May 9, 2011 - State Farm announced today a statewide facilities plan that will maximize building efficiencies throughout a three-state area. In Illinois, two operations centers in Bloomington and Downers Grove will remain open, while ten field offices across the state will consolidate to remaining offices in Illinois and Indiana. Some employees will stay in local mobile-worker roles. Local agent's offices and State Farm's Corporate Headquarters, also located in Bloomington, are not part of this announcement.

The announcement is the result of a study analyzing office space capacity and will allow State Farm to utilize technology while gaining operational efficiencies. The company will sell or end leases at the following ten offices over the next few years: Marion, Collinsville, Springfield, Champaign, Peoria, Moline, Rockford, Elmhurst, Tinley Park and Arlington Heights, Illinois.

"It's our responsibility to our customers and associates to make sure we continually evaluate our business operations to remain competitive in today's marketplace" says Cathy Wallace, State Farm Operations Vice President based in Bloomington. "Technology allows us to improve our efficiency and reduce facility related expenses while at the same time enhance service to our customers."

As part of today's Great Lakes Zone announcement, State Farm will be consolidating field operations from nine to two offices in Indiana and also nine to two offices in Michigan.  These announcements do not affect any of the approximately 1,040 State Farm Agents offices in communities throughout Illinois.

by U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley

Unlike Congress, families in Iowa can't spend more money than they bring in year after year.  At least not without facing grave financial problems.

Unlike Congress, Iowans can't increase their paychecks by passing a law to boost their income.  On the contrary, the big spenders in Washington would like to pass laws that would decrease taxpayers' take-home pay by raising taxes.

When rising gas prices squeeze household budgets, Iowans need to figure out where to spend less to make up for the shortfall.  They don't have the luxury of a blank check co-signed by Uncle Sam to pay for basic necessities or splurging on items they can't afford.

Visiting one-third of Iowa's counties during a two-week road trip in April, I met face-to-face with more than 1,000 Iowans to answer questions and address issues that matter most to their families, communities and way of life.

In county after county, a sweeping majority of Iowans expressed overriding concern about keeping energy affordable.  Filling up the gas tank week after week is eating up a bigger share of family incomes, increasing transportation costs for schools, farms and businesses, and squeezing profitability and savings month after month.

Policymakers and consumers need to use sticker shock at the pump as a catalyst to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil.  The United States sends more than $400 billion each year overseas for foreign oil.  Now more than ever, the United States needs to ramp up domestic production of traditional energy -- including oil, natural gas, and coal -- and expand alternative fuels and renewable energy -- including wind, solar, hydropower, biomass and geothermal.  Consumers can help lead the way through conservation and choosing energy-efficient appliances, hybrid vehicles and alternative fuels.  Congress needs to keep energy security on the front burner in Washington.

In the U.S. Senate, I have long championed American agriculture for its capacity to help feed a growing world population.  My work also shaped public policy to give Rural America the opportunity to serve as a domestic, renewable energy resource to help displace oil imports, create jobs, grow green energy, increase competition, and strengthen U.S. energy and national security.

America imports more than 60 percent of our oil.  The U.S. Treasury pays out an average $84 billion a year to defend the shipping lanes by which foreign oil reaches the United States.  Those who want to isolate ethanol's federal tax incentives and put them on the chopping block need to remember the massive tax breaks the oil and gas industries have received each year for the last 100 years.  There's an effort under way in the Senate to end ethanol's federal tax incentives, even as oil and gas tax breaks would remain untouched. Policymakers in the United States should not be legislating to slow down domestic energy production.  Killing ethanol's tax incentives would cost U.S. jobs, increase our dependence on foreign oil, increase prices at the pump for U.S. consumers, and keep OPEC's stranglehold on the U.S. economy.

This week I introduced legislation that lays out a fiscally responsible path forward for the ethanol sector.  No one else in the energy field has come forward in a similar way, but I hope my legislation starts a trend.  Today, ethanol is the only source of alternative energy that's substantially reducing America's dependence on foreign oil.  Going forward, the sky's the limit as we move to the next generation of advanced biofuels and cellulosic ethanol.

The mid-term elections in November sent a signal to Washington to stop overspending.  Iowans who attended my town meetings in April asked what can be done to rein in deficit spending.  Washington can't afford to spend 24.7 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (and that's what's projected by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office for fiscal 2011) alongside two-percent economic growth without saddling future generations with a legacy of debt.

