12 Jul 2011

Braley Condemns Governor's Partisan Attack on Independent Commissioner

By Alexandra Krasov

Washington, DC - Today, Congressman Bruce Braley (IA-01) released thefollowing statement after reports came out that Governor Branstad and his staff have continuously pressured Iowa's Workers' Compensation Commissioner Chris Godfrey to resign his independent office:

"Historically this has been a non-partisan agency whose focus has been putting Iowans back to work. Chris Godfrey is highly qualified. He was first appointed in 2006 and re-appointed in 2009 to fulfill a six-year term after being confirmed 49-0 by the Iowa Senate. He serves in a capacity that is independent of the Governor and the political climate. The Governor has injected politics into this, leaving workers and employers hanging in the balance. It's highly unusual for the Governor to pressure a Commissioner of this type into resignation. It's one thing to surround yourself with staff of your choosing, it's another to conduct a clearly political witch hunt against a qualified and competent employee."

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12 Jul 2011

HUD AWARDS $5.1 MILLION TO IMPROVE, PRESERVE NATION'S PUBLIC HOUSING STOCK IN IOWA

By Robert Jackson Jr.

Annual funding to housing authorities a down payment toward addressing

$25.6B backlog in large-scale repair, renovation costs

WASHINGTON - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today awarded $5,118,535 to public housing authorities in Iowa.  The funds will allow these agencies to make major large-scale improvements to their public housing units.  View a full list of public housing authorities receiving funding.

HUD's Capital Fund Program provides annual funding to all public housing authorities to build, repair, renovate and/or modernize the public housing in their communities. This funding can be used to make large-scale improvements such as new roofs and to make energy-efficient upgrades to replace old plumbing and electrical systems.

"While this funding will certainly help housing authorities address long-standing capital improvements, it only scratches the surface in addressing the deep backlog we're seeing across the country," said Donovan.  "Housing Authorities need nearly $26 billion to keep these homes safe and decent for families, but given our budget realities, we must find other, innovative ways to confront the decline of our public housing stock.  That's why we introduced our new Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) as part of our comprehensive strategy to keep these homes on firm financial footing."

Sandra B. Henriquez, HUD Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing, added, "Unless we transform the way we fund our public housing authorities, local managers will be increasingly forced to choose between repairing roofs, replacing plumbing, or worst of all, demolishing or selling their properties.  We simply can't afford to let that happen."

Earlier this month, HUD released Capital Needs in the Public Housing Program, a study that updated the national estimate of capital needs in the public housing stock in the U.S.  The study found the nation's 1.2 million public housing units are facing an estimated $25.6 billion in much-needed large scale repairs.  Unlike routine maintenance, capital needs are the large-scale improvements required to make the housing decent and economically sustainable, such as replacing roofs or updating plumbing and electrical systems to increase energy efficiency.  This study updates a 1998 analysis and includes costs to address overdue repairs, accessibility improvements for disabled residents, lead abatement, and water and energy conservation that would make the homes more cost effective and energy efficient.

Over the last 75 years, the Federal Government has invested billions in the development and maintenance of public and multifamily housing - including providing critical support through HUD's Capital Fund. Still, the nation continues to lose thousands of public housing units annually, primarily due to disrepair.  To protect the considerable Federal investment and respond to the growing demand for affordable rental housing, the Obama Administration has proposed a comprehensive strategy to preserve this inventory. HUD's Transforming Rental Assistance Initiative will allow housing authorities to leverage public and private financing to address capital needs and make public housing units affordable for the long term.

In FY 2012, HUD is requesting $200 million for a Transforming Rental Assistance demonstration to rehabilitate federally subsidized affordable housing, including public and multifamily housing units.  The Rental Assistance Demonstration would allow owners to continue to make standard life-cycle improvements to this inventory, modernize or replace obsolete units, and stem the loss of stock from private sector partners choosing to opt-out of affordable housing programs. The funds used to bring 255,000 properties into a reliable, long term, project-based rental assistance contract will enable public housing authorities to raise more than $6.1 billion in private financing to reduce the large backlog of capital repair needs and in the process, support significant job creation in communities across the country.

