Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Senator Chuck Grassley and Congressman Jeff Fortenberry today made the following statements before the first official meeting of the farm and food bill conference committee later today.  Grassley and Fortenberry authored provisions in the Senate and House bills to establish a farm payment cap of $250,000.  The Senate and House bills also tighten loopholes that have allowed some non-farmers to game the system.  In addition, the Government Accountability Office recently released a report outlining many of the current shortcomings of the eligibility rules for farm programs.  The report also says that the legislative language in the Senate and House passed farm bills would be an appropriate fix to the agency's findings.

Grassley and Fortenberry maintain that the farm payment provisions are nearly identical in the two bills, and should not be up for negotiation.

Grassley comment:

"Our reform is common-sense.  Not only does it end some of the most egregious abuses of the farm program and make sure that the farm program payments are going to those who need them most, but it saves money.  It's a win-win for everybody.   When 22 people are getting farm payments for the same farm, and 70 percent of the farm payments go to 10 percent of the biggest farms, we've got a problem.  Some members of the conference committee have already made clear of their intention to remove the reforms.  By removing the payment limits and the provisions to close loopholes, these members are only making the safety net more susceptible to criticism and vulnerable to elimination.  The safety net is important to a safe and affordable food supply for the country, and it would be short-sighted to allow such a parochial mindset to undermine an important and necessary policy."

Fortenberry comment:

"After many years of discussion, farm payment limitations reform finally has a chance to become law.  More robust payment limits help farm supports reach intended recipients and close loopholes. In this time of tight budgets, the need for this type of fair reform is even greater. With the opportunity for new farm policy under negotiation between the House and Senate, payment limits should remain a key piece of the overall package. It is my hope that this important provision will carry forward into the final Farm Bill."

Specifics of the payment limits provisions:

  • The bills establish a per farm cap of $50,000 on all commodity program benefits, except those associated with the marketing loan program (loan deficiency payments and marketing loan gains), which would be capped at $75,000.  Thus the combined limit would be $125,000, or, for married couples, $250,000.  The $50,000 cap would apply to whatever type of program is developed as part of the new farm and food bill.
  • The bills would define clearly the scope of people who are able to qualify as actively engaged by only providing management for the farming operation.  The bill will allow one off-farm manager, but only one.  Landowners who share rent land to an actively-engaged producer remain exempt from the "actively engaged" rules provided their payments are commensurate to their risk in the crop produced.
-30-
Hello Fellow American!

I'm embarking on my national campaign to institute strict Term Limits for our members of Congress.  You have heard from me in the past.  This month we witnessed our government instigating a shutdown demonstrating to all Americans and peoples of all the other nations of the world that our Federal Government is broken.  It's not working.  I'm not throwing rocks at the Right (Republicans) nor the Left (Democrats).  As one man, one American born voter, I just want to 'fix' it.

There are already strict Term Limits for our President and Vice President.  No more than two terms shall be served.  And only one if the voters vote them out after their first term which was the first form of Term Limits initiated by the wisdom of our Forefathers.  Here in California, as in many States, we have strict Term Limits for our State Legislators.  We do not have them for our Congressional  Representatives because not one single one of them will present a bill bringing this issue in front of Congress.  Our Forefathers established this nation on the premise of WE THE PEOPLE being free.  It took them a long time to do so by fighting a bloody Revolution against England, and then endless debates between the 13 original States to put into words  three documents that define all human freedoms.  The Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill or Rights were irrefutable then, and they are still to this day.  And the true genius of these documents is that they are subject to change as time marches on.

Today, the professional politician is the reason our government is broken.  I can expatiate on this, but as a professional songwriter, this 'simple' statement stands on it's own, like a good Country song.  I am asking you, I'm imploring you to join me.  One man's voice can be heard if others reading it spread his words to others.  Our Democracy is founded on the preposition that one man's voice is important. 

