More than 100 small business owners back a Fair Tax for Illinois, both to spur consumer demand and provide immediate tax relief for 92.5% of small businesses

Chicago, IL - A Better Illinois, the statewide coalition backing efforts to replace Illinois' unfair, antiquated flat tax with a Fair Tax - with lower rates for lower incomes and higher rates for higher incomes - today announced the support of more than 100 small business owners as part of their campaign to put a Fair Tax on the upcoming November ballot. Politicians in Springfield have less than two weeks to pass a bill that would allow Illinois voters to choose for themselves on a Fair Tax in the next election.

Small business owners have cited two key factors in their support for a Fair Tax:

1)    A proposed rate structure that would provide tax relief to 94% of Illinoisans, anyone making under $205,000, putting more money in the pockets of low and middle income consumers which would then be spent on their products and services and

2)    An immediate tax cut for the 92.5% of small businesses with an adjusted gross income (AGI) of $200,000 or less that pay the individual income tax rate.

Naperville's Chris Dupuis, a founding member of Small Businesses For A Fair Tax who penned an op-ed in today's Crain's Chicago Business, put it thusly: "It's simple. A Fair Tax would put money back in our clients' pockets, who would then spend that money supporting small businesses in the area. The lifeblood of any small business is getting customers in the door to purchase their goods or services."

Dupuis also noted that most small businesses exist as pass-through entities, meaning they ultimately pay the individual income tax rate. "This is an immediate tax cut for the overwhelming majority of small businesses," said Dupuis, noting that the adjusted gross income of 92.5% of small business filers is $200,000 or less.

Last week, a Better Illinois released a video, "Small Businesses For A Fair Tax," featuring four Illinois small business owners describing how a Fair Tax would be a boost for their businesses.

Now once again, the DC-based right-wing Tax Foundation is making embarrassingly false claims about a Fair Tax. Not only are they fear-mongering by using rates that are far higher than those proposed in SB350, they've done nothing to make their argument but explain how many small businesses operate as "pass-through" entities. We agree, but we also did some research into what those small business make in terms of adjusted gross income. 92.5% make $200,000 or less, meaning -- far from being a tax increase -- the Fair Tax would be a CUT for the overwhelming majority.

Despite being embarrassed publicly in the past, out-of-state groups are again lying to smear the Fair Tax proposal and deny Illinois voters the chance to decide for themselves on the November ballot. But ask a local small business owner with some skin in the game, and supporting a Fair Tax to boost jobs and growth is a no-brainer.

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Des Moines, Iowa, April 22, 2014 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) awarded $6 million to 10 universities to study the effects of climate on agriculture production and develop strategies to provide farmers and ranchers with the solutions they need to supply the nation with quality food. Vilsack made the announcement during remarks at "The Frontier of Climate Change: State and Local Action in the Heartland" conference held at Drake University.

"With longer growing seasons and an increased number of extreme weather events, climate-related changes are increasingly posing new challenges and risks for America's producers," said Vilsack. "Every day, farmers and ranchers see the impact that changes in climate patterns have on their operations, and they are contending with drought, floods or extreme temperatures. The discoveries these grants will lead to will be invaluable for American farmers whose livelihoods directly depend on the nation's land and water resources."

NIFA made the awards through its Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) funding opportunity in the Climate Variability and Change challenge area. NIFA's climate work is focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing carbon sequestration in agricultural and forest production systems and preparing the nation's agriculture and forests to adapt to changing climates.

The fiscal year 2013 awards announced today include :

• University of Colorado, Boulder, Colo., $900,000 - This study will provide an integrated social and biophysical assessment of vulnerability and adaptation to climate change and variability in the Blue Mountains ecoregion of Oregon.
• Florida International University, Miami, Fla., $250,000 - This project will study the mechanism of Ochratoxin-A toxicity in wine-musts (freshly pressed grape juice for wine making) which is predicted to intensify in winemaking regions because of the increased prevalence of the toxin producing fungi in warmer climates, and create an inexpensive and simple method of detoxification.
• Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, $550,000 - The goal of this research is to examine factors that either facilitate or hinder climate adaptation, while assessing the role of human-made infrastructure and policies that protect natural resources, grassland and wetlands. .
• Michigan State University, East Lansing, Mich., $975,000 - This project will seek to define the effects of hot and cold temperatures on turkey growth and development and develop management practices to mitigate these effects.
• University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minn., $25,000 - This is a conference grant to support the National Extension Climate Science Initiative Conference, which will empower Extension professionals and collaborators with the latest in climate science research and delivery methods.
• Montana State University, Bozeman, Mont., $800,000 - This project will determine what effects a climate-induced rise in water temperature will have on rainbow trout gut microbial communities and fish metabolism.
• Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y., $600,000 - This project will evaluate the resiliency of rice production with increasing climate uncertainty by developing models integrating historical rice yield data at the county and farm level, weather variables, and genotypic parameters.
• Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Okla., $1,000,000 - The project will provide some of the first climate adaptation tools for beef production systems in the form of water management resources and lead to the development of beef cattle that are adaptable to climate change induced drought.
• Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pa., $750,000 - This project aims to strengthen farm operators' capacity to manage cropping system's adaptation to climate change by providing real time online decision making tools.
• West Virginia University, Morgantown, W.V., $150,000 - This project will study the effect of climate change on interactions among solitary pollinator bees, bee parasites and crops.

AFRI is NIFA's flagship competitive grant program established under the 2008 Farm Bill and supports work in six priority areas: 1) plant health and production and plant products; 2) animal health and production and animal products; 3) food safety, nutrition and health; 4) renewable energy, natural resources and environment; 5) agriculture systems and technology; and 6) agriculture economics and rural communities.

