DES MOINES, IA (10/25/2011)(readMedia)-- State Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald has a vault full of unclaimed funds waiting to be passed back to its rightful owners this Halloween. Fitzgerald has plenty of treats in the form of unclaimed property waiting to be returned through the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt.

"A few names on our list may give Iowans some great Halloween costume ideas," Fitzgerald stated. "We have the dynamic duo, Batman and a Robin, a Sparrow (but no Jack), three Angels, four Marios (but no Luigi), a few Wolves, a Peter Pan, a Clown, five Wizards, several Potters (but no Harry), and we even have something for Elvis."

It doesn't matter whether you're a spook, a music icon or a superhero - anybody can have unclaimed property in the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt. The list includes names of individuals from all over the state that have lost track of money or property. "The thought of losing track of one's assets is truly frightening," Fitzgerald stated. "There's no trick involved in the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt - only treats for those who find they have property to claim. My office's goal is to return as much of the property to the rightful owners as possible."

The Great Iowa Treasure Hunt program has returned over $135 million in unclaimed property. More than 314,000 properties have been paid out since Fitzgerald started it in 1983. The money could be from forgotten savings/checking accounts, uncashed insurance benefit checks, IRA funds, lost stock and dividends, gift cards, abandoned safe deposit contents, utility refunds or deposits. When persons do not respond over an extended period of time through regular mailings from banks and corporations, the money is reported to the state treasurer's office.

For more information about the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt, please visit www.greatiowatreasurehunt.com. Treasure seekers may also write to State Treasurer Michael L. Fitzgerald, Great Iowa Treasure Hunt, Lucas State Office Building, Des Moines, IA 50319 or correspond by email to foundit@iowa.gov.

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Friday, Oct. 21, 2011

WASHINGTON - In an effort to ensure greater accountability in the Justice Department's distribution of money to grant recipients, Sen. Chuck Grassley offered an amendment to the appropriations bill being debated in the United States Senate that would include an 11-point accountability plan for federal grants administered by the Department of Justice.  The amendment offered Thursday was defeated by a vote of 46 to 54 on mostly party lines.  Grassley said he will continue to pursue the measure, despite the special interests that worked hard to defeat his amendment and protect their continued stream of federal funds.

"We have non-partisan audits showing that taxpayer money is being abused and wasted  in federal grant programs." Grassley said.  "We need transparency, accountability, and performance from both the Justice Department and individual grantees who are trusted with federal dollars.  It's a shame we're wasting taxpayer dollars like this when we can immediately do something to begin to remedy the problem.

"And it's a shame that something this basic fell on partisan lines when this shouldn't be a partisan issue, but it just goes to show that reforms to Washington's spending addiction will be hard to come by, given the continued power special interests have.  It also reinforces the need for the Deficit Committee to come up with big and bold ideas.  The outcome also tells me I need to continue to educate my fellow members about the problems that come from granting money without enough accountability and to consider whether it's fair to grant taxpayer money to non-profit groups as long as they have their own money parked offshore to avoid federal taxes."

Grassley said the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, the national umbrella group for hundreds of clubs around the country, continued receiving tax dollars while using off-shore tax shelters, paying generous executive compensation and lobbyists' fees, and simultaneously closing clubs due to an alleged lack of funds.   "I support the mission of the Boys and Girls Clubs.  The local clubs help thousands of children every year," Grassley said. "However, given our current fiscal crisis, I can't support federal taxpayer dollars being awarded as grants to those who hold millions of dollars in rainy day funds off-shore.  My amendment doesn't prohibit charities from investing offshore.  It just says they can't get federal grants if they invest offshore to avoid taxes on their investment income.  When organizations have funding and resources available to them, it's not clear why they shouldn't be dipping into those rainy day funds before seeking federal money."

A nearly identical version of the accountability package was included as part of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act Reauthorization Act voted out of the Judiciary Committee on a bipartisan basis just last week.  Select pieces were previously approved as part of the Second Chance Act reauthorization this past July.

Grassley also submitted last week a similar plan, along with several other ideas, to the Deficit Reduction Committee.  Grassley's letter can be found here.

Grassley's 11-point accountability plan:

o   required the OIG to audit 10 percent of grantees,

o   required mandatory exclusion for those with negative audit findings unremedied after 6 months, with priority placed to those with no past negative audit findings,

o   required reimbursement for funds awarded erroneously to grant recipients that should have been excluded,

o   required a mandatory 25 percent match with no less than 60 percent of the 25 percent constituting cash,

o   prohibited non-profits that hold money off-shore for purposes of avoiding unrelated business income tax from receiving federal grants,

o   capped administrative expenses at 8 percent, limited conference expenditures, prohibited grantees' lobbying, and

o   required the Office of Justice Programs Assistant Attorney General to certify to Congress annual compliance with these provisions.

Grassley said an audit of the Government Accountability Office of nine Trafficking Victims Protection Act grants over the last five years found fraud in all nine grants, including more than $1.4 million in questioned costs on a $1.7 million grant.

Violence Against Women Act grants were also susceptible to fraud; 21 of 22 randomly selected grants over 10 years revealed significant fraud and abuse, including one audit where 93 percent of grant funds were questioned by the Inspector General.

So far in 2011, the Inspector General has audited 21 grant recipients with grant funding totaling $54 million and has questioned the use of more than 26 percent of these grant dollars.  If the random audits the Inspector General has conducted were extrapolated to all 3,467 grants DOJ has awarded in 2011, totaling more than $2 billion, that would mean more than $500 million of grants administered could have questionable costs.  "That's just an extrapolation but it reinforces the need for a higher percentage of grants to be audited, as my amendment would require," Grassley said.

