12 Jul 2012

Braley Acts to Extend Middle Class Tax Cuts, End Bush Tax Cuts for Wealthy

By Jeff Giertz

New legislation would roll back Bush tax cuts for rich Americans making over $250k per year

Washington, D.C. - July 11, 2012 - Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-01) introduced legislation today that would extend middle class tax cuts for two years and allow the Bush tax cuts for rich Americans making over $250,000 per year to expire at the end of 2012.

 

According to the Iowa Department of Revenue, in tax year 2010, 99.2 percent of Iowa taxpayers reported income under $250,000.

 

On Monday and again yesterday in Cedar Rapids, President Obama called on Congress to renew middle class tax cuts while allowing the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans to expire.

"The Bush tax cuts for the rich a decade ago are a big reason why we're facing record budget deficits today," Braley said.  "Extending middle class tax cuts will keep money in the pockets of more Iowa families, helping to drive job creation and economic growth.  Rolling back the Bush tax cuts for wealthy Americans making more than $250,000 will help close the deficit.

 

"With this bill, we're trying to bring Democrats and Republicans together around a fiscally responsible compromise.  It deserves bipartisan support."

 

Unless Congress acts by the end of 2012, the Bush tax cuts will expire completely.  Braley's Middle Class Tax Cut Protection Act would extend through 2014 the tax cuts for American families making less than $250,000 per year.  Braley's bill would protect a reduced capital gains tax rate for these taxpayers.

For rich families making more than $250,000 per year, the Bush tax cuts would expire.  The capital gains tax rate for these taxpayers would revert to a top rate of 20 percent.

Braley's bill also protects the American Opportunity Tax Credit (a $2,500 tax credit for college expenses), expanded child tax credits, and the Earned Income Tax Credit for families that work and have children.

The cost of extending the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans (those making over $250,000 per year) is estimated at $850 billion over 10 years.

Full text of the Middle Class Tax Cut Protection Act can be downloaded at the following link: http://go.usa.gov/wFL

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12 Jul 2012

Private School Credit

By M. McNeil
Time is running out for members who wish to establish optional credit for up to two years of service as a teacher or administrator employed by a private school recognized by the Illinois State Board of Education. The opportunity to verify private school teaching ends on August 1, 2012. Contact TRS at members@trs.illinois.gov or call (800) 877-7896 to request the required form. TRS must receive your written request to verify this service on or before August 1, 2012. Making a request does not obligate you to purchase the credit.

A member may establish optional credit for up to two years of service as a teacher or administrator employed by a private school recognized by the Illinois State Board of Education, provided that the teacher:
•                    was certified under the law governing the certification of teachers at the time the service was rendered,
•                    applies in writing on or after August 1, 2009 and on or before August 1, 2012,
•                    supplies satisfactory evidence of the employment,
•                    completes at least 10 years of contributing TRS service, and
•                    pays the contribution required.

The member may apply for credit and pay the required contribution before completing the 10 years of contributing service required, but the credit may not be used until he/she has accrued the 10 years of service.

A link to a list of recognized private schools is found on the TRS Web site at: http://trs.illinois.gov/subsections/members/privateschool.pdf.

TRS Member Services Department
217-753-0973

Rock Island County Recognized Private Schools Past and Present:
Alleman High School - RI                Our Lady of Grace Academy - EM
East Moline Christian - EM              St Anne's School - EM
Immanuel Lutheran - RI          St Mary's School - EM
Jordan Catholic - RI            St Paul's Lutheran - RI
Morning Star Academy            Seton Catholic School - Mol
Temple Christian Academy - Mol  Villa Montessori - Mol





12 Jul 2012

Meet the Graduates from Midwest Technical Institute

By Sarah May

At theQuad Cities Campus located at 3620 Avenue of the Cities in Moline.

Thursday, July 19, 2012 from 11:00am - 1:00pm

Midwest Technical Institute will be hosting its "Meet the Grads" event on Thursday, July 19 from 11:00am to 1:00pm. "Meet The Grads" is a casual meet and greet function to allow prospective employers to talk with the graduates from our mechanical trades and health care programs. The event gives graduates the opportunity to showcase their abilities and for employers to check out prospective employees in a stress free environment. Graduates will be prepared with resumes and be able to show employers skills in the shops if requested. The event is open to all interested employers in the Quad Cities area.

