Legislation helps Iowa family farmers

 

Washington, DC - Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-01) today introduced legislation making it unlawful for a meat packer to own or feed livestock intended for slaughter.  The move is an effort to combat vertical integration and anticompetitive behavior in the livestock industry to protect family farmers in Iowa and other states.

 

"This bill is about protecting Iowa family farms," Braley said.  "The increasing consolidation of the meat packing industry has put downward pressure on livestock prices, which in turn hurts Iowa farmers.  Now, meat packers have been looking towards vertical integration to stifle competition.

 

"This bill is a common sense step to protect free market competition in the livestock industry.  It's important to have this debate now with the Farm Bill reauthorization coming up later this year.

 

The bill is similar to legislation introduced in the Senate last month by Iowans Chuck Grassley and Tom Harkin.

 

The Packer Ban bill excludes single packers and pack entities that are too small to participate in the Mandatory Price Reporting Program.  The bill also exempts farmer cooperatives where the members own, feed, or control the livestock themselves.

 

A copy of Braley's packer bill can be downloaded at the following link: http://go.usa.gov/EHN

 

Audio of Braley discussing the Packer Ban bill in his weekly press conference call today can be downloaded at the following link: http://www.mydigitalmanager.com/index.php?a=ViewItem&i=5637

 

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Expert Offers Tips for Selecting Insurance Options

Thanks to Baby Boomers and modern medical marvels, more Americans than ever are heading into their senior years, and they're expected to live longer than ever, too. Barely 50 years ago, our average life expectancy was 62.5 years; today that number has risen to 78.2 years, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

That means that more Americans than ever will also soon be deciding how to handle their eldercare. Steve Casto, Retirement Income Specialist and author of Is Your Retirement Headed in the Right Direction?, (www.stevecasto.com), says there are important questions and answers to consider before making that critical decision.

"The key thing to balance is the difference between what you think you'll need and what you can afford between your liquid assets and insurance coverage," Casto said. "If you don't start by asking yourself the right questions, you'll never get to the answers that will lead to a successful long-term care plan."

Here are some questions - and their answers:

Q. Should I opt for nursing-home or in-home care insurance?
A. When selecting insurance plans, protect against your worst risk first. In-home care is more about maintenance, while care outside the home is focused on crises. Home care is good for when a person needs help getting around. If he has a stroke, he'd need to be cared for outside the home initially, so there is a need for both.

Q. What should I select as my daily allowance?
A. If your health deteriorates, a daily allowance of $100 per day could cover all your care outside the home, but only a third of the care inside the home. Your home-care costs could rocket to more than $400 or more per day, so plan for the worst.

Q. What is an elimination period?
A. Sometimes referred to as the "waiting" or "qualifying" period, this refers to the length of time between the beginning of an injury or illness and receiving benefit payments from an insurer. With long-term care, the typical elimination period is 90 days, which means you are responsible for covering the first 90 days of care on your own. Most people believe that Medicare covers the first 90 days, which is dead wrong. It only covers it under certain conditions, and not all patients meet those conditions, which include :

o A nursing home stay that follows a three-day hospital stay
o Admission to a nursing home within 30 days of hospital discharge
o A Medicare-certified nursing home
o Physician-certified need for skilled care on a daily basis

Your best bet is to be insured through a long-term care policy for that first 90 days.

"These are just a few of the issues," Casto says. "A good starting point for those planning early is to completely discount the idea of getting a dime from Medicare. Even if it is still around when you need long-term care, the restrictions on Medicare are tightening. You'll be lucky to get the program to pay for 10 percent of a nursing home stay.

"The real answer is to get a solid long-term care insurance policy that is based on a sound plan."

About Steve Casto

Steve Casto is founder and president of Strategic Wealth Solutions, Inc. an Omaha, Neb.-based financial firm that manages money for investors in the Midwest. Steve helps clients reduce their tax bill, minimize their risk, and ensure they don't outlive their money. He's the author of Is Your Retirement Heading in the Right Direction? and offers presentations on how to increase income while reducing taxes.

