By Chuck Hassebrook, chuckh@cfra.org, Center for Rural Affairs

It's election year and the perfect time to talk to candidates about critical rural issues.   An elected official is most likely to make a commitment to you when seeking your vote.   So seize the opportunity.  Commitments are harder to get after the election.

There are a few simple steps you can take.  None requires detailed policy knowledge or expertise.

First, tell them who you are - a voter in their district and current or potential constituent.  That gives you credibility.  If you are an elected official, farmer, community developer, community volunteer or small business person - tell them that too.

Ask for a commitment.  If you want Congress to cap payments to mega farms and invest in rural development, conservation and beginning farmer programs, first tell them what you want.   But don't stop there.  Ask them, "Will you promise to support funding for rural development?" or whatever else you request.

Finally, establish a personal relationship and follow-up.   Stay after the formal meeting to shake the candidate's hand, thank him/her for coming and provide your business card or your name and address scribbled on a scrap of paper.  Ask who on their staff you should contact when the issue comes up in the future.  When it does, get back to that person and, if you got a commitment, tell them.

You can make a difference.  It takes a little effort, but you can do it.  Campaign season is the best time to extract a commitment from an elected official to support good legislation.
By: Gordon Filepas

America must seem pretty dumb to the rest of the world when it comes to how we take care of ourselves.  Here's why:

• America spends more per person on health-care costs than any other country in the world, by a huge margin, yet ranks 29th in longevity and has among the worst health outcomes.
• Americans and their children are still getting fatter and sicker each year.
• American physicians receive less than 24 hours of nutrition training throughout all of medical school.
• 90 percent of what U.S.-educated physicians learn in their careers is either directly or indirectly funded by pharmaceutical companies.
• President Obama's health-care plan and Mitt Romney's counter-proposal don't discuss prevention.

Everyone's complaining about America's increasing health and obesity issues and wondering how to solve these problems while also reducing health-care costs. They make it sound like a big, complicated mystery - how could this be happening?  Giving everyone health insurance is the best solution anyone can come up with?  It's a noble proposition but it won't solve the problem or do a thing to cure or prevent any disease.

Twenty years ago, I would have thrown up my hands in frustration along with everyone else. Back then, I was in the same place that most of America is today - uninformed, a little bit frantic, and wondering what to do.

But through two decades of common sense study, I've learned good health is easily attained and maintained - and it doesn't require either deprivation or a big change in lifestyle.

I know, now, that Americans aren't dumb about health. They're just incredibly misinformed about how to get and remain healthy and lean, and how to extend their longevity.  In many other countries, such knowledge is simply part of the culture, handed down through the generations.

Here's what I've learned after 20 years of intensive research:

• The human cell is essentially immortal and humans should live to, at minimum, 120 years of age while being lean and healthy.
• To achieve this you must give your body what it needs biologically - oxygen, proper nutrition, adequate water and good drainage, freedom from toxins and adequate sunlight:  The same things a plant needs to thrive.
• Genetics has little to do with your weight, health or longevity.
• Humans gain weight or get sick only when their body becomes out of balance because it is not receiving the raw materials to meet its biological needs.
• America can save $600 billion a year with common sense preventative practices that ensure individuals receive the proper nutrients.
• It is impossible to reform America's health-care "system." The only way to change the system is to change the health of the people within the system through proper education about health and wellness.  As people become healthier and demand for services is reduced, the system will gradually adapt to reduced health-care needs, much like how the music industry adapted to the introduction of iTunes.

The key is proper education that emphasizes common-sense, time-tested practices focusing on how the human body works. High-tech gadgetry and man-made petrochemicals cannot replace what the human body needs biologically.

Rapid, mass health-care reform in America will result directly from individual self-care reform from proper health education.

Try it America.  You'll like it.

About Gordon Filepas

Gordon Filepas spent 20 years researching for his book Lean And Healthy To 100 (www.adviceformychildren.com), interviewing physicians, attending seminars, and reading medical journals and other health-related literature. He is the founder of TGM Partners, a consulting and investment firm. Filepas says he was motivated to learn more about the requirements for optimal health following the deaths of his father and brother from cancer right around the time his first child was born. He hopes to ensure the good health of his family, including his wife of 25 years and three sons.

SPRINGFIELD - May 29, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today released a statement regarding the Senate's passage of SB 2194, which raises the price of cigarettes by $1-a-pack to prevent children from smoking, and is the final part of his plan to restructure Medicaid.

 

"I want to thank the members of the General Assembly who rose to the occasion to save our Medicaid system from the brink of collapse.

