WASHINGTON - A Des Moines couple was recognized today as part of a national program to raise awareness of children in need of a safe and loving adoptive family.

Allonna and Damien Stovall of Des Moines were pinned and designated "2012 Angels in Adoption" by Senator Chuck Grassley at an event in Washington hosted by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute.

The Stovalls have raised seven children, four of them adopted.  Three of the four adopted children were siblings who the Stovalls kept from being separated by adopting all of the children.

"Parents who foster and adopt children are nothing short of extraordinary," Grassley said.  "With selfless generosity and commitment, they make the difference in the lives of children who do not have homes or loving families.  It's wonderful to have this chance to honor these parents and raise awareness of the remarkable work they do and the children who need them."

Grassley has been a legislative leader in expanding opportunities for adoption and reforming the foster care system.

In addition to more than 100 Angels from around the country, the Institute this week will recognize several National Angels for their commitment to child welfare, including actress Katherine Heigl, singer/songwriter Josh Kelley, and PEOPLE magazine.

Click here for a photo of this morning's event in Washington

Click here for video of the Stovall's pinning.

 

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack today urged the Speaker of the House to bring up and pass a long-term farm bill after press reports that the Majority Party was planning on only bringing up a one year extension.  Loebsack has been leading the charge in Congress to pass a reformed farm bill that provides certainty to our farmers and includes drought relief to aid those who have been severely affected.

"With Congress not being in session for over a month, Iowans expected work to be done toward moving forward a new reformed farm bill but instead will be presented with another missed opportunity and a can that's kicked down the road because of politics in the form of another extension," wrote Loebsack.  "Americans elected Congress to get things done for the American people. I stand ready to work in bipartisan fashion to get a farm bill passed and again urge your attention to bringing up the farm bill for passage in the House."

Since earlier this summer, Loebsack had called on Congress to stay in session multiple times to get critical work done.

A copy of today's letter can be seen here.

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A recent Gallup poll shows 81 percent of Americans are dissatisfied with the governing of the country, a historic number.

With the ongoing discussion among experts, pundits, politicians and the general public on whether or not America has lost its way, citizens are looking for solutions. They are out there, says Dixie Swanson, former TV personality, former Beltway insider and author of The Accidental President Trilogy (www.dixieswanson.com), a series of novels about an apolitical physician who stumbles into a Senate seat.

"Problems in our country are moving faster than solutions," says Swanson. "Whether we elect Mitt or Barack, we are going to be facing the same gridlock that's jamming and corrupting the process today," she says.

To get the nation back to duly elected government officials who spend their time leading and making decisions in the best interests of the entire country, Swanson suggests the following five amendments:

• Abolition of Electoral Voting: The U.S. electoral process is as antique as a powdered wig. It has already failed three times, electing presidents who did not win the popular vote. As the system stands now, if a candidate wins by one vote in a state with a few people, like Wyoming, he gets three electoral votes. If he wins in California, he wins 55. This violates the idea that every vote counts equally. Romney could get "Gored" this year and win the popular vote but lose the electoral vote. All Americans want their votes to count equally.

• Single Six-Year Term for Presidents: Our country has enormous problems and the president and vice president need to be on the job full-time, not running for reelection beginning on Day 2. No one in the highest levels of the federal government is looking 20 and 30 years down the road. We need to lengthen the term to build in an opportunity for focus and visionary thinking.

• A Balanced Budget: The budget shall not exceed the previous year for which fiscal revenues are known. In the event of a national catastrophe, this can be overridden with a two-thirds vote of each house and the president's signature. This should be gradually implemented throughout the next decade to reduce economic whiplash. This should include an income surtax that goes directly toward paying down the national debt.

• Constitutionally Mandated Campaign Reform: The big money of PACS and Super PACS is corrupting. Let's return power to the voter. Only voters can donate, and then only to one candidate in each race for whom they can vote: his or her choice for representative, senator and one presidential ticket. Congress may set a limit on donation amounts. No entity of any kind may give money to the candidate or give it to an individual to donate. Any violations are a federal crime punishable by five years in prison with no parole. Just as your ballot is secret, your donations will not be published on the internet (with your address) as they are now, but will be reported daily to the Federal Election Commission by the campaign treasurer. All donations are to be made by check, credit/debit card or electronic funds transfer. No cash donations are acceptable and there are no in-kind donations. Lobbyists can still exist and do advocacy, they just can't bring money, or anything of value, to the conversation. During an election, any advertising is to be paid for by the candidate and by no one else.

• The Line-Item Veto: Congressional attempts to give the president line-item veto power have been shot down by the courts as unconstitutional, so the only way to provide this is by amending the Constitution. As is stands now, the courts can throw out a part of a law, but the president cannot. That is inequitable.

About Dixie Swanson

Dixie Swanson was a pediatrician for 10 years and the Family Health Reporter for NBC's Houston affiliate. She also spent time working for a Washington lobbyist with access to the White House.  Dixie is the author of "The Accidental President Trilogy - a Political Fable for Our Time."

Teachers Use Student-Designed Stickers to Reward Good Work

DES MOINES, IA (09/11/2012)(readMedia)-- Iowa State Education Association (ISEA) members around the state have used ISEA's student-designed stickers to celebrate student achievement and good work for over 27 years. Now in its 28th year, the popular Design-a-Decal program helps give statewide recognition to young art students when their winning designs are printed on stickers and teachers use them to give positive feedback to their students. With encouraging messages like "Thumbs Up" and "Aced It," the stickers get used on everything from homework assignments, to papers and projects.

Students competed in three, grade-level categories: elementary (K-5); junior high/middle school (6-8); and high school (9-12). The 24 winning designs are printed in full color on sheets of one-inch square stickers and each design is featured twice.

"The Design-a-Decal contest is one of our longest-standing programs because it's so much fun for the students. Art teachers who administer the program are very enthusiastic and the students who submit designs do a great job and love to participate, so it's a win-win for everyone. It's a wonderful way to encourage creativity. The end result is stickers our members can use on homework and other assignments to encourage more great work," said Tammy Wawro, president of the ISEA.

The students who created the designs used on the decal sheets receive two plaques from the ISEA-one they keep and one to be displayed at their school.

(A listing with names of the schools, supervising art teacher, and students whose designs were selected for use on the decal sheets is attached. Also attached is a picture of the winning decals.)

The ISEA is a private, professional organization made up of almost 34,000 educators who are dedicated to promoting and preserving public education for all Iowa students. Great Education. It's an Iowa Basic.