Presidential candidate Herman Cain is "in it to win it," according to newly released financial numbers. The Herman Cain Campaign reports receiving over $9 million of financial support from Cain backers since October 1st. Twenty-five percent of these newly received contributions have come in the last ten days.

The generosity of Mr. Cain's followers has more than doubled in the past five weeks, compared to the financial gifts received in the previous two quarters combined. According to the campaign's third quarter FEC filing, Mr. Cain's campaign received $4.7 million from May through September 30th. The campaign has received a total of $14.1 million in financial support since the start of the campaign.

"Mr. Cain's vision to renew our country and create new jobs via his bold "9-9-9 Plan" is resonating across America," said Mark Block, Chief of Staff to the Herman Cain presidential campaign. "Mr. Cain's business experience and executive leadership is needed to put America back on the track to prosperity. Voters want to be part of the Cain Train so they are donating their time, talent and treasure to make sure Mr. Cain is our next president."

Cites New Job Layoffs in the Medical Device Industry

Des Moines - Presidential candidate Herman Cain favors the Supreme Court to strike down Obamacare citing Constitutional concerns and recent news that Stryker medical devices will lay off 5% of its workforce, about 1,000 jobs, in preparation for the medical device tax contained in the legislation.

"We cannot afford a piece of legislation that robs Americans of their freedom to choose whether or not they want to purchase insurance," said Cain. "The news this week that Stryker will layoff 5% of its workforce is more evidence that Obamacare is costing jobs, extending our unemployment problem."

The Supreme Court announced Monday that it would review President Obama's health care plan, particularly the mandate for the purchase of insurance.

Michigan based Stryker, is a maker of hip replacements and other medical devices. Unemployment in Michigan in September of this year was running higher than 11% and the layoffs were another piece of bad news for this pivotal election state.

"I spent 40 years in business creating jobs and fixing broken companies. I can fix this broken economy with the help of voters in 2012," said Cain.
RIVERMONT Open House Coffee

Saturday, November 12th - 8:30 - 11:00 a.m.

RIVERMONT COLLEGIATE is the Quad Cities' only private, independent, nonsectarian college prep
school, serving preschool through grade 12.

• Dedicated faculty
• Small class sizes & individualized attention
• Safe, family-life environment

Can't make it Saturday?
Join us Thursday, November 17th
Open House - 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Brittany Marietta - Director of Admission
(563) 359-1366 ext. 302
marietta@rvmt.org

RIVERMONT COLLEGIATE
1821 Sunset Drive - Bettendorf, IA 52722
(563) 359-1366 - www.rvmt.org

(located directly off 18th Street, behind K&K Hardware in Bettendorf)
Tuesday, November 15, 2011

With a deadline looming for the deficit reduction committee, lawmakers supporting The Wall Street Trading and Speculators Tax have sent a letter to the committee urging them to adopt their proposal.  The lawmakers, led by Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Congressman Peter DeFazio (D-OR), outlined the revenue generating impact of their bill.  Analysis conducted by the Joint Committee on Taxation found that the Wall Street Trading and Speculators Tax Act introduced earlier this month will raise $352 billion over the time period of January 2013 through 2021. The Joint Tax Committee also estimated that the Act raises $218.6 billion in the last 5 years, on average over $43 billion per year.

"As you work to craft a comprehensive deficit reduction plan, we believe you should incorporate reasonable spending cuts and ask the wealthiest Americans and most profitable corporations to pay their fair share. However, we understand through media reports and talking to our colleagues that revenue options remain the largest challenge in your negotiations to obtain significant deficit reduction. We believe we have a viable revenue option that deserves serious consideration," wrote the lawmakers. "Given the extraordinary profitability of Wall Street banks while the rest of the economy is suffering, there is no question that Wall Street can easily bear this modest tax. In fact, while Wall Street lobbyists will express great concern with our proposal, they will not tell you that the European Union is considering a similar proposal, but with a tax rate that is more than three times higher."

