06 Apr 2012

Lawyer Offers Tips for Safeguarding Your Assets

By Ginny Grimsley

In Florida, a man serving 12 years in prison for DUI manslaughter is suing his victims' survivors for his pain, suffering, medical bills and "loss of capacity for enjoying life."

In Illinois last year, siblings aged 20 and 23 sought more than $50,000 in damages from their mom for "bad mothering," including setting a curfew for her then-teenage daughter, "haggling" over clothing prices, and failing to send college care packages.

Lawsuits like these are, unfortunately, more the rule than the exception, says Hillel L. Presser, a lawyer specializing in domestic and international asset protection planning and author of Financial Self-Defense (www.assetprotectionattorneys.com).

"Litigation is America's fastest growing business, and why not? Plaintiffs have everything to gain and nothing but a few hours' time to lose," Presser says. "Even if a case seems utterly ridiculous, like the guy in prison suing his victims' family, defendants are encouraged to settle just to avoid potentially astronomical legal fees."

So where does a person begin? You'll likely need the expertise of an asset protection planner, Presser says, but here are some steps you can take on your own.

• Take stock of your wealth. Inventory your assets - you probably own more than you think. Besides savings and retirement accounts, consider any money owed to you, anticipated inheritances and future assets. Property includes homes, vehicles, jewelry, and land. Don't forget to consider intangible assets, those non-physical but valuable brands, trademarks, patents and intellectual property. Visit www.assetprotectionattorneys.com for an inventory worksheet.

• Put only assets that are exempt from seizure in your name. Federal and state laws protect some personal assets from lawsuits and creditors. Those assets typically include your primary residence; personal items such as furniture and clothing; pensions and retirement funds; and life insurance. State exemption laws vary; federal laws govern exemptions in bankruptcy.

• Protectively title non-exempt assets. Putting the title to valuable assets in the names of corporations, limited partnerships, domestic trusts and other entities offers some protection. You still get to use and enjoy the asset but legal ownership is with an entity that's not subject to your personal creditors' claims. Which entities best shield which assets depends on the asset, your state laws, taxation and your estate plan, to name a few considerations. You can also combine protective entities, for instance, giving ownership of your limited liability company to a limited partnership. It's best to get professional advice when choosing the entity that will best protect an asset.

Whether you're worth millions or a few hundred thousand, it's important to not get caught with your assets showing, Presser says. The more you have exposed, the more enticing a target you become. And the less you have, the more catastrophic the outcome can be.

"If the average person with $200,000 is sued for $1 million, he's wiped out," Presser says. "It's not so horrific for the person with $25 million who gets sued for $5 million.

About Hillel L. Presser

Hillel L. Presser's firm, The Presser Law Firm, P.A., represents individuals and businesses in establishing comprehensive asset protection plans. He is a graduate of Syracuse University's School of Management and Nova Southeastern University's law school, and serves on Nova's President's Advisory Council. He also serves on the boards of several non-profit organizations for his professional athlete clients and is a former adjunct faculty member for law at Lynn University. Hillel has authored several books, including "Asset Protection Secrets" and has been featured in Forbes, Sports Illustrated, the Robb Report, the Houston Chronicle, and the Los Angeles Times, among other publications.

06 Apr 2012

It's Time to Restore the American Dream for Middle Class Families

By Rick Martin
April 4, 2012

In recent years, many in Washington have been pushing not just misguided budgets like the one proposed by Congressman Ryan, but a dangerously misguided premise - that America is broke, and that we can no longer afford the investments that make possible a strong middle class and a world-class economy.  I strongly disagree.  The United States remains the wealthiest nation in history.  The most dangerous deficit we face is not a deficit of dollars, but of vision.

That is why last week, I introduced the Rebuild America Act, a comprehensive bill that puts policies in place that will repair the engine that drives our nation's economic growth: the middle class.  It creates the good jobs families need now through robust investments in America and will help grow the middle class in the long term by building economic opportunity for families.  Perhaps most importantly, the bill addresses spiraling economic inequality by restoring fairness and balance to our tax code, which also fully pays for the cost of the bill.

I have been developing this bill over the past year after holding hearings both in Washington and Iowa to learn more about what is causing the decline of the American middle class, gathering input from economists, business owners, and middle class Iowans.