 

"Last week, members of both parties passed legislation to create the necessary savings to save Medicaid. Today the Senate joined the House to prevent children from smoking and allow the state to access vital federal funding to save our Medicaid system.

 

"Senate President Cullerton and Senate sponsor Jeff Schoenberg, thank you for your leadership to raise the price of cigarettes, which will improve our state's fiscal health and the health of tens of thousands of smokers who will quit or never start.

 

"Increasing the price of cigarettes will decrease smoking-related costs to Medicaid, which came to $1.5 billion last year. This legislation will help 60,000 people quit smoking, prevent 60,000 deaths from smoking-related conditions and keep 80,000 kids from taking up smoking in the first place."

 

"By working together to pass these bills, strong progress has been made in our mission to restructure Medicaid, so that it serves as a health and wellness system instead of a provider-payment system. As a result, our Medicaid system will continue to serve the millions of Illinois residents who rely on it."

 

"I thank the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services Director Julie Hamos and all who took part in our bipartisan working group to develop solutions to save Medicaid.

 

"I look forward to signing the bills to preserve and restructure our Medicaid system, as we continue to take important steps to restore fiscal stability to Illinois."

 

 

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Senator calls on the National Institutes of Health to set tone for disclosure, accountability

 

WASHINGTON - Senator Chuck Grassley is asking the National Institutes of Health to explain why it has awarded a $400,000 medical research grant to a physician who it banned from NIH funding in recent years for failing to disclose a $1.2 million financial relationship with a major pharmaceutical company while leading a $9 million federal study involving that drug company's blockbuster depression drug Paxil.

 

"It's troubling that NIH continues to provide limited federal dollars to individuals who have previously had grant funding suspended for failure to disclose conflicts of interest and even more troubling that the Administration chose not to require full, open and, public disclosure of financial interests on a public website," Grassley wrote to NIH Director Francis Collins.

 

Last year, the Obama administration scrapped a proposed conflict of interest rule that would have required universities to disclose financial relationships between medical researchers and the pharmaceutical industry to be posted on publicly available websites.  "The Office of Management and Budget in the White House, which had final say over the matter, should have supported the policy that every institution post financial conflicts of interest on a public website," Grassley said.

 

Grassley has pursued an extensive campaign for disclosure of payments made by drug and medical device makers to physicians since 2007, when he began to expose dramatic disparities between what was reported and what was, in fact, received.  Grassley's oversight of industry payments also has extended to medical schools, medical journals, continuing medical education, and non-profit patient advocacy organizations.

 

One of those cases involved the doctor receiving the grant in question today, Dr. Charles B. Nemeroff.  In 2008, documents revealed that Nemeroff, who was then chair of Emory University's psychiatry department, failed to disclose that he received $1.2 million in consulting fees from GlaxoSmithKline, the maker of Paxil, while leading federal research on the treatment of depression.  Nemeroff left Emory University and was then hired by Miami University.  The Director of the National Institute of Mental Health within NIH weighed in on Nemeroff taking this new position.  While the NIH said that Nemeroff could not receive federal medical research dollars for two years, the ban has expired and, regardless, it did not apply to him in a position at a new university.

 

In addition, Nemeroff remains under investigation by the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, which is working with the Department of Justice on the case.  In his letter today, Grassley asked the NIH if this was considered.  "There has been no final resolution by DOJ or public finding by HHS OIG related to the investigation of Dr. Nemeroff. Yet, NIH awarded him another grant," he said.

 

Grassley said the decision by NIH "risks sending the wrong message to physicians seeking or performing federally funded research."

 

Click here to read Grassley's letter to the NIH, which he also sent to the President of the University of Miami, former Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala.

 

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MOLINE/COMPTON - As ambassador to the Illinois Main Street program, Lt. Governor Sheila Simon will designate Moline as the second Illinois Main Street community in the Quad Cities on Wednesday at a ceremony in front of the City of Mills mural at the Historic Block Courtyard in Moline's historic commercial district.

 

Later in the day, Simon will visit Shady Oaks wind farm in southeastern Lee County, just as the turbines are expected to come online and begin generating energy for Illinois homes and businesses. The Shady Oaks wind development will provide enough power to serve approximately 15,000 homes and helped create and retain 400 American jobs.

 

Wednesday, May 30

EVENT: Moline Centre Main Street Designation Ceremony

TIME: 11 a.m.

PLACE: Historic Block Courtyard, River Road between 15th and 16th Streets, Moline

NOTE: Simon will visit the Rock Island Arsenal following the Main Street ceremony. There is no media availability at the arsenal.

