise without solving the state's budget issues was 'unfair to taxpayers and the people they represent. It is time to stop protecting the political class at the expense of the middle class.'

Madigan's response to Rauner's taunt was, 'I'm not going to spend a lot of time on that question.' Madigan has said the pay issue is a 'diversion,' but in the Madigan dictionary, any issue that threatens the comfort of legislators or trial lawyers is a diversion.

... Democrats who voted for the budget should be especially embarrassed, since they shirked their duty by sending an unbalanced budget to Rauner.

To add insult to taxpayer injury, the General Assembly is covered by a continuing resolution. That means legislators' pay is guaranteed and the General Assembly will keep operating even if other functions of government shut down. It's vital that prisoners are guarded, roads are patrolled and the work of declaring corn the official state vegetable continues.

The 'diversion' in the budget battle is Madigan. We're not sure of his priorities, but it's clear taxpayers are far below maintaining the status quo and protecting legislators and trial lawyers."

The Dispatch and The Rock Island Argus

 

"Jeers to the entrenched interests in Springfield who do not believe they must answer to the public regarding inconvenient truths of how Illinois government does business.

The latest example came courtesy of our state's once camera-shy House Speaker Michael Madigan during another of his dueling press conferences with Gov. Bruce Rauner over the rookie governor's Turnaround Agenda and Illinois' failure to pass a budget. The tone of that fight was set long ago: Both sides reportedly meet in private, civil sessions that bring no progress, then spew invective in public.

The latest came when the GOP governor criticized the House leader for taking a $1,300 pay hike. The 2 percent hike for he and other lawmakers is automatic, unless the General Assembly votes to reject it. Though Republican lawmakers tried to stop it, it was never called for a vote.

When the speaker was asked about it at last week's press conference, he had this to say.

 

'Well, they promote a lot of things. But I've spoken to the question, I don't plan to speak to it any further.'

 

We must have missed that. That reporter must have, too. But when she tried to find out more, a clearly irritated Mr. Madigan said, 'I said, I don't plan to speak to it any further. Thank you very much.'

 

That's one way for the most powerful man in Illinois to deal with what he dismisses as another  'diversion.' Of course, often saying nothing also speaks volumes."

 

###

29 Jul 2015

'Furnish Out' Offers Beautiful Furniture While Helping Orphans in China

By Rick Martin
IA/IL QUAD-CITIES - In August 2011, Carrie and Dan Paschke, Bettendorf, and their three children moved to Beijing, China. While they were overseas, a chance encounter with two businessmen led to the birth of a new local business, Furnish Out, which exists to sell unique handmade home furnishings to raise funds on an ongoing basis for orphaned children in China.
While searching for locally made souvenirs in China, Carrie met two local businessmen, George and John, who specialize in handmade furniture and home furnishings. Each owns his own business and employs a team of artisans. "They create or remake armoires, tables of every kind, headboards, cabinets, chairs and much more, all by hand, using new or reclaimed wood," said Carrie. "They also acquire and, when necessary, refinish wooden baskets, decorative boxes, doors, buckets, basins, and other accessory pieces that have been collected from torn-down villages all over China." Carrie is delighted to continue working with George and John after her family's return to the United States in December 2013.
Carrie will now be selling these items through her newly formed business in the United States and donating 100 percent of the profits to China Hope Foundation, a non-profit organization which provides support to orphaned children and is run by some of her close friends. Furnish Out is operating under a 'business to fund charity model' that will create a sustainable income stream in the future which will be used to help China Hope Foundation for years to come. Furnish Out will hold a sale of these unique items from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on the weekends of August 21-22 and August 29-30 at Carrie's home at 6536 Blackberry Lane, Bettendorf, IA.
While in Beijing, Carrie volunteered at a foster home and met the orphaned children who lived there. To varying degrees, most had special needs or were awaiting surgeries for pre-existing health conditions. "They loved to sing songs, and they never let me leave without a hug goodbye," she said. "During my time in China I met around 50 orphans, which is a drop in the bucket compared to the millions believed by child welfare groups to exist throughout the country. My father always says that 'every little bit counts' and I believe in this case, that's true. I can't fix the problem, but I can help."
Carrie plans to make trips to China one to two times per year to purchase handmade furniture and home accessories from George and John. "I will then sell each piece in America and donate 100 percent of the profit to the China Hope Foundation," she said. "I know there is a market for George and John's work in America and the money will be going to a great cause at the same time."
For more information on Furnish Out, call 563-508-1498 or visit www.furnishout.com.
29 Jul 2015

Midweek Music is a free live lunchtime concert each Wednesday 6/3-8/26

By Micaela Booth

(ROCK ISLAND, IL - May 29, 2015) - Renaissance Rock Island is pleased to present Midweek Music beginning Wednesday, June 3, 2015. Midweek Music is a free lunchtime concert series taking place on The Great River Plaza from 12-1 p.m. every Wednesday in June, July, and August.

Enjoy musical performances as you eat lunch outside on the beautiful Great River Plaza. Each Wednesday a local musician will entertain downtown Rock Island visitors during the lunch hour. To stay updated on who is performing check www.ridistrict.com or The District's Facebook and Twitter page (www.facebook.com/ridistrict, www.twitter.com/districtri). We encourage attendees to grab lunch from a downtown restaurant, and take it to go so you can enjoy the music on the plaza!

Midweek Music is presented by Renaissance Rock Island.

The event is free. For more information and to print a map of participating locations, please visit www.ridistrict.com.

29 Jul 2015

TOURISM OFFICIALS TO ANNOUNCE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF VISITORS TO ILLINOIS

By Jessica Waytenick

The Illinois Office of Tourism to visit John Deere Pavilion on July 29 to celebrate a 4th consecutive year of record-breaking numbers

 

WHAT: The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Office of Tourism will kick off a four-day, 12-stop tour around Illinois - "The 2015 Travel Effect Statewide Tour" to share the latest record breaking economic impact numbers of travelers and provide updates on local visitor data, job creation, revenue growth and new tourism initiatives.

Fans can follow along at Facebook.com/EnjoyIllinois and on Twitter with the hashtag #EnjoyIllinois.

WHERE:                     John Deere Pavilion, 1400 River Dr. in Moline

 

WHEN:                        Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Program begins at 2:30 p.m. CT
28 Jul 2015

Frankly Speaking About Cancer: Coping with the Cost of Care

By Erin Williams

Davenport, Iowa (August 2015) - Gilda's Club will host Ruth Laabs-Wilcox, LMSW, in a discussion about coping with the cost of cancer treatment on Thursday, August 6th, 5:30 p.m. at Gilda's Club, 1234 East River Drive, Davenport, IA.

This free educational workshop is designed for people living with cancer and their loved ones. Participants will gain practical advice on how to navigate the numerous and complex challenges of managing the cost of cancer care. Advanced Registration is preferred as dinner is included.

For more details and registration call Gilda's Club at 563-326-7504 or email erin@gildasclubqc.org

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