Illinois Partners with U.S. Chamber of Commerce to Put More Veterans to Work

 

CHICAGO - March 28, 2012. Governor Quinn today attended a Hiring Our Heroes job fair and praised the event as a key tool to help Veterans return to work and showcase tax incentives available to businesses who choose to hire our returning heroes. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce and the Illinois Department of Employment Security were the principal sponsors of the second annual Chicago event.

 

"Our Veterans defended our country and now they deserve our help as they transition into the workforce," Governor Quinn said. "These brave men and women offer valuable skills to Illinois employers, and this effort is a good way to connect them quickly to jobs that are available."

 

More than 1,000 jobseekers seized the opportunity to interview with the more than 100 Chicago-area businesses that participated in the career expo. Sponsors of the event include the Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve, U.S. Department of Labor, American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Student Veterans of America and Operation Support our Troops.

 

"Hiring Our Heroes launched last year in Chicago with more than a hundred veterans and military spouses securing jobs and we haven't looked back since," Lt. Col. (Ret.) Kevin Schmiegel, founder and executive director of the Chamber's Hiring Our Heroes program and a 20-year Marine veteran, said. "Now more than 9,000 have been hired through our program, and Governor Quinn is helping to kick off our second year goal of 400 hiring fairs nationwide. We are helping move the needle on the high rates of unemployment facing post 9-11 veterans and military spouses."

 

Veterans are sought-after employees for their service training, which includes respect for authority, embracing responsibility and success operating in a team-based environment. Servicemembers also have advanced training in technology, manufacturing, construction and logistics.

 

A state income tax credit of up to $1,200 is available to businesses for each qualified Veteran who is hired. Governor Quinn has proposed extending and increasing the Hiring Veterans Tax Credit to spur additional economic growth. Employers may also qualify for a federal tax credit of up to $9,600 through the Work Opportunity Tax Credit.

 

In 2011, the IDES provided re-employment services to more than 45,000 Veterans. Nationally, the unemployment rate for Veterans post 9-11 remains higher than the general population.

 

"More than 500 employees at the Department of Employment Security are Veterans, so we know the value of their leadership, training and dedication," IDES Director Jay Rowell said. "We also know the special bond soldiers have for each other. That is why we have a special team of Veterans whose sole purpose is to match fellow soldiers with current job openings."

 

Governor Quinn has championed Veterans and servicemembers throughout his career. In 2011, he signed legislation to ensure Veteran-owned businesses are able to compete for state contracts. Among other accomplishments, as Lt. Governor, Quinn launched the Illinois Military Family Relief Fund to provide financial assistance to the families of Illinois National Guard members and reservists called to active duty. To date, this fund has helped 25,000 family members of Illinois veterans by raising $13 million for their families, and has been replicated in 35 states.

 

"Veterans are among our nation's most proven and committed public servants," Director of Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs Erica Borggren said. "They are a tremendous resource for Illinois companies, and I'm encouraged to see so many employers actively seeking to hire these heroes."

 

Illinois has added more than 130,000 jobs since January 2010 when job growth returned to Illinois after 23 consecutive months of declines. Since the recovery began in January 2010, Illinois has averaged 4,000 new jobs each month. The state's unemployment rate has fallen for six consecutive months, even as more individuals return to the labor force to seek work.

 

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GAHC Easter Closing

Des Moines, March 28, 2012 – On Thursday, April 5, 2012, at 2:00 p.m. Appellate Court Judge Thomas N. Bower will take the oath of office in a public ceremony in the supreme court courtroom in the Judicial Branch Building. Judge Bower, 51, fills the vacancy on the Iowa Court of Appeals that occurred when Chief Judge Rosemary Sackett retired.

Judge Bower, Cedar Falls, was appointed to the district associate court bench in 1993 and the district court bench in 1995. He was appointed Chief Judge of the First District in 2010. He received his bachelor's degree from Illinois State University in 1984 and his law degree from Drake University in 1987. Before becoming a judge, he served as an Assistant City Attorney for the City of Ames and as an Assistant Black Hawk County Attorney. Judge Bower helped to establish the Black Hawk County Adult Drug Court program in 2006 and a mental health court program in 2009. Judge Bower is a member of the Iowa State Bar Association, Black Hawk County Bar, and the Iowa Judges Association.

Judge Bower is married and has two sons.

