Trip to Support Illinois Tourism, Trade and Business Investment

 

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM - March 21, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today departed on an economic and jobs trip to Brussels, Belgium where he will seek to expand Illinois trade, tourism and business opportunities. In addition to participating in several events organized by NATO in advance of this spring's summit in Chicago, the Governor will address a trade conference sponsored by the European Union (EU) to strengthen ties between Illinois and Europe. He will also host a business roundtable with current Belgium businesses that invest in Illinois, potential investors, and business leaders and associations.

 

The trip builds upon Governor Quinn's aggressive goal to double exports by the end of 2014, and is the first gubernatorial trade mission to Europe in 13 years.

 

"We want the world to know that their trip to America starts in Illinois," Governor Quinn said. "We'll showcase Illinois' tremendous economic assets before an international audience and we'll bring back more trade opportunities, tourism and business investment to Illinois."

 

Governor Quinn will begin his visit by opening the Chicago Exhibit at the NATO Headquarters to promote Illinois to the world in advance of the NATO summit being held in Chicago May 20-21. Later that day, he will deliver remarks at the EU Transatlantic Conference, hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce, where he will focus on opportunities to grow European Union and Illinois trade. Governor Quinn is committed to expanding Illinois' international trade and helping businesses bring more products to global markets.

 

In front of the conference featuring high-level officials from the EU and the private sector, the governor will discuss the benefits of increasing trade with Illinois and the key role exports play in economic growth. Other keynote speakers at the event include EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht and Ambassador João Vale de Almeida, Head of the European Union Delegation to the United States. The EU is an economic and political partnership between 27 European countries.

 

Also during his visit to the European capital, the Governor will host a business roundtable, where he will sit down with current Belgian investors, potential investors, and business leaders and associations from Belgium and Europe to discuss opportunities to increase investment in Illinois. He will conclude the day with a dinner hosted by the U.S. ambassador to NATO where he will encourage attendees to come to Illinois in advance of the NATO meeting in May and stay late to explore our state's many visitor attractions.

 

Brussels is the capital of Belgium and Europe, where representatives from 27 EU member states reside. In addition, the city is home to the European Commission, the European Council and the European Parliament. Significant decisions on trade and investment are made in Brussels, and working groups such as the TABD (Transatlantic Business Dialogue) and TEC (Transatlantic Economic Council) are both extremely active in the city.

 

The European Union and Belgium are both key trading partners for Illinois. Illinois was the first U.S. state to establish a foreign office in Brussels 44 years ago in 1968. In 2011, Illinois exports to the EU grew by over 27 percent, totaling nearly $11.5 billion. Belgium is Illinois' ninth largest trading partner, receiving more than $1.65 billion worth of Illinois exports in 2011, a 42.7 percent increase over 2010. Top industries include industrial machinery, vehicles and chemical products.

 

European companies' investments in Illinois are the largest from any region in the world, with countries such as the U.K., Germany and France serving as top investors. Countries within the European Union have 723 firms with 3,476 locations in Illinois, employing more than 183,137 Illinoisans. Some of those companies include Siemans Industry, T-Mobile USA, Deutsch Bank, Philips Electronics, Chrysler-FIAT SPA and Volvo Group of North America to name a few.

 

More information about Illinois trade and business opportunities can be found on the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity's website at www.illinoisbiz.biz.

 

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Traveling to Germany? Brush up on your German before you go! The German American Heritage Center will be offering German language classes starting in May. Join instructor Kathi Hofmann for a "German for Travelers" language series! The class will feature travel tips, food, hotel, touring basics and typical signage as encountered by the average American tourist.

The classes consist of four 90-minute sessions on May 3rd, 10th, 17th and 24th from 5:30-7pm and the cost is $50, payable by check to GAHC at 712 W 2nd St. Davenport, IA 52802. Register by April 23rd by calling Ruth at 563-322-8844 or emailing rer@gahc.org.

