Moline, IL...State Representative Rich Morthland (R-Cordova) has filed legislation offering sales tax exemptions for Illinois farmers. House Bill 3817 exempts the sales tax imposed on fence posts, fencing, and farm gates. House Bill 3818 exempts the sale tax imposed on baling twine, baling wire, plastic bags, plastic sleeves, and plastic sheeting

Representative Morthland, a seventh generation Illinois farmer, explained that farmers cross the Mississippi River to Iowa to make agricultural supply purchases because Iowa has a more favorable tax structure.

"Every time a farmer crosses the river to buy agricultural products, the State of Illinois loses employment potential and revenue opportunities on all of the purchases made that currently do not qualify for the sales tax exemption," Morthland said.

Morthland's legislation requires that the purchaser certifies the items will be used for farm production.

"Sales taxes on agricultural production goods act like a cumulative value added tax which, incidentally, Illinois rejected under Rod Blagojevich," Morthland said. "Some people will look at this like, 'it's just fence materials and twine,' but to the Illinois farmer who buys in bulk, these taxes can be burdensome."

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Friends of New Anthem:

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Bring your family!

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Dear Friends,

After my comments in Sunday's Des Moines Register editorial, which further exposed the murky waters of legislative compensation, I've gotta be giving Kim Pearson a run for her money in the "Most Popular Former or Current Lawmaker Among Fellow Lawmakers" contest. The editorial points out concerns I first raised in 1992, including how lawmakers:

-- Hide much of their salary in "per diem" and "constituent service" payments.

-- Avoid paying taxes on most of this money.

-- Pay legislative leaders as much as $60,000 - $75,000 per year.

The Register's editorial concludes with a call to action: "It is not right, and the Legislature should change this next year." Yeah, they should. But anyone wanna bet an apple pie they won't?

Meanwhile, the revolution that rocked Cairo, Tripoli, Madison, and Manhattan wound its way up to the Brooklyn Bridge this weekend, into the loving and arresting arms of the NYPD, and onward to cities across America. The mainstream media is only beginning to pick-up the story, which grassroots and social media networks have tracked from the git-go.

Monday, after a conversation with Sue Dvorsky, head of the Iowa Democratic Party, we'll talk about the latest developments in the "Occupy Wall Street" revolution.

Tuesday, Frank and Kim Spillers with BE WUCA join us to talk about the power of attitude when it comes to accomplishing anything of substance in life, whether it's helping ignite a social change movement, launching a successful small business, succeeding in the classroom, or taking charge of one's personal health and well-being. "BE WUCA" stands for "Be Welcoming, Understanding, Comfortable, and Appreciative."

Wednesday, attorney Jim Larew discusses a climate-change angle not often considered. There are plenty of climate-change deniers out there, but the insurance industry is a true believer. That's been made clear by their rate hikes and policy changes. But if you think all these natural disasters mean insurance companies are losing money in big payouts to victims, think again. Angel Robinson, the consumer advocate with the Iowa Insurance Commission, also joins us for the conversation.

Thursday, Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie is our guest. There are so many directions this conversation could go I don't even want to begin to tell you what to expect. But let's not waste too much time on potholes, street lights and barking dogs.

This week's Fallon Forum Freebie is a $25 gift certificate to Soul Flower, offering natural fiber and hemp clothing, including handmade items, hats, bags and jewelry. Soul Flower also has jam-band merchandise, Indian incense, and tie-dyed goods.

So, tune in from 7:00-8:00 pm, Monday - Thursday at 98.3 WOW-FM and online. You can download the Fallon Forum as a podcast, too. Thanks!

Ed


EVENTS

October 4 - Presentation on the Catholic Worker Movement (Indianola)
At 7:00 pm in the Simpson College Jordan Lecture Hall, Carver Science Building. The title of Martha Hennessey's talk is "The Catholic Worker Movement and its Relevance Today." Sponsored by Simpson College Amnesty International Chapter. Contacts Brian Steffen at brian.steffen@simpson.edu.