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12 Jul 2011

Braley Fights to Help Veterans Stay in Their Homes

By Alexandra Krasov

Washington, DC - Today, Congressman Bruce Braley (IA-01) released a statement after participating in a joint-chamber forum with Holly Petraeus on alleged mortgage-related violations of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA). Holly Petraeus serves as the Director of the Office of Servicemember Affairs at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Following the forum, Rep. Braley said:

"More and more, it seems our veterans are returning from combat only to face new challenges here at home. Whether it's an injury or a financial crisis caused by long deployments and time off from their civilian jobs, our veterans deserve to know that we're standing up for them. This forum identified serious problems and issues with the way banks and lending institutions currently treat our soldiers and their families - and we need to take action to protect them from this abuse. That's why I introduced the Protecting Veterans' Homes Act earlier this year. My bill will give our soldiers enough time to get back on their feet and get their finances in order before being kicked out of their homes. This is the least we can do for the brave men and women who serve this country."

In May, Rep. Braley introduced the Protecting Veterans' Homes Act to protect veterans from being foreclosed upon by big banks. The bill would give returning soldiers time to get their finances in order after long deployments. Currently, similar protections for veterans are set to expire in December of 2012. Rep. Braley's bill would make these protections permanent and would extend the grace period from nine months to a full year for veterans returning from deployments.

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12 Jul 2011

MEDIA ADVISORY: Cheri Bustos Formally Announces Candidacy for Congress

By Dorothy Tate

Media Advisory

Cheri Bustos for Congress

17th District of Illinois

WHAT: Cheri Bustos of East Moline will formally announce her candidacy for Congress on a multiple-city, two-day tour.

WHEN AND WHERE:

•    9:00 a.m., Wednesday, July 13, St. Anthony's Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Main Floor, 767 30th St., Rock Island

•    12:30 p.m., Wednesday, July 13, Rockford Public Library, Main Library, Room A, 215 N. Wyman St., Rockford

•    3:45-7:15 p.m., Wednesday, July 13, meeting with various reporters and news organizations in Peoria

•   8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Thursday, July 14, meeting with various reporters and news organizations in the 17th Congressional District

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Brad Ruppert at Brad@CheriBustos.com or (217) 416-4768.

Cheri Bustos, a health care executive, East Moline City Council member and former journalist, will announce the launch of her Congressional campaign on a multiple-city, two-day tour Wednesday, with stops on the first day in the Quad-Cities, Rockford and Peoria, and in several cities on the second day.

The media and public are invited to each location.

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12 Jul 2011

Children's Discovery Garden in Iowa City Earns National Certification as Nature Explore Classroom

By Administrator

Nebraska City, Neb. (July 12, 2011) - Children's Discovery Garden in Iowa City announced today that it earned the national designation of a certified Nature Explore Classroom from the Arbor Day Foundation and Dimensions Educational Research Foundation.

The first Nature Explore Classroom is located in the Tree Adventure attraction at Arbor Day Farm, the Arbor Day Foundation's interactive conservation venue in Nebraska City, Neb.

Nature Explore Classrooms are part of the Nature Explore program, a collaborative project of the Arbor Day Foundation and Dimensions Educational Research Foundation. Developed in response to the growing disconnect between children and nature, certified Nature Explore Classrooms are designed to help fill the void by educating young children using research-based principles for integrating nature into their daily learning.

These classrooms, which are being developed across the country, offer interactive elements - including musical instruments made of natural materials, climbing structures, wooden blocks, small waterways, garden areas, and natural materials for building and creating art - that give children important and inspiring nature experiences. While connecting children with nature, such unstructured play and activities are shown to enhance concentration, develop creativity and problem-solving, relieve stress, and improve skills in many areas.

Children's Discovery Garden is located at the Robert A. Lee Community Recreation Center, 220 South Gilbert Street in Iowa City. Outdoor classrooms that are designed according to principles described in the Dimensions Foundation's Learning With Nature Idea Book are eligible to become certified Nature Explore Classrooms. In a certified Nature Explore Classroom, children can create visual masterpieces in a nature art area, build with natural materials, climb on natural structures, and practice their balance, agility, and creativity in areas designed for music and movement.