Employers can stop in any time between 11:00am and 1:00pm. Lunch is provided and a private interview area will also be available.

Midwest Technical Institute (MTI) has been a part of the Illinois community since 1995 and the Quad Cities campus was established in 2011. It is our mission to be a leader in promoting student learning and achievement in a variety of careers and trades. Graduates from all our programs will be in attendance at "Meet the Grads." Our programs include Journeyman Welding, HVAC - Major Appliance Repair, Medical Assisting, Dental Assisting, Pharmacy Tech and Massage Therapy. The "Meet the Grads" event is held several times a year.

If you'd like more information about the event please contact the Midwest Technical Institute's Quad Cities Campus at 309-277-7900. You can also find us on the web at www.midwesttech.edu.

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12 Jul 2012

Branstad, Reynolds to convene public meeting in Mt. Pleasant on dry and drought weather conditions

By Office of the Governor of Iowa, Terry Branstad

(DES MOINES) - Gov. Terry Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds announced today that they will hold a two-hour public meeting on the severe dry and D1 Drought conditions that have plagued Iowa this summer. The event will be held Tuesday morning at the Mt. Pleasant High School gymnasium, and members of the public are encouraged and welcome to attend.

The public meeting will feature officials from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, and the USDA. Outside expert testimony will feature agricultural groups and environmental experts.

The discussion will include the latest information and tracking metrics, how coordination is being handled between the state and federal levels, and potential action steps that may be taken in order to ensure Iowa's needs are met. The public is invited to share their thoughts and concerns.

Details of the meeting are as follows:

Tuesday, July 18, 2012

9 a.m. Gov. Branstad and Lt. Gov. Reynolds hold public meeting on dry and D1 Drought conditions

Mt. Pleasant High School  gymnasium

2104 South Grand Avenue

Mount Pleasant, IA

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12 Jul 2012

The Future of IT: Integration, Coordination, & Simplification

By Cloud Central
Faced with hordes of diverse mobile devices and buried under mountains of unstructured data, the future of IT was looking pretty bleak for a while there. With 70% of funds being used to prop up the status quo, it seemed that the center would not hold. Luckily, there is a new hope for data center management and it's called Pureflex. Read on to find out how IBM is changing the game and saving IT from itself.

Read More >>
12 Jul 2012

Congressional vote to repeal Obamacare: Payback to the insurance industry - GOP Leaders in Congress tell the American people: "Don't Get Sick"

By Rick Martin
Champaign:  On July 11th, the do-nothing Congress which has worked fewer days than any other Congress in modern times will be voting for the 31st time to take away health care security for the American people.  

"Obamacare does one very important thing:  Insurance companies can't rip you off anymore. Those who are fighting to gut the law today are doing the bidding of their high dollar donors from the insurance industry, plain and simple." stressed Jim Duffett, Executive Director of the Campaign for Better Health Care.

The GOP leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives and those individual congresspeople who want to repeal Obamacare are sending a clear signal that their vote today will take away health care protections and safeguards for the American people.
Specifically:
  • Tens of millions of seniors will have to pay thousands of dollars more a year for prescription drugs
  • Tens of millions of our children will now be discriminated against by the insurance industry for pre-existing conditions, and be kicked off their parents health care plans once graduating from high school or college
  • Millions of small businesses will lose tax credits now and in the future to pay for health care for their employees, and will be denied access to insurance through a large insurance pool called the Exchange
  • All Americans will be at the mercy of the insurance companies, who will be able to cancel their policies at any time, cap the level of medical coverage, and charge customers whatever they want
  • Women will be forced to pay 3, 4 or 5 times more in health care premiums
  • 30-35 million Americans will lose the shared opportunity and responsibility to purchase health insurance for themselves and their families
  • The federal deficit will increase by hundreds of billions of dollars; hundreds of thousands of Americans will face medical bankruptcy due to medical bills; and hundreds of hospitals, clinics, and other health facilities will close their doors

Duffett continues, "For tens of millions of hard working Americans and small businesses this isn't a political issue, it's a personal one.  Their health depends on it.  The taxpayers of America subsidize the health care costs of those members who will be voting to repeal Obamacare today by immorally pulling the health security rug out from beneath the feet of the American people.  Their alternative to Obamacare for small businesses and middle class families is - don't get sick.  No wonder the GOP controlled House of Representatives have a favorable rating of 10%.  Shame on you," concluded Duffett.
12 Jul 2012

Health Coach to Moms: Fall in Love with Your Food

By Ginny Grimsley
Tips to Jumpstart an Affair Your Jeans Will Remember

A lot has changed for 21st-century women, but one thing hasn't: Moms still juggle insanely busy lives and their needs usually fall last on the list, says Columbia University-certified health coach Beth Aldrich.