The Wall Street Trading and Speculators Tax places a small tax of three basis points (3 pennies on $100 in value) on most non-consumer financial trading including stocks, bonds and other debts, except for their initial issuance.  For example, if a company receives a loan from a financial company, that transaction would not be taxed.  But, if the financial institution traded the debt, the trade would be subject to the tax.  The tax would also cover all derivative contracts, options, forward contracts, swaps and other complex instruments at their actual cost.  The measure excludes debt that has an original term of less than 100 days.  

The full text of the letter can be found here.

Senate Judiciary Committee Oversight Hearing with Attorney General Eric Holder, Nov. 8, 2011

 

U.S. Guns in Mexico

 

Attorney General Holder: "[O]f the nearly 94,000 [weapons] that have been recovered that have been traced in Mexico in recent years, over 64,000 of those guns were sourced to the United States of America; 64,000 of 94,000 guns sourced to this country."

FACT

The definition of a "U.S. source gun" used in these often cited statistics was not created by the ATF and is overly broad.  It includes guns manufactured in the United States even if never sold by a federally licensed gun dealer in the United States.  Such weapons may have been legally exported to foreign governments or stolen before falling into the wrong hands.  That cannot be properly blamed on Americans exercising their Second Amendment freedoms.

According to ATF statistics, of the 21,313 guns submitted for tracing by the government of Mexico in 2009, only 5,444 of them (25 percent) traced back to federally licensed gun dealers in the United States.  Similarly, in 2010, of 7,971 guns submitted for tracing by the government of Mexico, only 2,945 (37 percent) traced back to federally licensed gun dealers in the U.S.

The reason for the large disparity between the overall numbers of guns submitted in those two years is that in late 2009, the government of Mexico provided the United States with a large list of guns it had been stockpiling for years.  Accordingly, 2009's numbers do not reflect guns that were seized exclusively in 2009, but rather for a number of the preceding years.

Additionally, any statistics on the percentage of such guns tracing back to the United States are further skewed because of selection bias.  As it has been widely noted, the government of Mexico only provides guns to the United States for tracing that they already have reason to believe originated here.  There is no reason to submit for tracing guns that are known to originate in Mexico.

In a November 8, 2011, court filing, the Chief of ATF's Firearms Operations Division made a declaration that "in 2008, of the approximately 30,000 firearms that the Mexican Attorney General's Office informed ATF that it had seized, only 7,200, or one quarter of those firearms, were submitted to ATF for tracing."  Based on these statistics, it's clear that the total sample of guns submitted for tracing is not representative of all the guns found in Mexico, and there isn't evidence that the other 75 percent of those guns were sold in a U.S. gun store.

Documents related to the FACTS.

Contributions made through December 31, 2011 can be deducted from 2011 state taxes.

DES MOINES, IA (11/15/2011)(readMedia)-- State Treasurer Michael L. Fitzgerald has a simple solution for the gift-giving dilemmas that are usually associated with the holiday season. "Instead of trying to put together a wish list of toys that will soon be lost in your children's closet, invite the special people in your life to give one of the most meaningful gifts a child may ever receive - help toward paying for a college education," stated Fitzgerald. "Opening a College Savings Iowa account has two-fold benefits, not only are you helping a child prepare for his/her future education, but you can take advantage of the tax benefits as well. It's the perfect gift!"

College Savings Iowa lets anyone - parents, grandparents, friends and relatives - contribute towards college costs on behalf of a child. Iowa taxpayers contributing to College Savings Iowa can deduct up to $2,865 per account from their state taxable income in 2011.* To take advantage of this great tax-savings opportunity, investors can contribute online at www.collegesavingsiowa.com. All other contributions must be submitted by December 31, 2011. If the contribution is being mailed, checks must be postmarked by December 31, 2011. For more information about College Savings Iowa, call 888-672-9116 or visit collegesavingsiowa.com.

Ugift® - Make giving college savings easier

"When you're saving for college, you need all of the help you can get. That's why College Savings Iowa is pleased to offer the Ugift® service to plan participants," stated Fitzgerald. This easy-to-use service allows participants to invite family and friends to celebrate a child's milestones by contributing to his or her College Savings Iowa account.