WE THE PEOPLE can 'fix' our government.  We need to do so for ourselves, for our children and for their offspring.  America is the shining light of freedom for all Americans, it also represents the Glow of Liberty for all the peoples we share this planet with who aspire for Independence.  Many millions of our fellow Americans have fought, been wounded and died to insure our country will survive.  Let us not let their sacrifice go in vain.  Join me like many others across America are doing by signing up at this site: 

https://app.e2ma.net/app2/audience/signup/1742056/1702820/?v=a

LT Bobby Ross

at

Pandora.com

The Muscatine Art Center will open its new exhibition, The Art of Living Well, on Thursday, November 7th with a reception from 5 to 7 p.m. The Art of Living Well is an opportunity to showcase the Art Center's permanent collection while exploring some of the principles from the Blue Zones Project™.

Muscatine is among ten communities in Iowa that have been chosen as Blue Zones Project demonstration sites. The purpose of the Blue Zones Project is to encourage principles that make it possible for people to live longer, healthier and happier lives. The Art of Living Well is presented in five sections - Work, Play, Relax, Belong and Eat. Visitors will explore each of these sections and discover examples of "move naturally," "know your purpose," "down shift," "loved ones first," "right tribe," "plant slant" and other core principles of the Power 9®.

"The approach to this exhibition is somewhat different from the way art exhibitions are often organized," says Director, Melanie Alexander. "The staff was challenged to find examples of people spending time in nature, gathering with friends, being physically active. The Art Center's collection of photographs, paintings, drawings, artifacts, postcards and other objects is full of examples of people in the past leading active lifestyles."

"In this exhibition, we put together works by well-known artists such as Grant Wood, John Bloom and John Steuart Curry to be displayed next to photographs of families picnicking, ice skates from the 1870s, Musser family scrapbooks and advertisements from the Muscatine Oatmeal Company. The Art of Living Well showcases the Art Center's collection of original art and historic artifacts."

The Art Center recently received a grant from the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs that will make it possible to provide a variety of experiences for elementary through high school students when they tour the exhibition. The Art of Living Well is intended to re-enforce some of the healthy eating initiatives of the school district. While at the Art Center, 1st grade students will use collage materials to create a healthy meal; 4th graders will make prints from fruits and vegetables; 6th graders will make fruit and vegetable still lifes in the style of Grant Wood. Visitors will also imagine themselves in a painting or photograph and carry out the movements of the people depicted.

"We hope that students will be attracted to the colorful depictions of fruits and vegetables and will enjoy thinking about what people in the past did to keep physically activity, relax or connect with one another."

The Art of Living Well runs from November 7, 2013 through June 15, 2014. Hand-outs and pledge forms for the Blue Zones Project will be available as part of the exhibition. Families can also put together a picnic using toy fruits and vegetables.

The Muscatine Art Center is located at 1314 Mulberry Avenue in Muscatine, Iowa. Hours are Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Thursday evenings until 7:00 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. Admission is free. Donations are appreciated.

MOLINE, ILLINOIS -  Thirty years ago, WQPT, Quad Cities PBS went on the air for the first time with four hours of programming. Nancy Reagan hosted "The Chemical People," and the station held a televised talk back. Since that day Nov. 3, 1983, WQPT has expanded its broadcasting 24 hours a day, seven days a week on its main channel (Mediacom 10 - Ch. 24) and its secondary channel, MHz Worldview.

The station's founding general manager was Robert Fletcher, who spent 10 years laying the groundwork for local public television and headed the station in its early years. Fred Marino followed him from 1986 to1992 and Jerry Sandler from 1992 to 1994. Moss Bresnahan expanded the station's impact in the community, and Rick Best, who started as a WQPT volunteer, business manager and assistant general manager took over general manager duties in 1997, retiring in 2012. Mary Pruess has served as general manager since April 2013.

Milestones in the station's history include the transfer of the WQPT license from Black Hawk College to Western Illinois University in 2010, the conversion to digital transmission in 2005 and the addition of the Sterling/Rock Falls transmitter in March 1991.

"We always seek ways to improve on what we are doing, both on television and in our community," said Pruess. "We are grateful for the support of so many who have made this milestone possible. Our volunteers, partners, sponsors and our faithful members have made it possible for WQPT to reach 30 years, and with their continued support, the sky is the limit."

