McLaughlin's Met President to Discuss Tax Benefits They've Seen Since Obama Took Office

Des Moines, IA - Today, middle class Iowa family Jason and Ali McLaughlin reacted to a nonpartisan report out yesterday that found in order for Romney to pay for his $5 trillion of tax cuts weighted toward millionaires and billionaires, he'd have to raise taxes by an average of $2,000 on a middle-class family with children.

President Obama visited the McLaughlin's in Cedar Rapids in July. The McLaughlin's spoke to the President about $4900 in tax cuts they have received since President Obama took office. Romney's tax plan would raise the McLaughlin's and other family's taxes, putting a strain on the middle class. Watch a video on the McLaughlin's HERE.

Statement from Cedar Rapids Family Jason and Ali McLaughlin

"We are a typical middle class family. We work full-time to provide for our son, Cooper, and a second child on the way. We had the opportunity to talk to President Obama about the $4,900 in tax relief we have received over the course of his first term. We told him the tax relief is vital to supporting our family whether it's finishing our basement for more space for our growing family or putting money towards Cooper's college education fund.

"That's why we are disappointed to hear about an independent, non-partisan report finding Mitt Romney's tax plan would raise taxes for families who have children and make less than $200,000 would see their taxes go up an average of more than $2,000. And Romney is raising taxes on middle class families to pay for a $5 trillion tax plan skewed to the wealthiest. To some people, $1,000 or $2,000 might not seem like that much. But to us, that's a big deal. A thousand dollars is a big deal. Five hundred dollars is a big deal.

"Our family literally can't afford Mitt Romney.

"President Obama has a plan to prevent a tax hike on the middle class that enacts spending cuts and reforms and asks the wealthiest to pay their fair share again so we can reduce our deficit in a balanced way. On top of the tax cuts our family has benefitted from, The President is calling on Congress to immediately prevent a tax hike on the 98 percent of Americans who make less than $250,000. There is a clear choice between President Obama, who is looking out for families like ours, and Mitt Romney, who puts the interest of the wealthiest American over middle class families."

(DES MOINES) - The governor's office today announced more details of Friday's Iowa Teacher and Principal Leadership Symposium.

The sold-out Iowa Teacher and Principal Leadership Symposium will be live streamed by JDL Horizons. JDL Horizons, using its flagship Internet streaming solution EduVision, will produce and stream the Iowa Teacher and Principal Leadership Symposium events in cooperation with the governor's office and the Iowa Department of Education. eSchool Media will accept the stream and deliver the roundtable events to a national audience of nearly 1 million K-12 educators throughout North America and around the world. Individuals interested in watching coverage of the Iowa Teacher and Principal Leadership Symposium should visit https://educateiowa.eduvision.tv/.

The Iowa Teacher and Principal Leadership Symposium will launch a statewide conversation about why stronger shared school leadership matters, and what is the right approach to adopt in Iowa. Given higher academic expectations for students in today's knowledge-based economy, it's not reasonable to expect principals to provide all the instructional leadership required to significantly raise achievement. Tapping the talents of outstanding teachers who are interested in new leadership roles makes sense.

A preliminary schedule is as follows:

Friday, Aug. 3, 2012

9 a.m. Welcome - David Maxwell, President of Drake University

9:05 a.m. Opening Remarks - Gov. Terry Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds

9:15 a.m. "Better Than We Used to Do Is Not Good Enough" - Mark Tucker, President of the National Center on Education and the Economy

10:30 a.m. "Leadership Lessons From Around the Globe" - Vivien Stewart, Senior Advisor for Education at Asia Society

11:30 a.m.   TAP Panel

Noon Break for lunch

1 p.m. Des Moines Panel

1:30 p.m. Cedar Rapids Panel

2 p.m. The Toledo Plan Panel

2:45 p.m. "The Future of Teacher and Principal Leadership"

3:30 p.m. "Looking Forward" - Brad Jupp, Senior Program Advisor in the Office of Secretary of Education Arne Duncan

4:30 p.m. Final Remarks - Jason Glass, Director of the Iowa Department of Education

Click here for a detailed schedule of events.

