As you may have heard, House Democrats fled the Capitol in protest of two bills, each designed to defend Iowans' right to bear arms. The first bill amends the Iowa Constitution to include an explicit right to bear arms and the second strengthens your right to self-defense. Both bills passed the House with the support all Republicans and a couple Democrats. The constitutional change would happen by surviving next session and a yes vote by the people. 

The House and Senate are again at odds again over property tax, mental health reform, and education. First, Iowa's current commercial property tax rate is the second highest in the nation, whereas commercial and industrial property owners pay tax on 100 percent ofmarket value. Republicans want to reduce the taxable value of commercial and industrial property by 40 percent over an eight year period, while Democrats think that proposal will put local governments at risk. Second, the division on mental health isn't that we should fix the many issues but rather how we should pay for it. As it stands the Republicans would like
to see the State fund this while the Democrats would rather property tax payers shoulder the burden. Third, on education, the House recently passed the Governor's education bill with some changes while the Senate discarded the Governor's plan and wrote one of their own.

The Ag Protection Act recently passed the Senate. This bill provides protection for Iowa's agriculture community from fraudulent activities by prohibiting people from committing fraud to obtain access to an agricultural production facility. This week the floor debate has increased as we are taking up budget issues like IDALS DNR Environmental First Fund (budget target $35.7 mil), Economic Development Budget (appropriates $29.1 mil), Judicial Branch Budget ($156.1 mil), Justice Systems Appropriations Bill (Budget approx. $16 mil). These will probably be amended and sent back from the Senate so these amounts could change. If you have concerns or questions I can be reached at the Capitol by emailing steven.olson@legis.state.ia.us.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. - According to the 2011 DaVinci Roofscapes' Homeowners Exterior Preferences Study, more than seven in ten homeowners* (71 percent) believe the outward appearance of their home reflects their personality. Those people who identify their personalities closest to their home's exterior live in the Midwest, while those with the least connection are residents of the Northeast.

 

Homeowners who closely align their home's exterior with their own personality cited a variety of reasons for the similarity, including:

-       "It's bold and different like me."

-       "Having personally designed my home I feel it reflects my likes and preferences."

-       "I am a contemporary person; the house is contemporary."

-       "It too is old, but really stylish."

-       "It looks simple and unpretentious ... which is how I think of myself."

-       "The exterior of my home is conservative in appearance, which is the same as my personality."

 

Homeowners also indicated in the study that the colors of their home's exterior match up

and reflect their personalities, citing:

-       "I am a traditionalist. I think the colors of my house are very traditional."

-       "The (house) color and trim was chosen by me and is unique to my personality."

-       "I have chosen colors (for my home's exterior) that are traditional and dramatic rather than the drab beige people consider safe."

 

"This part of the study tells us that a majority of homeowners see a relationship between their personalities and their home exteriors," says Ray Rosewall, CEO and president of DaVinci Roofscapes. "This helps us understand why roofing color options are important to homeowners. They see their home's exterior --- including the colors on the exterior --- as a positive reflection of who they are. This explains why we've seen soaring sales of personalized color configurations of our roofing products in the past several years and an overall increase in color blends by our customers. People are sharing their personality through their home's exterior!"

 

The nationwide consumer study, conducted online by Harris Interactive©, also indicates that homeowners in the Midwest are the most likely to feel connected to the outward appearance of their home (80 percent), followed by the South at 73 percent and the West at 71 percent. Homeowners in the Northeast feel the least amount of personality connection (65 percent) with their home's exterior.

 

"Homeowners in the study also indicated that when house hunting or designing their own homes, the most attention-grabbing feature of the exterior was the style of the home, followed by how the home looked on the property," says Rosewall. "We believe this information firmly links a homeowner's personality with a specific style home. As opposed to buying a house simply because it's a 'good deal' or in a good location, people seek out the style of home that most reflects how they view themselves and want others to see them."