The WQPT- exclusive series, "The Cities with Jim Mertens," began in 2009. Other long-run series that have called WQPT home include "Perspective" and "Life and Time," hosted by Susan McPeters. "Get Movin,'" "Artists in Profile," "Originals at RME," "Recipe Re-Do," and "Dining In" were produced by WQPT, and "Romper Room," produced by WQAD, found a home in the late afternoon on WQPT. Throughout the years, the station has produced documentaries like "3 Esthers" and "Chad Pregracke: The River Rescuer," along with such special performances as "The Nutcracker," "Dracula" and "It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play."

WQPT has won numerous national awards including an Emmy nomination for "Scattergood," two CINE Golden Eagle Awards, Telly Awards, the PBS Sterling Award and others.

While education was always at the core of the WQPT mission, the "Ready to Learn Initiative" began in 1995. Since that time, WQPT has distributed more than 123,000 books to low literate, low-income children and has conducted more than 1,600 workshops in area schools.

WQPT will air a history of the station, "WQPT: Thirty Years, A Million Thanks," on Friday, November 1 at 7:30 pm and November 2 at 6:30 pm.

WQPT is a media service of Western Illinois University located in Moline, Illinois.

###

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack today called on the Speaker of the House, John Boehner, to cancel the upcoming recess and keep the House in session to deal with many important issues that Iowans are demanding action on. Everything from the Farm Bill and the Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA), to a bipartisan budget and a commonsense agreement to create jobs and grow the economy, have yet to be dealt with. After the House recesses today for a 12 day district work period, it is only scheduled to be in session and voting for 16 days through the end of the year.

"On the heels of irresponsible and reckless manufactured crises that took our economy to the brink and slowed economic growth, news reports indicate that instead of redoubling efforts to rebuild the economy and boost job creation, the House Majority is considering reducing the already paltry number of work days scheduled in the House for the rest of the year.  Such a proposal is simply unacceptable," Loebsack wrote to Speaker Boehner. "I call you on to keep the House in session and working every day to get the work of the American people done.  I stand ready to continue to work on a bipartisan basis to move these critically important initiatives forward.

A copy of the letter can be found here.

Communities of Anamosa, Anita, Blairsburg, Bonaparte, Callender, Cascade, Clarion, Clinton, Colfax, Dakota City, Fairfield, Grimes, Hancock, Keokuk, Lowden, Massena, Mingo, Mount Ayr, New Hartford, Shenandoah Sioux City and Wapello to move water quality projects forward

Des Moines - The Iowa Finance Authority and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources today announced that twenty-two Iowa communities will benefit from a combined total of more than $34.7 million in low-cost water quality loans through the State Revolving Fund. State Revolving Fund Construction Loans are a low-cost construction financing option available for Iowa cities and municipalities for water quality initiatives. Planning & Design Loans are zero percent loans that assist with the first-phase of project expenses.

"The Iowa Finance Authority is proud to work in partnership with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to administer the State Revolving Fund," said Iowa Finance Authority Executive Director Dave Jamison. "Together we have assisted more than 500 Iowa communities to bridge the gap between needed infrastructure improvements and affordable financing.  The revolving aspect of this fund means we can look forward to helping many more communities reach their water quality goals."

"Large and small and rural and urban communities all across Iowa face a large variety of water quality needs," said Iowa Department of Natural Resources Director Chuck Gipp. "Hundreds of Iowa communities have utilized the State Revolving Fund for low-cost financing to help them address those unique needs."

The State Revolving Fund has awarded Iowa communities and municipalities more than $2.1 billion in Construction Loans and $125 million through Planning & Design Loans since program inception. The loans are made available as part of the State Revolving Fund. For more information on Planning & Design Loans, as well as other State Revolving Fund programs, visit IowaSRF.com.

The Iowa Legislature created the Iowa Finance Authority, the state's housing finance agency, in 1975 to undertake programs to assist in the attainment of affordable housing for low- and moderate-income Iowans. IFA also administers the State Revolving Fund (SRF) in cooperation with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. The SRF assists communities with the costs of upgrading or constructing local wastewater and drinking water infrastructure projects.