Expert Offers Tips for Meetings that Get Things Done

Technology is constantly speeding up the pace of business: Decisions once delayed for weeks are now made in seconds thanks to internet communication. Computer analytics puts real-time market information at our fingertips.  Transactions can occur anywhere, any time.

Logic holds that businesses that can't keep up will be left behind.

"Just to keep pace, businesses must develop organizational agility, and it's absolutely critical if they want to do more than just survive," says Mike Richardson, author of Wheel$pin: The Agile Executive's Manifesto: Accelerate Your Growth, Leverage Your Value, Beat Your Competition (www.mydrivingseat.com).

Organizational agility is being able to move quickly and decisively, and one of the biggest obstacles is unproductive, time-wasting meetings he says.

"They start late, run long, and don't achieve much," he says. "But meetings are the backbone of an agile business."

He offers these tips for developing agile meetings with traction:

• Map your meeting: Create a standing agenda and a master spreadsheet with tabs relevant to each agenda item with the expected inputs, throughputs and outputs. That way, the meetings are easy for the chairman to run because everything is crystal clear.

• Set the mood: Set the tone for the energy level by playing a video or music. You can tell a story, read a quotation, or be unpredictable and create a surprise factor.

• Spark creativity: Frame the purpose of the meeting as a question: How do we best ...? Questions get the human brain thinking more quickly.

• Document the action live: Instead of taking notes, editing them and distributing them afterward, save time by capturing everythingelectronically in real time. You can project action items for all to see during the meeting, and keep them in a master spreadsheet hosted on your server for easy access by all.

• Time-box everything: Meetings should last 45 minutes, from 5 after the hour to 10 minutes to the hour. Allot time for each agenda item and especially for presentations. Get people used to the fact that you will guillotine anything which runs over.When you challenge people to figure out how to get things done in the time allotted, you will be amazed at how they can.

• Leverage the wall-space: Wall space is one of the most underutilized assets in your business.  Have the standing agenda on the wall, creative problem-solving frameworks, your core values, key elements of your strategic plan, inspirational quotations, etc., all in a format large enough for you to refer to during the meeting.

• Generate input: Have everyone take a minute to write down an idea relevant to the agenda item. Go around the table and allow each person to share his or her idea, or break into pairs or triads to discuss the ideas and report back. (Remember to allot time for each step of the process.)

• Get fast consensus: Once the options are on the table, facilitate the group toward fast decisions with statements and questions like: "I'm leaning toward this ..."; "Does anyone have a violent objection to that ... ?"; "Can everyone get behind that?"; and then move them into fast action:"How would we best do that?"

"Agility is the ability to be constantly looking for opportunities to move forward toward goals while planning for problems," Richardson says. "It's being able to capitalize on fleeting opportunities, rebound from problems and make decisions on the turn of a dime."

That doesn't happen in businesses where executives and workers are bogged down by burdensome systems, procedures and time-wasting meetings stuck in minutiae, he says. Instead of shooting forward when they press on the gas, they go into a futile wheel$pin.

Creating agile meetings is one big step toward creating an agile organization which is in traction.

About Mike Richardson

Mike Richardson is president of Sherpa Alliance Inc., a management support business and a chair with Vistage International, a global collaborative of CEOs. He holds an MBA from London Business School and is an adjunct faculty member at the University of San Diego Business School. A former Shell Oil petroleum engineer and board member overseeing three automobile dealerships, he led the Aerospace Division of  Spirent PLC in Britain

The Quad City Health Initiative, Genesis Health System, Trinity Regional Health System, Community Health Care, Inc., Rock Island County Health Department and Scott County Health Department, are pleased to share their findings from the 2012 Quad Cities Community Health Assessment.  The assessment and associated documents are available for viewing and download at www.quadcities.healthforecast.net and on the websites of the study sponsors.

