Lt. Governor calls for reforms to stabilize college costs

EDWARDSVILLE - October 19, 2012. While speaking about college affordability today, Lt. Governor Sheila Simon said she vehemently disagrees with a nationwide survey sponsored and released this week by TIME Magazine and the Carnegie Foundation that shows 80 percent of adults believe higher education is not worth the cost.

Simon made her remarks while working alongside Southern Illinois University Edwardsville students in the dining hall. Her visit was part of a College Affordability Summit at SIUE Simon hosted to call on federal, state and higher education leaders to work together to make college more affordable for Illinois students.

"We cannot lose sight of our students who must work and borrow to bridge the gap between financial aid and rising college costs," Simon said. "To keep our state competitive in the national and global economy, we need more students to complete college than ever before. The only way we can achieve that goal is if college is affordable. We must work together to rein in costs."

Illinois ranks at the bottom of states when measuring the ability of low-income families to afford the net cost of an education at a public four-year institution in Illinois, and 46th in the net cost as a percent of income for middle-income families, according to the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems.

Data expected to be released by the College Board next week confirms that the cost of college has outpaced other goods and services for the past 30 years, even as family incomes have declined in the past decade. To pay the bills, students racked up an average of $26,682 in student loans in 2010, up 14.3 percent from three years earlier and more than double what they owed in 1995, according to a Pew Research Center report released in early October.

Teagan Smith, a sophomore studying communications, is one of many students at SIU Edwardsville and across the state who is patching together work study and scholarships to pay for tuition and school expenses. The third of ten children, Smith said her family relies on financial aid so higher education is affordable for her and her siblings.

"I would not be in college if it weren't for work study and scholarships," Smith said. "Scholarships help me pay for tuition and work study covers other expenses, so together college can be affordable."

Simon is visiting all 12 public universities in Illinois this fall to hold College Affordability Summits with students and emphasize that higher education funding must be a higher priority for state, federal and school leaders. During her visit she outlined three ways stakeholders could work together to keep college affordable:

• Consumer protections: Simon supports House Bill 5248, which would require all degree-granting institutions that operate in Illinois to publish online College Choice Reports. The reports would contain information such as net costs, average debt and completion rates in an easy-to-read and easy-to-find format. Unlike the federally proposed "shopping sheet" which provides cost information after a student applies to a school, the College Choice Report would be available to students online before they apply, to help them find a college or university that fits their needs and their budget.

• Targeted assistance: To better use state resources, Simon wants to strengthen the Monetary Award Program and insure MAP grants promote college attendance and completion and reduce the achievement gap between low-income and higher-income students. MAP grants are currently awarded on a first-come, first-served basis to students based on financial need, but state funding reaches only about half of eligible students. Simon currently serves on a MAP Eligibility Task Force that is evaluating ways to improve distributional equity and encourage timely degree completion. A report to the General Assembly is due January 1, 2013.

• Tax credits for tuition payments: More than 9 million students and families are taking advantage of the American Opportunity Tax Credit, saving them up to $10,000 over four years of college. Simon supports making this federal tax credit permanent and preventing it from expiring at the end of this year.

"Cutting investments directly related to economic growth doesn't make sense. We should work together on policies that prioritize education and employment, not shortchange Illinois students and quality employers," Simon said."Together we could stabilize the cost for public universities and community colleges, following tuition and fee increases that have outpaced inflation, family incomes and available aid over the past 20 years."

Eric Zarnikow, executive director of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, cited recent MAP award activity as evidence that affordability should be a key issue for Illinois leaders. For every eligible student who received a MAP grant this school year, another was denied due to lack of state funds.

"MAP is one of the largest needs-based financial aid programs in the country. While approximately 150,000 students will receive an award this year, just as many will be left on the sidelines as a result of limited funding," Zarnikow said.

"The higher education community looks forward to working with Lt. Governor Simon and state leaders to maintain and restore funding and support policies that will help more students graduate with a quality college education in a timely and cost-effective manner," said George Reid, executive director of the Illinois Board of Higher Education.

SIU Edwardsville was the fifth of Simon's affordability summits. She will visit the University of Illinois Springfield on Tuesday, October 23.

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110-mile per hour Rail Demonstration A Milestone For Midwest High-Speed Rail Network, Thousands of Jobs Created from Work

JOLIET - October 19, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today was joined by U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph Szabo, Illinois Transportation Secretary Ann L. Schneider, Amtrak Chairman Tom Carper, and local leaders to celebrate the start of 110-mph rail service in Illinois. Today's demonstration of 110-mph speeds between Dwight and Pontiac on the critical Chicago-St. Louis rail corridor represents a historic step towards the establishment of a high-speed rail network that will secure Illinois' position as the Midwest's transportation hub.