Recent Loan Recipients:

Loan Recipient

County

Amount

Project Type

Description

Contact

New Hartford

Butler

$81,000

Drinking Water Construction

Water Meter Replacement

Shawna Hagen: 319-983-2548

Anita

Cass

$1,065,000

Clean Water Construction

Infiltration & Inflow Corrections

Lindsay Jahde: 712-762-3746

Anita Municipal Utilities

Cass

$102,500

Planning & Design

Planning & Design

Merlin Scarf: 712-762-3845

Massena

Cass

$445,000

Clean Water Construction

Infiltration & Inflow Corrections

Meradith Lung: 712-779-2295

Lowden

Cedar

$65,000

Planning & Design

Planning & Design

Peggy Kedley: 563-941-7705

Clinton

Clinton

$6,550,000

Clean Water Construction

Pump Station

Jessica Kinser: 563-242-7545

Grimes

Dallas/Polk

$2,432,000

Drinking Water Construction

New Well

Kelley Brown: 515-986-3036

Cascade

Dubuque

$400,000

Planning & Design

Planning & Design

Tim Long: 563-852-3114

Shenandoah

Fremont, Page

$14,057,000

Drinking Water Construction

New Treatment Plant & Water Main

Mary Smith: 712-246-4411

Blairsburg

Hamilton

$265,000

Clean Water Construction

Infiltration & Inflow Corrections

Patricia Jacobson: 515-325-6244

Dakota City

Humboldt

$600,000

Clean Water Construction

Infiltration & Inflow Corrections

Angelique Berry: 515-332-3083

Colfax

Jasper

$1,109,000

Clean Water Construction

Treatment & I/I Improvements

Kathy Mathews: 515-674-4096

Mingo

Jasper

$360,000

Clean Water Construction

Infiltration & Inflow Corrections

Sondra Kenney: 641-363-4441

Fairfield

Jefferson

$500,000

Planning & Design

Planning & Design

Kevin Flanagan: 641-472-6193

Anamosa

Jones

$2,020,000

Drinking Water Construction

Storage & Water Mains

Alan Johnson: 319-462-6055

Keokuk

Lee

$452,500

Planning & Design

Planning & Design

Mark Bousselot: 319-524-2050

Wapello

Louisa

$393,000

Clean Water Construction

Infiltration & Inflow Corrections

Mike Delzell: 319-523-4091

Hancock

Pottawattamie

$98,910

Planning & Design

Planning & Design

Kimberly Gress: 712-741-5665

Mount Ayr

Ringgold

$378,000

Drinking Water Construction

Rural Water Connection

Pamella Poore: 641-464-2402

Bonaparte

Van Buren

$435,000

Drinking Water Construction

Water Mains

Nancy Nelson: 319-592-3400

Callender

Webster

$600,000

Clean Water Construction

Infiltration & Inflow Corrections

Denita Lee-Luke: 515-548-3859

Sioux City

Woodbury

$2,100,000

Drinking Water Construction

UV Treatment

Jade Dundas: 712-279-6957

Clarion

Wright

$250,000

Planning & Design

Planning & Design

Rochelle Pohlman: 515-532-2847

Ticket plans start at $35 for a seven-game package; season-ticket holders receive more great perks

DAVENPORT, Iowa (OCT. 30, 2013) - The same fans who saw the Quad Cities River Bandits' second Midwest League Championship in three years can now celebrate even more affordable ticket plans for the 2014 season. The Midwest League club is lowering prices for nearly all ticket plans while offering the same wide array of flexible packages - from seven games to a full season of 70 games.

Fans who make a deposit of $25 per seat for a 2014 ticket plan by December 31, 2013, will be automatically entered in a drawing for a free suite rental at an April 2014 home game. All ticket plans are available by calling the River Bandits front office at 563-324-3000 or downloading the season ticket order form at www.riverbandits.com.

"Our fans are the best in the country, and we want to reward their support with even more affordable ticket packages to see games at the Best Minor League Ballpark in the country," said River Bandits co-owner Dave Heller. "Ticket plans are the best way to save money on River Bandits tickets while locking in great seats, and we are thrilled to make them more family-friendly with lower prices for 2014!"