The Rebuild America Act tackles the problem of our shrinking middle class in three ways: by taking immediate steps to create jobs and kick-start the economy, by implementing policies that will help families achieve financial security and expand the middle class, and by paying for these new investments through a balanced tax code that reduces inequality and fosters economic growth.  The bill will:

  • Invest in America to Create Jobs and Future Growthby modernizing our transportation and energy infrastructures, bringing our schools and community colleges into the 21st century, preparing our workers for jobs of the future, and directing the creation of a national manufacturing strategy.
  • Create Economic Opportunity and a Better Future for Middle Class Families by increasing access to quality child care, expanding time-and-a-half overtime pay, establishing a fair minimum wage, allowing all Americans to earn paid sick leave, ensuring that Americans have the right to join a union, opening new paths to the middle class for people with disabilities, and strengthening Social Security.
  • Restore Balance and Fairness to the Tax Codeby instituting the "Buffett Rule," adopting a Wall Street trading and speculators tax, ending tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas, and protecting pensions.

I have been in Washington long enough to know that Congress is not going to take up this legislation and pass it this month, or even this year.  But I have also been here long enough to know that to get something done, you have to take a first step, and my hope is that the proposals in this bill will become part of the national conversation in the short term and become law in the long term.  Already, a broad array of organizations have voiced their support for the Rebuild America Act - the Center for American Progress, the AFL-CIO, the National League of Cities, and the National Partnership for Women and Families along with many other economists, business leaders, and advocates for middle class Americans.   I hope you will consider adding your voice to the conversation and editorializing in favor of the Rebuild America Act or some of its provisions.

If you would like to listen to the conference call I hosted with members of the media to unveil the legislation last week along with former Labor Secretary Robert Reich, entrepreneur Nick Hanauer, and SEIU President Mary Kay Henry, it is available on my website here:  http://harkin.senate.gov/documents/mp3/4f7485b489b99.mp3

A detailed summary of the Rebuild America Act is below, and if you need any further information, please do not hesitate to contact Justine Sessions or Kate Cyrul of my office at (202) 224-3254.

 

The Rebuild America Act

 

Title 1: Invest in America to Create Jobs and Future Growth

As our economy continues to recover from the worst economic period since the Great Depression, we need to invest more wisely in programs that will create jobs and lay the groundwork for future growth. For decades, we have allowed the infrastructure that our nation's prosperity is built upon to crumble. Our roads and bridges are outdated and unsafe, our education system is falling behind our global competitors, and too many factories are shuttered. To rebuild America's foundation to create future growth, we must:

  • Invest in America's Roads, Bridges, and Infrastructure:America's public byways are crumbling as a result of the decade-long failure to invest in our infrastructure. To help overcome this deficit and promote economic growth, the Act provides $300 billion for investments including roads, bridges, and energy efficiency systems.
  • Modernize America's Schools: Too many of our nation's schools are not equipped to meet the needs of 21st Century students and teachers. The Act provides $20 billion in formula grants for the modernization, renovation, and repair of early learning facilities, K-12 public schools, and community colleges.
  • Support Great Teachers:Teacher effectiveness has more impact on student achievement than any other in-school factor. The Act provides grants to States to provide professional development to teachers and other school personnel so that they can best prepare students to meet college and career ready standards.
  • Rebuild America's Manufacturing Power:While many of our competitors are taking aggressive steps to support domestic manufacturing, the U.S. lacks a coherent strategy to support manufacturers. The Act includes steps to strengthen American manufacturing so that we can better compete in the global economy and establishes a national manufacturing strategy.
  • Prepare Americans for Jobs of the Future:To be competitive in the global economy, Americans must have the skills for 21st Century jobs. The Act offers challenge grants to regional partnerships of businesses, schools, labor, and economic development officials to train workers for well-paying jobs of the future.
  • Pursue Fair Trade: The demand created by America's middle class is the engine of the world's economy, but we won't have a robust economy and a thriving middle class if we allow our trading partners to use unfair trade practices that undercut American workers and manufacturers. The Act includes steps to help American workers compete on a level playing field with our trading partners.
  • Create Middle Class Jobs and Protect Middle Class Communities:While private sector job growth has picked up, since 2008, state and local governments have cut almost 700,000 workers, including over 250,000 teachers. These cuts threaten the safety and impede the progress of America's middle class communities.  To create middle class jobs and protect middle class communities, the Act provides funds for state and local governments to hire teachers, cops, firefighters, and other critical employees.