The project - part of a $2 billion federal and state investment in high-speed rail - has created and supported more than 6,000 construction jobs and many more related to production and equipment manufacturing.

The 15-mile demonstration segment showcased major infrastructure improvements, state-of-the-art signaling, and significant technological and safety advancements. Trains will start carrying Amtrak riders at the higher speed between Dwight and Pontiac before Thanksgiving of this year. The 110-mph service is projected to be in place along nearly 75% of the Chicago-St. Louis corridor by 2015, reducing travel time by more than an hour. Today's demonstration is part of Governor Quinn's vision to bring high-speed rail to Illinois and modernize the state's transportation infrastructure.

"A 21st century rail system in Illinois will create jobs and drive economic development throughout the Midwest, while making travel across Illinois faster, safer and more reliable," Governor Quinn said. "This demonstration of high-speed rail service would not be possible without the unwavering commitment of President Obama, Secretary LaHood, Senator Dick Durbin, and many others. High-speed rail is coming to Illinois and these long-term investments in our transportation system will benefit the citizens of our state for generations to come."

"Investing in passenger rail means more options for the traveling public, new jobs and expanding economic opportunities for communities all along the Chicago to St. Louis corridor," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "With next generation rail equipment, new track structures, and renovated and new rail stations, passengers will be able to enjoy faster travel times aboard a greater number of trains. Today's achievement is just one more example of how rail investments are transforming communities across America."

Illinois has become a national leader in passenger rail expansion. Total ridership on Amtrak's four Illinois routes has grown nearly 75% over the past six years, rising to more than 2.1 million passengers last year. Ridership on today's Chicago-St. Louis Lincoln Service alone has doubled in that time period, despite relatively slow speeds and aging equipment. When completed, trains traveling from Chicago to St. Louis will reach top speeds matching those of trains now traveling between Chicago and Detroit, the fastest passenger trains in North America outside of the East Coast.

"Amtrak is a lynchpin in Illinois mass transportation and a vital component in the economic development of communities from Chicago to St. Louis, and with ridership up 6 percent this year, its popularity only continues to grow," U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) said. "Recognizing high-speed rail's outstanding potential to create jobs and drive growth, as well as our state's leading role in transportation infrastructure, the federal government invested close to $2 billion out of a total $8 billion made available nationwide through the Recovery Act into Illinois projects. High-speed trains will help move residents quickly and comfortably across the state and ensure Illinois remains a top passenger rail provider. Today's test is a major step toward that goal."

Today's demonstration began at the soon-to-be renovated Joliet Union Station and ended at Normal's brand new multi-modal train station, where transportation officials highlighted the modern upgrades, accommodations and benefits Amtrak travelers will experience first-hand in the near future. Before it was complete, the new Normal station and promise of 110-mph service had attracted more than $200 million in private investments to its downtown area, an example of how rail investment attracts economic growth.  Future rail investments along the Chicago to St. Louis corridor will spur economic activity across Illinois in Springfield, Dwight, Pontiac, Lincoln, Carlinville, Alton and Joliet where new or newly-renovated stations are under development or in the planning stages.

"This remarkable 110-mph segment demonstration serves as a testament to exceptional teamwork among all levels of government and the private sector, and exemplifies the dedication to enhancing viable, cost-effective and essential transportation improvements needed to compete effectively in the decades ahead," Secretary Schneider said. "We are proud to unveil this high-speed rail segment test as a landmark step in rail history and share what travelers may experience in the very near future."

Today's high-speed rail demonstration follows the recent announcement of a $352 million multi-state procurement to design, build and deliver 130 bi-level passenger railcars for use in California and the Midwest, including the Chicago to St. Louis corridor. The Notice of Intent to Award identified Rochelle, Illinois-based vendor Nippon-Sharyo/Sumitomo Corporation of America as the expected builder of the railcars, the first of which are slated for delivery in fall 2015.

"We have worked in partnership with the state of Illinois to make 110-mph service a reality and Amtrak is continuing to bring high-speed rail service in an expanded Midwest network," said Tom Carper, chairman, Amtrak Board of Directors. "When this project is complete, we anticipate the Chicago-St. Louis corridor will be one of the busiest in the country."