"Children's Discovery Garden has taken an important leadership role in a profoundly needed initiative to connect young children with nature, setting a wonderful example for education centers across the country," said Susie Wirth, Nature Explore outreach director for the Arbor Day Foundation. "Everyone at the Arbor Day Foundation and Dimensions Educational Research Foundation appreciates the commitment Children's Discovery Garden has made to the Nature Explore program and to providing nature education opportunities for young children."

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12 Jul 2011

Local Students Graduate from Cornell College

By readMedia

MOUNT VERNON, IA (07/12/2011)(readMedia)-- Cornell College confered degrees on approximately 250 students at its 2011 Commencement ceremony on May 28.

Daniel Krauss of Amana graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Kinesiology-Exercise Science Concentration and History .

Laurel Wilhelm of Blairstown graduated with a Bachelor of Special Studies in Kinesiology-Exercise Science Concentration .

Chad Owen of Bettendorf graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Kinesiology-Exercise Science Concentration .

Brock Nelson of Blue Grass graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Biology .

Featured in Colleges That Change Lives, Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa, is a national liberal arts college with a distinctive One Course At A Time (OCAAT), or block, academic calendar. The OCAAT provides students with intellectual immersion, academic focus, and unique freedom to shed the confines of the traditional classroom to study off-campus, pursue research, or accept an internship-all without missing out on other classes. Cornell's excellent faculty, majors and pre-professional programs, and engaging residential life all combine to offer numerous extraordinary opportunities in the classroom, on campus, and around the world. Founded in 1853, the college's entire hilltop campus is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

For details, go to www.cornellcollege.edu.

12 Jul 2011

Harkin Announces More Than $5 Million for Housing in Iowa

By Harkin Press Office

WASHINGTON D.C.–Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today announced that 48 Iowa Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) will receive a total of $5,049,415.  The funding comes from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) through the Capital Fund Program, which provides for the financing, development and improvement of public housing in communities across the country. Harkin is a senior member of the Appropriations subcommittee that funds HUD.

"I have always believed that access to quality, affordable housing is the foundation of economic stability for a family, and in turn, communities as a whole," said Harkin. "In these tough economic times, this funding will give Iowa a needed shot in the arm to ensure that needy Iowans have the access to housing they need."

Details of the funding are below.