 

Title 2: Create Financial Stability and a Better Future for Middle Class Families

Until the 1970s, Americans' wages rose in tandem with productivity growth. Since then, wages have stagnated even as Americans work longer hours and produce more. To help families stay in the middle class, we must help families' wages go farther and create more good-paying jobs with benefits that help families care for their children and plan for a secure retirement. To rebuild support structures that allow our families to prosper, we must:

  • Alleviate the High Cost of Child Care:One of the largest burdens faced by young families is the rising cost of child care. To help, the Act will update the Child Care and Development Block Grant to offer more subsidies for child care while also increasing the quality of that care so that parents can go to work with the assurance that their children are safe and sound.
  • Help Americans Enjoy Their Golden Years:Americans deserve to know they can retire with dignity and enjoy their golden years. The Act will improve Social Security benefits and strengthen the private pension system so that more Americans can count on a steady stream of retirement income they will not outlive.
  • Protect Overtime Pay for Working Americans:Too many Americans are working longer and harder without anything to show for their efforts in their paycheck. The Act will ensure that Americans who are called on to work long hours receive the fair pay they deserve by updating the threshold used to determine which "white collar" workers automatically qualify for time-and-a-half when they work beyond a normal workweek.
  • Prevent Americans from Having to Choose Between Their Health and Their Paycheck:The U.S. is the only industrialized country that does not guarantee paid sick time to workers, forcing many low and middle-income workers to choose between their health, their job, or bringing their sickness to work. The Act will allow Americans to earn up to seven paid sick days per year to use for preventive care, recovery from illness, or to care for sick family members.
  • Establish a Fair Minimum Wage:While the minimum wage used to equal about half of average wages, today it is barely a third. A higher minimum wage is the simplest thing we can do to help struggling families become self-sufficient and join the middle class.
  • Empower Hardworking Americans:Strong and vibrant unions are essential to creating the good, middle class jobs that can support a family and support a strong economy. By ensuring that all workers have a right to join together and stand up for fair wages and working conditions, and that employers face real penalties for violating that right, the Act will help strengthen the middle class and promote economic growth for our businesses and communities.
  • Increase Job Opportunities for Americans with Disabilities: In the last two years, Americans with disabilities have left the labor force at a rate six times higher than that of non-disabled workers. To help improve employment opportunities for people with disabilities, the Act expands the Work Opportunity Tax Credit for Americans with disabilities.

 

Title 3: Restore Fairness to the Tax Code

One of the reasons America's middle class is struggling is that our tax code has become tilted in favor of very wealthy individuals and large corporations. Falling revenues have increased the deficit and made it impossible to invest in America. The Act will help to restore balance to the tax code that is critical for reducing inequality and fostering sustainable long-term economic growth while ensuring fiscal responsibility. To balance our tax code, we must:

  • Institute the "Buffet Rule":As a result of loopholes and special provisions in the tax code, the highest-earning 400 Americans in 2008 - making an average of $270 million each - paid an average effective federal tax rate of just 18.2%. The Rebuild America Act includes the "Paying A Fair Share Act," introduced by Senator Whitehouse, which will ensure that the wealthiest Americans pay at least as much as middle class families.
  • Adopt a Wall Street Trading and Speculators Tax: The Rebuild America Act includes the Wall Street Trading and Speculators Tax Act, which would place a small tax of 3 basis points on common financial trades undertaken by banks and financial firms that trade financial securities.
  • End Tax Breaks for Companies that Ship Jobs Overseas:To create a tax code that benefits Americans, the Act will close loopholes that incentivize companies to ship jobs overseas.
  • Make Wall Street Take Responsibility:The Act includes a proposal from President Obama's budget that requires the largest financial institutions to payback the assistance they received from the American taxpayers in order to help rebuilding our economy.
  • Make Hedge Fund Managers Pay the Same Taxes as the Rest of Us:The Act closes the carried interest loophole, which allows hedge fund managers and other investors to manipulate the tax code in order to pay a lower rate on their earnings.
  • Raise the Capital Gains Rate:The 233% difference between the 15% tax rates the rich pay on capital gains and the 35% top marginal rate on work for ordinary Americans is indefensible. The Act will increase the capital gains tax rate to help restore balance to the tax code.
  • Protect Pensions: To further strengthen the retirement system, the Act will provide basic protections for the 44 million Americans with defined-benefit pension plans.
  • Close Loopholes to Prevent Worker Misclassification: The Act will provide a fairer playing field to America's businesses and workers by helping employers to properly classify their workers.
06 Apr 2012