 

DaVinci Roofscapes has manufactured award-winning polymer slate and shake roofing since 1999. The roofing tiles are virtually maintenance free and far more cost effective than the natural product. DaVinci leads the industry in tile thickness, the tile width variety and the greatest selection of subtle earth-toned colors. Company products have a 50-year warranty and are 100 percent recyclable. DaVinci proudly makes its products in America and is a member of the National Association of Home Builders, the Cool Roof Rating Council and the U.S. Green Building Council. For additional information call 1-800-328-4624 or visit www.davinciroofscapes.com.

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Families can register to win one of five $529 College Savings Iowa Accounts.

DES MOINES, IA (03/01/2012)(readMedia)-- State Treasurer Michael L. Fitzgerald is encouraging Iowans with young children to start thinking about saving for their children's future higher educational expenses. "As a way to raise awareness about the importance of saving for higher education we have teamed up with daycares across the state to get information into the hand of parents," Fitzgerald said. "Throughout the month of March, parents are able to register their children to win one of five $529 College Savings Iowa accounts. I would like to thank all of the daycares who volunteered to take time out of their busy days to pass this information on."

After their daycare is registered to participate, families can visit www.iowa529contest.com to enter their children in the contest. Once there, they should select the Daycare Giveaway and enter their information, including selecting their daycare from the dropdown menu. At the end of the giveaway, five children will be randomly selected from across the state to win.

College Savings Iowa is an affordable, tax-advantaged option for families who are saving for their children's higher education. It takes just $25 to open a College Savings Iowa account, and anyone - parents, grandparents, friends and relatives - can invest on behalf of a child. Participants who are Iowa taxpayers can deduct contributions up to $2,865 per beneficiary account from their adjusted gross income in 2011 and there no income or residency restrictions.*

Investors do not need to be a state resident and can withdraw their investment federally tax-free to pay for qualified higher education expenses including tuition, books, supplies and certain room and board costs at any eligible college, university, community college or technical training school in the United States or abroad. To learn more about College Savings Iowa, go to www.my529iowaplan.com or call 1-888-332-7545.

*Adjusted annually for inflation if withdrawals are not qualified, the deductions must be added back to Iowa taxable income. The earnings portion of nonqualified withdrawals may be subject to federal income tax and a 10% federal penalty tax, as well as state and local income taxes. The availability of tax or other benefits may be contingent on meeting other requirements.

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Friends, supporters, and fellow patriots;

February 17th, 2012 was the third anniversary of Barack Obama's $1.2 trillion "stimulus" bill. To say the effort has been a disaster for Americans is massive understatement. It was not just unsuccessful in jump-starting the economy, it has been an abject failure in every sense of the word.

Take a moment to check out our latest video "This Is The Economy On Stimulus " video here.

To better educate and illustrate the damage this bungled scheme has caused our nation, we've launched a new initiative, called; Sick of Stimulus to point out these failures at www.sickofstimulus.com.

We need solutions and not more rhetoric coming from Washington. The first step to bring this about is to sign the pledge and say "We the people are Sick of Stimulus!" 



If you'll remember, President Obama promised the stimulus would "save or create 3.5 million jobs," yet since the stimulus was passed, we've lost 1.1 million jobs, poverty and food stamp usage has reached an all-time high, the percentage of Americans even trying to find work is at a 30-year low, and the debt has increased by nearly $5 trillion.

And amazingly, even though Barack Obama's "Stimulus" efforts are a total fiasco, the White House and their colleagues in Congress want to spend even more of your hard earned tax dollars for more of the same!!

We must fight this outrageous agagenda which is sending our country's fiscal house off a cliff. But we can't do it alone -so be sure to sign the pledge and visit www.sickofstimulus.com often to see future videos.. 

I happen to believe we can win this folks! I am Sick of Stimulus!  Will you pledge the same?


Sincerely,

Herman Cain
Dear GAHC Members and Friends,

Please take a moment to check out this link to the German Consulate in Chicago, which was a sponsor for our recent White Rose Exhibit.  They have featured our activities and events on their website - you can be very proud of your GAHC association!

