Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack today met with senior Army leaders, including General Dennis Via, Commanding General of Army Materiel Command which oversees Army arsenals, ammunition plans, and depots. Attendees also included Brigadier General John Wharton, Commanding General, Army Sustainment Command and Lieutenant General Patricia McQuistion, Deputy Commanding General, Army Material Command. They discussed the importance of maintaining a strong industrial base at the Rock Island Arsenal. The senior Army leaders joined a bipartisan group of Representatives at a breakfast meeting and discussion led by Loebsack and hosted by the House Military Depot, Arsenal, Ammunition Plant and Industrial Facilities Caucus. Loebsack, along with Congressman Walter Jones (NC-03), serve as Co-Chairmen of the Caucus.

Quinn Administration Helped Lead Application and Funded Key Components That Will Make Digital Hub Possible

WASHINGTON - Governor Pat Quinn today joined President Barack Obama to formally announce that Illinois had won a new digital manufacturing hub, supported by funding from state and federal governments and corporate partners. The hub will have a far-reaching impact on jobs across many industries and benefit small businesses across the nation. The White House announced a $70 million Department of Defense award for the Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation (DMDI) Institute, which UI Labs will operate in Chicago. The support from President Obama, coupled with $16 million from the Quinn Administration, gives the institute the necessary funds to build partnerships with manufacturers and strengthen Illinois' economic comeback.

"Illinois is at the forefront of a high-tech manufacturing revolution that will make our state the center of high-tech job creation," Governor Quinn said. "This first-of-its-kind digital hub will make companies more competitive and stronger by providing them with the most cutting edge tools and technologies. It will be the birthplace for innovations that will change the world in which we live, work and play."

Earlier support from the Quinn Administration was essential to the launch of DMDI. In March 2013, Governor Quinn approved the investment of $60 million in Blue Waters at the University of Illinois, which provides the supercomputing power for this initiative. Blue Waters is the core of the DMDI, the key engine to generate new design, simulation and testing innovations. Blue Waters set Illinois' application apart from the other contenders for DMDI.

The Governor personally petitioned the Secretary of Defense twice and made the case to key White House officials about the benefits and importance of DMDI. The Governor brought key private sector partners into the initiative, including CAT, Deere & Company, Lockheed Martin, Boeing and many more.

Last December, the Governor joined UI Labs in announcing $5 million in state funding to support the Illinois Manufacturing Lab, a key first step in DMDI's development that helps small- to mid-sized manufacturers across the state.

Governor Quinn's administration - working with UI Labs and World Business Chicago - assembled the broad support for DMDI and directed the application for federal funding. Both the state and city of Chicago are expected to have representation on the initiative's governing board. The Illinois Science & Technology Coalition (ISTC) - a member-driven not-for-profit that serves as the state's technology advisor - also assisted with the proposal.

"We put together a powerful proposal that demonstrated DMDI's value to the federal government and to job creation throughout a broad region of the country," Adam Pollet, Director of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity said. "We're going to change the face of American manufacturing and we're proud that our strategic investment in a public university is what set our application apart."

"The DMDI institute provides a strong platform to connect Illinois manufacturers with the newest digital tools and provide them the know-how to build things faster, better and cheaper than China and the rest of the world," Mark Harris, president and CEO of the ISTC said. "The vision of Governor Quinn and his leadership in connecting Illinois' world-class research, technology and manufacturing strengths around initiatives like the Illinois Manufacturing Lab were instrumental in positioning the state as the hub for this Presidential initiative."

The $320 million DMDI, with $70 million funding from the Department of Defense and $250 million from other public and private partners, will apply the newest technologies to help manufacturers try and use new innovations in digital manufacturing and design, with an emphasis on defense manufacturers. This will mean better products, faster production and lower costs for U.S. manufacturers. The $16 million state investment in DMDI includes the launch of the Illinois Manufacturing Lab, additional equipment and workforce training, and providing Illinois companies with the assistance they need to utilize the DMDI. The DMDI was made possible by a strong partnership between state, federal and city officials.