October 5 - Diane Wilson Speaks at JFAN Annual Meeting (Fairfield)
The annual meeting of Jefferson County Farmers and Neighbors is at 7:30 pm at the Fairfield Arts & Convention Center, 200 N. Main St. The Leopold Group Sierra Club, Sustainable Living Coalition, KRUU-FM, and Radish Magazine, are co-sponsoring the event, which features a speech by Diane Wilson, a celebrated activist whose work has helped convince corporations to change their environmental practices. Contact Diane Rosenberg at (641) 209-6600 or drosenberg@lisco.com.

October 6 - Drinking Liberally (Sioux City)
Both card-carrying and non-card-carrying liberals are welcome to share conversation and libations the first Thursday of each month at 5:00 pm at Scotty's Pub, 1012 4th St. Contact Rick Mullin at rdmullin@gmail.com.

October 6 - Drinking Liberally (Des Moines)
Both card-carrying and non-card-carrying liberals are welcome to share conversation and libations at AJ's on E. Court, starting at 8:00 pm. Contact Kelli Griffis at kelli.griffis@gmail.com.

October 9 - Buy Fresh Buy Local Harvest Party (Des Moines)
At Drake University's Olmsted Center, 4:00-6:00 pm. Visit www.buyfreshdrake.org for more information.

October 14-15 - US Policy in Palestine-Israel (Ankeny)
Our Lady's Immaculate Heart Church, 501 E. First St, hosts this statewide organizing conference to highlight the voices of people working to bring peace with justice to Palestine and Israel. Keynote speakers are Laila El Haddad, a Palestinian freelance journalist, and Phyllis Bennis of the Institute for Policy Studies. More info at www.afsc-iowaconference.org.

October 18 - Irish Jam at Open Sesame (Des Moines)
Discover the fusion of Lebanese and Celtic culture every third Tuesday of the month: belly dancing to Irish gigs and reels, Lebanese cooking washed-down with a pint of Guinness. All musicians patrons welcome, at 313 E. Locust St from 8:30-10:30 pm.

October 20 - Community Leadership and Activist Workshop (Des Moines)
Join local activists for an evening charged with education and change. Iowa Public Interest Research Group and the Public Interest Network team-up to discuss planning a campaign, activating others, and communicating with key decision makers. The workshop will be held on from 6:00-9:00 pm at the Polk County Central Senior Center, 2800 Forest Ave. Free and open to the public. Contact Sonia Ashe at sashe@iowapirg.org or (515) 282-4193 to register.

October 22 - Jim Winkler  (Des Moines)
Jim Winkler, General Secretary of the General Board of Church and Society, will be the keynote speaker for MFSA's Fall Regional Gathering at Walnut Hills UMC at 10:00 am. Jim will focus on "The Perpetual War," and Las Americas will cater the meal. For more information, please contact Eloise Cranke at ecranke@mchsi.com or (515) 262-5974.

October 26 - Iowa Human Trafficking Conference (Ames)
Human trafficking happens even in Iowa, with more than 125 identified victims since 2005. Former Iowa Attorney General Bonnie Campbell and others will speak about this growing problem and how to solve it at ISU Memorial Union, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm. Attorneys can earn 5.25 hours of CLE. Register at www.iowanaht.org.

October 27 - Green Drinks (Des Moines)
Join casual conversation with people interested in environmental issues and sustainable energy over something to eat and/or drink. It's from 5:30-7:30 pm at Gateway Market and Cafe, 2002 Woodland Ave. Contact Shari Hrdina at DesMoinesGreenDrinks@gmail.com.

November 12 - Immigrant Entrepreneur Summit (Des Moines)
At Olmsted Center, Drake University, 2504 University Ave from 9:00-5:00. The 2011 The Summit brings businesses of diverse backgrounds together to network, learn and celebrate the immigrant entrepreneurship experience and its contribution to the overall community. Contact ies@communitycpa.com.

November 19 - Contra and Barn Dance (Des Moines)
Have fun, meet new people, get some great exercise as contra and barn dancing return to Des Moines. No partner or costume needed; all dances taught and called. Beginner lessons at 7:30 pm, dance from 8-11 pm. Cost is $6 for adults, $4 for students and seniors over 65, under 12 is free. Odd Fellows Hall, 29th and Kingman. For more info, visit www.contra-indications.org.