In May, Gov. Terry Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds joined Education Director Jason Glass to announce they would host the Iowa Teacher and Principal Leadership Symposium on Friday, Aug. 3, at Drake University in Des Moines.

To learn more about the symposium, go to: https://educationleadership.iowa.gov/

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Lake of the Ozarks, Mo. - Commemorate the Civil War's 150th anniversary with two thrilling reenactments of the Battle of Monday's Hollow at a Living History and Civil War Reenactment Weekend, Sept. 15-16, at the Missouri Trapshooters Association Grounds, 51 Trapshooters Road off of State Road A in Linn Creek.

This event, sponsored by the Camden County Historical Society & Museum and the Fourth Missouri Cavalry Reenactors, will feature a full-scale reenactment of the battle on both Saturday and Sunday. Admission is free to this maximum-effort reenactment of the only Civil War battle fought in Camden County. Parking is available for suggested donations of $10 per car and $5 per motorcycle.

The Civil War festival will feature a multitude of activities and will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. The reenactment of the Battle of Monday's Hollow will start at 1 p.m. each day and is expected to last 45 minutes to an hour. According to period reports, the actual Battle of Monday's Hollow took place on Oct. 13, 1861 and lasted less than a day. Battle reenactments of this scale generally attract an average of about 400-600 reenactors and spectators can often number in the thousands.

"It's the only reenactment of its kind in the central portion of Missouri," said Valerie Thomas, event coordinator and museum archivist. "It's like having a front row seat to a live-action Civil War battle movie. These battle reenactments are quite a spectacle - Union and Confederate soldiers with sabers drawn, cannons firing, infantries shooting and the cavalry charging. Kids love it and adults are absolutely fascinated by it. And there's so much more to the reenactment than just the battle. It's really a spectacular two-day event."

Each day visitors can travel back in time to the 1860s with a variety of era-themed activities before, during and after the battle. Guests can walk through Confederate and Union military camps and interact with the soldiers on both sides. Patrons also can hear live Civil War-era music performed by singers and musicians on Saturday, as well as watch period reenactment speakers on both days. A Civil War-era worship service is also scheduled at 8 a.m. Sunday.

Other planned activities include a "sutler village" of period vendors, craftsmen, traveling museums and a Civil War-era medical tent. Inside the tent, visitors will learn how surgery was performed and how illnesses were treated in the 1860s, as well as observe Union and Confederate wounded soldiers as they receive medical attention in the heat of battle.

Additional 1860s-era stations will showcase a laundress, woodworkers and soapmakers. A children's area will feature an interactive air cannon, a station where kids can learn to make rope and other fun activities. A variety of food vendors also are scheduled to be at the site, featuring pulled pork, chicken and ribeye sandwiches, hamburgers, hot dogs, french fries, nachos, funnel cakes, kettle corn, ice cream and more.

Three special guests will help "review the troops" during the reenactment: John Seward, a retired brigadier general and the last living male descendant of President Abraham Lincoln's Secretary of State William Seward, along with Brandon and Chase Mills, the great-great grandson and great-great-great grandson of a Union soldier who fought at the Battle of Monday's Hollow.

For more information, including an event schedule or for details on how to get involved with the reenactment, call the museum at 573-346-7191 or visit CamdenCountyMuseum.com. The Camden County Historical Society & Museum is at the corner of U.S. 54 and Route V in Linn Creek and is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. seven days a week (when volunteers are available).

Civil War reenactors and spectators who are looking for lodging can learn about the Lake's many resorts, hotels, condominiums, motels, bed and breakfasts, RV parks or campgrounds by calling the Lake of the Ozarks Convention and Visitor Bureau at 800-FUN-LAKE (386-5253) or visiting FunLake.com.

The event was made possible by a $5,000 grant from the Missouri Humanities Council (MHC) to the Camden County Museum and Historical Society in support of the reenactment. The MHC is the only statewide agency in Missouri devoted exclusively to humanities education for citizens of all ages. It has served as a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities since 1971.

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