Larry L. Schreiber, Davenport, Iowa, will retire from Modern Woodmen of America's board of directors effective Feb. 28, 2014.  He will remain with the financial services organization as its chief risk officer. Jerry J. Lyphout, East Moline, Ill., has been appointed to fill the board position effective March 1.

Larry has served on Modern Woodmen's board of directors since January 2011. He joined Modern Woodmen in 1984 as its chief actuary and was appointed its chief risk officer in September 2011.

Jerry joined Modern Woodmen in 1983 in the Issue Department and was promoted to systems supervisor in the department in 1985. He was named manager of the Qualified Plans Department (now Advanced Sales Department) in 1997 and president of MWA Financial Services, Modern Woodmen's broker/dealer, in 2013.  Jerry brings extensive experience working with operations, marketing and the sales force at Modern Woodmen to the board position.

Founded in 1883, Modern Woodmen touches lives and secures futures. The fraternal financial services organization offers financial products and fraternal member benefits to individuals and families throughout the United States.

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By Jason Alderman

Calculating income taxes is a royal pain, even when your situation is uncomplicated enough that you can file a 1040EZ Form. And if you're self-employed, be prepared for extra layers of complexity. Not only must you file an annual return with numerous additional forms and schedules, you're also responsible for paying quarterly estimated taxes, which can mean having to write a pretty hefty check while waiting for your clients to pay their overdue bills.

Add in that you're also responsible for funding your own health insurance and retirement and you may start to miss having an employer manage a portion of your financial affairs. (Although many people go into business for themselves precisely to call their own shots.)

Here are a few things to remember when calculating your 2013 taxes:

First, some potentially good news for taxpayers who claim a home office deduction: You now may choose between the traditional method of calculating the business use of your home (which involves numerous calculations, filling out the onerous IRS Form 8829 and maintaining back-up records for years) and a new simplified option.

Under the new, so-called "safe harbor" method, you can simply claim a standard deduction of $5 per square foot for the portion of your home used regularly and exclusively for business, up to a maximum of 300 square feet - a $1,500 limit.

Contrast that with the traditional method where you must calculate actual expenses of your home office expressed as a percentage of the square footage your home office consumes. For example, if your office takes up 12 percent of your house, you can deduct 12 percent of your electricity bill.

A few additional details:

• You can choose either method from year to year; however, once you've elected a method for a given tax year it's irrevocable.
• Under the safe-harbor method you cannot depreciate the portion of your home used for business in that particular year.
• With the new method you can still claim allowable mortgage interest, real estate taxes and insurance losses as itemized deductions on Schedule A. These deductions don't have to be allocated between personal and business use, as under the traditional method.

You'll need to weigh whether the recordkeeping hours you save justify the potentially smaller deduction - especially if you have a large home office or considerable deductions. Suggestion: Look at last year's deduction and compare what it would have been using the $5 per square foot calculation, factoring in time spent doing the math.

A few other self-employment tax-filing considerations:

• In addition to the home office deduction, you generally can deduct many other business-related expenses, including: legal and accounting fees; professional dues and subscriptions; business insurance and licenses; professional training and education; professional equipment and software; maintenance/repairs; and business-related mileage, travel and entertainment.
• You can also deduct the full cost of medical, dental, vision and long-term care insurance premiums for you, your spouse and dependents, even if you don't itemize deductions.
• For more details on business expenses and deductions, see IRS Publication 535 (www.irs.gov). Also visit the IRS' Self-Employed Individuals Tax Center.

Bottom line: Income taxes are often more complicated for self-employed people and good recordkeeping is essential. Unless you're an accounting whiz, consider hiring a tax professional or financial planner who specializes in self-employment issues. The penalties and fees they can help you avoid - and hidden deductions they can uncover - will probably more than pay for their fees.

Jason Alderman directs Visa's financial education programs. To participate in a free, online Financial Literacy and Education Summit on April 2, 2014, go to www.practicalmoneyskills.com/summit2014.