Governor's Initiative to Increase Hiring Veterans Tax Credit; Provides Property Tax Relief for Spouses of Fallen Heroes

CHICAGO - July 9, 2012.  Governor Pat Quinn today signed a new law that will help more Illinois Veterans find employment following their service to our country, an important measure he proposed during his State of the State address in February.

The Hiring Veterans Tax Credit will provide a significant additional tax credit for every unemployed Veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan a company hires, which will help businesses create jobs and give those jobs to the Veterans who have sacrificed so much in serving our state and our country. Unemployment for young returning Veterans in America was 30% in 2011.

"Veterans are committed, disciplined and experienced, and they know how to accomplish a mission," Governor Quinn said. "We need these heroes in our workplaces, and increasing the Hiring Veterans Tax Credit will create more jobs for veterans and grow the economy in Illinois."

Senate Bill 3241, sponsored by State Sen. John Sullivan (D-Rushville) and State Rep. Jerry Costello (D-Belleville), raises the Illinois Hiring Veterans tax credit from 10% to 20% of annual wages and more than quadruples the annual cap from $1,200 to $5,000. Many of these post-9/11 Veterans struggle with higher rates of unemployment compared with their civilian counterparts.

In addition, the new law also honors Gold Star families of fallen heroes across Illinois by making them eligible for the same property tax-relief available in some communities to the families of fallen firefighters and police officers. The law allows counties or municipalities the option of reducing or eliminating property taxes for a surviving spouse of a fallen Illinois soldier killed in Iraq or Afghanistan in the way some choose to honor the families of fallen firefighters and police officers.

"We have a tremendous responsibility to honor the service and sacrifices Veterans and their families have made since 9/11," said IDVA Director Erica Borggren. "These measures will go a long way towards helping Veterans and the families of fallen service members begin the process of rebuilding their lives."

President Obama recently announced that more than one million service members will leave the military between now and 2016, with many thousands returning home to Illinois. Many of these young post-9/11 Veterans will be returning to sectors of the economy that were hardest hit by the Great Recession including construction, manufacturing, and transportation industries. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Veterans ages 18-24 nationwide have an unemployment rate roughly twice as high as their civilian peers.

Governor Quinn launched "Operation Home Front" while he was Illinois State Treasurer to give National Guard members and reservists a tool to inform them about their rights during the Gulf War. Most recently, the Governor has expanded Operation Home Front to be a place where active servicemembers and Veterans can learn about the resources available to them and their families, and a place for the public to learn about different ways they can support our troops.

First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama recently joined Governor Quinn as he signed a new law designed to help military spouses more easily find employment when they move to Illinois for military service by granting expedited professional licenses. Illinois is the 23^rd state to adopt such legislation.

For more information about benefits for our Veterans, visit Veterans.Illinois.gov or call the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs at 217-782-6641 or 312-814-2460.

When Bill W. and Dr. Bob created Alcoholics Anonymous 77 years ago, they borrowed principles learned from a Christian fellowship called the Oxford Group to create their 12-step recovery program.

"They knew that their spiritual program was effective where other 'cures' had failed, and over the years, there have been many theories as to why," says Dr. Harry Haroutunian, physician director of the Betty Ford Center in Palm Springs, and collaborator with Dr. Louis Teresi on the book, Hijacking the Brain: How Drug and Alcohol Addiction Hijacks our Brains - The Science Behind Twelve-Step Recovery (www.HijackingTheBrain.com).

"Now we know that stress is the fuel that feeds addiction, and that stress and drug and alcohol use cause neurological and physiological changes," Haroutunian says. "The changes are primarily in the deep brain reward centers, the limbic brain, responsible for decisions, memory and emotion. These centers are 'hijacked' by substance abuse, so that the addicted person wants the booze or drug over anything else. "

As a scientist and physician applying the 12-step program to his own life, Teresi studied the physiological changes triggered by this seemingly non-scientific treatment.

"One response is that elements of 12-step programs reduce stress and increase feelings of comfort and reward through chemical changes in the brain and body. These changes allow for neuronogenesis - the birth of neurons in the brain," Teresi says.

"As substances of abuse affect the limbic brain, so do 12-step recovery practices."

Teresi says the 11th step in the program, which emphasizes spiritual practices such as prayer and meditation, works for the following reasons:

• Chilling out: Addiction is a cycle of bad habits. When something bad happens, an alcoholic drinks to feel better. When something good occurs, he drinks to celebrate. After years of this behavior, a person needs a way to step outside of himself to maintain sobriety. Regular prayer or meditation achieves that and becomes "that other habitual option" for responding to emotions, he says.