Media Advisory: The court will allow cameras and audio recording equipment in the courtroom subject to available space. If you wish to be present for the entire ceremony and have camera and recording equipment to install, please arrive twenty minutes in advance of the ceremony. If you wish to record only a portion of the proceedings inside the courtroom, please call Steve Davis to make arrangements. The media room will also be open for use by the media. For questions about equipment set-up, contact Jim Evans at 281-5241.

 

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"Hearing on the Special Counsel's Report on the Prosecution of Senator Ted Stevens"

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

 

Mr. Chairman, thank you for holding today's hearing on a troubling matter that warrants our attention.  In his famous speech titled The Federal Prosecutor, then-Attorney General, and later Justice Jackson said, "The prosecutor has more control over life, liberty, and reputation than any other person in America...While the prosecutor at his best is one of the most beneficent forces in our society, when he acts from malice or other base motives, he is one of the worst."  These are fitting words for today's hearing as we examine the conduct of Justice Department prosecutors in an effort to understand what went wrong in the prosecution of former Senator Ted Stevens.

 

The government's prosecution of Senator Stevens was arguably the highest profile case ever brought by the Justice Department's Washington, D.C.-based Public Integrity Section.  It had consequences far beyond the jury's guilty verdict and impacted the Alaska Senate election in 2008.

 

While all criminal cases should be handled with the utmost professionalism, cases of this level of importance and publicity?where elections can be swayed?should be shining examples of the best of the Justice Department.  They should have the best prosecutors and the best agents, and should be a centerpiece of the American criminal justice system.  Unfortunately, this case appears to be the opposite of the ideal.

 

According to our witness today, the prosecution of Senator Ted Stevens was "permeated by the systemic concealment of significant exculpatory evidence which would have independently corroborated [his] defense and his testimony, and seriously damaged the testimony and credibility of the government's key witness."  These are shocking statements that call into question the conduct of those involved in this prosecution, and threatens to resonate further throughout the Justice Department.

 

Like so many times before, we owe much of our insight into the department's failures to a whistleblower.  FBI Agent Chad Joy came forward in January 2009 with allegations of misconduct in the investigation of Senator Stevens.  While there were indicators of failures to turn over exculpatory material before, it was Agent Joy's disclosures to the court that instigated the investigation.

 

According to media reports, Agent Joy is no longer with the FBI.  I hope it's not because he was run out of the FBI for blowing the whistle on this prosecution gone wrong.  He deserves our thanks for having the courage to speak up.

 

To its credit, the Justice Department ultimately moved to dismiss with prejudice the case against Senator Stevens.  To Judge Sullivan's credit, he did not ignore this whistleblower.  He held the prosecutors in contempt of court for the failures to turn over exculpatory evidence.  He then appointed an independent Special Counsel to investigate and prosecute criminal contempt proceedings, if appropriate, against the Justice Department lawyers involved in the case.

 

Mr. Schuelke's report was recently released, on March 15, and Attorney General Holder has publicly stated the report has "disturbing" findings.  I think that is an understatement.  Reading through this report is like reading though a case study in poor management.  The case was riddled with problems right from the start when the Department of Justice sought an expedited trial date.  This decision, which is not fully explained and something I want to know more about, helped put the case on a collision course with failure.

 

Why would the department ask for an expedited trial date when the review for Brady material had just started and was far from complete?  From the report details, the Brady disclosure problems appear to stem from an expedited timeline, inadequate staffing, a lack of a defined chain of command for making decisions, and poor supervision.

 

Two major disclosure problems were not revealed until after the conclusion of the trial - exculpatory information from one of the prosecution's witnesses and the withholding of impeachment material of the prosecution's star witness, Bill Allen.  The impeachment evidence is particularly troubling because it involves the witness's effort to cover up a relationship with a 15-year-old prostitute.  It also raises questions because the Justice Department later advised state and local prosecutors not to pursue child sexual exploitation charges against Allen, and then dropped any federal charges.  This has led to a second investigation at the Department's Office of Professional responsibility as to why prosecution was declined.