Over a year in the making, this Community Health Assessment is a systematic, data-driven approach to determining the health status, behaviors and needs of residents in the Quad Cities Area.  The study is a follow-up to similar studies conducted in 2002 and 2007.  The 2012 study, however, is innovative for its alignment of methodology between the local health providers and public health systems.

The 2012 Community Health Assessment included a telephone survey of over 900 individuals in Scott and Rock Island counties, extensive secondary data analysis and the gathering of input and priorities from local community leaders.  With funding provided by Genesis Health System and Trinity Regional Health System, the partners hired Professional Research Consultants of Omaha, NE to conduct a survey, analyze data and provide a comprehensive report.  Additional secondary data analysis, stakeholder meetings and issue prioritization were administered by staff at the Rock Island and Scott County Health Departments with input from Community Health Care.  Quad City Health Initiative staff facilitated the assessment work across the partnering organizations.

The integrated process met the assessment reporting requirements of the Scott County and Rock Island County Health Departments as well as the new assessment requirements for Genesis Health System and Trinity Regional Health System as established by the Affordable Care Act.   The assessment was designed to have wide benchmarking potential at the state and national levels, as well as to Healthy People 2020 targets.

"As members of the Quad City Health Initiative, our health organizations have a long history of partnering together.  This year, we were able to leverage the ongoing planning processes of the health departments and wrap around them a comprehensive community survey and secondary data collection.  This made our assessment process more aligned, more efficient and more respectful of community stakeholders' time," says Nicole Carkner, Executive Director of the Quad City Health Initiative.

"We are one of the first communities in our region to successfully integrate health system and public health assessment processes," says Wendy Trute, Administrator for the Rock Island County Health Department.  "The comprehensive assessment provides data for the entire Quad Cities region that can be used by our community partners to improve the health of all Quad Citians."

"Our process has already been cited nationally and we are pleased to be a leading example for this work, " continues Ed Rivers, Director for the Scott County Health Department.

The 2012 Quad Cities Community Health Assessment identified some improvements in community health status since the prior assessments.  Notably, a higher percentage of adults and children have visited a dentist or dental clinic in the past year and fewer adults now smoke.  In addition, the Quad Cities also fares better than the national average on selected indicators such as the percentage of adults who have health care insurance, low-weight births, and overall community perceptions like being a good place to raise a family.

The findings of this study will be used to inform decisions and guide future efforts to improve health status and quality of life in our area.  Issues identified in prior studies, such as the percentage of adults who have one or more risk factors for cardiovascular disease, continue to be a concern.  "These findings renew the importance of addressing and promoting healthy behaviors such as healthy eating and active living," says Dr. Jim Lehman, Vice President of Quality, Genesis Health System.  "Although the Quad City Health Initiative has been responding to many of these challenges, we welcome this opportunity to educate the entire community on the importance of creating a culture that supports health and wellness."

One of the overarching themes of the assessment is that lower-income residents in the Quad Cities experience notably poorer health status including physical and mental health.  "We understand that lower-income residents tend to have a higher prevalence of chronic disease but greater difficulty accessing healthcare," says Tom Bowman, CEO of Community Health Care, Inc.  "It is very important for our community to understand how societal issues such as income and education levels translate to health status."

Qualitative input from community stakeholders also identified behavioral health and access to mental health care as a continuing priority for the Quad Cities; this issue was identified in the 2007 assessment and launched several community coalitions in response.  "Our community is at the forefront of understanding the importance of integrated health care," says Berlinda Tyler-Jamison, Vice President of Community Impact & Advocacy, Trinity Regional Health System.  "Behavioral health and physical health are linked and the more we study, the more we understand that we need to have a holistic approach to creating health for people and for our community."

Questions on the 2012 Community Health Assessment may be directed to the Quad City Health Initiative which will be working with the study sponsors to improve health status and quality of life through ongoing projects and community assessments.  Website:  www.qchealthinitiative.org.