 

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EAA AVIATION CENTER, OSHKOSH, Wis. - (Oct. 20, 2011) - An area pilot has now given more than 100 young people a free demonstration airplane ride as part of the Experimental Aircraft Association's Young Eagles program, which is introducing a new generation to the world of flight.

Among the more than 45,000 pilots around the world who have donated their time and aircraft to the effort is Stephen Beert of Blue Grass, IA.

All pilots in the Young Eagles program explain the safe operation of airplanes and principles of flight before the short trips. Young Eagles flights are provided by volunteer EAA-member pilots in aircraft ranging from the newest airplanes to vintage biplanes. Such interesting aircraft as gliders, helicopters, and even hot air balloons and blimps have also been used for Young Eagles flights.

Since 1992, the EAA Young Eagles program has flown more than 1.6 million young people free of charge. Recent research shows that these young people are five times more likely to become pilots than non-Young Eagles. They also already comprise more than seven percent of the nation's pilot population under age 35, as nearly 20,000 pilots are former Young Eagles participants.

Participating young people become official Young Eagles with the flight, with the names of the pilots and the participants are also included in the "World's Largest Logbook" that is on permanent display in the EAA AirVenture Museum in Oshkosh, Wis., and online through the Young Eagles website.

A Young Eagles flight is the first step in EAA's Flight Plan, which helps young people move from an initial flight toward the full potential of aviation. Among the menu of Flight Plan activities available is a free EAA student membership, free access to Sporty's Online Pilot Training Course, a free flight lesson, and reimbursement for the costs of a successful FAA written test in addition to more than $300,000 in scholarships and awards available to young people each year.

Visit www.youngeagles.org for more information.

EAA embodies the spirit of aviation through the world's most engaged community of aviation enthusiasts. EAA's 170,000 members and 1,000 local chapters enjoy the fun and camaraderie of sharing their passion for flying, building and restoring recreational aircraft. For more information on EAA and its programs, call 800-JOIN-EAA (800-564-6322) or go to www.eaa.org. For continual news updates, connect with www.twitter.com/EAAupdate.

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Twice As Many Child Pedestrians Are Killed While Walking on Halloween

Quad Cities - Safe Kids Quad Cities shares the newest research report on Halloween safety to Quad Cities area; a key finding showing that only one third of parents talk to their children annually about Halloween safety. This is a first-of-its kind study on Halloween-safety, which was commissioned Harris Interactive to conduct a poll of 935 parents with children ages 12 and younger to assess their knowledge, attitudes and behaviors related to Halloween safety.

"Given children's limited attention spans, repeated and consistent messages about safe behaviors are key to preventing injuries," says Keene Hart. "By following the basic safety tips provided by Safe Kids, Halloween can be a fun and safe night for children of all ages."

On average, twice as many child pedestrians are killed while walking on Halloween compared to other days of the year. On this potentially dangerous night of the year for child pedestrians, Safe Kids Quad Cities strongly recommends that parents prepare children to behave safely and for drivers to take extra precautions.

While most of the parent participants in the study have talked to their children about Halloween safety at some point, many have not made it an annual conversation. Safe Kids Quad Cities urges parents to engage in repeated discussions with each child, every year to reinforce safety messages and safe behaviors because of the risks they face on Halloween.

According to the study, 40 percent of parents allow their child to use one or more unsafe item on Halloween such as a mask, loosing fitting clothing, and / or a sharp object - any of which could contribute to falls, burns or pedestrian injuries. These are preventable hazards that could be avoided by following Safe Kids Quad Cities safety tips.

Another key finding of this report shows twelve percent of children five years of age or younger are permitted to trick-or-treat alone. Not only should these young children be accompanied by an adult, but it is also recommended by Safe Kids that no child under 12 years of age spend Halloween night navigating the streets unsupervised. This recommendation was made to protect children who often lack the maturity and cognitive ability to make appropriate decisions to accurately judge speeds and distance.

"It is alarming to hear that children ages five years and younger are trick-or-treating without adult supervision," added Keene Hart. "If they are old enough and mature enough to trick-or-treat without an adult, parents should make sure children go out in groups and stick to a predetermined route with good lighting."

In preparation for Halloween, Safe Kids Quad Cities will team up with Walk This Way program sponsor FedEx to provide kids with reflective materials to promote visibility, including zipper tags that can be attached to costumes and trick-or-treat bags, as well as important safety information to children, parents, and drivers. The Halloween study was made possible through funding provided by FedEx.

To ensure a safer celebration of Halloween, Safe Kids Quad Cities and FedEx recommend the following tips to parents and caregivers:

Trick-or-Treating Safety:

• Children under 12 should trick-or-treat and cross streets with an adult.

• Always walk on sidewalks or paths. If there are no sidewalks, walk facing traffic as far to the left as possible.

• Cross the street at corners, using traffic signals and crosswalks.

• Decorate costumes and bags with reflective tape or stickers and, choose light colored costumes that fit properly and avoid carrying sticks, swords, or other sharp objects.

• Check treats for signs of tampering before children are allowed to eat them. Candy should be thrown away if the wrapper is faded, torn, or unwrapped.

What Drivers Need to Know:

• Slow down and be especially alert in residential neighborhoods. Children are excited on Halloween and may move in unpredictable ways.

• Anticipate heavy pedestrian traffic and turn your headlights on early in the day so you can spot children from greater distances.

• Remember that costumes can limit children's visibility and they may not be able to see your vehicle.

• Reduce any distractions inside your car so you can concentrate on the road and your surroundings.