WEST DES MOINES, IOWA - Jan. 12, 2010 - Farm Bureau members across Iowa believe that sound budgeting practices protect Iowa's resources, families, and taxpayers.  "Iowa's success over the next few years depends on responsible budget reform this year," said Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF) President Craig Lang, on the heels of Governor Culver's Condition of the State Address.  "We look forward to sharing our plan for budget reform with the Governor and state lawmakers."

"The state's budgeting process is broken, and that's increasing pressure to raise property taxes during a very uncertain time for farmers and all Iowans," said Lang.  "During the 2009 legislative session, the Governor signed the state's largest budget ever, despite the economic downturn."  The revenue shortfall prompted Governor Culver to impose across-the-board budget cuts, which are forcing Iowans to deal with more than $250 million in potential property tax increases as school districts and local governments make up for lost state funds.  "That's a heavy burden for rural schools already financially strapped," said Lang. "And, if the Governor uses $100 million in cash reserves to backfill education as he proposed today, then we need to be assured that those dollars will be used to reduce the impact to property taxpayers."

To improve the state's budgeting process, Farm Bureau members will work with decision makers to establish an affordable state budget that will: 1) fund Iowa priorities and lessen the potential shifts in property taxes; 2) ensure that the state's emergency funds are at a level sufficient to protect priorities when revenues are declining; 3) create fiscal responsibility by not using one-time resources to fund on-going expenditures; and 4) protect property taxpayers when across-the-board cuts are enacted.

As they push to enact budget reform, Farm Bureau members will also work to prevent changes to the state's income or property tax system that would increase taxes on Iowans.  They will oppose the elimination of federal deductibility on Iowa income taxes and changes to the property tax system, including changes to the agriculture productivity formula and assessment of farm buildings.  Lang noted that property taxes are a major issue because in the past decade they have soared by $1.59 billion, or 60 percent.

Increased property taxes are just one of the effects of flawed budgeting.  "Today, Governor Culver proposed to take dollars out of the state's road use tax fund to pay for the Iowa State Patrol and the Department of Public Safety. Farm Bureau members believe that officers who protect the public are essential to the well-being of our state, but they also feel that diverting money from a fund that keeps our roads and bridges functioning and safe for Iowa families is not the way to do it," Lang said.  "Unfortunately, the damage Iowa's roads and bridges sustained from major flooding in 2008 have worsened with severe weather elements in 2009.  We need to properly fund both the Iowa State Patrol and roads and bridges to ensure public safety. Iowans have been told that the $1 billion in the road use tax fund - which comes from the fuel tax, license fees, etc. - will be used to keep their roads and bridges maintained, and lawmakers need to keep that promise."

Another priority for Farm Bureau members in the 2010 legislative session is to ask the legislature to declare farm buildings exempt from required electrical inspections. "The law was not intended to cover agricultural buildings," said Lang. "The ruling imposed by Iowa's Electrical Examining Board to add farm buildings and structures to the list that require an inspection creates more red tape and expense for farmers at a time when they are struggling to make a profit."

In addition to its cost-saving efforts, Farm Bureau will continue to work toward initiatives that benefit the environment, including a push to increase renewable fuel use and protect current funding for soil and water conservation cost-share programs. "Responsible budgeting will allow us to fund our state's critical conservation needs," said Lang.  "Real reform is needed, and Farm Bureau members are ready to work with lawmakers to make that happen."

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January 5, 2010

Rock Island County

This is a precautionary message issued by Rock Island County.  There is a potential for flash flood/ice jam between now and Friday evening along the Rock River between the areas of Joslin and lower Rock Island County.  Potential areas of concern include Barstow, Silvis, Coal Valley, Moline, Rock Island and Milan.

Residents in the effected areas are encourage to monitor the situation and be prepared in the event evacuation is recommended.  The following precautionary measures are suggested:

• Gather all medications into one central area along with basic essentials
• Pre-placement of animals
• Check in with elderly or disabled individuals

If an evacuation of an area becomes necessary, residents will not be allowed back into their homes until the area of operations is completed.  If you require an emergency evacuation, only basic essentials will be allowed.

Multiple agencies are planning for this potential event.  Sheltering sites and transportation needs are also being identified and will be announced if the need arises.

Residents are urged to stay tuned to local television and radio newscasts as well as weather radios for up to date information.

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Thanks to strong community support, Operation Support Our Troops a big success in both cities

Thanks to strong community support in both cities, the Knoxville and Galesburg First Bank offices collected a total of 51 boxes of packaged food and other items as part of the "Illinois Has Not Forgotten" collection drive for Operation Support Our Troops - Illinois, Inc. (OSOT-IL).

First Bank's Knoxville branch collected 31 boxes and raised nearly $1,000 for the troops while the Galesburg offices collected 20 boxes.

More than 272 boxes of food and other items (totaling four tons) were collected from the 61 First Bank locations that served as collection drop off points. In addition, 196 Operation Support Our Troops T-shirts were sold as well as $1,487 in cash donations.

First Bank firstbanks.com helped successfully launch the "Illinois Has Not Forgotten" collection drive for OSOT-IL in early November at the bank's 20 N. Clark St. office in downtown Chicago.

Since its founding in 2003, OSOT-IL has sent out over 25,000 care packages to troops in Afghanistan and Iraq and has raised enough money to fund the purchase of two specially equipped vans for wounded soldiers.  They also support Fisher House, which is to Veteran Hospitals what Ronald McDonald House is to Children's Hospitals.  For more information about OSOTIL, go to their website at: www.osotil.org.

First Bank is one of the largest privately owned banks in the country with more than $10.3 billion in assets and 209 locations in Illinois, Missouri, California, Florida and Texas.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today saluted the AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) teams that were recently deployed to Iowa.  NCCC is a full time service program for men and women ages 18-24 who work in teams to respond to local needs identified by community-based organizations.  The teams will be based out of the AmeriCorps NCCC Vinton campus and will assist with projects in Cedar Rapids, Marion, Coon Rapids and Des Moines.  All of the teams were deployed on Nov. 18 and will finish their services on Dec. 15.  Harkin established the Vinton NCCC site in the 2008 Labor-HHS Appropriations bill.

"As we approach the holiday season, many of us will gather with loved ones and give thanks for our many blessings.  During this time, however, it is also important to remember our friends and neighbors in need- especially in parts of Iowa still recovering from last year's floods," said Harkin. "AmeriCorps NCCC teams are being deployed around Iowa to do just that, and I salute these young men and women for serving others and helping to improve our state and country."

Harkin has been a long-time supporter of national service efforts.  One of his top priorities as chairman of the Appropriations panel that funds AmeriCorps has been to secure appropriate resources for the organization.   Harkin was also a cosponsor of the Serve America Act, legislation that sets out a vision to more than triple, to 250,000, the number of full-and part-time national service volunteers eligible to serve.  The legislation passed Congress and was signed into law by President Obama earlier this year.

The details of the projects the recently deployed NCCC members will assist with follows:

• In Cedar Rapids, the teams will work with the Community Corrections Improvement Association to rebuild neighborhoods affected by last year's intense flooding.  Their work will include rebuilding the interiors of homes affected by the disaster, volunteer recruitment and mobilization, and need assessment.

• In Marion, teams will work alongside the Flood Recovery Office of the United Methodist Church - Block-by-Block Project to help rebuild homes participating in the project.  Their duties will include drywall, painting, landscaping and installing trim.

• In Coon Rapids, the AmeriCorps teams will work with the Whiterock Conservatory to help with oak savanna restoration in the area.

• In Des Moines, volunteers will work with Habitat for Humanity to help build homes for residents in the community.