Today, the New York Times editorialized in favor of stronger protections to prevent some schools from abusing Post-9/11 G.I. Bill education benefits and preventing veterans from getting the quality education they deserve.  Citing new data recently released by Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), the editorial calls on Congress to close the 90/10 rule loophole that makes veterans and servicemembers lucrative recruiting targets for for-profit colleges.

As Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Harkin has led an investigation into the for-profit college industry, uncovering aggressive recruiting tactics targeting veterans and active-duty servicemen and women in order to bring their federally-funded education benefits to companies that charge high tuition and have poor retention and graduation rates.

For more information, please contact Justine Sessions of Senator Harkin's HELP Committee staff at 202-224-3254.

 

New York Times

A Broader G.I. Bill

Published:  October 3, 2011

Starting this month, military veterans pursuing an education under the G.I. Bill have many more choices. The money for tuition, books and housing used to be just for study at colleges and universities, but now the G.I. Bill also covers non-degree institutions like vocational and technical schools, flight schools, and licensing and apprenticeship programs.

That is good news. Veterans, who deserve this country's full support, are struggling with high unemployment rates and would benefit from high-quality job training. But there is also peril in these new opportunities. Unless strong controls are put in place, the surge of G.I. Bill money will be a windfall for fly-by-night schools more interested in cashing in on veterans than educating them.

As a Senate committee warned in a recent report, a disproportionate amount of the taxpayer money spent on veterans' education has already been snapped up by private, for-profit colleges. These schools often cost much more than public institutions yet have dismal graduation rates and dubious curriculums.

The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions found that for-profit schools have collected 37 percent of all G.I. Bill money but trained only 25 percent of veterans. In the 2010-11 academic year, when 5,985 institutions collected $4.4 billion in V.A. benefits, eight of the 10 biggest aid recipients were for-profit institutions, together raking in $1 billion. From those eight, the committee found, a total of 409,437 students withdrew from degree programs within a year of enrolling.

One reason for-profit colleges aggressively recruit veterans is the federal "90/10 rule," which forbids for-profit schools to take more than 90 percent of revenue from federal student aid. V.A. money does not count under that limit, so every enrolled veteran is precious to a school desperate to keep within the 90/10 ratio.

Schools recruit heavily for another reason: Because federal grants do not always cover tuition and expenses, students are often roped into private loans, another revenue stream in the booming for-profit education business.

The V.A. says it will review all for-profit schools in the 2012 fiscal year to make sure they comply with accrediting standards, and conduct annual reviews of all institutions that have more than 300 G.I. Bill students. That will make a difference only if bad schools actually end up being kicked out of the program. So far, that has seldom happened. Congress could also help by closing the 90/10 loophole that makes veterans targets for aggressive and deceptive recruiting.

Buyers, as always, need to beware. Many for-profit schools and Web sites that plug their programs are spending far more effort marketing themselves to veterans than actually educating them.

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Le Claire, Iowa, October 3, 2011 - Mississippi River Distilling Company invites the public to come to Le Claire on Friday evening, October 7 from 5:30-8:00 PM for our October First Friday Feature!  October 7 is also a big night for MRDC as it's the official launch party for the new River Pilot Vodka.  This vodka features MRDC's signature, hand crafted grain to glass and will be 100% local corn vodka with a crystal clear smoothness.  It is distilled to be a traditional smooth vodka with little to no flavor or aroma.  River Pilot Vodka is the fourth product released under the Mississippi River Distilling Company (MRDC) label and the second vodka produced by the distillery.  The name of the spirit is meant to highlight the local history of Le Claire, Iowa, the home of Mississippi River Distilling Company.  The image on the bottle is a likeness of Philip Suiter, Le Claire's first licensed River Pilot.  Le Claire's famous river pilots were instrumental in opening the upper Mississippi River to trade.