$31,136--Afton Housing Commission

$43,435--Albia Housing Agency

$103,820–Area XV Multi-County Housing Agency

$108,495–Centerville Municipal Housing Agency

$172,464–Central Iowa Regional Housing Authority

$69,194–Chariton Housing Authority

$147,648–Charles City Housing and Redevelopment Authority

$125,886-City of Iowa City Housing Authority

$72,721-Clarinda Low Rent Housing Agency

$43,361-Corning Housing Commission

$57,291- Davenport Housing Commission

$547,201- Des Moines Municipal Housing Agency

$443,471- Des Moines Municipal Housing Agency

$11,843- Des Moines Municipal Housing Agency

$ 189,051- Eastern Iowa Regional Housing Authority

$14,187- Essex Low Rent Housing Agency

$50,145- Evansdale Municipal Housing Authority

$150,526- Fort Dodge Municipal Housing Agency

$149,198- Fort Madison Housing Authority

$244,227- Keokuk Housing Authority

$27,293- Lenox Low Rent Housing Agency

$18,196- Lone Tree Housing Commission

$28,909–Low Rent Housing Agency of Bancroft

$220,177- Low Rent Housing Agency of Burlington

$76,548- Low Rent Housing Agency of Clinton

$19,825- Low Rent Housing Agency of Farragut

$23,391- Low Rent of Housing Agency of Hamburg

$68,222- Low Rent Housing Agency of Knoxville

$35,398- Low Rent Housing Agency of Leon

$48,538- Low Rent Housing Agency of Missouri Valley

$24,253-- Low Rent Housing Agency of Mount Ayr

$58,215- Low Rent Housing Agency of Onawa

$47,638- Low Rent Housing Agency of Red Oak

$18,318–Low Rent Housing Agency of Sidney

$76,793–Low Rent Housing Agency of Sioux Center

$43,954-- Low Rent Housing Agency of Waverly

$41,850–Low Rent Housing Agency of Winterset

$18,196–Malvern Low Rent Housing Agency

$290,779-- Municipal Housing Agency of Council Bluffs

$26,383–Municipal Housing Agency of Manning

$171,006–Muscatine Municipal Housing Agency

$146,585–North Iowa Regional Housing Authority

$415,606–Ottumwa Housing Authority

$46,609–Rock Rapids Municipal Housing Agency

$75,028–Shenandoah Low Rent Housing Agency

$141,883–Southern Iowa Regional Housing Authority

$18,836–Stanton Housing Commission

$20,129–Tabor Low Rent Housing Agency

$43,852–Villisca Low Rent Housing Agency

$50,825–Waterloo Housing Authority

12 Jul 2011

NOTICE OF MEETING Scott County, Iowa and The Bailiff's Association

By Administrator

Scott County, Iowa will make an opening statement to begin negotiations with The Bailiff's Association on Thursday, July 28, 2011 at 9:00 a.m. on the 6th floor of the Scott County Administrative Center, at 600 West Fourth Street, Davenport, Iowa.

Questions regarding this meeting may be directed to the Human Resources Department at 326-8740 or 328-4104 ext. 2.

12 Jul 2011

Governor Quinn Signs Legislation to Help Businesses Grow In Illinois

By Laurel White

New Law Simplifies and Streamlines Environmental Permit

Process to Help Illinois' Employers Create More Jobs

CHICAGO - July 12, 2011. As part of his aggressive business agenda, Governor Pat Quinn today signed legislation that will make it easier to open and expand a business in Illinois. House Bill 1297 will help employers create more jobs by streamlining the environmental permitting process in Illinois, establish a plan for long-term funding, and make the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) more efficient.

"Simplifying and speeding up the review process for environmental permits will help Illinois companies begin hiring, investing and producing more quickly," said Governor Quinn. "This law is a great example of my administration's commitment to reducing the burden on Illinois' businesses - both large and small - so they can grow and create more jobs."

Like the recent worker's compensation reform law, HB 1297 was pushed by Governor Quinn to strengthen Illinois' business climate. Sponsored by former Rep. Dan Reitz (D-Steeleville) and Sen. James F. Clayborne, Jr. (D-East St. Louis), House Bill 1297requires the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) to speed up and streamline the permitting process.

Under the new law, IEPA will begin to use more efficient techniques such as online permitting, processing and tracking to make the permitting process easier to navigate for businesses. The new law also allows for expedited permitting, general permitting and permitting by rule for certain classes of facilities. 

"These changes will improve the agency's operations and make it more efficient, while ensuring that environmental standards are never compromised," said IEPA Interim Director Lisa Bonnett.

"For too long, Illinois' environmental regulatory process has hindered economic development and made it more difficult for businesses to compete," said Greg Baise, president and CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers' Association. "We applaud Governor Quinn's support of this new law that modernizes and streamlines the process, allowing businesses to save time and money. It balances environmental and economic interests."

In addition to making the permitting process easier for businesses, the new law also creates an online portal to assist with the permitting process. As a result, companies can begin production and other projects more quickly. The new law also allows the IEPA to create a new, logical funding source based on revenue from products used to lower emissions. By establishing a Registration of Smaller Sources (ROSS) program for smaller entities, a significant number of low-polluting small businesses will be able to register with the agency instead of obtaining a more extensive air permit. This will reduce the burden on small businesses by lowering the fee for emissions, eliminating the need to hire permit consultants and speeding up the approval process.

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12 Jul 2011

Grassley asks about potential bait and switch of students at ABA-accredited law schools and subsequent risk for taxpayers

By Grassley Press

WASHINGTON -- Working to make sure law students who take out taxpayer-backed student loans are in a position to pay back loans and to help prevent an increase in default rates, Senator Chuck Grassley is asking the American Bar Association about the quality of its accreditation of the nation's law schools.

"The ABA has tremendous power with its authority to accredit law schools in the United States," Grassley said.  "Concerns about the ABA's performance have been raised by important watchdogs over this process, such as the Department of Education's accreditation experts, the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity.  I'm asking the ABA to account for its work on behalf of both law students and taxpayers."