We extend our thanks to Gunnar Christianesen, Vice Consul for Press and Culture at the Consulate  for his help and support.  DANKE!



Janet Brown-Lowe, Administrator
German American Heritage Center

Foolish Ways to Lose an Election

While GOP candidates and party faithful focus on who can best beat President Obama in November, Craig Copland is rallying conservatives to take over the country - one dog catcher at a time.

"In November 2012 we can take back the White House, majority control of the Senate, more governors' offices, scores of state legislative seats, and countless local level offices," says Copland, author of the just released 2012 Conservative Election Handbook (www.conservawiki.com), a guide to winning campaigns at any level.

"It doesn't start with the office of president," he says. "That's where it ends."

Citizens who want to see conservative governance and policies throughout the fabric of the United States can make it happen by running for local office or volunteering campaign help for conservative candidates, Copland says.

"There are 600,000-plus elected offices in this country," he says. "If America is to remain a beacon of freedom and prosperity, then conservatives need to be elected as county clerks, judges, water commissioners, mayors, school board trustees, state legislators, and every other rank of public office in the country."

His new guide, researched and written with insights gleaned from his years of managing political and non-profit campaigns, lays out clear instructions for both political veterans and newbies, stepping up to do their part for the conservative cause.

Among them: Some foolish ways to lose an election.

• Sex: Voters will forgive divorce; they won't forgive active adultery. Don't get carried away by the headiness and pressures of the campaign trail and screw up.

• Lies: Do not lie. Not about anything. You will always be found out. Your credibility will be attacked. You will lose.

• Videotape: Once you become a public figure, everything you say will be on the public record - somewhere. If not on videotape, then audiotape, in print, or in a notebook. Emails, Facebook posts and tweets live forever. So be consistent, think before you speak, and don't let your guard down. It will reappear at the worst possible time.

• Do NOT Break the rules: Every election, every state, every district and every campaign will be faced with a staggering list of rules. Learn them. Follow them. Bring accountants and lawyers on board who are experienced with the rules. If you are caught breaking even one, it could derail your campaign.

• Avoid conflicts of interest: Never let yourself be caught supporting a political action in which you have an obvious interest. Voters will respect a candidate who believes in something because it's the right thing. But if you appear to be lining your pockets, it's game over.

• Do NOT fight losing battles: Don't waste a nickel or a minute trying to appeal to the group trying to repeal marijuana laws - they'll never vote for you. And you're not going to win a precinct that voted 90 percent liberal in the last election. Focus your time and money where you can make a difference in the vote.

Raising money, of course, is a big part of winning a campaign, but it doesn't take a lot to win a less dazzling local office. It's a good place to learn the ropes of fundraising and get some practice running a campaign without a lot of pressure, he says. And there's value in winning even the most down-ballot office.

"If conservatives set out to win every elected post in the country, all 600,000-plus of them, then America will be a truly conservative country," he says, "from dogcatcher to president."

About Craig Copland

Craig Copland is a retired entrepreneur with a long history as a volunteer and professional consultant with expertise in fundraising and managing political campaigns. He spent many years as an executive and CEO of international humanitarian aid agencies, helping establish and run disaster response programs for children in Africa, Bosnia, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, among other locations. As founder and president of Conservative Growth Inc., he helps elect conservatives to all levels of public office.

Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa today made the following comment on the President's executive order creating a new Interagency Trade Enforcement Center within the office of the United States Trade Representative.

"When U.S. trading partners violate their obligations, the U.S. trade representative's office already should be taking the lead and working with other agencies to take action as needed.  I'm skeptical that a new Interagency Trade Enforcement Center is necessary to ramp up enforcement against trading partners who are playing fast and loose with trade rules.  There's nothing to stop the United States from bringing more cases now.  I plan to press the trade representative on the need for this new entity when he comes before the Senate Finance Committee soon.  If this new center gets up and running, there should be real results to back up the presidential pronouncement.  The pressure will be on the White House to deliver."