That includes eating - as in, really loving what you eat. Because you didn't really love that bag of chips you downed while watching "An Affair to Remember" for the 200th time, did you?

"How could you?" asks Aldrich, author of the award-winning new book, Real Moms Love to Eat (www.RealMomsLoveToEat.com). "Who could possibly be aware of chips with Cary Grant on the screen?"

It's wonderful to take pleasure in food, she says. It's even OK to eat the things we shouldn't every once in awhile - just be sure to savor every bite. "Eating in front of the TV is not savoring," Aldrich says..

"There are also plenty of great healthy ingredients that you can turn into new foods to love, even healthier versions of those favorite comfort foods from childhood. You'll finish meals feeling energized, emotionally satisfied and best of all, not guilty. And, oh yeah! You'll look great in your skinny jeans!"

Aldrich offers ways to kick off the romance:

• Make it all about YOU: Get back to the basics, remembering the pleasure inherent in the food experiences of your childhood. Think of the simple joy you had crunching into a sweet apple. How does that compare with the high-fructose corn syrup-drenched, refined wheat-flour products that leave you bloated and craving more? Whole foods - those eaten in their natural, unprocessed state, such as a baked potato versus French fries -- give you a fuller eating experience, increase energy and help you look great!

• Get naked with raw foods: Our earliest ancestors were hunter-gatherers who foraged for and consumed a wide variety of caloric intake, mostly consisting of raw veggies. Your body will thank you not long after you include more raw food into your diet, but you don't have to go the full Monty right away. Add fresh berries to your breakfast yogurt, include fresh nuts with your lunch, or replace coleslaw from the supermarket deli with a fresh recipe made from scratch.

• Tame your cravings dragon: One of the swiftest paths to an unhealthy snacking binge is ready-made, highly-processed sweets and baked goods. The craving-attack occurs when moms are busy and haven't planned their meals for the day and it leads to a spike in blood sugar, a crash and then - another monster-sized craving. Have healthy options ready to go. Nutrient-dense whole grains such as quinoa, whole-grain toast with sesame butter, and oatmeal will turn that dragon of yours into a pussycat in no time.

• Hungry for more lovin'?: Think you could force yourself to eat an ounce of dark chocolate every day? High-quality dark chocolate - the kind that doesn't have all the fillers - actually has lots of benefits, not the least of which is ... it's chocolate! Dark chocolate contains natural chemicals that serve as mood boosters and elevate serotonin levels, which enhance our sense of well-being. Health benefits range from keeping blood vessels elastic to increasing antioxidant levels.

"The wrong way to look at the whole-food diet is as an obligation," Aldrich says. "You are doing your body and your taste buds a favor by excluding unnecessary sugar, salt and processed fats from your diet in favor of a variety of spices, fuller textures and a sexier figure."

About Beth Aldrich

Beth Aldrich is the founder of RealMomsLoveToEat.com and a certified health coach through Columbia University and the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Her new book, "Real Moms Love to Eat: How to Conduct a Love Affair with Food, Lose Weight and Feel Fabulous" won a 2012 National Indie Excellence Book Award. Beth is also a lifestyle green-living expert, writer and public speaker. She is the founder of For Her Information Media, LLC, with productions such as the PBS TV series For Her Information, the radio show A Balanced Life with Beth Aldrich, and her blog, RealMomsLovetoEat.com. She lives in Chicago's North Shore with her husband and three sons.

12 Jul 2012

Riverside Theatre to Hold Wine Tasting Fundraiser Saturday, July 14 at Vesta

By Sarah Burnett

Iowa City, Iowa - Riverside Theatre, Iowa City's resident professional theatre invites area residents to a wine tasting party Saturday, July 14 from 6-9 p.m. at Vesta, 849 Quarry Road, Suite 100, in Coralville. Vesta is located on the round­about of the Coralville Mar­riott, near 1st. Ave. and Inter­state 80.