In a letter of inquiry to the President of the ABA, Stephen N. Zack, Grassley cited a June article in the Chronicle of Higher Education that reported the ABA was "out of compliance with 17 regulations [of the Advisory Committee], including the need to consider student-loan default rates in assessing programs."  Grassley also referred to an April article in The New York Times about ABA-accredited law schools offering "more scholarships than [they] plan to renew[.]"

"The number of students attending law school and the amount they borrow is increasing while their ability to secure jobs and pay back the loans is decreasing as jobs disappear," Grassley wrote in a letter sent today.  "The result is that millions of federally guaranteed taxpayer dollars are being borrowed at the great risk that many students may not be able to pay off their loans."

In addition to looking out for taxpayers, Grassley said his oversight of the law-school accreditation process is related to his position of Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary and the health of the legal profession.

Grassley is seeking a complete response from the ABA President to a number of detailed questions about the ways in which the ABA assesses eligibility for accreditation.  A copy of his letter is here.  The text of a Chronicle of Higher Education article cited in the letter follows here.  The New York Times articles cited in the letter are available here and here.

June 9, 2011, The Chronicle of Higher Education

American Bar Association Takes Heat From Advisory Panel on Accreditation

By Eric Kelderman

Alexandria, Va.

The American Bar Association drew intense scrutiny on Thursday from a federal panel that reviews accrediting agencies.

The National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity, which advises the U.S. education secretary on accreditation issues, used a meeting here to review the applications of 10 accrediting agencies to be recognized by the federal government.

An accrediting organization must be recognized by the secretary of education in order to approve colleges and universities to receive federal student aid. The committee does not actually decide the recognition status of accrediting bodies, but makes a recommendation to the secretary based on a review carried out by members of the Education Department staff.

Of the 10 agencies being reviewed on Wednesday and Thursday, all were recommended for continued recognition, though eight of them must submit a report within 12 months to show that they have corrected flaws revealed by the department staff.

But several members of the committee expressed reservations about approving that status for the American Bar Association, which was found to be out of compliance with 17 regulations, including the need to consider student-loan default rates in assessing programs; to solicit and consider public comments; and to set a standard for job placement by its member institutions.

Arthur E. Keiser, chancellor of the Keiser Collegiate System, said that an accrediting agency would not accredit an institution with 17 outstanding issues. "There is a real concern that this agency doesn't get it," he said.

Anne D. Neal, president of the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, was one of three committee members who opposed the motion to continue the bar association's recognition, saying that she had no confidence it would be in compliance within a year.

Representatives of the association assured the committee that the changes recommended by the department were already in the process of being carried out and would be completed in time.

The bar association also got a negative review from a group of legal faculty members, the Clinical Legal Education Association, which accused the ABA of considering changes in its standards that would "strip important protections of academic freedom and faculty-governance rights ... by eliminating tenure and security of position for deans and faculty members," according to written comments submitted by the faculty group.

Faculty members at 65 law schools as well as a half-dozen faculty associations have voiced opposition to the proposed changes, said Jennifer M. Roberts, an associate professor of law at American University and a board member of the legal-education association.

Bar-association representatives at the meeting said the changes opposed by the faculty group were still under consideration and had not been made final.

In the end, a majority on the federal advisory committee voted to continue the bar association's recognition, but expressed frustration that they could not take stronger actions or at least state their concerns with stronger language.

The Sting of Judgment

The Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools, which assesses more than 850 career-oriented colleges, was another agency that felt the sting of the committee's judgment.

Like most other groups under review, the council must submit a report within a year to show that it has corrected several problems. But the committee also rejected the council's request to accredit doctoral-level programs.

The council, which accredits mostly for-profit and online programs, has been piloting the accreditation of doctoral programs in business administration, computer engineering, and pharmacy for several years. But the Education Department staff's report said that the council also states that it is approved to accredit doctoral programs, though it can actually approve programs only through the master's level.

Both the Education Department staff and committee members concluded that the council was not yet prepared to approve doctoral programs, especially in the health and veterinary fields, as it proposed to do.

"They want to add 13 doctoral programs they have no experience with," said Steve Porcelli, the Education Department staff member who prepared the report on the council.

Committee members voted unanimously to accept the department's recommendation, including allowing the council to reapply for permission to oversee doctoral programs when it has met the department's concerns about standards.

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