"I want to congratulate Union Pacific's field engineering team that has produced some very impressive numbers since this project started in 2010," said Lance Fritz, Union Pacific Railroad's executive vice president - operations. "The team has laid more than 2.5 million linear feet of rail, spread nearly 1.3 million tons of ballast to help provide a more stable roadbed and installed nearly 620,000 concrete ties. Thank you for a job well done."

Existing Amtrak Amfleet cars have been refurbished to include new coach and business class seating, new café cars, healthier menu items and Wi-Fi service. Additional upgrades underway on the Chicago-St. Louis corridor route include installation of safer quadrant and pedestrian gates at urban crossings, gates at farm crossings, and new signals and road surfaces at crossings.

To follow progress, updates and completed improvements along the signature Chicago-St. Louis high-speed rail corridor, please visit www.idothsr.org.

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The Internet affords children endless opportunities to get into serious trouble, downloading what they shouldn't download, looking at what they shouldn't be looking at, and getting ideas about what they shouldn't be getting ideas about.

But the good news is that if your kids are like mine, they may be doing some or all of those things...but there's another ise for the Internet that's attracting their time and attention.

It's called teaching.

That's right?your kids are most likely teaching other kids how to do things that interest them.  The online world, especially YouTube, has turned into an academy without walls, entrance fees, or final exams.  The instructors, just like the students, are barely into double digits.

Take my ten year olds (please!).  My twin sons, Isaac and Walter, are variously interested in unicycling, origami, juggling, magic, Minecraft, jailbreaking their iPods, and similar subjects.  Much of what they've learned about these topics has come from YouTube videos.  Much of those videos are written and produced by other kids.  Which inspired my sons to put up their own instructional videos.

Now my sons are in a race with their friends for viewers and followers on their three YouTube channels, MyWalter101, BillyBobRandom12345, and OrigamiAndMagicBrothers.   As a proud parent, naturally I want you to visit their channels and see what they're doing.  But more than that, this is a unique phenomenon.

You couldn't get the average kid to stand up in front of an audience and talk about his or her favorite topic.  Or demonstrate a magic trick, or a guitar chord, or a hack on an iPod.   Never gonna happen.  But allow that same kid the privacy of his or her living room, the use of a camera built into a smartphone, and the opportunity to upload a two- or three-minute instructional video on any given topic, and you've got solid gold.

As a result, there exists today an underground, invisible network of children taking turns as teachers and students, sharing with each other the skills, ideas, secrets, and technological breakthroughs they cherish.  This university without walls or national boundaries is, without exaggeration, unparalleled in human history.  Children have always been at the mercy of parents, teachers, and school administrators when it comes to the question of how, what, and when they learn.  Now the game has changed and the power has shifted to kids.

Obviously parental supervision is required; you don't need me to tell you just how dangerous and inappropriate the online world can be.  What's most exciting about this phenomenon, however, is the fact that children are taking initiative to become teachers and sharers.  They are not looking to make money doing this?although few would deny the desire to have 5 million followers and the fame (and perhaps fortune) that would accompany such success.  They're doing it for the love of the video game, hobby, hack, or technique they're demonstrating to the world.

It's fascinating to imagine the new world that will arise when these online teachers reach adulthood.  Their ethos is cooperation instead of compensation; amateurism instead of professionalism.  How will they make a living?  How will they translate the teaching skills they are acquiring into a livelihood?  I don't know, but chances are, some of them will figure it out.  And then they'll post their learning on YouTube, or whatever sharing technology exists at that time, and give the world the benefit of their knowledge and experience.  Why not?  They'll have been doing it for their whole lives.

About Michael Levin

Michael Levin, founder and CEO of BusinessGhost, Inc. (www.BusinessGhost.com), has written more than 100 books, including eight national best-sellers; five that have been optioned for film or TV by Steven Soderbergh/Paramount, HBO, Disney, ABC, and others; and one that became "Model Behavior," an ABC Sunday night Disney movie of the week. He is the father of Walter Levin (MyWalter101) and Isaac Levin (BillyBobRandom12345). The boys' joint YouTube channel is OrigamiAndMagicBrothers.

New York City's sometimes progressive mindset coupled with its frigid winters also helped make it a big focus for a new soy oil market: Bioheat®. This heat source combines home heating oil with biodiesel, resulting in a renewable, cleaner-burning fuel.

"Biofuels are welcomed in this part of the world and embraced by home heating oil representatives," says Lewis Bainbridge, soybean farmer from Ethan, S.D., and farmer-director for United Soybean Board. "Everyone is working together to promote Bioheat."