EAST PEORIA, IL (02/29/2012)(readMedia)-- Illinois Central College, East Peoria, released the names of students who earned academic honors during the Fall 2011 semester. The following local students received the honor:

Anthony Douglas Brodt, Jr., of Silvis, IL -- President's List

The honor is based on a 4.0 grading scale. Students who earned a perfect 4.0 were named to the President's List, and students who earned a 3.5 to 3.99 were named to the Dean's List.

At my last routine checkup, my doctor brought in a physician's assistant who was 'in training' and there to observe.  He stood there, scribbling, as I chatted about my insomnia, my diet, my stomach issues.  I had to trust that he really was there to learn, maybe even add new information about recommended prescriptions (being a new medical school graduate, he should have the latest information, right?) or help spot impending signs of illness or concern.  I had to trust he was there to learn, not there because he might 'dish' about private information he learned about recognizable patients in this respected doctor's office.

If I sound hesitant, it's because I've had my medical privacy invaded many times when I was a TV news anchor in Des Moines, so have others I've worked with.  I'm sure you'd agree it's absolutely justifiable to expect that everyone who helps care for their personal or family medical needs  is well-trained and professional enough to let them know immediately if they saw something 'out of line', 'out of whack' or potentially dangerous.

Putting those same concerns in another setting, it also seems reasonable to expect that if a person comes to work on an Iowa livestock farm, they're well-trained and professional enough to let a farmer (or law enforcement agent) know immediately if they see something 'out of line,' 'out of whack' or potentially dangerous when it comes to animals that are raised for our food.

Consumers are justifiably concerned about how animals they eat are treated on farms in Iowa.  I'm not saying the Ag Protection Bill just passed at the Statehouse is perfect, but at least it gets to the heart of the matter: trust.  I want to trust that if an animal is being mistreated on a farm, the person who sees it says something, and the person who does it, is removed or punished immediately.  It would also be nice if farmers could trust that people who work on their farms know what they're doing and stand up to correct or report bad behavior.

I understand we all are concerned about animals; we don't have to live and work with livestock animals every day to get that they deserve good food, timely medical attention and a compassionate, safe environment during their (somewhat short) lives.   Maybe that's why the majority of farmers speak out against bad actors when they see it because it's not just the industry that gets smeared when some grainy, heavily-edited, undercover video emerges; it also smears the character of the 99.9% of farmers who also wonder why someone would just stand there and watch.

The National Financial Capability Challenge runs from March 12 to April 13, 2012

DES MOINES, IA (02/29/2012)(readMedia)-- State Treasurer Michael L. Fitzgerald is getting the word out about a new program that will boost the financial literacy of Iowa's high school students. The State Treasurer's Office is partnering with the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the U.S. Department of Education to introduce the National Financial Capability Challenge, a program that focuses on helping students increase their financial knowledge. The Challenge, which runs from March 12 through April 13, is a free, voluntary online series of financial questions for high school students to check their knowledge of earning, spending, saving, borrowing, risk protection and more.

"Financial literacy has always been one of my office's most important initiatives, so I'm glad we were given the opportunity to help implement this program," said Fitzgerald. "The Challenge is a great opportunity for participating Iowa high schools. The test and the toolkit used to prepare for it are found online, making it easy to use, and the Challenge itself is quick - it only takes 30 minutes to take. Even though it doesn't take much time to participate in the program, the lessons students learn from it will last them a lifetime. I encourage all high schools to take advantage of this opportunity."

Educators don't need to be math or personal finance teachers to register their students to participate. To register, educators should visit www.challenge.treas.gov. After signing up, they are encouraged to help spread the word about the Challenge by using the tools provided through the website. After the program concludes, educators and top-scoring students in each school will earn personalized award certificates, and states with the highest participation will also be recognized.

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