Among the newly more affordable options include club seats - previously only available in packages of 18 games or more - that are now available in plans of 10 games or more. The season-ticket order form and pricing details are available at www.riverbandits.com.

Every ticket plan comes with a guaranteed giveaway item for each ticket-plan holder with a ticket for the promotional date. That means all buyers are guaranteed to get every promotional item given away during their chosen plan, including bobbleheads! In addition, every season ticket plan and mini-plan qualifies for the Bandits' Most Flexible Ticket Return Policy in All of Baseball: Any season ticket or mini-plan ticket may be exchanged prior to the game, during the game, or within seven days after the game for a ticket to any remaining regular season home game. Everyone with a ticket plan (except 10-game voucher books) also receives a River Bandits season-ticket holder key chain for free parking, entrance to the season-ticket holder concession line, a 10-percent discount in the team store, and discounts at participating sponsor locations.

The River Bandits, the Class-A affiliate of the Houston Astros, will open the 2014 season at Modern Woodmen Park Thursday, April 3. A full schedule of home and road games for 2014 is available at www.riverbandits.com, and ticket plans for the 2014 season are now on sale.

UP NEXT: Lock in your season ticket plan - with new lower prices - for the 2014 season! A deposit of $25 per seat by December 31 enters you in a drawing for a free suite rental at an April 2014 home game. Call the River Bandits box office at 563-324-3000 or visit www.riverbandits.com to download the season ticket order form. Season ticket and mini-plan packages start at just seven games and begin at less than $40. Call a River Bandits account representative today to choose your seats and get the details of our various mini-plan packages.

ABOUT THE BANDITS: The River Bandits ownership is making one of the biggest improvements to Modern Woodmen Park since the ballpark was first built back in 1931! A new Ferris wheel, standing 112 feet over the playing field, is planned for next spring, along with a carousel and other new games and attractions. This season, the team unveiled a new 300-foot long dual zip line, a rock climbing wall, and a number of new bounce houses. The team's major league affiliate, the Houston Astros, just saw all six of its affiliates reach the playoffs - the first time in a decade any MLB team can claim such success. The River Bandits were one of three affiliates to reach the championship round and one of two to win their league championship.

*****

Dear friends of the QCSO,

We thank those of you who came out to our concerts this past weekend to hear soprano Sarah Shafer, pianist Joel Fan, and of course your own Quad City Symphony Orchestra led by Music Director Mark Russell Smith. We hope you enjoyed the show.

Even if you were unable to attend this weekend's concert, we'd love to hear from you. Please take a moment to fill out this brief survey. Your input is very important to us as we strive to improve our services at the QCSO. If you take the time to fill out our survey, we will email you a buy-one-get-one coupon for our December Masterworks concert. Feel free to use it yourself, or to share it with a friend if you already have tickets. Plus, for this next concert only, you can purchase your tickets online with no additional online service fee!

If you would like to enjoy the concert again, it will be rebroadcast by our media partner WVIK-Augustana Public Radio on November 3 at 7:00 p.m. Be sure to tune in at 90.3 FM or listen online at www.wvik.org.




Donors can now claim tax deductions to help save historic theater

TIPTON, Iowa?The Hardacre Theater Preservation Association (HTPA) announced today it has achieved its long-awaited goal of attaining 501(c)(3) status from the IRS, making the group an official nonprofit organization and opening doors for the organization and its donors.

With nonprofit designation, the HTPA can now offer tax deductions to donors who want to help save the theater and pursue grants and funding opportunities only available to 501(c)(3) organizations.

"We are thrilled to attain this status, as it will open so many doors for not only the Hardacre Theater Preservation Association but for its donors," said Greg Brown, HTPA president. "Many grants are available only to nonprofit organizations. Attaining this status will help us realize the community's vision for the Hardacre Theater."

The Hardacre Theater is a nearly 100-year-old opera house and movie theater that, until August 2013, was in continuous operation since it opened in 1916. The theater is home to Iowa's longest-running film festival?the Hardacre Film Festival?which celebrated its 16th year in August 2013. The movie industry's rapid evolution from 35mm film to digital projection has left many single-screen, privately owned theaters scrambling to upgrade to digital or close their businesses.