MRDC will follow in Le Claire's Apple Fest theme for the weekend with a menu featuring several delicacies with this fall fruit.   We'll be featuring two signature food recipes, River Baron Caramel Apple Cake and River Rose Apple/Onion Tart with Gruyere Cheese.  Top that off with a Sour Apple Martini made with the new River Pilot Vodka or a River Rose Gin and Cider cocktail.  We'll do an abbreviated tour at 6 pm and 7 pm.  There will also be specials on bottles of the new River Pilot Vodka, River Baron Vodka, River Rose Gin and this could be the last chance to pick up a bottle of our first seasonal product, Wide River Wheat.  Several other Le Claire store favorites will be staying open late that night as well along with an Art Stroll along the streets.

November's First Friday feature will be the release of our next seasonal product, coffee liqueur made from River Baron Vodka and coffee from Iowa Coffee Company.

Mississippi River Distilling Company is open from 10 AM to 5 PM Monday through Saturday and from 12 to 5 PM Sundays.  Free tours are offered to the public daily on the hour from 12 to 4 PM or by appointment.  The tour takes visitors through the entire distilling process.  Tours end in the Grand Tasting Room with free samples of products for those patrons over 21 years of age.

#####

ANKENY, Iowa - The Iowa component of the Ron Paul 2012 Presidential Campaign announced that Iowa Republican State Central Committee member James Mills has publicly endorsed Dr. Paul. 

Mr. Mills already serves as 4th District co-chairman for the Ron Paul 2012 Presidential Campaign and a national advisory board member of "Homeschoolers for Ron Paul."  However, as a function of his endorsement he is clarifying his support for Dr. Paul from the perspective of an Iowa Republican Party leader.

"I'm pleased to endorse Congressman Ron Paul for the Republican nomination to defeat President Barack Obama next year," said Mr. Mills, who is an educator in Mason City living in Nora Springs.

"Dr. Paul's consistent record of unwavering principles continues to attract new voters to the Republican Party.  His ability to unite a diverse, grassroots following is a testament to his message of Liberty.  Dr. Paul's firm belief and confidence in the power of the individual, free markets, sound money, and a non-interventionist foreign policy is needed to lead the charge at the top of the ticket," said Mr. Mills. 

Mr. Mills is a lifelong Iowan raised on a family farm.  He graduated with a B.A. from the University of Northern Iowa in Math Education.  He worked as a teacher in the Nora Springs Rock Falls Community School District and the Mason City-based Sylvan Learning Center, which he now owns. 

"The endorsement of Ron Paul by Republican Party of Iowa State Central Committeeman James Mills is further proof that Dr. Paul's message resonates with Republicans," said A.J. Spiker, Iowa Vice-Chair for the Ron Paul 2012 Presidential Campaign.

"Dr. Paul has been endorsed by more members of the Republican Party of Iowa's State Central Committee than any other candidate seeking the presidency.  Five of the 17 members of the RPI leadership have now endorsed Ron Paul. James Mills joins Drew Ivers, A.J. Spiker, David Fischer and Jeremiah Johnson in endorsing Ron Paul for President.  Each of these party leaders represent more than 100,000 registered Republicans in their respective districts," said Mr. Spiker.

Authorized and paid for by Ron Paul 2012 PCC Inc. www.RonPaul2012.com

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October 3, 2011 - Iowa City, IA

 

An Irish orphan yearns to escape small-town life...by becoming a star.

 

Riverside Theatre, Iowa City's resident professional theatre company will present The Cripple of Inishmaan by Martin McDonagh, October 28 through November 13. Ron Clark, Riverside's Resident Artist and Production Manager, directs. The Cripple of Inishmaan is a co-production with Cornell College.

 

In this wickedly hilarious Irish comedy, set in 1934 on the remote island of Inishmaan, Crippled Billy dreams of a world away from his adopted aunts, their tiny village store, and their nosy fellow villagers. When he hears that a Hollywood film crew is working nearby, Billy hatches a plot to land a part. What follows is a tale of adventure, loss and redemption.

"Cripple explores the widely held stereotypes about the simple joys of small-town life, and fills the stage with the dark humor that is essential for its characters to survive," Clark said. 