Governor Quinn Announces New Employment System to Help Connect Jobless with Businesses

By Leslie Wertheimer

Free Illinois JobLink service boasts nearly 92,000 statewide job postings; more than 51,000 resumes

 

CHICAGO - April 4, 2012. In his latest effort to boost the Illinois economy, Governor Pat Quinn today announced a new "help-wanted" system that connects job-seekers with jobs and makes hiring easier and more cost-effective for businesses. Illinois JobLink, developed by the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES), allows businesses to post job ads and individuals to post multiple resumes for free. Currently, there are nearly 92,000 total statewide job postings and more than 51,000 resumes posted on the system.

 

"We can increase economic growth in Illinois by connecting people who are looking for a job with employers who are looking to hire," Governor Quinn said. "During this difficult economy, Illinois JobLink is helping workers market their job skills and allowing employers to successfully find the help they need at no cost."

 

Illinois employers including Aon, Chrysler and Ford, have used Illinois JobLink to search for resumes and potential employees. Comparable private job boards can cost employers hundreds of dollars, and studies show that businesses prefer the key word search function to find employees with the unique skills that are needed. Using Illinois JobLink (www.illinoisjoblink.com), employers can create want-ads that require specific skills or search resumes using keywords such as salary, educational attainment and location. In turn, job seekers can create multiple resumes that emphasize their variety of skills.

 

"Hiring is time-consuming and expensive for employers. Illinois JobLink makes hiring easier by allowing employers to focus in like a laser on job seekers that possess the unique skill sets that they need," IDES Director Jay Rowell said. "It also helps our working families identify what job best fits their needs and puts them in a better position to pitch themselves to multiple employers at one time."

 

Illinois JobLink also pulls want-ads from Indeed.com, the largest employment site in the United States. Indeed.com collects postings from thousands of websites, including newspapers, associations, company career pages and job boards. Nationally, more than 550,000 jobs are available on Illinois JobLink.

 

While the Illinois JobLink service is available to everyone, including those who are currently employed, individuals collecting unemployment insurance are required to participate in Illinois JobLink. It also serves as another tool to connect veterans to jobs when they return home.

 

"We in the veteran advocacy community are excited by what Illinois Job Link offers to veterans," Illinois Veterans Affairs Director Erica Borggren said. "Helping employers find veterans is one of the most difficult pieces of the veteran unemployment 'puzzle,' and all job-seeking veterans can benefit from this powerful tool which allows the State's Veteran Employment Representatives to match veterans and employers."

 

Illinois JobLink replaced the previous Illinois SkillsMatch system and individuals and businesses with SkillsMatch accounts are encouraged to update their profiles, which were automatically transferred to the new system. IDES encourages job-seekers to set their resumes to public to ensure maximum exposure to businesses.

 

The state's comprehensive approach to helping match job seekers with employers is complemented by Illinois workNet® (www.illinoisworknet.com), a workforce development system administered by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO).  Illinois workNet utilizes partnerships and technology to expand seamless and real-time access to employment resources, including assistance with hiring and training employees, recruitment services, and tax incentives to keep local Illinois businesses competitive. As of January 2012, the Illinois workNet portal has more than 234,000 individual, workforce and business accounts.

 

As Illinois'' employment agency, IDES works with employers to fill vacancies in several ways including hosting job fairs, providing interview space and connecting job seekers with ready-to-hire employers. Providing soft-skills training to job seekers, such as skills assessment, resume review and interview techniques can be combined with other training courses available through more than 60 workNet centers across the state. This multi-agency, collaborative approach identifies the skills needed by businesses and helps job seekers obtain the skills needed to meet those needs. For more information, visit http://www.ides.illinois.gov/.

 

###
06 Apr 2012

Herbert Hoover NHS News Release: Park Visitor Center Will Get New Restrooms and Windows This Spring

By Adam Prato
WEST BRANCH, IOWA– The visitor center at Herbert Hoover National Historic
Site will get new restroom facilities and new windows this spring. The
renovation of the men's and women's restrooms will help the park meet
federal accessibility standards, and will use more environmentally-friendly
materials and fixtures like touchless faucets, low flush toilets, and
energy efficient lighting. The National Park Service will also replace the
present windows with double-pane windows to improve the building's energy
efficiency.