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Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Highlights Benefits of the Affordable Care Act to Rural Americans

WASHINGTON, March 21, 2012 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today discussed how the Affordable Care Act is building a stronger health system in rural communities and providing better care for farm families and the agricultural community.

"No one should have to go without health care because of where they live, and for too long, rural Americans have been getting the short end of the health care stick." said Vilsack. "The Affordable Care Act is helping millions of young people access health care, strengthening Medicare, and training thousands of new doctors to serve rural areas to give middle-class families the health security they deserve."

Two years ago, President Obama signed the Act into law and today the law is giving Americans more freedom in their health care choices, lowering costs, and improving the quality of care.

Thanks to the Affordable Care Act:

  • 2.5 million more young adults have health insurance on their parent's plan.
  • 3.6 million seniors with Medicare in 2011 alone saved an average of $600 on the cost of their prescription drugs. And everyone on Medicare can get preventive services like mammograms for free.
  • Insurance companies must spend at least 80% of your premium dollars on health care and quality improvements and not overhead, and cannot raise your premiums by 10% or more with no accountability.
  • It's illegal for insurance companies to deny coverage to children because of a pre-existing condition. And in 2014, discriminating against anyone with a pre-existing condition will be illegal.

As chair of the White House Rural Council, Secretary Vilsack is working to ensure that rural Americans are aware of the many ways the new health care law helps them. Specifically, rural families will see improved access to care, new options for those with pre-existing conditions, coverage for young adults so they can take local jobs and contribute to their rural economies, and reduced insurance barriers to emergency services.

Here are a few components of how the law is helping rural families:

  • Encourages thousands of new primary care doctors and nurses to practice in rural communities and increases payments to rural health providers.
  • Removes insurance barriers to emergency services. Rural citizens can seek care from a hospital outside their health plan's network when there is no time to travel to a hospital that is farther away.
  • Gives options for those with pre-existing conditions and forbids insurers from using an unintentional error in your application to cancel your coverage when you get sick.
  • Gives seniors freedom to get the care they need, including free preventive care, lower cost prescription drugs, and Medicare they can count on.
  • Gives farm families the flexibility to keep children on their parent's health insurance until they are 26. Having health insurance allows young people to remain locally and contribute to their rural economies.

This FACT SHEET has more about how the Affordable Care Act helps Rural America.

In 2012, as part of a series of recommendations from the White House Rural Council, the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Labor signed a memorandum of understanding to connect community colleges and technical colleges that support rural communities with the materials and resources they need to support the training of Health Information Technology (HIT) professionals that work in rural hospitals and clinics. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the needed HIT workforce will increase by 20 percent by 2016.

Also due to efforts by the White House Rural Council, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed between USDA Rural Development and Health and Human Services (HHS) to improve collaboration and strengthen the healthcare infrastructure in rural communities. This MOU will connect rural hospitals and clinicians to existing capital loan programs that enable them to purchase software and hardware to implement HIT.

Over the last three years, USDA has worked within existing programs to invest in rural healthcare, providing funding to improve nearly 600 rural health facilities serving more than 11 million Americans. Our programs have funded equipment - like CT scans, MRIs, ultra sound and lab equipment. Since 1974, more than 40% of USDA Rural Development's Community Facilities Programs' portfolio has been invested in rural health care facilities. Over 3 years, USDA has also awarded grants and loans to help rural health facilities serving 730 counties expand opportunities - though telemedicine - to provide advanced diagnosis for patients or to consult with colleagues at other hospitals.

The Affordable Care Act is giving rural Americans more freedom in their health care choices, lowering costs, and improving the quality of care. Learn more about the new law and how to take advantage of these benefits by visiting www.healthcare.gov.

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USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (866) 632-9992 (Toll-free Customer Service), (800) 877-8339 (Local or Federal relay), (866) 377-8642 (Relay voice users).


