18 Oct 2010

Grassley Reveals Evidence of Improper Influence over Visa Policy

By Grassley Press

WASHINGTON - Senator Chuck Grassley today asked the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Inspector General who oversees the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to address evidence from statements made by immigration officers that senior U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services leaders are putting pressure on employees to approve more visa applications, even if the applications might be fraudulent or the applicant is ineligible.  U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is an agency within the Department of Homeland Security.

Grassley first brought attention to this issue in a letter to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Alejandro Mayorkas in September.  Since then, additional agency insiders have provided new information suggesting that the director is responsible for fostering an environment in the California Service Center that encourages the approval of as many applications as possible, regardless of eligibility or potential fraud.  According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services employees, a "visibly agitated" Mayorkas asked employees, "Why would you be focusing on [fraud] instead of approvals?" and, on a separate occasion, at a conference in Landsdowne, Virginia, said that there are some "managers with black spots on their hearts" in U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services because they would not approve more visa applications.

"The American people need to know that the rule of law isn't being undermined by political leaders," Grassley said.  "The safety of America's citizens is the Department of Homeland Security's primary duty, and I expect Secretary Napolitano and Inspector General Skinner to address this situation quickly and thoroughly."

Grassley first raised concerns over U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services visa policy after whistleblower accusations that supervisors directed staff at the California Service Center to "find a way" to approve visa applications and expressed a desire to "instruct generosity" when processing immigration benefits.  Since then, additional agency staff has come forward with allegations of retaliation and pressure asserted by leadership.

Grassley's September 10, 2010 letter to Director Mayorkas is available here.

Director Mayorkas's September 24, 2010 response is available here.

Grassley's October 14, 2010 letter to Secretary Napolitano is available here.

Grassley's October 14, 2010 letter to Inspector General Skinner is available here.

 

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18 Oct 2010

Obama Signs Braley's Plain Language Act

By Caitlin Legacki

Bill to Simplify Public Documents Now Becomes Law

Washington, DC -Rep. Bruce Braley's (D-Iowa) announced today President Barack Obama signed the Plain Writing Act of 2010 (H.R. 946) into law late Wednesday afternoon. The bill, introduced by Braley, requires the federal government to write documents, such as tax returns, federal college aid applications, and Veterans Administration forms in simple easy-to-understand language, making government more transparent and saving the government millions of dollars.  The bill's final version passed the House by a vote of 341-82. Earlier this week, it received unanimous consent in the Senate.

"The Plain Writing Act requires a simple change to business-as-usual that'll make a big difference for anyone who's ever filled out a tax return or received a government document," Braley said.  "This bill shows what bipartisanship can accomplish when we put aside our differences and work together for the common good. Writing government documents in plain language will increase government accountability and will save Americans time and money.  Plain, straightforward language makes it easy for taxpayers to understand what the federal government is doing and what services it is offering."

Braley visited the VA in Bettendorf on Tuesday to highlight the work already underway at the Veterans Benefits Administration, which is one of few federal agencies to track the use of Plain Language in federal documents. After rewriting just one letter asking beneficiaries to update their contact information in Plain Language, the VBA say responses climb 75 percent, saving the VA approximately $8 million in follow-up costs.

The Plain Writing Act requires the federal government to write new publications, forms, and publicly distributed documents in a "clear, concise, well-organized" manner that follows the best practices of plain language writing.

After the bill passed the House in February, Senator Bob Bennett (R-Utah) placed a hold on the bill for months, so Braley requested a meeting with him in June. After making minor changes, Bennett lifted his hold and the bill passed the Senate by unanimous consent.

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18 Oct 2010

FEMA Registration Deadline Extended to November 12, 2010

By Grassley Press

WASHINGTON - Senator Chuck Grassley said the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) has issued new information for Iowans affected by the June 1 to Aug. 31, 2010 severe storms, flooding and tornados.  The deadline for Iowans to register for federal disaster assistance has been extended to November 12, 2010.