Work will begin in April and may take up to 4 months. There may be periodic
closures of the visitor center during the construction. Closures will be
posted on the park website, www.nps.gov/heho . The park will provide
temporary restrooms during construction. Restrooms are also available
nearby at the park picnic shelters or at the Herbert Hoover Presidential
Library and Museum from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.


"We're looking forward to our visitors benefiting from several improvements
to the visitor center this year," said park superintendent Pete Swisher.
"We also plan to install a new permanent exhibit later this year about
Herbert Hoover's childhood in West Branch and his involvement with
developing this park."


Herbert Hoover National Historic Site and the Herbert Hoover Presidential
Library and Museum are in West Branch, Iowa at exit 254 off I-80. Both are
open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Time. For more information go
online to www.nps.gov/heho or call (319) 643-2541.



Herbert Hoover National Historic Site
110 Parkside Drive
PO Box 607
West Branch, Iowa  52358


319 643-2541 phone
319 643-7864 fax
www.nps.gov/heho
06 Apr 2012

AMERICA NEEDS FARMERS PROGRAM TEAMS WITH IOWA HAWKEYES AND IOWA FOOD BANK ASSOCIATION TO HELP EASE HUNGER IN IOWA

By Laurie Johns

Hawkeye Fans Invited to Help Replenish Johnson County Crisis Center and Statewide Food Banks by Bringing Donations to April 14 Spring Practice

WEST DES MOINES, IOWA -- April 4, 2012 -- As farmers begin the 2012 planting season in Iowa, the growing problem of hunger in Iowa is on their minds.

"Iowa farmers lead the nation in livestock and crop production and they're proud that their hard work and innovation brings more food and more choices for all Americans; that's why it's unacceptable to have a 30 percent increase in the number of families who visit food banks," says Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF) President Craig Hill.

The Johnson County Crisis Center distributes 60,000 pounds of food a month and they're facing a critical shortage in both food and donations.  The Iowa Food Bank Association, a collaboration of the eight food banks which collects, coordinates and distributes food and essential supplies across the state, sees similar shortages.

"That's why IFBF is proud to support the ANF/ Food Bank Drive April 14 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City when fans of the UI football team get their first look at the 2012 Iowa football team.  We hope Hawkeye fans and all Iowans will show that they believe in taking care of their neighbors and friends in need," says Hill, a fourth generation livestock farmer from Milo.

Those who work with food banks in this state are grateful for the donations and the chance to spotlight a growing problem of hunger in Iowa.  "The current economy has brought higher mortgage rates, medical and fuel costs to more Iowans at a time when they're finding it tough to find a full-time job with benefits. It all adds to the problem of hunger in Iowa," says Jordan Vernoy, director of the Iowa Food Bank Association.  Many food banks are seeing a critical shortfall. "But, we want Iowans to know that it's so easy to help our neighbors in need; every one dollar donated can help us gather $15 of food donations," says Vernoy.

To encourage donations, the first 1,000 Iowa Hawkeye fans who bring a donation of cash or canned food to the Hawkeyes' open-to-the-public practice can receive ANF items.   There is no admission charge to attend the scrimmage and the gates open at 11 a.m.

ANF was first launched in 1985 during the height of the Farm Crisis, by legendary Hawkeye coach Hayden Fry, who wanted to show an increasingly urban nation why agriculture matters.  For more information about the Iowa Farm Bureau/U of I ANF partnership, click on www.americaneedsfarmers.org.

To learn more about the growing number of Iowans in need and ways to help, click on http://iowafba.org/.

-30 -

 

About Iowa Farm Bureau

The Iowa Farm Bureau Federation is a grassroots, statewide organization dedicated to enhancing the People, Progress and Pride of Iowa.  More than 153,000 families in Iowa are Farm Bureau members, working together to achieve farm and rural prosperity.  For more information about Farm Bureau and agriculture, visit the online Newsroom page at www.iowafarmbureau.com.

06 Apr 2012

Physician Payments Sunshine Act implementation

By Grassley Press

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

 

Grassley, Kohl Continue Oversight of Sunshine Act Implementation

 

WASHINGTON - Sen. Chuck Grassley and Sen. Herb Kohl, authors of the Physician Payments Sunshine Act, today outlined substantive points to guide federal implementation of the act.  The senators commented to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on the timeliness of implementation, the accuracy of the data, the categories of providers to include in the disclosure, and useful context for the data.