To learn more, participants can log on to their existing College Savings Iowa accounts and click on the Ugift logo or go to www.collegesavingsiowa.com and click on Plan Details. Then click on Ugift FAQs under the Plan Details section.

* Adjusted annually for inflation. If withdrawals are not qualified, the deductions must be added back to Iowa taxable income.

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Author: Stephanie Walsh, M.D., Medical Director, Child Wellness, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta

The Thanksgiving holiday season is a wonderful time of the year filled with family, friends and of course, food. While the spirit of Thanksgiving is to give thanks for all that we have, the holiday has become increasingly focused on food and eating. There's no harm in enjoying a meal with your family on Thanksgiving, but it's important to remember that the purpose of the holiday is not simply to over-eat.

Childhood obesity continues to be a threatening epidemic in Georgia. Children's Healthcare of Atlanta is continuing to see cases of obesity at all three of its hospitals. The consequences of obesity on children include health issues that are typically seen only in adults, such as Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, joint problems and high cholesterol. Strong4Life aims to help families take small steps that add up to big changes to help prevent or reverse the consequences of obesity.

Thankfully, there are a lot of ways you can make this Thanksgiving a healthier one for the whole family. Strong4Life helps families bring together four essential building blocks every kid needs to be healthy - Eat Right, Be Active, Get Support and Have Fun. You don't have to take a break from trying to be healthy just because it's the holidays; instead, try incorporating one or two of the tips below into your family's holiday routine:

Eat Right

  • Try to incorporate more whole fruits and vegetables into your Thanksgiving meal; you'll save on the calories that are often added to fruits and vegetables to make heavy casseroles.
  • Serve water with sliced lemon or lime with your Thanksgiving meal instead of sugary beverages like lemonade, alcohol and sweet tea. You'll get more flavor with less sugar and calories.

Be Active

  • Leading up to Thanksgiving, encourage your family to spend one less hour in front of the television and one more hour of physical activity per day to help offset the extra calories consumed on Thanksgiving Day.
  • On Thanksgiving Day, consider leaving the T.V. and computers off all day so your family will have more opportunities to be active.

Get Support

  • Sometimes, overindulging at the holidays can lead to eating unhealthy all of the time. Try to recognize when your family's holiday eating has become an unhealthy habit and work together as a family to make better choices.
  • If you are concerned about childhood obesity, talk to your healthcare provider about more steps your family can take to lead a healthier lifestyle.

Have Fun

  • Play a game of touch football, Frisbee or kickball after the Thanksgiving meal to help everyone feel energized rather than lethargic.
  • Promote "play time" and encourage activities that are fun and physical such as hop-scotch, jumping rope, tag or hide-and-go-seek.

Remember that parents serve as role models for their children, so make sure your actions are ones that you would want your children to follow. By making a few simple changes, your whole family can enjoy a healthy and happy Thanksgiving!

New survey reveals a statistical tie with Herman
Cain?and that Dr. Paul's support is unwavering
LAKE JACKSON, Texas - 2012 Republican Presidential candidate Ron Paul polls well within the margin of error at first place and has an unusually loyal following that is unlikely to switch to another candidate, according to a new Bloomberg News poll.

Paul polls at a strong 19 percent while pizza baron Herman Cain polls at 20 percent, making the first in the nation race a statistical tie.  The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points and was surveyed during November 10th to 12th

Mitt Romney polls at 18 percent and Newt Gingrich at 17 percent among the likely caucus goers, while Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann earned just 7 and 5 percent, respectively.  A mere 3 and 1 percent of respondents, respectively, chose Rick Santorum and Jon Huntsman.

Poll highlights favorable to Dr. Paul include the following points:
  • Among likely caucus-goers who say their decision is final, Paul leads with 32 percent, followed by Romney and Gingrich at 25  and 17 percent, respectively; and
  • Among Paul supporters who backed him in the 2008 caucuses, an impressive 69 percent of those who backed Paul's bid for the presidency in 2008 still support him now; and
  • Paul's campaign leads all other campaigns in voter contact, with about two thirds of respondents saying they've heard from his campaign.
The Bloomberg News poll follows a recent CNN/TIME/ORC poll showing that Paul polls among the top three in the key early voting state in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, and that concerning Iowa, Paul's support is growing along with the changing nature of the field.

