CARLYLE - December 5, 2012. At a quarterly meeting of the Mississippi River Coordinating Council on Friday, Lt. Governor Simon will call for federal intervention to address dropping water levels in the Mississippi River. The water level from St. Louis to Cairo is at record low levels and risks being impassable by barges.

"The Mississippi River is a vital economic resource, allowing goods to be transported around the country. Already barges are being forced to carry lighter loads, and unless we work together on a solution, barge traffic will halt completely," Simon said.

Mississippi River levels - already low following the 2012 drought - are continuing to drop as a result of reduced flows from the Missouri River. Continued drop in water levels will expose rock pinnacles in southern Illinois, which will limit or even halt barge traffic along the river.

Lt. Governor Simon, as well as Governor Quinn, Navistar, Caterpillar, ADM, Great Lakes Dredge and Docks, and others have appealed to the federal government for assistance that will keep the river open. According to the American Waterways Operators, a potential closure preventing barges from transporting goods would jeopardize $7 billion in products during December and January alone.

Lt. Governor Simon chairs the Mississippi River Coordinating Council, composed of a diverse group of citizens, not-for-profit organizations, and state and federal agencies. The Council coordinates initiatives, projects and funding to promote the ecological health of the Mississippi River and its tributaries by addressing the issues in the watershed.

DATE: Friday, Dec. 7

TIME: 1:30 p.m.

PLACE: Carlyle Lake Visitors Center, 801 Lake Road, Carlyle, Ill.

Requests must be received by Friday, December 14 at 5pm CST

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack announced today that the deadline to register for the lottery to receive tickets to the 57th Inauguration Ceremony in Washington, D.C. is Friday, December 14 at 5:00pm CST.  Those wishing to enter the lottery must visit: http://loebsack.house.gov/inauguration and fill out the form.  There is no charge to enter the lottery or for the tickets, though winners are responsible for their own travel arrangements.

Winners of the lottery will be notified at a later date if they were chosen to receive tickets.  They will also receive information at that time about how to claim their tickets.

Inauguration Day is Monday, January 21st 2013.   It is expected there will be a variety of events that will not require tickets, including a public viewing area of the Inaugural ceremony on the National Mall and the public Inauguration parade. Iowans unable to attain tickets through Congressman Loebsack's office are encouraged to monitor the Inauguration Planning Committee website, http://inaugural.senate.gov/, for further details on non-ticketed events.

Please be aware that there are a few organizations trying to sell fake tickets to people.  Tickets are only being provided free of charge from official government offices, and tickets must be picked up in person from Loebsack's office before the Inauguration. Any group that suggests differently is providing incorrect information.

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SPRINGFIELD - December 5, 2012. Governor Quinn issued the following statement regarding the sustaining of his budget vetoes to close half-empty and empty facilities.

"Today is a victory for the taxpayers of Illinois.

"The Illinois House of Representatives sent a strong message about their serious commitment to reducing spending the state cannot afford.

"Closing these empty or half-empty prisons and juvenile detention centers that are no longer needed will save Illinois taxpayers $88 million a year, once the closures are fully implemented. These closures will strengthen our long-term effort to cut state expenses and put Illinois on sound financial footing.

"Once permitted by the courts, inmates who are still at the facilities will be transferred to other nearby facilities where there is room for them. All guards and other personnel will be offered jobs at other nearby facilities. And the taxpayers of Illinois will no longer be on the hook for spending millions of dollars we don't have on empty facilities.

"There is more work to do. We must work together in the weeks ahead to restore critically needed funding that will protect the state's most vulnerable children from abuse and neglect. I will continue working closely with the General Assembly to restore critical funding to DCFS to prevent the layoff of more than 500 front-line child abuse investigators.

"I am committed to continuing to take the difficult steps necessary to restore fiscal stability to Illinois.

"Working in partnership with the General Assembly, we've had a productive veto session and I look forward to continuing this progress in January as we tackle pension reform."

Corrupt bankers, a practically valueless dollar, hyper-unemployment and underemployment, home-grown terrorism, the uptick in natural disasters and the overall lack of trust in our most important institutions - these are some of the reasons all Americans should be very, very concerned, according to Peter Dash (www.peterdash.ca), a world-traveled researcher for Harvard University's Center for International Affairs.

"I predict a brutal world ahead of us," says Dash, author of "ZUrabia," (www.zurabia-peterdash.com), a book about rogue forces taking over the world's most important institutions. "Unfortunately, I have been right since my research at Harvard in 1986, when I questioned the viability of government institutions to meet general needs and growing problems, both domestically and abroad."

The pragmatic holiday shopper this year will purchase items to safeguard their families against these threats, which have been long in the making and won't disappear quickly, he says.

"Terrorism wasn't inaugurated with 9-11; extremism in Muslim sects has been growing for decades, and Neo-Nazi groups are starting to flourish in failing states like Greece," he says. "The dollar has been steadily losing its value since the creation of the Federal Reserve in 1913; climate change has been on the radar for quite a while; and there have been greedy bankers since, well, banks have existed."

"If you're confident that everything is sure to be okay, then you're not paying attention," he says.

He offers a four-point survival strategy for holiday shopping:

• Gold is good: The dollar has lost 95 percent of its value in 100 years, and it will continue losing value. As the Reserve continues to flood money into the system, thereby reducing current or potential value, more inflation is inevitable, acting as yet another tax on wages. So, collect and buy any gold that you can and consider spending federal notes while they're still worth something to businesses. Think about your jewelry, and buying more. Silver is a good option if gold is too expensive, and there are Exchange Traded Funds, or ETFs, that are backed by physical gold. A reputable banker or broker can help explain for those who are interested. "TD Ameritrade or Charles Schwab may be good places to start getting information on gold and silver ETF trading," according to Dash.

• Inflation: Spend your money now or smartly invest it before you lose it. Remember, banks often give clients less than one percent on many accounts, but inflation on food and real items we use, like gasoline, are going up by much more. In essence, your banker is stealing your money through the assistance of the Fed, which is killing your savings rate by cheapening money. As if to pour salt on this wound, the bank, in many cases, lends money at four percent or higher. Rerouting some bank savings/wages by investing in canned food, for example, may protect you against the scourge of food inflation, as well as other disasters.

• Worthy purchases: With food and water, a failed society puts a premium on additional goods. They include home insulation, gardening tools and materials, computer programs and language learning kits - perhaps Spanish or Chinese - because of the increasing prominence of other cultures. Guns, security systems and other measures to protect one's home will likely prove extremely valuable should law enforcement be spread too thin, or fail as an institution.

• Buy in bulk: Places like Wal-Mart or Costco will help you get the most value with large purchases of food. It's important to be well-stocked if something happens that results in the emptying of grocery markets, but remember to have adequate space in your house, apartment or cabin for a "safe" room, which is part of a sound strategy for protecting you and your family.

About Peter Dash

Peter Dash has been a teacher, professor and corporate trainer for the last 17 years, working in Saudi Arabia, the former Soviet Union and China. He has an applied science degree in forestry from the University of British Columbia and a Masters in applied teaching from Southern Queensland in Australia. He was a researcher in world (dis) order and youth groups at Harvard University's Center for International Affairs, started by Henry Kissinger. He follows the investment field intensely, focusing on commodity funds and trends. Fifteen percent of his book's royalties will go to needy students consistent to the many years Dash has worked in assisting voluntary youth organizations. He lives on a small tropical island that is stocked with the finest well water, fish and food. Dash invests in Gold ETFs and commodity trading companies.