 

"It's disappointing that CMS missed the statutory deadline for the sunshine regulations, but at least the agency is on the right track," Grassley said.  "Now, it's important for the guidance to dot every 'i' and cross every 't.'  The more thorough the guidance, the more drug makers and medical device makers will know their exact obligations, and the more helpful the transparency will be for building confidence in this part of medicine."

 

Kohl said, "Sunshine laws are only effective when accurate information is in the hands of consumers.  We'll continue to monitor the progress of building a useful database so that consumers are fully served with knowledge about financial relationships that could affect their health care."

 

Grassley and Kohl wrote to the acting CMS administrator with their points and also asked questions about when CMS will begin data collection.

The senators developed the Physician Payments Sunshine Act, which was signed into law in 2010, after revelations of significant under-reporting of the amount of payments received by certain doctors from drug and device companies.  The new law requires public disclosure of the financial relationships between physicians and the pharmaceutical, medical device and biologics industries. The law required the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish reporting procedures for applicable manufacturers to submit information, as well as procedures for making that information available to the public, by October 1, 2011. CMS issued the guidance in December after more than a year of pushing for a timely release from Grassley and Kohl.

The text of the latest Grassley-Kohl letter is available here.

-30-
06 Apr 2012

4 Things People Should Know About Biology and Weight Loss

By Ginny Grimsley

Obesity has become such an epidemic in the United States, the FDA is considering approving a new prescription weight-loss drug - despite safety concerns about it.

It seems the health effects of being overweight override officials' concerns about Qnexa, a drug the FDA rejected two years ago.

That shocks weight-loss expert Don Ochs, who says neither diets nor drugs are effective, long-lasting solutions.

"When you understand the biology behind burning off fat versus packing it on, the whole notion of starving yourself on a low-calorie diet is absurd," says Ochs, developer of the physician-recommended Mobanu Integrated Weight Loss Solution (www.mobanu.com). "And certainly taking a drug that can damage your heart is out of the question."

Here's what people should know about biology and weight loss, Ochs says.

• Your body was designed to temporarily store fat because food was not consistently available to our ancestors. They relied on that stored fat to get them through famines, winters and dry seasons. That worked very well until we made huge advances in agriculture and food supplies became abundant and consistently available.

• When food is plentiful, your body will quickly burn fat deposits - those bulges you want to get rid of - for energy. When food is scarce, it burns fat more slowly, to help ensure your survival. That's why simply eating less is not the best way to lose weight. A low-calorie diet actually tells your body to store fat because food is in short supply.

• You can control whether or not your body stores fat for survival or dumps it for an upcoming time of plenty by sending it the right signals. The types of food you eat, and how much you eat of them, send biologically ingrained messages to your body about whether to store fat or burn it - just like flipping a switch.

• Your body is very efficient at converting certain types of food to fat. These were the foods with natural carbohydrates that were available to our ancestors before a dry season or another winter, such as apples, which ripen in the fall. If you eat these foods, your body interprets it as a signal that lean times are coming so guess what? It starts stocking up on the stored fat.

To address his own weight problem, Ochs spent years studying the biology of fat burning versus fat storing based on research conducted at The Mayo Clinic and the National Institutes of Health. From that perspective he figured out how to recognize when the foods he ate were signaling his body to produce a lot of insulin, which results in storing fat instead of burning it off.

"When you feel very sleepy after a meal, or when you're full and yet you still crave food, those are signals that you've flipped the switch and turned on your insulin production," he says. "How many carbohydrates flip that switch is different for every person based on genetics.

Losing weight by working with biology and your own individual, genetically encoded insulin triggers is natural and a prescription for long-term success. It doesn't mean you can eat whatever you want and never exercise, but it does mean you'll feel full and satisfied and have lots of energy. And keep the weight off.

About Donald Ochs

Donald Ochs is a Colorado entrepreneur, the president and CEO of Ochs Development Co. and M4 Group, an inventor and sports enthusiast. He developed the Mobanu weight loss system based on research conducted at The Mayo Clinic and the National Institutes of Health. The program is endorsed by physicians, nutritionists and exercise experts.

06 Apr 2012

Iowa GOP Chairman's Report

By A.J. Spiker

More than 50 people packed the inaugural Chairman's Lunch last week at RPI headquarters.  Governor Branstad and State Senator Jack Whitver gave us legislative updates and insights into what to expect next legislative session.  Many thanks to the Governor and Senator for giving Iowa Republicans an inside look on the legislature!