 

In its thirty-one year history, Riverside Theatre has produced a number of Irish dramas including Stones in His Pockets and Dancing at Lughnasa.  Additionally, the company has produced two other McDonagh plays: The Beauty Queen of Leenane and The Lonesome West.

"Audiences have raved about the work and thoroughly enjoyed the fine storytelling of these Irish plays.  The colorful and exuberant language and the carefully drawn characters are immensely appealing," Clark said.

 

The playwright, Martin McDonagh, is generally revered as one of the great contemporary voices of the Irish theatre. McDonagh is the first playwright since Shakespeare to have four professionally produced plays running simultaneously on London stages.

The Cripple of Inishmaan is the ninth collaboration between Riverside Theatre and Cornell College since 1996.

"The Cripple of Inishmaan is also a perfect fit for a co-production with Cornell College, where I have been an artist-in-residence for twenty-five years.  The roles break down very nicely to allow lots of great work for the student-actors while allowing Riverside to employ some of its best resident actors to play the more mature roles," said Clark.

 

The Cripple of Inishmaan features Riverside Theatre favorites Tim Budd and Kristy Hartsgrove, who were last seen in All My Sons as Dr. Jim Bayliss and Sue Bayliss.

 

The role of Crippled Billy will be played by Osean Perez, a senior at Cornell. This is Perez's first appearance at Riverside. Returning to Riverside will be Alec Hynes in the role of Babbybobby. Hynes is a junior at Cornell, who was last seen at Riverside as Eglamour in The Two Gentlemen of Verona at this summer's Riverside Theatre Shakespeare Festival and has previously appeared on Gilbert Street in the last co-production as Peter Van Daan in The Diary of Anne Frank.

 

The Cripple of Inishmaan also features scenic design by Christopher Domanski, lighting design by John Wilson, costume design by Jenny Nutting Kelchen, and sound design by Clark.

All music in the production is courtesy of The Beggarmen, one of the region's best Irish music ensembles. The Beggarmen will perform in concert at Riverside Theatre on Oct. 15 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for the concert are $20 with all proceeds benefiting Riverside.

 

Tickets for The Cripple of Inishmaan range from $15-$28 with a $15 student rush available 20 minutes before the performance. Tickets may be ordered through the Riverside Theatre Box Office at 213 N. Gilbert St., (319) 338-7672 or online at www.riversidetheatre.org.

The Cripple of Inishmaan contains adult language.

This production is supported in part by a grant from the Iowa Arts Council.

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Finance Senators Release Report Showing Companies Intentionally Increased Frequency of Home Health Visits to Manipulate Reimbursement Rates

Washington, DC - Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and senior Finance Committee Member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) today released a Finance Committee staff report showing tactics used by major for-profit home health companies to game Medicare.  The result has been waste of taxpayer dollars and the delivery of what could be medically-unnecessary patient care to increase the companies' profits.  Baucus and Grassley initiated the investigation into the improper practices as part of the Committee's oversight role of the Medicare and Medicaid programs and the Senators' ongoing commitment to protect patients and taxpayer dollars from waste, fraud and abuse.

"The gaming of Medicare represents serious abuse of the home health program," said Baucus.  "Elderly patients in the Medicare system should not be used as pawns to increase a company's profits. Especially in these tough economic times, taxpayers simply cannot afford for their dollars to be wasted on unnecessary care.  We are going to continue to crack down on these companies to ensure taxpayer dollars are used efficiently and Medicare patients are protected."

"The reimbursement policy encourages gaming, and gaming is what's occurred.   Companies are doing everything they can to make as much money as possible, whether the patients need the care or not.  The federal government needs to fix the policy that lets Medicare money flow down the drain.  This can't wait until tomorrow.  It should have been done yesterday.  The longer this kind of policy continues, the more Medicare's budget balloons, and the bigger the burden on taxpayers," Grassley said.

In May 2010, Baucus and Grassley began their investigation into home health therapy practices at Amedisys, LHC Group, Gentiva, and Almost Family in response to a media report that these home health companies took advantage of the Medicare therapy payment system by providing medically-unnecessary patient care.