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Bill would require states to match new Iowa penalties for passing stopped school bus

 

Washington, DC - Less than one week after Governor Terry Branstad signed "Kadyn's Law" to strengthen penalties in Iowa for drivers that pass stopped school buses, Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-01) today introduced a bill that would seek to apply Iowa's new tough penalties under "Kadyn's Law" to the entire country.

 

Kadyn's Law was championed in Iowa by Kadyn's mother, Kari Halverson, her family, and Kim Koenigs, a local advocate.

 

The federal Kadyn's Law would require states to strengthen their penalties for drivers who pass stopped school buses to the new Iowa standard at a minimum - or face losing 10 percent of federal highway funding each year.

 

Braley said, "When reckless drivers ignore warnings and pass stopped school buses, children's lives are put in danger.  Toughening penalties for drivers who violate school bus safety laws will save lives and convince more people to drive responsibly around kids and schools.  It's a common sense change that rises above petty partisan politics.

 

Braley continued, "Thanks to Kadyn, Iowa has become a national leader in school bus safety.  It's time every state adopt these strict standards so the penalty matches the severity of this crime."

 

Kari Halverson said, "The fact that Kadyn's Law is being introduced at a federal level today is beyond amazing to us.  As a mother who has lost a child by someone illegally passing by a stopped school bus, I can only hope and pray our leaders at the national level will embrace this act for our children all over the country.  I applaud Congressman Bruce Braley for stepping up and taking on an issue that is extremely near and dear to my heart as well as others who have lost children in this way."

 

Iowa's Kadyn's Law mandates for first offenders fines of at least $250 and the possibility of jail time of up to 30 days.  For a second offense of passing a stopped school bus within 5 years, fines would range from between $315 and $1,875 with up to one year of jail time.

 

The federal Kadyn's Law would threaten to cut 10 percent of a state's federal highway funds each year until that state adopts at least these standards.

 

The National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services estimates that cars illegally pass stopped school buses 13 million times per year.  An average of 16 children per year are killed by drivers who illegally pass stopped school buses.

 

Full bill text can be downloaded at the following link: http://go.usa.gov/ED2

 

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Moline, IL? How can indulging in a scrumptious lasagna dinner pay dividends for those in need? The Landing will host a delicious Lasagna Night to support Christian Care on Tuesday, April 17, 2012 from 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM. A mere $4.00 donation will provide a generous helping of lasagna made by D'Alessandro's Italian Cuisine, as well as a slice of garlic bread. Those who bring an item mentioned on the Christian Care needs list will be eligible to participate in a drawing for a prize package. The needs list can be found at www.christiancareqc.org or by calling Rebecca at 309/788-2273. There will be a 50/50 drawing and other prizes available, as well. The Landing is located at 1601 River Drive in Moline. Make reservations by calling Amanda at the Landing at 309/236-2818. Join the feast and help provide for the growing number of homeless and abused individuals who are served each day by Christian Care.

Christian Care is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose vision is to transform lives. Through its mission of providing safe shelter, support and resources, Christian Care empowers both the homeless and survivors of domestic violence to make positive changes in every aspect of their lives. Christian Care's two facilities?a domestic violence shelter for women and children and a rescue mission  or men?serve homeless individuals, victims of domestic violence, veterans, men and women coming out of prison, and those with mental illnesses. Christian Care's Community Meal site is open to anyone who is hungry in the Quad Cities. If you know someone in need, call the Christian Care Crisis Hotline at any hour of the day or night at 309/788-2273.

For more information about Christian Care, please go to christiancareqc.org or to facebook.com/christiancareqc.

National Arbor Day is April 29 this year, and the best way to celebrate is by planting trees. The Arbor Day Foundation is making it easy for everyone to celebrate the tree planters' holiday. Everyone who joins the Foundation in April will receive 10 free shade trees.

National Arbor Day and Iowa's Arbor Day is celebrated on the last Friday in April, which is April 29 this year.