Don't miss the next Chairman's Lunch, April 25 at 12 p.m. at the Republican Party of Iowa Headquarters. Cost is $20, RSVP to email address rsvp@iowagop.org. Please consider joining us to greet this month's speakers, Speaker of the House Kraig Paulsen and Majority Leader Linda Upmeyer. This is a great way to catch up with friends as well as share a dialogue with elected leaders and party officials to continue strengthening our Party and its successes.

RPI announced ObamaCare's greatest foe, Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, as the keynote speaker for the annual Lincoln Dinner. Cuccinelli was awarded the CPAC "Defender of the Constitution" award in 2012. He has been a leading opponent of ObamaCare and with the upcoming Supreme Court decision, Cuccinelli should be a great headliner for our dinner. Other speakers include Governor Branstad, Lieutenant Governor Reynolds, Senator Grassley, Congressman Latham and Congressman King. Mark your calendars for May 5 at 6 p.m. The event will be held at the Veterans Auditoritum Ballroom, Des Moines. Tickets can be ordered online at www.iowagop.org or by calling 515.282.8105.

The Secretary of State's office just released voter registration numbers. I am thrilled to pass along that for the first time in 6 years, Iowa Republicans outnumber Iowa Democrats. The failed policies of the Obama presidency and the Obama Democrats have opened the eyes of many voters to the benefits of the Republican Party ideals including lowering taxes, lessening government intrusion, and protecting individual liberty. More than 1 in 10 Democrats have fled the Iowa Democrat Party since Barack Obama was elected President. Iowa Republicans will continue to work hard to promote these ideals to earn the support of even more Iowans this November.

To victory,

 

A.J. Spiker

Chairman, Republican Party of Iowa

P.S. Tickets to our annual Lincoln Dinner can be ordered online at www.iowagop.org or by calling 515.282.8105.

 

Paid for by the Republican Party of Iowa and Not Authorized by Any Candidate or Candidate Committee

621 East 9th St. Des Moines, IA 50309 | www.iowagop.org | 515-282-8105

06 Apr 2012

CAMP TO BELONG SUPPORTER RIDES ACROSS AMERICA TO CREATE AWARENESS FOR SIBLINGS SEPARATED IN FOSTER CARE

By Lisa Roughley
Alex Denig's Bike to Reunite takes her across country, covering 5,200 miles in support of organization dedicated to reuniting siblings.
MARANA, AZ. (April 4, 2012) - Riding across America in 45 days is a lofty goal, especially when the bicycle ride is being accomplished by one cyclist, hoping to bring awareness and raise funds for an organization she has supported for years. Born and raised in Sycamore, IL., Alex Denig is the youngest of three children. She first became involved with Camp To Belong in 2005 when a high school teacher spoke to her Interact Club about the organization.  "I remember thinking what I'd do if my brother or sister was taken away from me and I came up blank," states Denig.  "I wouldn't be "me" without them, so I decided to get involved."
A few months after she was introduced to Camp To Belong, Denig participated in a year-long Rotary Youth Exchange in Denmark. This was her first time being apart from her siblings and the experience hit home.  "The year I spent abroad taught me what it was like to have to live with only an occasional email from my siblings. I was lost without them, and that was when I began to think of a new way to help Camp To Belong," shares Denig.
Camp To Belong is an international organization dedicated to reuniting siblings placed in separate foster homes for events of fun, emotional empowerment and sibling connection during a week-long summer camp experience.  Denig hopes to both raise $20,000 to send youth to camp and spotlight the importance of building a camp in every state.
Her Bike to Reunite begins July 2, 2012 in San Francisco and ends in Bar Harbor, Maine. Other states she will be riding through include Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont and New Hampshire.  During the final leg of her journey, Alex will then visit Camp To Belong's along the east coast where she will get to meet some of the siblings involved in the program including:
CTB-Maine
Camp Site: Camp Wigwam, Waterford, ME
August 14-19, 2012
CTB-Massachusetts
Camp Site: Camp Taconic, Hinsdale, MA
August 20-25, 2012
CTB-New York
Camp Site: Camp Chingachook, Lake George, NY
August 25-30, 2012
"Camp To Belong is thrilled to have such a dedicated donor," shares Executive Director Sherry Brock. "Alex and her siblings embody what we are all about. Camp To Belong and our siblings are honored to have such spirit and enthusiasm as an additional gift from Alex!"
To learn more about Alex's Ride to Reunite in support of Camp To Belong, please visit www.biketoreunite.com or www.camptobelong.org where you can follow her progress online on Twitter and Facebook, read her daily blog and support her ride. For each $10 or more donation, a "Bike to Reunite" bracelet will be sent as a thank you.
ABOUT CAMP TO BELONG:
Camp To Belong (CTB) is an international non-profit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to reuniting siblings who have become separated in foster homes and other out of home care. CTB accomplishes its mission through our association of members who conduct summer camps filled with opportunities for fun, empowerment and sibling connection. Founded by Lynn Price, herself once separated from a sibling in foster care, the organization is in its 18th year and has reunited more than 4,500 brothers and sisters in that time. Supervised by volunteer counselors, siblings experience new things together including horseback riding, rafting, swimming, wall climbing, in addition to signature programs and activities that strengthen the sibling bond.
With eight member camps across the nation?Georgia, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, New York, Oregon, Southern California and Washington?plus an international chapter in Australia, the youth who attend spend a life-enhancing week at camp, building bonds to last a lifetime. The long-term goal of Camp To Belong is to develop our network so that member camps are in every U.S. state and throughout the world. To learn more about the specific needs of Camp To Belong and how you can help, please call (888) 7-BELONG.
CAMP TO BELONG: P.O. Box 1146, Marana, AZ., 85653, (520) 413-1395 www.camptobelong.org .
06 Apr 2012

