20th Anniversary of President Clinton's call for their "eventual elimination"

Press Release - For Immediate Release

(Washington DC, September 23, 2014) Today's announcement by the United States that it will not use antipersonnel landmines anywhere in the world except on the Korean Peninsula is a positive step, but the geographic exception must be overcome if the US is to ever join the Mine Ban Treaty, said the US Campaign to Ban Landmines.

The US policy announced September 23 commits the United States to not use antipersonnel landmines outside of the Korean Peninsula and commits it to destroy antipersonnel mine stockpiles "not required for the defense of the Republic of Korea." This affirms the de facto US policy against any antipersonnel mine use that has existed since 1991. Yet these indiscriminate weapons pose a danger to civilians no matter where they are used and further use of antipersonnel mines on the Korean Peninsula cannot be justified under any circumstances.

During the 1997 negotiation of the Mine Ban Treaty, the US tried to get a geographic exception for Korea, but was strongly rebuffed by its closest military allies, which concluded that the humanitarian dangers of such mines outweighed any military utility and that permitting one geographic exception would encourage other nations to seek similar exemptions from the ban treaty.

Today's policy announcement also committed the US to not assist, encourage, or induce other nations to use, stockpile, produce or transfer antipersonnel mines outside of Korea. The White House announcement notes that all NATO member states except the US are now party to the Mine Ban Treaty. A total of 162 nations are party to the treaty, which prohibits antipersonnel landmines, requires the destruction of stockpiled mines, and requires clearance of contaminated land and assistance to victims.

Today's White House announcement was made on the eve of the 20-year anniversary of President Clinton's 1994 speech to the United Nations General Assembly when he became the first world leader to call for the "eventual elimination" of antipersonnel landmines.

Previously, on June 27 at the Third Review Conference of the Mine Ban Treaty in Maputo, Mozambique, the US announced an immediate ban on the production and acquisition of antipersonnel mines, but did not address use of the weapons. In both policy announcements, the US has confirmed it is "diligently pursuing ... solutions that would be compliant" with the Mine Ban Treaty and "that would ultimately allow us to accede" to it.

The US Campaign to Ban Landmines has repeatedly urged that the outcome of the policy review initiated in 2009 be a decision to join the Mine Ban Treaty as soon as possible, to immediately prohibit the use of antipersonnel mines, and to begin destruction of all stocks of antipersonnel mines. The US Campaign to Ban Landmines reiterated this call in a September 12 letter to President Obama.

According to US officials, the policy announced today does not represent the final outcome of the landmine policy review initiated by the Obama administration in 2009, but is an interim announcement. The US Department of Defense is currently conducting a detailed study into alternatives to self-destructing antipersonnel mines and the impact of no further use of the weapon on the Korean Peninsula.

The US has a stockpile of about 3 million antipersonnel mines.

The United States Campaign to Ban Landmines is a coalition of more than 400 non-governmental organizations. It is the US affiliate of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, co-laureate with former ICBL Coordinator Jody Williams of the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize.

According to the White House announcement, the new policy will "bring U.S. practice in closer alignment with a global humanitarian movement that has had a demonstrated positive impact in reducing civilian casualties" from antipersonnel landmines.

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For more information, see:

• US Campaign to Ban Landmines letter to President Obama, September 12, 2014: http://www.uscbl.org/fileadmin/content/images/Letters/USCBL_Letter_to_Obama_12Sep2014.pdf

Learn more here: www.health.mil/News/Articles/2014/09/23/Clean-Out-Your-Medicine-Cabinet-for-Medication-Take-Back-Day.

The German American Heritage Center is seeking a part-time office manager. The position is approximately 20 hrs per week, 9:30 - 2:30 Tuesday through Friday. Some flexibility within this range is possible. The pay is $11 per hour; no benefits.   Responsibilities include the following:

Office:  Answer and direct phone calls; routine correspondence; assemble and distribute meeting minutes; track supplies; maintain routine maintenance records and monitor vendor inspections; assist with mailings; monitor and route billings and invoices, etc.