A divided government in Washington must work together to address chronic deficits and a $14 trillion national debt.  Simplifying the federal tax code would help promote compliance and trigger stronger economic growth, investment and job creation.  I support an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would require a balanced federal budget just as 46 of the 50 states require.  I don't support raising taxes to balance the budget.  It doesn't work.  Right now, Washington spends $1.68 for every dollar it collects in taxes.  Since World War II, the government has spent $1.17, on average, every time Congress has raised taxes by $1.

At my town meetings, Iowans asked for measurable belt-tightening in Washington.  I'll be working to make it happen as Congress debates raising the debt ceiling and approving the federal budget for fiscal 2012.  The Senate Budget Committee is expected to get to work next week.  The budget resolution deserves a rigorous debate and one that takes place in a transparent manner. As a member of the Budget Committee, I intend to do what I can to make that happen.

Friday, May 6, 2011

SPRINGFIELD - May 3, 2011. The Office of Governor Pat Quinn today released a statement regarding the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce's bonding plan.

"The Quinn Administration applauds the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce for its support of a plan to immediately pay past due bills by restructuring these debts at attractive interest rates. Today, the Chamber proposed a four-year, $6.1 billion bonding plan to pay off state debts.

"The Springfield Chamber - an established and experienced organization - whose goal is to stimulate the economy, agrees with the Quinn Administration that debt restructuring makes good business sense and is paramount to stabilizing the budget. We encourage those who have provided services to the state to come forward and urge legislators to support debt restructuring, a sound and reasonable step needed to return the state to solid financial footing."

###

Tom Weigand and Annette Zapolis Introduce True Coffee at Cool Beanz 

Rock Island, Ill. (April, 27 2011) - Rock Island native, Augustana College graduate (1985) and Trustee Tom Weigand has again brought one of his entrepreneurial ventures to the Quad Cities.  Three years ago the Noodles & Company co-founder opened a restaurant in Davenport, Iowa and this time Weigand is working with fellow Augustana graduate Annette Zapolis (2009), owner and manager of Rock Island's Cool Beanz, to sell True Coffee, from his premium artisan coffee company launched in Madison, Wis. in 2010.  Weigand and four partners founded True Coffee Roasters with a commitment to roasting coffees from the great coffee-producing regions of the world using a small-batch roasting process that ensures premium flavor.  According to Weigand "Once we got up and running, I wanted to make our coffees available in the Quad Cities and preferably near Augustana because of all the requests from family and friends!"  He continued, "I learned about Annette's wonderful coffeehouse near Augustana and it was the perfect fit."

As a student at Augustana, Zapolis also began to study coffee, espresso, restaurant management and the needs of the community.   After finding the right location, applying a year of research and fixing up a 100-year-old building, Zapolis opened Cool Beanz in August 2009.  The goal of Cool Beanz coffeehouse is to provide a comfortable environment for the Quad Cities community, as well as a place for Augustana and Blackhawk College students to study, relax, interact and enjoy high quality products in a warm atmosphere.  On any day, guests include families spending time together by the three sided fireplace, students diligently working in books and laptops and couples and friends enjoying gourmet sandwiches, salads and beverages. On weekends, local talent graces the Cool Beanz stage for toe-tapping entertainment. Entertainment schedule, events and more can be found at www.coolbeanzcoffeehouse.com.

In addition to small batch roasting, True Coffee practices many sustainable initiatives such as purchasing predominantly Fair Trade and Organic coffees.  According to Weigand, "These coffees come at a higher cost, but we know we are making a difference in coffee-producing communities throughout the world and in return our customers get a really well-grown coffee."  To take sustainability one step further, True Coffee has launched a unique Can Refill program for customers who purchase coffee beans to use at home or office.  Rather than selling the coffees solely using the industry-standard disposable bag, which is likely to end up in a landfill, True Coffee offers a 12-ounce, refillable can made from tin, which is the most recycled material in U.S.  When guests return to refill their can, they receive 20% discount on their coffee purchase, each and every refill.  "We wanted a program that allowed customers the ability to purchase the freshest coffee, promote sustainability by using a refillable can and reward them with a 20% discount for doing so," said Weigand.  The program is rapidly expanding in coffee shops where True Coffee is sold throughout the Midwest, and the same program is now available at Cool Beanz.  Find out more about True Coffee Roasters at www.truecoffeeroasters.com or follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

###