• "Mindfulness" meditation: While certain forms of prayer are effective, meditation may be a more direct way to achieve the kind of beneficial self-regulation that makes the 11th step so crucial, Teresi says. Mindfulness meditation incorporates active Focused Attention and the more passive Open Monitoring to raise a person's awareness of his impulses, leading to better self-control.

• The three-fold manner: A successful 11th step tends to have the following benefits: First, stress is relieved in both cognitive and emotional reactivity, as evidenced by reduced cortisol (stress hormone) levels and other biological indicators. Second, some forms of meditation are shown to stimulate the brain's reward centers, releasing dopamine - a mood elevator -- while improving attention and memory. Third, an increased sense of connectivity and empathy to others is achieved, satisfying our natural need for social connection and reducing stress.

Sobriety is not so much about not drinking or drugging, Teresi says.

"It's about developing an attitude and lifestyle that brings sufficient serenity and personal reward that drinking, or taking any mood-altering drug, is simply unnecessary."

About Dr. Teresi & Dr. Haroutunian

Louis Teresi earned his medical degree from Harvard, where he completed honors concentration courses in neuroscience. In more than 24 years of practice, Teresi has authored numerous peer-reviewed papers, winning 14 national and international awards for his research, and is a senior member of the American Society of Neuroradiology. He is a grateful recovering alcoholic.

Dr. Harry L. Haroutunian, known as "Dr. Harry," is an internationally known speaker on addiction who has created the "Recovery 101" lecture series. As physician director of the Betty Ford Center, Dr. Haroutunian has contributed to the development of a variety of programs. He is the author of the soon-to-be-published book "Staying Sober When Nothing Goes Right" and collaborated with Dr. Louis Teresi, author of "Hijacking the Brain: How Drug and Alcohol Addiction Hijacks our Brains - The Science Behind Twelve-Step Recovery."

Figge Art Museum Celebrates NASA with a Smithsonian Art Exhibition

Davenport, IOWA (July 2012) NASA's historic triumphs and pioneering legacy are well known to millions, but the inspiring rocket launches, moon landings and planetary explorations also have had an impact on the imaginations of America's leading artists. In celebration of the space agency's 50^th anniversary in 2008, the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) presented "NASA | ART 50 Years of Exploration," featuring 72 works from those artists.

"NASA | ART" will be on view at the Figge Art Museum in Davenport, Iowa July 14 through October 7, 2012. The exhibition is organized by SITES and NASA in cooperation with the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum.

"NASA | ART" features nearly five decades of creations by artists as diverse as Annie Leibovitz, Nam June Paik, Norman Rockwell, Andy Warhol and William Wegman. Drawn from the collections of NASA and the National Air and Space Museum, the exhibition includes drawings, photographs, sculpture and other art forms and media. These works?ranging from the illustrative to the abstract?offer unparalleled insight into the private and personal moments, triumphant victories and tragic accidents that form the storied history of NASA.

For example, in Henry Caselli's "When Thoughts Turned Inward," the artist captures the serene, almost spiritual moment before takeoff, when an astronaut must prepare mentally for a mission. In Chakaia Booker's "Remembering Columbia," the tragedy and pain of the lost Space Shuttle Columbia and its crew are transformed in the twisting tire remnants preserved from one of the shuttle's earlier missions. And Andy Warhol melds Buzz Aldrin's historic steps on the lunar surface with the unbridled exuberance and flashiness of the 1960s in his neon-highlighted "Moonwalk" silkscreen.

The works featured in the exhibit date from the inception of the NASA Art Program in 1962, when NASA administrator James E. Webb asked a group of artists to illustrate interpret and elucidate the space agency's missions and projects. Since then, painters, musicians and conceptual artists have been with NASA every step of the way, strolling along launch pads, training in flight simulators, talking with engineers and technicians and visiting with astronauts before and after their flights.

The Figge Art Museum will offer a variety of exhibition programs, lectures and tours in conjunction with this exhibition.  Admission to the exhibition is included in the price of admission.

"NASA | ART" at the Figge Art Museum is generously sponsored by the ALCOA Foundation, John Deere and Cobham, plc.

"NASA | ART"  was organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in cooperation with the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum. The Smithsonian Community Grant program, funded by MetLife Foundation, is a proud sponsor of "NASA | ART" public programs.

NASA was established by Congress in 1958 "to provide for research into the problems of flight within and outside the Earth's atmosphere, and for other purposes." The agency is headquartered in Washington, D.C., with 10 field centers and other facilities across the nation. NASA's mission is to pioneer the future in space exploration, scientific discovery and aeronautics research. www.nasa.gov

The National Air and Space Museum, composed of the flagship building on the National Mall in Washington and the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va., is home to the world's finest collection of flight artifacts. From aircraft and space vehicles to engines, art and models, the wide array of the museum's holdings tells the story of the history and technology of air and space exploration. The museum is also a key resource for research into the history, science and technology of aviation and space flight. www.nasm.si.edu

SITES has been sharing the wealth of Smithsonian collections and research programs with millions of people outside Washington, D.C., for more than 50 years. SITES connects Americans to their shared cultural heritage through a wide range of exhibitions about art, science and history, which are shown wherever people live, work and play.