EVENT: Shady Oaks Wind Farm tour

TIME: 2:45 p.m.

PLACE: Shady Oaks Wind Farm, 907 Illinois Route 251, Compton

 

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Quad City area youth entering 3rd-5th grade this fall are invited to attend the fourth annual Enviro-Kids on Saturday, June 9 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Middle Park in Bettendorf. The goal of Enviro-Kids is to teach youth different ways to have fun outdoors while incorporating environmental education. The event is free of charge, but pre-registration is required.

 

Children will participate in the following activities: fishing, learning about water quality, hiking, a litter cleanup, canoeing, disc golfing and packing a waste-free lunch. Parents or guardians are encouraged to stay at the event and participate in activities with their child. Younger children can attend Enviro-Kids if accompanied by an adult.

 

Registration is limited and accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information call 563-468-4218 or visit www.ilivehereqc.org to download the flier and registration form.

 

Quad City Enviro-Kids is sponsored by: City of Bettendorf, Davenport Parks and Recreation, Davenport Public Works, iLivehere®, Nahant Marsh, Partners of Scott County Watersheds, Scott County Conservation Board and Scott County Soil & Water Conservation District.

 

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Pavane Gorrepati of Davenport, Iowa, a senior at Rivermont Collegiate, will be presented with an engraved bronze medallion to recognize her selection as a Distinguished Finalist in the 2012 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program.

Presentation information:
Date: Wednesday, May 30
Time: 10:30 a.m.
Event: Awards assembly
Location: Rivermont Collegiate auditorium, 1821 Sunset Dr., Bettendorf
Contact: Richard St. Laurent, (563) 359-1366

Pavane is being honored for creating a nonprofit organization called "Warning about Warming (WaW)" to educate young people about environmental issues. For more information on Pavane and her volunteering, click here: http://bit.ly/M28pi5

About the award:

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, conducted by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), represent the United States' largest youth recognition program based exclusively on volunteer community service. All middle and high schools in the U.S., along with all Girl Scout councils, county 4-H organizations, Red Cross chapters, YMCAs and affiliates of HandsOn Network, were eligible to select a student or member for a local Prudential Spirit of Community Award last November. Two State Honorees?one middle and one high school student?plus a select number of Distinguished Finalists from each state and the District of Columbia were selected based on criteria such as personal initiative, creativity, effort, impact and personal growth.

For more information on the rest of this year's Prudential Spirit of Community Awards State Honorees and Distinguished Finalists, visit http://spirit.prudential.com.
Sustainable Energy Expert Details National Plan of Action

There's a lot of moaning and hand-wringing whenever gasoline prices approach $4 a gallon. But all it would take for them to hit $10 a gallon overnight would be hurricanes wiping out a couple of refineries or saboteurs disabling a couple of pipelines, says Dr. R. Paul Williamson, founder and CEO of the non-profit Sustainable Systems of Colorado.

"The United States is still almost completely reliant on finite fossil fuels, which are rapidly being depleted," says Williamson, author of Winning the Energy Wars: A Sustainable Energy Plan for America's Future (www.usa-sep.com). "We should be following a plan now that transitions us to sustainable energy sources but, believe or not, there is no plan."

The country faces oil shortages, international security turmoil and expanding environmental impacts, he says.

"Our entire future hinges on a sustainable energy plan," he says. "A crisis will impact our whole quality of life. It's not just gasoline; petroleum products are used in pharmaceuticals, plastics, things we rely on every day. The time to put together a plan is now - not when we're in crisis."

After studying the details of the nation's looming energy crisis, the former executive director of Hydrogen and Alternative Research and Development for the University of Montana says he's drafted a detailed plan that is systematic, non-threatening and sustainable. Three key features are:

• Abolish the U.S. Department of Energy. Though the 1973 oil crisis led to its creation, the Department of Energy has done nothing to create a sustainable energy plan in its 35 years of existence. Such a strategic plan isn't even a goal. Why? Politics. The big, all-powerful oil companies would not benefit. "To ensure America's security and prosperity'' is the department's stated mission.

• Create a Governors National Sustainable Energy Council. Direct the work of implementing the energy plan to leaders who are already doing that. Thirty of our 50 states have adopted goals for sustainable energy, and some have already achieved them. The council would have a rotating two-year board consisting of two governors from each of five regions, and three at-large governors. Funding from the decommissioned Department of Energy (currently, $25 to $35 billion a year) would be diverted to the council, which would be located in America's Heartland away from Washington, DC.