The Committee staff report released today examines documents provided by the companies which show how therapists were encouraged to target the most profitable number of therapy visits, even when patient need may not have required such visits.  In addition, therapy visit records for each company showed concentrated numbers of therapy visits at or just above the point at which a "bonus" payment was triggered by the Medicare program.

Internal documents from three of the four companies, Amedisys, LHC Group and Gentiva, provided evidence of top-down strategies to game Medicare.  Highlights from the report include :

  • Managers encouraged therapists to meet a 10-visit target that would have increased their payments from Medicare.
  • An "A-Team" tasked with developing programs to target the most profitable Medicare therapy treatment patterns.
  • Therapists and regional managers that were pressured to follow new clinical guidelines developed to maximize Medicare reimbursements.
  • Top managers instructed employees to increase the number of therapy visits provided in order to increase case mix and revenue.
  • A competitive ranking system for management aimed at driving therapy visit patterns toward profitable levels.
  • Evidence that management discussed increasing therapy visits and expanding specialty programs to increase revenue.

The Medicare Part A program pays out an estimated $19 billion yearly for home health care.  Fraud, waste and abuse in the health care system cost Americans an estimated $60 billion a year, approximately three percent of total health care spending.

Baucus and Grassley have led numerous major investigations of the health care industry to protect consumers and taxpayer dollars.  Earlier this year, when their investigation found that the drug company Sanofi interfered in the approval of generic alternatives to its blood-thinner drug Lovenox, the Finance leaders called on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to help guarantee consumers have access to affordable generic medications.  Last December, Baucus and Grassley released a report detailing the relationship between Abbott labs and a Maryland doctor who allegedly implanted nearly 600 unnecessary cardiac stents into his patients, costing the federal government as much as $3.8 million in overpayments.  The specific stent case highlighted in the Senators' report is indicative of a widespread, national problem of unnecessary stenting.  The Senators also spearheaded a two year inquiry which revealed undisclosed side effects of the diabetes drug Avandia.  This resulted in the FDA restricting use of the drug, ensuring that patients and doctors have the information they need to make safe, informed decisions about their medication.

The Committee's full report is available here.

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Moline, IL...State Representative Rich Morthland's (R-Cordova) House Resolution 328 directed the Illinois Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability to conduct an objective, non-political examination of the State's policy of charging "ad valorem" Illinois sales taxes on motor fuel. This report revealed various factors contributing to the price of gas sold in Illinois.

"Our gasoline sales tax of 6.25% makes Illinois the 3rd highest total tax on fuel in the nation," Morthland said. "This tax has a compounding effect as it increases when gas prices increase. This contributes to flight to Iowa and other states that don't have such a punitive tax structure." Morthland continued, "When we buy our gas in Iowa, it's not uncommon to pick a few groceries or other items there." 

The COGFA report speculates that this tax structure has a negative on business in Illinois.

"It's nice to have the income, but it's not necessarily a good dollar in if it's hurting our state and derailing Illinois jobs by pushing sales across state borders," Morthland said. "I am working on a form of tax relief for border communities in Illinois to restore our competitive edge."

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Thanks to the loyal support from you, our customers, Davenport Golf Courses remain tops in the Quad Cities!

 

As a thank you, we're offering a fantastic special for the remainder of the year. On our 18-hole courses, we're offering 18 for 9 hole green fee and cart fees, as well as 18 for 9 hole senior rates.  Twilight rate is available all day on all courses for unlimited golf.

 

There is still plenty of crisp, clear fall weather ahead - perfect for those last rounds of the season. So book your tee time now!

 

Fall Special Prices:

 

Emeis  = $24 with cart.

Emeis Sr = $20 with cart

Emeis Twilight = $27 with cart

Call 563-326-7825

 

Duck Creek = $22 with cart

Duck Creek Sr = $19 with cart

Duck Creek Twilight = $27 with cart

Call 563-326-7824

 

Red Hawk = $19 w/cart

Red Hawk Sr = $17 w/cart

Red Hawk Twilight = n/a

Call 563-386-0348

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