The event will feature samplings of a variety of wines from Vesta's wine menu. Vesta will also be serving appetizers, to complement the wine selections.

Tasting tickets are $40 and include wine tasting and two full pours. Non-tasting ticket are $25 and include non-alcoholic beverages.

$20 of every ticket is tax-deductible and includes food.  To order tickets call the Riverside Theatre Box Office at 319-338-7672.

Proceeds from the event will benefit Riverside Theatre.

For more information visit www.riversidetheatre.org.

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12 Jul 2012

FRATERNITY MEN CYCLING ACROSS COUNTRY FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES RIDE INTO DAVENPORT

By Joey Haynes

DAVENPORT, IA - The 25th Journey of Hope team will arrive in Davenport on Thursday, July 12. The team will arrive around 1:00 p.m., please contact Ricky Rascon to confirm time and location. The team will have lunch at Happy Joe's at 2:00 p.m. That evening at 6:00 p.m., the team will have dinner and a Friendship Visit with the City of Davenport Parks and Recreation.

What: The Journey of Hope, organized by Push America, is a cycling trek that raises funds and awareness on behalf of people with disabilities in hopes to enhance the quality of their lives. Every cyclist commits to raising at least $5,500 on behalf of people with disabilities before the trip begins. Combine their individual efforts with corporate sponsorships and the Journey of Hope 2012 teams have raised more than $650,000 for people with disabilities.

 

When: Thursday, July 12th 1:00 p.m. (arrival) and 6 p.m. (dinner & Friendship Visit)

 

Where: Lunch:

Happy Joe's                         

201 W 50th Street

Arrival & Dinner/Friendship:

Please contact Ricky Rascon

 

Who: Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity members from across the country.
11 Jul 2012

Schilling Honors the Rock Island Arsenal's 150th Anniversary

By Andie Pivarunas
Washington, DC - Congressman Bobby Schilling (IL-17) today released the following statement in honor of the 150th Anniversary since President Abraham Lincoln signed Public Law 37-122, establishing the Rock Island Arsenal:

"The 17th Congressional District of Illinois is home to many remarkable folks and features, one of them being the Quad Cities' Rock Island Arsenal.  In the 150 years since its establishment by President Lincoln on July 11, 1862, the Arsenal has played an invaluable role in our national security and our region's economy, directly employing nearly 8,000 folks from both sides of the river and both sides of the aisle.  

"Representing the hard-working men and women of the Rock Island Arsenal is an honor.  I look forward to continuing my work with Congressman Loebsack and the rest of the Illinois/Iowa delegation to preserve the Arsenal's future and help ensure it can continue providing for our troops and contributing to our region's economy for another 150 years."

On June 29, 2012, Schilling and Congressman Dave Loebsack (IA-02) introduced a bipartisan Resolution in the House of Representatives to recognize the 150th Anniversary of the Rock Island Arsenal and its ongoing contributions to our nation's security and the Quad Cities economy.  In May, they partnered with area senators in introducing the bipartisan and bicameral Army Arsenal Strategic Workload Enhancement Act, which would help to keep arsenals like Rock Island warm and employees' skills sharp by requiring that the Army produce a plan to ensure they are properly workloaded.  

In the Fiscal Year 2012 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), Schilling and Loebsack included a landmark provision lifting the cap on the number of public-private partnerships that arsenals are able to enter into, maximizing the possibility for private-sector job growth at installations like the Rock Island Arsenal.  They also included in the 2012 bill a provision designating the Rock Island Arsenal as a Center of Industrial and Technical Excellence, further improving its ability to enter into public-private partnerships, provide for our men and women in combat, and strengthen the Arsenal's core skills and manufacturing abilities.  Both provisions were signed into law as part of the comprehensive Fiscal Year 2012 National Defense Authorization Act.  

In the Fiscal Year 2013 House conference report, Schilling and Loebsack built on their prior successes and included language ensuring that the Department of Defense recognizes in its overarching national security strategy the critical manufacturing work done at facilities like the Rock Island Arsenal.  It also reviews how to maintain those skills and therefore the employees doing the work.  They also partnered with area senators in introducing the bipartisan and bicameral Army Arsenal Strategic Workload Enhancement Act, which would help to keep arsenals like Rock Island warm and employees' skills sharp by requiring that the Army produce a plan to ensure they are properly workloaded.

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To send Congressman Schilling an e-mail, click here

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