 

The deadline applies to registration only.  It is not the deadline for all related paperwork.  Homeowners, renters, and business owners who suffered losses in the June 1 to Aug. 31, 2010 severe storms, flooding and tornados who live in one of the 35 declared counties may be eligible for disaster assistance.  Counties included in the declaration are Appanoose, Black Hawk, Cherokee, Clayton, Decatur, Delaware, Dubuque, Fayette, Franklin, Hamilton, Howard, Humboldt, Ida, Jackson, Jasper, Jones, Kossuth, Lee, Lucas, Lyon, Mahaska, Marion, Monroe, O'Brien, Osceola, Polk, Ringgold, Sioux, Story, Taylor, Union, Wapello, Warren, Webster and Wright.

 

Registration should be completed with FEMA online at www.disasterassistance.gov; or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA(3362) or 1-800-462-7585 for the hearing- or speech-impaired. The numbers are available from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., daily, until further notice.  For Disaster Recovery Center information, Iowans should visit www.fema.gov/assistance/opendrcs.shtm.  

It's important for anyone impacted by the storms to register even if no decision has yet been made to submit additional paperwork.  Registration ensures that the person impacted may ask for federal assistance in the future.

 

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11 Oct 2010

DEADLINE TO FILE FOR Disaster Unemployment Assistance EXTENDED

By Grassley Press

Iowans who lost work as a result of the summer floods now have until the first week of November to file for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA), state/federal officials announced today.

DUA was made available as part of the Presidential Disaster Declaration resulting from the severe storms, flooding, and tornadoes of June 1 through Aug. 31, 2010.  DUA provides weekly benefit payments to those out of work due to the disaster, including self-employed persons, farm and ranch owners, and others not covered by typical unemployment insurance programs.

The filing deadline is Nov. 1, 2010, for residents who live or work in one of the following counties: Appanoose, Black Hawk, Cherokee, Clayton, Decatur, Delaware, Dubuque, Fayette, Franklin, Hamilton, Howard, Humboldt, Ida, Jackson, Jasper, Jones, Kossuth, Lee, Lucas, Lyon, Mahaska, Marion, O'Brien, Osceola, Polk, Ringgold, Sioux, Story, Taylor, Union, Wapello, Warren, Webster, and Wright.

The filing deadline is Nov. 4, 2010, for residents of Monroe County, which was added to the declared counties in late September.

"This is not regular unemployment compensation, but a program to help people who lost their jobs or cannot work because of the disaster," said the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Tom Hall, the federal coordinating officer for the Iowa recovery.

DUA claims can be filed at any Iowa Workforce Development Center. Individuals applying for DUA need to provide proof of past earnings, such as business records or bank statements and their most recent income tax form, at the time they file their claim.

In addition to assistance filing a DUA claim, Iowa Workforce Development Centers offer reemployment services, including testing, counseling and placement. Job search and career information also is available through Iowa Workforce Development's Web site at www.iowaworkforce.org.

# # #

11 Oct 2010

Grassley Continues to Seek Accountability

By Grassley Press

October 7, 2010

WASHINGTON - Senator Chuck Grassley recently sent a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Donald Berwick reiterating his concerns that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services, is not properly overseeing its contractors.

Grassley said the lack of oversight of contractors is alarming, and he points to agency oversight of contractors responsible for adjudicating and processing Medicare claims; locating and addressing waste, fraud or abuse; and improving the quality of health care provided to Medicare beneficiaries.

"The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is not holding contractors accountable when those contractors fail to carry out their responsibilities or fulfill contract terms," Grassley said.  "The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services needs to do what it takes to make sure these contractors don't waste taxpayer dollars."

Previously, Grassley raised concerns about Program Safety Contractors, who are tasked with locating and addressing waste, fraud or abuse, failing to adequately open new investigations or refer cases to law enforcement when appropriate.  Grassley also expressed concerns about the apparent lack of accountability by Medicare Quality Improvement Organizations, which are tasked with improving the quality of health care provided to Medicare beneficiaries.

Grassley's most recent letter to Secretary Sebelius is available here.

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11 Oct 2010

October is Adopt-A-Shelter-Dog Month

By Russ Handler

Expert Reveals How to Choose The Best Shelter Dog For Your Family

Dr. Diane Pomerance wants to show everyone how to make your family happier -- and save a life at the same time -- in October.

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) sponsors October as Adopt-a-Shelter-Dog Month to encourage Americans to turn their houses into homes by adopting a shelter dog. Each year, millions of dogs enter our nation's shelters, yet of the almost 59 million owned dogs in this country, fewer than 20 percent are shelter adoptees.