 

In addition to the failures to disclose exculpatory material, the case also suffered from a series of questionable decisions from the management at Main Justice.  For example, prosecutors claim that conflicting involvement between the Public Integrity Section and leadership of the Criminal Division created an unclear chain of command.  They also claim that conflicts in personalities developed as a result of staffing decisions, decided by senior leadership in D.C.

 

Despite these supervisory failures, there is no recommendation in the report related to the management of the case.  I am particularly interested in this aspect because management failures such as this are sanctionable conduct by the Office of Professional Responsibility.

 

It will be interesting to see how this report compares to the final product issued by the Office of Professional Responsibility.  The report should include some review of the management of this case in addition to the disclosure failures.  The Attorney General should ensure that a full, unredacted version of that Office of Professional Responsibility report is provided to Congress.

 

At an oversight hearing in November, 2011, when Senator Hatch asked for a copy of the final Office of Professional Responsibility report, Attorney General Holder stated, "That is up to the people at OPR...what I have indicated was that I want to share as much of that as we possibly can, given the very public nature of that matter, and the very public decision that I made to dismiss the case."

 

Despite the Attorney General's purported desire to make this information public, his statement that it is "up to the people at OPR", leads me to believe we aren't likely to ever see that report.

 

The Justice Department has routinely blocked the release of Office of Professional Responsibility investigations, citing privacy laws and employee rights of the attorneys and agents guilty of misconduct.  The Attorney General ultimately oversees the Office of Professional Responsibility and if he truly wants that information made public, he should order it released upon the conclusion of the investigation.

 

In the event he doesn't, the Privacy Act has an exemption for Congress, and Mr. Chairman, even under the department's tortured reading of the plain text of that statute, you should be able to obtain that Office of Professional Responsibility report in an unredacted form.  I will be happy to work with you on this issue.

 

A lot went wrong in the prosecution of Senator Stevens, and despite this strongly worded report we are discussing here today, it seems nobody has been held accountable at the Justice Department.  A criminal defendant's constitutional right to a fair trial, regardless of who he is, is fundamental to the American criminal justice system.  Yet, when those rights were intentionally violated by attorneys at the Justice Department, it seems no one was held accountable.  I find this fact even more disturbing than the findings in this report and we have an obligation to hold the Justice Department accountable for what went wrong here and prevent it from happening again in the future.

 

Thank you.

Quad City Arts is accepting nominations for a special exhibition titled "Welcome Home Quad Cities." This exhibit will provide an opportunity for visual artists living outside of a 250 mile radius of the Quad Cities, who have Quad City connections to come back home and share their art with the community.  During East/West Riverfest, from September 7th through September 16th, Quad City Arts' Rock Island gallery will be hosting multiple receptions with extended hours to give visiting artists and their families' time to gather and view the exhibit.

To nominate someone you know, send an email to dwmetallo@quadcityarts.com with the artist's name, contact information and a link to his/her website. Nominations are being accepted until May 30th. A committee of art professionals will choose works from the nominated artists to include in the exhibition. "Welcome Home Quad Cities" will run from August 31-October 26, 2012.

 

The Quad City Arts Center Gallery is located at 1715 Second Avenue in the Arts and Entertainment District of Rock Island.  Gallery hours are Tuesday-Friday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturday 11 a.m.-5 p.m. All Quad City Arts programs are funded in part by Festival of Trees; Quad City Arts Partners; and operating grants from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency; and the Iowa Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs. Quad City Arts is a nonprofit local arts agency dedicated to the growth and vitality of the Quad City region through the presentation, development and celebration of the arts and humanities. For more information, contact Dawn Wohlford-Metallo 309-793-1213 X108.
On Thursday, April 19, at 7:00 p.m. (local time) the Grateful Dead Second Annual Meet-Up At The Movies 2012 is set to take Dead Heads back to the summer of '89 as NCM Fathom Events and Rhino Entertainment present a never-before-seen concert recorded at the Alpine Valley Music Theatre on July 18, 1989. Movie theater audiences will experience the two-and-a-half hour concert in its entirety, including fan favorite songs, as well as a rare split of "Sugar Magnolia," "Dear Mr. Fantasy," and "Hey Jude Medley." As an introduction to the concert, audiences will also be presented with a slideshow of rare and never-before-seen photos of the band, accompanied by a previously unreleased live track recorded in the spring of 1990.
Tickets for Grateful Dead Second Annual Meet-Up At The Movies 2012 are available at participating theater box offices and online at www.FathomEvents.com.
Grateful Dead Second Annual Meet-Up At The Movies will be playing at the following theaters in your area on April 19:
RAVE Davenport 53 18 with IMAX 3601 E 53Rd St Davenport IA 52807 7:00 PM


FAYETTE, IA (03/27/2012)(readMedia)-- Upper Iowa University names its 2011 Fall Dean's List. To be honored, the undergraduate must have earned a minimum 3.50 G.P.A. for the semester and be enrolled as a full-time student.