Soy Checkoff Sponsors Tractor Pulls to Showcase Biodiesel

By United Soybean Board
Partnerships Help Increase Availability and Use of Soy Biodiesel to Diesel Users

ST. LOUIS (April 4, 2012) - U.S. biodiesel production reached an all-time record in 2011, and the United Soybean Board (USB) and soy checkoff want to help it repeat that feat in 2012.

As part of a larger strategy to promote soy biodiesel's benefits among diesel users, the checkoff will once again co-sponsor the National Tractor Pullers Association (NTPA) season of approximately 80 tractor pulls across the United States. The checkoff partners with the NTPA to increase biodiesel availability and use among pulling fans, many of whom work in the agricultural and trucking sectors.

"Pulling tractors perform so well on biodiesel, it's a perfect way to show farmers biodiesel's benefits," says USB Communications Chair Jimmy Sneed, a soybean farmer from Hernando, Miss. "It's important to remind farmers that using soybean oil for biodiesel is one of the components that determines the value of each bushel we grow. It makes sense for soybean farmers to use their own products and promote biodiesel."

Under the co-sponsorship, tractors in the NTPA's Light Pro Stock division will run on biodiesel. So these pullers will put biodiesel to the test all season long.

According to millions of miles of checkoff-funded testing, biodiesel can stand up to those tests. It offers excellent horsepower, mileage, cetane and lubricity. And, since it can be made from U.S. soybean oil, it's the only diesel fuel that can help declare freedom from foreign oil.

Check the NTPA schedule to find out if Light Pro Stock "Powered by Biodiesel" hooks will be in your area.

The soy checkoff also established other partnerships to promote biodiesel. Later this year, the checkoff will sponsor the National Truck Driving Championships, a trucking competition that attracts tens of thousands of representatives from that industry. Additionally, the checkoff partners with Clean Cities coalitions; assorted state, county and regional fairs; and the tractor pulls at the National Farm Machinery Show to promote the use of biodiesel, Bioheat® and other soy-based products.

The soy checkoff funds most of the biodiesel research and promotion efforts through the National Biodiesel Board to help increase the use of U.S. soybean oil. Soybean oil remains the dominant feedstock for U.S. biodiesel production.

These efforts helped push production of America's Advanced Biofuel to a record of nearly 1.1 million gallons in 2011. This exceeded the Environmental Protection Agency's 800-million-gallon requirement and surpassed the industry's previous record of 690 million gallons set in 2008.

The 69 farmer-directors of USB oversee the investments of the soy checkoff to maximize profit opportunities for all U.S. soybean farmers. These volunteers invest and leverage checkoff funds to increase the value of U.S. soy meal and oil, to ensure U.S. soybean farmers and their customers have the freedom and infrastructure to operate, and to meet the needs of U.S. soy's customers. As stipulated in the federal Soybean Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act, the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service has oversight responsibilities for USB and the soy checkoff.

For more information on the United Soybean Board, visit www.unitedsoybean.org
Visit us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/UnitedSoybeanBoard
Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/unitedsoy
View our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/user/UnitedSoybeanBoard

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