By joining the nonprofit Arbor Day Foundation in April, you will receive the following trees: red oak, sugar maple, weeping willow, baldcypress, thornless honeylocust, pin oak, river birch, tuliptree, silver maple and red maple. The free trees are part of the Foundation's Trees for America campaign.

"These trees will provide shade in the summer and magnificent color throughout the fall," said John Rosenow, chief executive and founder of the Arbor Day Foundation. "By the simple act of planting trees, a person can make a positive impact on the Earth and a deep, meaningful connection to nature. When you plant a tree, you're giving a gift for future generations."

The trees will be shipped postpaid at the right time for planting in April or May with enclosed planting instructions.  The 6- to 12-inch trees are guaranteed to grow or they will be replaced free of charge.

To become a member of the Foundation and receive the free trees, send a $10 contribution to TEN FREE SHADE TREES, Arbor Day Foundation, 100 Arbor Avenue, Nebraska City, NE 68410, by April 30, 2012, or visit arborday.org/April.

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Grassley, Johnson Push for Legitimate Payment Limits in Upcoming Farm Bill Discussions

Senators Introduce New Legislation to Place Hard Caps and Close Loopholes

 

WASHINGTON - Senators Chuck Grassley and Tim Johnson today are introducing legislation that would place a hard cap on the farm payments an individual farmer could receive in a year and would close long-abused and well-documented loopholes in the farm payment program.

 

The new Grassley-Johnson payment limits bill sets a hard cap for farm payments of $250,000 per married couple, and closes loopholes that allow non-farmers to qualify for federal farm payments.

 

The senators had introduced similar legislation earlier this Congress, but wanted to be sure the legislative text would accommodate any type of safety-net program adopted in a new farm and nutrition bill.  This is particularly important in light of the growing prospect that direct payments are unlikely to be included in a farm and nutrition bill.

 

"A strong safety net is critical to ensuring a safe and affordable food supply.  In order to maintain that safety net, we can't have the mentality of the past where the government looked the other way and allowed people with no connection to the farm to take farm payments," Grassley said.  "It's unacceptable that small- and medium-sized farmers get so little of the very program that was created to help them."

 

"The farm safety net was designed to help family farmers but it has increasingly led to a windfall for owners of our nation's largest farms. Congress should act to close the loopholes and better target payments to our small and mid-sized family farmers. This legislation represents our best chance to move forward with reforms as consideration of the farm bill continues," said Johnson.

 

Specifically, the new Grassley-Johnson payment limits bill has a hard cap on marketing loan gains of $75,000 ($150,000 for a couple).   The remainder of the payment limit would be a cap on the total amount a farmer can receive in safety-net payments in general.  For instance, if the Congress were to adopt a shallow loss program, the Grassley-Johnson bill would set a limit of $50,000 ($100,000 for a couple) that a farmer could receive.

 

In addition, the bill closes loopholes that allow people with ties to the farmland that consist of a conference call and nothing else.  The bill sets a measurable standard for someone to qualify as actively engaged in farming by providing management for the operation, and the bill provides an exception for farming operations where there is only one manager of the farm.  This exception should help the Department of Agriculture administer the standard.

 

Here is a copy of the text of Grassley's statement submitted for the Congressional Record upon introduction of the bill today.

Prepared Floor Statement of Senator Chuck Grassley

The Rural America Preservation Act of 2012

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

 

Mr. President, today I am introducing the Rural America Preservation Act of 2012.  I appreciate Senators Johnson of South Dakota, Enzi, Brown of Ohio, Gillibrand, and Nelson of Nebraska for joining on this bill, and in this effort.

 

As the Senate Agriculture Committee continues working on the next farm bill, one thing seems to be clear.  The Title I safety-net is going to look quite different than current programs.

 

It appears the direct payment program may be done away with entirely.  Some of my colleagues and agriculture groups have proposed a variety of new ideas as possible replacements to the current commodity title.