Ty Grunder, Durant, IA

Michelle Marsden, Davenport, IA

Tracie Oberbeck, Davenport, IA

Prakash Sapkota, Davenport, IA

Richard Troendle, Bettendorf, IA

Brandon Voss, Eldridge, IA

For more information about Upper Iowa University, go to www.uiu.edu.

About Upper Iowa University

Founded in 1857, Upper Iowa University is a private, not-for-profit university providing undergraduate and graduate degree programs and leadership development opportunities to nearly 6,800 students-nationally and internationally-at its Fayette campus and learning centers worldwide. Upper Iowa University is a recognized innovator in offering accredited, quality programs through flexible, multiple delivery systems, including online and independent study. For more information, visit www.uiu.edu.

Latest estimate shows national veterans homelessness fell by nearly 12 percent

WASHINGTON - U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki announced today that HUD will provide $83,870 to the Davenport Housing Commission in Iowa to supply permanent housing and case management for 15 homeless veterans in the state.

The permanent supportive housing assistance announced today is provided through HUD's Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Program (HUD-VASH), a program administered by HUD, VA, and local housing agencies across the country.  Read a complete local breakdown of the rental vouchers announced today.

"It's a national disgrace that one out of every six men and women in our shelters once wore a uniform to serve our country," said HUD Secretary Donovan. "But we know that by providing housing assistance and case management services, we can significantly reduce the number of veterans living on our streets.  Working together, HUD, VA and local housing agencies are making real progress toward ending veteran homelessness once and for all."

"Under the leadership of President Obama, we have made significant progress in the fight to end homelessness among veterans, but more work remains," said VA Secretary Shinseki. "The partnership between the federal government and community agencies across the country has strengthened all of our efforts to honor our veterans and keep us on track to prevent and eliminate veteran homelessness by 2015."

This funding to local housing agencies is part of the Obama Administration's commitment to end Veteran and long-term chronic homelessness by 2015.  Opening Doors: Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness serves as a roadmap for how the federal government will work with state and local agreements to confront the root causes of homelessness, especially among former servicemen and women.

The grants announced today are part of $75 million appropriated for Fiscal Year 2012 to support the housing needs of approximately 10,500 homeless veterans.  VA Medical Centers (VAMC) provide supportive services and case management to eligible homeless veterans. This is the first of two rounds of the 2012 HUD-VASH funding.  HUD expects to announce the remaining funding by the end of this summer.

"These grants are reducing the number of homeless veterans in Iowa and one day we will see this travesty end," said HUD Regional Administrator Derrith Watchman-Moore.

VAMCs work closely with homeless veterans then refer them to public housing agencies for these vouchers, based upon a variety of factors, most importantly the duration of the homelessness and the need for longer term more intensive support to obtain and maintain permanent housing.  The HUD-VASH program includes both the rental assistance the voucher provides and the comprehensive case management that VAMC staff provides.

Veterans participating in the HUD-VASH program rent privately owned housing and generally contribute no more than 30 percent of their income toward rent.  VA offers eligible homeless veterans clinical and supportive services through its medical centers across the U.S., Guam and Puerto Rico.

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HUD's mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. HUD is working to strengthen the housing market to bolster the economy and protect consumers; meet the need for quality affordable rental homes: utilize housing as a platform for improving quality of life; build inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination; and  transform the way HUD does business. More information about HUD and its programs is available at www.hud.gov and  http://espanol.hud.gov. You can also follow HUD on twitter @HUDnews, on facebook at www.facebook.com/HUD, or sign up for news alerts on HUD's News Listserv.

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