Companion Exhibitions at the Figge

University of Iowa Space Pioneers: 54 Years of Exploration

July 14-October 7

3rd and 4th floors

The University of Iowa is considered a pioneer of space research and has received international recognition for the development of spaceflight instruments flown on more than 63 successful missions. Included within NASA | ART are spaceflight instruments designed and built at the University of Iowa in the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

Exploring NASA

On selected dates July 14-October 7

Figge exterior and lobby

The Figge will light up the night sky this summer with a one-of-a-kind projection installation. The Hubble Telescope images, local children's drawings of astronauts and rockets, launch sequences and radio telescope images projected in the lobby and on the western exterior of the Figge building in the evening hours are intended to communicate a feeling of optimism about the future and to convey a sense of collective effort and pursuit of knowledge.

STUDIO1 Blast Off!

July 14-October 7

Let your little ones do what NASA did: be inspired by outer space and create! In this interactive family studio, visitors can make projects at hands-on stations like Wonders of Space, Creature Critters from Space, Lunar Lookout, and What Do You Take to the Moon?

Exhibition Programs

"Discovering a Universe Beyond the Cosmic Shore"

Presenter: John D. Johnson, PhD

7 pm Thursday, July 19

"NASA | Art: 50 Years of Exploration"

Presenter: Rima Girnius, PhD

7 pm Thursday, July 26

"Physics 101: The Challenges of Reaching Space"

Presenter: Brett McCarty

7 pm Thursday, August 2

"The History of the Spacesuit"

Presenter: Cathleen S. Lewis, PhD

7 pm Thursday, August 9

Sponsored by KWQC News 6

"How NASA's Space Technology Has Changed the World"

Presenter: Brett McCarty

7 pm Thursday, August 16

"Artists Talk about NASA Art"

Presenters: Amy Nielsen, Ralph Iaccarino, Bruce Walters and

Dawn Wohlford-Metallo

7 pm Thursday, August 23

"How Telescopes Work"

Presenter: Dana Taylor, President of the Quad Cities Astronomical Society

7 pm Thursday, August 30

"Aeronautics and Aerodynamics" and "Robotics 101"

Presenters: Brett McCarty, Michael LeGate, Jon Burgstrum and student members of the QC Elite Robotics Team #648

6 pm & 7 pm Thursday, September 6

"The Shuttle Era Has Ended: A History and Its Meaning"

Presenter: Brett McCarty

7 pm Thursday, September 13

"Wonders of the Heavens"

Presenter: Dana Taylor

7 pm Thursday, October 4

Free Community Event

"3...2...1...BLAST OFF!"

11 am-2 pm Saturday, September 15

Free admission sponsored by John Deere and Butler Insurance

Family Programs

"Roving the Moon: Design Squad Challenge"

11 am-2 pm Saturday, August 4

$20/family of four

NASA engineers have created all-terrain vehicles that can handle the moon's dusty, rugged terrain?can you? We challenge you to design and build a rubber band-powered rover that can scramble across the floor! Space is limited; registration is required. Call 563.326.7804x2045 to register.

"Star Lab Planetarium"

12 pm - 4 pm September 11-15

12 pm - 6 pm September 13

See the changing motions of the night sky in the AEA's Star Lab Planetarium. Located in the Figge Art Museum Studios, this portable planetarium experience is offered in conjunction with the exhibition NASA | ART: 50 Years of Exploration. The Planetarium experience lasts approximately 20 minutes and is suitable to for visitors of all ages.

Film Series

"When We Left Earth: The NASA Missions"

2:30 pm Saturday and Sunday

July 21-October 7

In celebration of NASA's 50th anniversary, the Discovery Channel partnered with NASA to produce "When We Left Earth: The NASA Missions," a miniseries that explores the missions, the people and the triumphs of space exploration. Narrated by Apollo 13 actor Gary Sinise, the series chronicles the inside story of NASA's most epic endeavors. The six one-hour episodes include Ordinary Supermen, Friends and Rivals, Landing the Eagle, The Explorers, The Shuttle, and Home in Space. Check the Figge website for a complete schedule.

Docent Tours

1:30 pm Saturdays, July 21-August 25

1:30 pm Sundays, July 22-October 7

Learn about the accomplishments, setbacks and sheer excitement of space exploration during a 45-minute tour of the exhibition. During your tour, a Figge docent will lead a conversation on how the works included in the exhibition showcase the emotional impact of space exploration.

www.figgeartmuseum.org 

FIGGE ART MUSEUM