Today's Date: February 17, 2012

Event Date: February 24, 2012

Can you dig it? Big hair! Bellbottoms! Disco suits! Polyester shirts!  Teens looking for a bodacious break from the high tech world, take a step back in time and jive-out at Retro Game Night. The Eastern Avenue Branch Library (6000 Eastern Avenue) is hosting an after-hours opportunity for teens to go old school with board games, card games, retro snacks, and jammin' music on Friday, February 24 from 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Break out the 90's grunge wear, the 80's neon, or the 70's disco garb because there is even a costume contest for best retro outfit from any decade prior to 2000.  Retro snacks popular or invented in the 80's or before will be provided. Get FUNKY and register for this FREE event www.davenportlibrary.com or by calling 563.326.7832.  You may also register an any of the Davenport public libraries!  Ages 11 - 19 are welcome to register!

Braley supports Republican bill to extend tax cut

Washington, DC - Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-01) released the following statement after voting to support a Republican-written bill to extend the middle class payroll tax cut for a full year:

"The middle class tax cut extension passed today will keep $1,000 in the pocket of the average Iowa family.  Extending the tax cut for the rest of the year is a common sense step that will help strengthen the momentum of the economy.

"I'm disappointed that Speaker Boehner brought the tax cut up for a vote without finding a way to pay for it.  I've now voted twice for bills that would extend the middle class tax cut without adding to the deficit.  I wish I could have vote that way a third time.

"I'm encouraged that partisan politics didn't stop this tax cut extension from getting done.  Congress now must immediately turn its focus to working in a bipartisan way on other measures to help create jobs and grow the economy."

Braley has consistently worked across party lines to pass a yearlong middle class tax cut extension.  In December, he was one of only 10 Democrats to support a Republican bill to couple a yearlong extension of the middle class tax cut with other provisions.  Later that month, Braley also supported the compromise Senate bill that extended the middle class tax cut for two months.

WASHINGTON D.C. -The Communications Workers of America (CWA) today announced their thanks to Reps. Braley and Loebsack for not yielding to extremists' union busting demands by standing up for Iowa's working families and voting against the FAA Reauthorization bill and its damaging impact on working families.

Despite the efforts of Reps. Braley and Loebsack, the FAA legislation passed both chambers of Congress last week.  CWA members had been engaged for over a year in the fight for the passage of a clean FAA bill, calling for FAA legislation that would advance the important infrastructure and modernization components, but not include unrelated and unfair provisions dealing with union organizing and elections.  However, a backroom "compromise" in name only moved the legislation forward while including completely unrelated provisions damaging to union elections and working families in Iowa and throughout the country.

Now that the legislation has passed, CWA members and allies are reaching out to their members of Congress to thank them, or to express their displeasure at their vote.  CWA members in Iowa and across the nation will make sure their voices are heard by visiting district offices, sending letters, and making phone calls directly to their members of Congress.

Unfortunately, the FAA legislation creates new roadblocks for employees seeking union representation, takes away secret ballot rights, increases the threshold needed to call for a union election, makes collective bargaining more difficult, and limits the safeguards provided by the National Mediation Board (NMB). It also sets a dangerous precedent for those who prefer to hold critical transportation jobs and projects hostage rather than allow democracy on the job.

The bill passed despite strong opposition by organized labor.  Eighteen international unions, representing over 10 million members, signed a letter calling for passage of a clean FAA Reauthorization bill and the United Steelworkers, Service Employees International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW) and National Education Association sent individual letters of opposition to Congress.

CWA also released a full-page ad in the Washington paper POLITICO noting that Reps. Braley and Loebsack were two of 157 House members and 15 Senators who stood with workers and said no to the egregious union-busting in the FAA bill.

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Leaders of University of Iowa Heart and Vascular Center have reported that their heart valve team has treated half a dozen patients with a new, cutting-edge treatment for seriously ill patients affected by severe heart valve problems.

The new technology uses a catheter inserted through a small incision in a patient's thigh that travels through blood vessels and can be used to replace a person's failing heart valve in the aortic artery.

The technology is reserved for patients with severe aortic stenosis who are considered too high risk for traditional forms of heart valve replacement surgery, or were previously considered inoperable.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved the treatment, called the SAPIEN percutaneous heart valve replacement, manufactured by Edwards LifeSciences.

DID YOU KNOW?
In October 2011, the UI Heart and Vascular Center became the first program in the nation to receive certification for its cardiac valve program from The Joint Commission, the accreditation agency for health care organizations in the United States.

Helping Iowa entrepreneurs get a leg up

Lots of people come up with ideas for new businesses.  Finding the money to get them off the ground is the tough part.

To help those would-be Iowa entrepreneurs, the University of Iowa's John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (JPEC) offers workshops and contests to assist students, faculty and staff hone their elevator pitch and business plan writing skills. These abilities are vital in successfully securing start-up money from financiers and venture capitalists.

Each year, JPEC sponsors or co-sponsors six competitions that provide training and practice. They could obtain seed money, too, as competition winners can receive anywhere from $500 to $25,000 in start-up capital.

For more information on JPEC's contests, visit: http://www.iowajpec.org/business/competitions.cfm

DID YOU KNOW?
JPEC's Bedell Entrepreneurship Learning Laboratory is an on-campus incubator for new businesses that provides office space and learning opportunities for 29 start-ups owned by University of Iowa students.