"The Bloomberg News poll reveals that Ron Paul is a top contender in the key early voting state of Iowa, which helps determine who will win the Republican nomination for the presidency," said Ron Paul 2012 National Campaign Chairman Jesse Benton.

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The Iowa Podiatric Medical Society membership elected one new director and re-elected two directors at the 2011 Annual Business Meeting that was recently held in Des Moines. Mica Murdoch, D.P.M., Des Moines was elected as a new director and Mindi Feilmeier, D.P.M., Spirit Lake and Greg McCarthy, D.P.M., Sioux City were both re-elected to a three-year term on the board.

Paul Dayton, D.P.M., Fort Dodge, was elected President of the IPMS Board of Directors. Mark Lucas, D.P.M., Bettendorf was elected as Vice-President, and Greg McCarthy, D.P.M., Sioux City, was elected as Secretary-Treasurer of the IPMS Board of Directors.

Current Board Members include : Gregg Corrigan, D.P.M., Davenport; Christopher Considine, D.P.M., Waterloo; James Mahoney, D.P.M., Des Moines; Gene Nassif, D.P.M., Marion, Past-President; Philip Morreale, D.P.M., Waterloo; Michael Ward, D.P.M., Dubuque; and Tim Yoho, D.P.M., Des Moines.

The Iowa Podiatric Medical Society (IPMS) is the professional organization representing over 135 medical and surgical specialists of the foot and ankle, located throughout the state of Iowa. Doctors of Podiatric Medicine (D.P.M.) are physicians and surgeons who provide comprehensive services ranging from routine foot care to sophisticated foot surgery. Doctors of Podiatric Medicine are also involved in examining and treating patients diagnosed with diabetes, and those at risk for the disease, to assist them in avoiding possible complications, such as foot ulcers and amputations.

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Nov 15, 2011 – Based on data from insurance giant State Farm, more cooking fires occur on Thanksgiving than any other day of the year. In fact, grease and cooking-related claims more than double on Thanksgiving Day compared to an average day in November.
With the popularity of turkey frying increasing, more people than ever are at risk for fryer related fires and injuries. U.S. fire departments are responding to more than 1,000 fires each year in which a deep fryer is involved. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) says deep fryer fires result in more than $15 million in property damage each year and hot oil splatter can cause serious burns to an adult or life threatening injuries to a child.
According to State Farm Insurance claims data, the top 10 states for grease and cooking-related claims on Thanksgiving Day (2005-2010) are as follows:
  1. Texas                       36
  2. Illinois                       24
  3. Ohio                          21
  4. New York                  17
  5. Pennsylvania             17
  6. Michigan                    15
  7. Florida                       14
  8. Minnesota                  14
  9. Indiana                      13
  10. Louisiana                   12
Most turkey fryer fires are preventable. Recognizing common mistakes is a critical step in reducing your risk of a fire or potentially fatal burns.
  • More than one-third of fires involving a fryer start in a garage or patio. Cook outdoors at a safe distance from any buildings or trees and keep the fryer off any wooden structures, such as a deck or patio.
  • Avoid a hot oil spill over by first filling the pot with cold oil and then lower the thawed turkey into the pot to determine how much oil should be either added or removed.
  • Shut off the fuel source or flame when adding the turkey to the hot oil to prevent a dangerous flare-up if oil does spill over the rim.
  • Make sure your turkey is properly thawed before lowering it slowly into the pot.
  • Never leave a hot turkey fryer unattended.
  • Do not use ice or water to cool down oil or extinguish an oil fire.
  • Keep an extinguisher approved for cooking or grease fire nearby.
To warn people about the dangers of turkey fryers, State Farm has teamed up with actor William Shatner to produce a short video dramatizing an actual accident where the celebrity was burned in a turkey fryer mishap on Thanksgiving.  Viewers of the video are encouraged to support "Shatner's Fryers Club" by simply liking or commenting on the video and agreeing to stay safe when frying or cooking turkey.

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