Pomerance, an activist who has owned more than 40 shelter dogs in her lifetime, thinks it's a shame that more people don't adopt from a shelter, because the most faithful, healthy and loving dogs are waiting there for new homes.

 

"People sometimes don't go to animal shelters to adopt a dog, because they have a lot of misinformation about these animals," said Pomerance, author of seven books about pets, including Our Rescue Dog Family Album (www.animalcompanionsandtheirpeople.com). "They think, 'I don't want to inherit someone else's problem,' or they simply think all the dogs there are abused or hard to train, or that they won't be able to find the breed that they want. All of those notions couldn't be further from the truth. In fact, up to nearly 60 percent of dogs in shelters are not strays, but pets whose families had to give them up because of a loss of income or a change in location. These are faithful, loving dogs who just need a home and some love."

 

The key is to know how to choose the right pet for your family, and Dr. Pomerance offered these tips to help families do just that:

 

  • Breed - Check online about the different breeds, their temperament, health & physical characteristics. Find out all you can about the specific animal from shelter workers and volunteers.

  • Lifestyle -- Think about your lifestyle and personality in terms of the kind of dog that would be more compatible with your home and your living situation.

  • Activity level -- Assess the activity level and exercise requirements of the dog you are considering. Are you able to walk your dog several times a day and play with him?

  • Age -- Figure out what age of the animal is best suited to you and your family. Which is more compatible with your age and lifestyle? Do you want an active puppy that needs attention and training, a middle-aged dog with established behaviors, or an older, less active dog?

  • Time - Do you have enough time for a quality relationship with a dog? Like children, they require attention, companionship, patience and interaction. They also require socialization and obedience training.

  • Budget - Research the costs of not only adopting a pet (adoption fee), but veterinary care, including spay/neuter, vaccinations, potential injuries or illness, regular checkups, toys, accessories, etc. Factor in costs of food, pet sitters or boarding while you're away. Keep in mind many pet shelters offer these services as part of the adoption fee, or at a discounted rate because many are not-for-profit organizations supported by private donations.

  • Space - Do you have sufficient room for a dog to move, eat and sleep comfortably? Further, are you legally allowed to have a dog on the premises/in your community? If you rent, make sure you are legally allowed to have a pet.

  • Shelter -- Find out as much about the shelter from which you are adopting your pet as possible - what is its reputation?  Is it a kill or no-kill shelter? What is the track record of the successful adoption of its dogs?

"Adopting a shelter dog is a lifetime choice, as these pets will likely spend the rest of their lives with you, and it is not something that should be taken lightly," Pomerance added. "That being said, it is a positive choice, and one that will bring joy and love into your home and provide your family a loyal, caring companion."


About Diane Pomerance

Diane Pomerance has a Ph.D. in Communications from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and is widely regarded as a pet expert. She has written seven books about animals including the Animal Companions Series and her new book Our Rescue Dog Family Album (www.animalcompanionsandtheirpeople.com).  She created, established and currently directs the pioneering and flagship Pet Grief Counseling Program for the SPCA of Texas in Dallas.

11 Oct 2010

Military Families Speak Out!

By Nikki Morse

At the Start of the 10th Year of the War in Afghanistan, Military Families Say: "Bring our Troops Home Now and Allow Them to Heal"

Family Members of Troops Currently Deployed, Recently Returned, or Killed in Action in Afghanistan Available for Interview

October 7, 2010 - Today marks the 9th anniversary of the start of the Afghanistan War, now the longest war in American history, with 1,321 American service members killed in action, at least 8,000 wounded, tens of thousands of Afghani civilians killed, and over 352 billion of American taxpayer dollars wasted. Military Families Speak Out (MFSO), the largest organization of military families to speak out against the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, calls on Senators and Representatives to bring our troops home now and provide the support they need to recover from the wounds of war, including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), and Military Sexual Trauma (MST).

Members of Military Families Speak Out (MFSO), and their chapter Gold Star Families Speak Out (GSFSO), will be participating in vigils and actions to mark this day. We are also involved in the launch of a national veteran-led campaign to end the military's widespread practice of deploying wounded troops into war zones. Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) Operation Recovery: Stop the Deployment of Traumatized Troops will focus on ending the practice of deploying service members suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), and Military Sexual Trauma (MST).