Activity oversight:  Maintain records on presenters and program needs; assist with room arrangements for events; possible need to work an occasional evening or weekend rental; respond with initial information on rental inquiries and make appointments for same; book tours; point person for workshop, class or special event advance registrations, including credit card payments; monitor and maintain visitor service materials for the front desk.

Additional tasks:  Auxiliary assistance as a greeter at the front desk (substitute for volunteer); assist with routine product tasks related to the gift shop; occasional light housekeeping duties.

Skills needed include proficiency in word processing and Excell spreadsheet, ability to interact successfully with volunteers, paid staff and visitors; ability to set up and take down tables and chairs with a work partner.

Please e-mail your interest and include a resume of work experience to both of the following staff members by October 3rd:

Janet Brown-Lowe, Executive Director                   admin@gahc.org

Kelly Lao, Assistant Director                                kelly.lao@gahc.org

Please no phone calls.

Data shows each county's funding from the state for 2013 assessment year

(DES MOINES) - Gov. Terry E. Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds today released data from the Iowa Department of Revenue that shows Iowa counties are receiving over $78.33 million in state backfill funding and taxpayers are receiving over $49 million in credits, for a total of roughly $127.33 million, in the 2013 assessment year, as part of the historic property tax reduction bill advocated for by Branstad and Reynolds. The funding to Iowa counties is part of the historic passage of Senate File 295, which Gov. Branstad signed into law on June 12, 2013, in Hiawatha, Iowa.

The historic tax relief package has many benefits for Iowa taxpayers, including:

1.       Permanent property tax relief protected by a standing appropriation, that represents the largest tax reduction in Iowa history - $4.4 billion over 10 years.

2.       Property tax reduction for all classes of property: agricultural, residential, commercial and industrial, without shift of the tax burden to other classes of property.

3.       Changes the school finance formula so that "allowable growth" is replaced by 100% state aid.

4.       Commercial and industrial property are being taxed at 95% of assessed value this year, eventually moving to 90% of assessed value next year.

"For thirty years the Iowa Legislature talked about reducing taxes. Lieutenant Governor Reynolds and I are proud that in 2013 we were able to bring Democrats and Republicans together to give hardworking Iowa taxpayers the tax relief that they deserve," said Branstad. "With the implementation of the historic tax reduction bill of 2013, Iowa counties now have the funds from the state to provide the tax relief to citizens across the state."

The historic tax reform passage of 2013 received strong bipartisan support.  It passed the Iowa Senate 43-6 on May 22, 2013, and the Iowa House 84-13 on May 23, 2013.

"As a former county treasurer who had the unenviable job of collecting taxes, I'm pleased to see that the reforms we put in place are being fulfilled and local governments are able to pass the savings on to the taxpayers," said Reynolds. "For too long, local governments grew skeptical of the state meeting its funding obligations, but Governor Branstad and I are committed to continuing to honor our word and passing responsible budgets."

In a recent news report published in the Cedar Rapids Gazette, Iowa officials reacted to the state's historic property tax relief package:

"'I think business owners, particularly smaller ones, really saw a difference this year,'" said Jeff Robinson, a tax analyst with the Legislative Services Agency. 'I mean they really had to notice when they got their bill this that it was less than it was the year before.'"

"Lucas Beeken, public policy specialist for the Iowa State Association of Counties (ISAC), said the figures came in very close to the projections made when the legislation was approved, marking the first reduction in business property taxes in more than three decades."

The data, which can also be downloaded here, is from the Iowa Department of Revenue and shows how much each Iowa county and property taxpayers in that county received in tax relief from the historic legislation.  The state backfill column represents the amount of state funds paid to counties to ensure they did not see a loss in revenue from the property tax reduction. This is permanent relief protected by a standing appropriation. The tax credit column represents additional relief to Iowa taxpayers, by county, through a state tax credit.