• Enact legislation to establish funding. Williamson proposes a National Alternative Energy Bond Fund to provide low-interest loans to new and redirected companies; entrepreneurs and other businesses focused on domestic energy development. This could be funded through sales of Alternative Energy Series "AE" bonds, trading stocks or bonds in the market as part of the Invest in America program, and establishing a surcharge of the use of products that use finite energy resources.

"We have enough domestic finite, transitional and sustainable resources to become energy independent and we can do so if we get focused, establish a new leadership paradigm and implement what I call the 'USA Sustainable Energy Plan,' " Williamson says.

What can Americans do - besides their individual efforts to reduce reliance on gas and oil? Williamson suggests taking these steps:

• Call or email our elected officials. Contact your governor, your U.S. representative, your U.S. senators and the president.

• Tell them you support adopting the USA Sustainable Energy Plan. Ask for their support on the three action steps: decommissioning the Department of Energy, creating the governors' council, and creating and funding the alternative energy fund.

• Follow up each week. Reiterate the action items and ask what progress is being made.

For more information on the energy plan, visit www.usa-sep.com.

About R. Paul Williamson

R. Paul Williamson is founder and CEO of the non-profit Sustainable Systems of Colorado. He holds bachelor's degrees in secondary education and communications; master's in curriculum and instruction and media technology, and a doctorate in technology education. He has served as a dean at four colleges including the University of Montana, where he created the Montana Hydrogen Futures Project, a plan incorporating the state's human, natural and renewable resources to create a statewide, hydrogen-based economy. Presently, he is working to create a sustainable future for the US; deployment of a self-sustaining, hydrogen-powered, magnetic levitation personal rapid transit monorail system; a sustainable smart home development; and an H2 Futures Business Park.

Nationally, $70 Million available for Harkin's Community Transformation Grants

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today encouraged eligible Iowa organizations to apply for funding made available by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for community-based prevention initiatives.  Earlier today, HHS announced the availability of $70 million in funding for Community Transformation Grants (CTG) program - a portion of the $226 million initiative.  

Harkin created the Prevention Fund as the author of the prevention and wellness provisions of the Affordable Care Act.  He is Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and the Appropriations subcommittee that funds HHS.

"Prevention begins in the community and Community Transformation Grants enable localities to tailor wellness and prevention programs to their specific needs and environment," said Harkin.  "I encourage all eligible organizations to take advantage of this opportunity and apply for a grant to ensure that all Iowans have access to resources to help them live healthier lifestyles."

The Community Transformation Grant program supports State and local governmental agencies and community-based organizations in the implementation, evaluation, and dissemination of evidence-based community health activities in order to reduce chronic disease rates, prevent the development of secondary conditions, address health disparities, and develop a stronger evidence-base of effective prevention programming.   The Iowa Department of Public Health received $3 million in Fiscal Year 2011 to conduct statewide efforts.  The competitive funding announced today is targeted specifically for communities.

The long-term objectives of the Community Transformation Grant Program include :
•    Reducing death and disability due to tobacco use by 5 percent among the target population;  
•    Reducing the rate of obesity through nutrition and physical activity interventions by 5 percent in the implementation area;
•    And reducing death and disability due to heart disease and stroke by 5 percent in the implementation area.

The official funding opportunity announcement for the Community Transformation Grants will be available today after 11:00 AM ET by visiting www.Grants.gov.
Rock Island, Illinois - Residents living in and around the Rock Island, Illinois community can be screened to reduce their risk of having a stroke or bone fracture.  First Lutheran Church will host Life Line Screening on 6/13/2012.  The site is located at 1600 20th Street in Rock Island.  John Kost from Western Springs, IL, participated in a Life Line Screening event in April of 2008 and learned he had an abdominal aortic aneurysm.  He writes, "I want to thank you and your organization for saving my life!"

Four key points every person needs to know:
•       Stroke is the third leading cause of death and a leading cause of permanent disability
•       80% of stroke victims had no apparent warning signs prior to their stroke
•       Preventive ultrasound screenings can help you avoid a stroke
•       Screenings are fast, noninvasive, painless, affordable and convenient

Screenings identify potential cardiovascular conditions such as blocked arteries and irregular heart rhythm, abdominal aortic aneurysms, and hardening of the arteries in the legs, which is a strong predictor of heart disease. A bone density screening to assess osteoporosis risk is also offered and is appropriate for both men and women.

Packages start at $149.  All five screenings take 60-90 minutes to complete.  For more information regarding the screenings or to schedule an appointment, call 1-877-237-1287 or visit our website at www.lifelinescreening.com.  Pre-registration is required.

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