One MFSO family member recalls the experience of her cousin who served in the US Marine Corps, and was deployed after 2 tours of duty, including the 2007 troop surge in Fallujah, Iraq, "He wasn't mentally stable enough to return to combat operations in Afghanistan but the Marines deployed him anyway. He had to go because orders are orders. On December 26th 2009, just two weeks into combat operations in Afghanistan¾he killed himself because he couldn't handle the war raging in his head."

How many more lost lives and injured young souls will it take before our Congressional leaders will demonstrate the kind of courage our loved ones in the military show every day? When will Congress stop thinking about political posturing, show the courage to end the war, and allow our surviving troops to heal and recover from this nine-year debacle?

Family members of both the Afghanistan and Iraq War veterans, including many with personal experience of having a loved one deployed while wounded, are available for interview. We will be supporting the IVAW press conference at 1:30pm at Russell Senate Office Building, Constitution Ave NE, and Delaware Ave. NE) At this press conference, veterans and military family members will testify about their experiences with redeployment and announce the launch of Operation Recovery.

Military Families Speak Out includes over 4,000 military families whose loved ones serve or have served in the military since 2002; it is the largest organization of military families to be speaking out against wars in the history of the United States. Gold Star Families Speak Out is a national chapter of MFSO and includes families whose loved ones died as a result of the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan. More information about Military Families Speak Out can be found at www.mfso.org; more information about Gold Star Families Speak Out can be found at www.gsfso.org

07 Oct 2010

Illinois National Guard Soldiers Battle It out at All-Army Combatives

By readMedia

Team Places Fifth out of 54

FORT BENNING, GA., (10/04/2010)(readMedia)-- Twelve Soldiers with the Illinois Army National Guard travelled to Fort Benning, Ga. with the goal of winning a title in their weight class at the All-Army Combatives Tournament Oct. 1 to 3.

There were 462 Active Duty, Army National Guard and Army Reserve Soldiers and 54 teams competing to prove they are the Army's best at hand-to-hand combat. Overall, the Illinois Army National Guard team placed fifth out of 57 teams nationwide. The three-day competition tested Soldier's skills in close-quarters combat.

On Oct. 3, Sgt. Aoutneil Magny of Dalton, with the 708th Medical Company based in North Riverside won third place in the middleweight class title after a three-day battle on the mats.

Magny won his final fight in the third round by bringing his opponent into submission. The North Riverside Soldier has been training since he was 13 years old when he started wrestling. When Magny was 18, he expanded his fighting skills by adding kick boxing. Now, Magny trains under Torres Martial Arts Academy in Hammond, Ind.

"I was really excited walking into the ring," said Magny before his final fight. "I was even more excited once I won. I really can't wait to teach other Soldiers combatives and show them it does work."

Second Lt. Ivan Iotchkolovsky of River Grove with A Company, 1st Battalion, 178th Infantry Regiment, took fourth place in the heavyweight division. Three other Soldiers also placed in their weight class; Sgt. Adam Therriault of Aurora, with A Company, 33rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion in Marseilles Training Center, placed eighth in Welter weight class, Staff Sgt. Nicolas Grant of Caseyville, with the 129th Regional Training Institute in Springfield, finished 12th in middleweight class and Maj. Jeffary Jiannoni of Petersburg, with the Joint Force Headquarters in Springfield placed 12th for cruiserweight class.

Fighters competed individually in brackets based on weight class while team points were awarded based on individual placement. The tournament was a modified double elimination and consisted of three rounds. The first round was standard rules, strictly ground fighting. The second round was intermediate rules which allowed open hand strikes to the head, punches to the body, knee strikes and kicks. The finals were advanced rules that allowed full contact; ground fighting, punches, kicks and knee strikes.

04 Oct 2010

QC Animal Welfare Center Schedules Additional Saturday Clinic For October

By Patti Lahn

(Milan, IL = Oct ober 4, 2010) The Quad City Animal Welfare Center has scheduled an additional Low Cost High Quality Wellness/Vaccination Clinic for Saturday, October 9, 2010 from 10am until 12pm, no appointment necessary.