 

No matter what commodity program we create, my bill sets the marker on payment limitations.  I introduced a similar payment limits bill last year, but this bill should better address whatever type of safety-net program we adopt going forward.

 

The premise remains the same.  We need firm payment limit.  And we need to close loopholes.  I support having a safety-net for farmers.  This nation enjoys a safe and abundant food supply.  Certainly a lot of that can be attributed to the ingenuity and hard-work of the American farmer.  But the farm safety-net helps small and medium-size farmers get through tough times that are out of their control.

 

We need an effective safety-net to assist farmers.  But equally important is for Congress to develop a defensible safety-net.  I will continue to work with my Agriculture Committee colleagues to figure out what type of program will be most effective.

 

We already know the steps that need to be taken to make it more defensible.  Defensible means setting firm caps on the farm payments any one farmer can receive.  The current approach does not have any overall cap.

 

There's nothing wrong with farmers growing their operations.  But big farmers shouldn't be using taxpayer dollars to get even bigger.  When the largest 10% of farmers receive 70% of farm payments, something is wrong.   There comes a point where some farms reach levels that allow them to weather the tough financial times on their own.  Smaller farms do not have the same luxury, but they play a pivotal role in producing this nation's food.

 

If you want to witness how farm payments to big farmers create a barrier for small and beginning farmers, look at land prices.

 

The current system puts upward pressure on land prices making it more difficult for small and beginning farmers to buy ground.  This is not unique to Iowa.  This upward pressure on land prices is occurring in many other states.

 

This bill proposes an overall cap of $250,000 for a married couple.  In my state, many people would say this is still too high.  But I recognize that agriculture can look different around the country, and so this is a compromise.  Strong payment limits will ensure farm payments are helping those who payments were originally created for, the small and medium-size farmers.

 

Having an overall cap is more defensible from a federal budget stand point as well.  This nation needs to make tough decisions regarding all government programs.  And we need to find savings across the board.  Setting strict caps on all commodity programs should be a no-brainer as we look to find savings and increase accountability in farm programs.

 

Having a defensible safety-net also means closing loopholes in the current law.  For all the rhetoric that comes out of Washington D.C. about eliminating fraud, waste, and abuse, making sure non-farmers don't game the system is a common sense step to take.

 

It's simple, if you are not a farmer, you shouldn't get a farm payment.  The bill I introduced last year, and this bill, has language that closes the loopholes.

 

After I introduced the bill last year, we received some questions regarding the language from two camps of people.  The first camp of people I would say were critical because they don't want the loopholes closed.  They would have us turn a blind eye to the fact people game the system.  They would have us turn a blind eye to the fact we have nonfarmers who claim to help "manage" the farm by participating in one or two conference calls a year.  To those people, I cannot satisfy your concerns. I will not turn a blind eye to abuses.  These are loopholes that need to be closed.

 

To the other camp of people, who have provided constructive feedback, I would say, we have listened.  The revisions we made addressed the issues raised.  We have improved the language closing the loopholes.  This bill provides a tangible, workable, and fair approach.  Closing these loopholes is the right thing to do for the American taxpayer.  And it's the right thing to do for the American farmer.

 

Hard caps on farm payments and closing loopholes should be supported by anyone who wants an effective and defensible farm safety-net.

 

As the Senate Agriculture Committee heads toward a mark-up of the Farm Bill, I invite my Senate colleagues to join me in supporting this bill.

 

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The Quad Cities Comic Book Convention will be held on Saturday December 3 at the Ramada Inn in Bettendorf, IA.

The Ramada Inn is located at 3020 Utica Rd (I-74 @ Kimberly Rd / Spruce Hills Dr, IA Exit 2). It will be open to the public from 10
AM to 4 PM and admission for the public is free.

Dealers from three states specializing in comic books new and old, toys and related. Or if you have old comics lying around that you no longer want bring them by dealers are buying.

For further information contact Alan at (309) 657-1599 or visit www.epguides.com/comics.

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