The HTPA's goal is to purchase and upgrade the Hardacre Theater, creating a multi-use venue for both recorded and live entertainment. The first fundraising phase will be to purchase the theater building, then renovate and upgrade its technology to create a state-of-the-art entertainment and cultural facility.

The group is formulating a fundraising and grant-attainment plan. Anyone interested in donating, pledging a donation, and following the Hardacre Theater's journey to renovation can visit the HTPA's website at thehardacre.org.


-- END --

And You Thought Your Work-Life Balance
Was Difficult ...
Dad of Quadruplets Shares What He Learned Juggling Family
Life and Successful Business Career

Larry Katzen forged an ambitious career as a leader at one of the world's most prestigious accounting firms.

But he has been equally ambitious with his family life; he's the father of quadruplets?three sons and a daughter. And he felt it was important to serve his community, sitting on more than 10 boards of directors.

"It was an incredible challenge and I don't regret one minute of it!" says Katzen, author of "And You Thought Accountants Were Boring - My Life Inside Arthur Andersen," (Larryrkatzen.com), a look at working in one of the world's most historically important accounting firms while nurturing bonds with his wife and children.

"The quadruplets were born April 22, 1974, before multiple births became fairly common, so we were front-page news and featured on all the national TV news shows," Katzen says. "But that also tells you there weren't many other parents who could give us advice, and certainly no internet forums to turn to!"

At the time, Katzen was also working his way up the ladder and taking on new challenges at Arthur Andersen, one of the "Big 8" accounting firms. How did he and his wife, Susan, manage?

"It comes down to sticking to some basic principles: doing the right thing, for one, and listening to your heart," Katzen says.

He draws on his 35-year career and family life to offer these tips for working parents with multiple children:

· Cultivate support systems! One of the wonderful things about Arthur Andersen was the people who worked there, including his bosses, Katzen says. "They knew the physical and financial struggles Susan and I faced caring for four babies and, because I never gave less than my all at work, they did what they could to work around my situation," he says. That included a heftier-than-usual annual pay raise that Katzen learned only years later was approved because the firm's partners knew he would need the extra money.

Susan reached out to moms of multiples to develop her own support system, and the couple hired a recent high school graduate to help care for their rambunctious brood a couple days a week.

"There's no glory in not asking for support and help," Katzen says.

· Combine business and family. Katzen traveled frequently for his job and, when his children were 9 years old, a business friend suggested he bring them along, one at a time, on his trips.

"The first was my daughter, Laurie. We flew to New York on a Friday and spent the weekend shopping, dining, taking in a show. For the first time ever, we were alone together without any disruptions," Katzen says. "Neither of us ever forgot that weekend."

· Consider buying a small vacation home. Traveling with four young children was extremely difficult, especially nights in motels, where the family would split up into two rooms - one parent and two children in each.

"When we discovered Sun Valley, Idaho, the children were 6. On our first trip there, they quickly learned to ski, and they clearly loved the snow - we could hardly get them to come inside," Katzen says.

The family so enjoyed the vacation, they looked into the prices of condos.

"We found a furnished condo at a very affordable price and for the next 13 years, we enjoyed summers and winters in Sun Valley," Katzen says. "It may sound like a big investment, but when you consider the costs of motels and dining out for a family of six, it works out well - and it's a lot more comfortable."

About Larry Katzen

After graduating from Drake University in 1967, Larry Katzen started working at Arthur Andersen and quickly rose through the ranks to become the Great Plains Regional Managing Partner. An honorable, hard-working man who devoted his life to Arthur Andersen, Larry was there from the company's meteoric rise to its unjust demise. He stayed with the firm for 35 years, serving clients globally until 2002. In his new memoir, And You Thought Accountants Were Boring - My Life Inside Arthur Andersen, Katzen details the political fodder in the government's prosecution of Enron; how the company was unjustly dismantled for its supposed connections to the corruption; its vindication and why it came too late, and the devastating impact it had on 85,000 employees.

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