Through federal funding and leadership for research, education and extension programs, NIFA focuses on investing in science and solving critical issues impacting people's daily lives and the nation's future. More information is available at: www.nifa.usda.gov.

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USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Stop 9410, Washington, DC 20250-9410, or call toll-free at (866) 632-9992 (English) or (800) 877-8339 (TDD) or (866) 377-8642 (English Federal-relay) or (800) 845-6136 (Spanish Federal-relay).

May marks police memorial month.

The Quad Cities Law Enforcement Officers Memorial is having three upcoming events tailored toward this.

1. Officer appreciation dinner and auction/raffle on Friday April 25th 2014. This is a public event where the public can come out and support our area law enforcement officers. Dinner is catered by Texas Roadhouse and the event is held at the Eldridge Community Center. Doors open at 6:00p.m. the meal is served at 6:40p.m. Online tickets are discounted through Thursday. $15.00/$5.00 (At the door Tickets are $20.00 for adults and Kids are $5.00). Kid's meal is: hotdog, mac n cheese, cookies and drink. The adult meal is: rib eye steak, baked potato, green beans, salad, sweet rolls and cookies. Pop and beer are included with meal. This event helps fund the memorial by up keeping the memorial site, the rolling memorial custom squad car and to provide support to the families. We need to update and remodel our memorial site and need funding in order to do this project.

We always show a tribute video. This year there is a section honoring Kevin Marxen from the Davenport Police Department who recently died while training off duty.

2. QC Police Memorial Service on May 4th 2014 at 1:30p.m. This year it will be at Bethany Baptist Church in Moline Illinois. Immediately following the church service we will have a procession to the Justice Center in Rock Island Illinois where our memorial site is located. The names of the fallen officers will be read and a family member of officer or a fellow police officer will place a flower on a wreath in their memory.

3. Pizza Ranch in Bettendorf on May 5th. 5:00p.m. - 9:00p.m. Area officers and committee members will be serving, refilling drinks and clearing tables. Pizza Ranch is donating 10% of the sales to the QCLEOM and any tips will go to the memorial as well.

For more information, please go to www.qcleom.com

Just as intended, the 44th annual celebration of Earth Day is surrounded by talk of our environment, our impact on it and what we can do to better live in harmony with it.

"We're seeing more and more people who realize that, if each of us does what we can every day,  collectively, we can have a tremendous impact," says Lynda Chervil, a thought leader and green technology advocate whose new book, "Fool's Return," (http://lyndachervil.com/), mirrors real-life efforts to develop sustainable energy sources.

"All the people carrying reusable grocery sacks, people who've quit the plastic water bottle habit, folks heating their pools or houses with solar panels - that's what we should be celebrating this Earth Day."

This year's March Gallup Environment poll found that 42 percent of Americans believe the outlook for the environment has improved, up from only 26 percent in 2008.

Chervil, who studies the science behind green technology, says environmental awareness has ramped up production of affordable goods that can shrink individuals' carbon footprints. She shares four devices she says would make a nice gift for Mother Earth on her day:

•  HybridLight Solar Flashlight: These flashlights never need batteries, can be charged from any light source, and they always work. The 120 lumens model will burn for eight hours on one charge. HybridLight's flashlights are so reliable, the Boy Scouts' Utah National Parks Council endorse them - and they come with a lifetime guarantee. For every 10 hours of use, 100 HybridLight flashlights avert 60 pounds of toxic battery landfill waste. An added very cool note - HybridLights has a mission to light up corners of the world with little or no electricity. Recently, the company supplied everyone in a Kenyan village with their own flashlight.  Cost: Prices start at less than $20.

•  Bedol Water Alarm Clock: Imagine a water-powered alarm clock that's loud enough to scare you out of bed! Bedol's water clocks run strictly on tap water - no batteries, no nothing else. The energy comes from a natural reaction between the water and two metal plates. The smallest clocks in the line run for six to 12 weeks before the display begins to fade, indicating that the water needs to be changes. Occasionally, you also need to clean the metal plates with vinegar. Just in time for Earth Day, Bedol is launch it's 12-by-15-inch wall-mount water clock! Cost: Prices start at $19.

•  iGo Green Power Smart Wall: We've all heard of the "vampires" in our homes that suck up power whether we're using them or not - everything from coffee pots to laptops. Stem the bleeding with this surge protector that cuts the suck by up to 85 percent. The unit, which plugs into the wall, has four outlets, two of which are always on. The other two automatically power down when the attached appliance is not in use. Cost: Prices start at about $12.

•  Pama Eco Navigator Satellite Navigation system : This GPS system also saves gasoline by providing you with the most energy-efficient routes to your destinations, and feedback on your car's performance, so you can adjust your driving habits to improve your gas mileage. It also saves all your routes, so you can assess their fuel efficiency. Cost: Watch for pricing and availability on Amazon.

"Most of these items are not only budget priced, they save you money in batteries, electricity and fuel," Chervil says. "Not only are you doing something great for the planet when you use green technology, you're taking a load off your wallet."

About Lynda Chervil

Lynda Chervil is the author of "Fool's Return," http://lyndachervil.com/, a new novel that incorporates valuable life lessons in a page-turning tale that touches on technology, the green movement, and other aspects of contemporary society. She graduated from New York University with a master's degree in Integrated Marketing Communications and has extensive experience in consumer and commercial banking and has held positions in new business development, sales management and executive leadership. Chervil seeks to push the limits of established understanding by exploring alternative forms of spiritual healing, and, through creative writing, to expand the narrative of cutting-edge energy technology to promote sustainability.