The QCAWC Low Cost High Quality Wellness/Vaccination services and pricing can be seen by visiting the Quad City Animal Welfare Center's website at www.qcawc.org.

The Quad City Animal Welfare Center is the only full service, no kill animal shelter located in the Quad Cities.  Our mission is a shelter for homeless animals, to offer a spay and a neuter program and to provide humane education.  QCAWC Adoption Center is open Monday-Saturday from 12pm until 5pm with extended hours on Wednesday until 6pm.

The QCAWC Low Cost High Quality Wellness/Vaccination Clinic is open every Wednesday at 1pm and the first Saturday of each month at 10am with no appointment necessary.  Low cost, high quality spaying and neutering is offered by calling 309-787-6830, ext 26 or 27 for an appointment.

QCAWC is located at 724 West 2nd Avenue in Milan. For further information, please contact QCAWC at 309-787-6830.

04 Oct 2010

Furniture store provides leather furniture at airport for weary travelers.

By Brian Banks
Moline, IL, October 4, 2010 - While many companies have used the backlit sign panels at their local airport to advertise their wares, LifeStyles Furniture, an internet retailer of furniture with a brick and mortar store and warehouse in Moline, Illinois, decided to place their actual products in the local airport for weary travelers to use.
"We offer some of the best furniture in the world", explains Brian Banks, president of LifeStyles Furniture. "When people see the quality, they get hooked. As much as we want to bring people to our store, it also made sense to take the furniture to the people. We want people to experience the quality."
Since LifeStyles Furniture has a robust online presence, they do more volume through the internet than they do at their store, and since they offer free shipping anywhere in the continental United States, showing Quad City area travelers samples of the furniture while they are waiting to catch a flight just made sense. And if they have time to stop in the store while visiting the Quad Cities, they can order the furniture and have it delivered to their home. Or they could simply go online and order it for delivery since they've already seen and experienced the quality at the airport.
Lifestyles has four "LifeStyle Lounges" at the Quad City International Airport in Moline, Illinois. Each one of the lounges includes Ekornes ® leather furniture, side tables, and promotional displays. Accompanying the furniture are lighted wall displays, stand up displays and two of the four locations have LCD televisions showing video about the furniture and the store. In addition to the lounges, there are also kiosks with various furniture store messages, each emphasizing the uniqueness of the store's offerings and free shipping to anywhere in the country.
The furniture is available for any airport traveler to use and although the Quad City International Airport has been recently updated and has newer seating for their clientele, the standard seating fare is no match for the Ekornes sofas and chairs for comfort. Ekornes, based out of Norway, is considered one of the world's leading brands for upscale furniture.
Cathie Rochau, Marketing Representative for the airport says they like the addition. "Our travelers absolutely love the comfortable "LifeStyles Lounges" located in the airport terminal. We constantly see passengers waiting in a very relaxed style for their flights-many times with their laptops open and their feet up. The lounges have been a fabulous addition to the airport and they are constantly being used."
"After we began the program last year, we started getting letters from travelers thanking us for providing the furniture at the airport," explains Mr. Banks. "It would be impossible to calculate exact sales numbers that are directly related to the airport displays, but suffice it to say I have increased our presence there based on our overall increased sales." LifeStyles Furniture had record sales in 2009 and continues to improve its growth in 2010. Both LifeStylesFurniture.com and PlatformBeds.com are seeing continued growth as well as the retail store.
The creative messaging for the displays was created by the Gunter Agency, based in New Glarus, Wisconsin. With headlines like "Comfort disclaimer: not responsible if you miss your flight" and "So this is what first class feels like", the agency looked at the placement of the signage as a component of their creative message. Creative Director Randy Gunter explains more about the creative strategy, "from personal experience, I know that you can spend a fair amount of time at an airport just waiting. Obviously this was the motivation behind putting the furniture at the airport in the first place. But, more than that, our messaging used that thought process too. We purposely put in longer copy than we typically would in a display advertisement. We also made each kiosk say something different, with fun, quirky elements within the body copy. That way we would hope that once people see that the copy is fun and entertaining, and different on each display, they would go and read every single one because what else are you going to do while you are waiting for your flight?"
And how about the big lighted wall display that says "Welcome to the Five Quad Cities"? Mr. Gunter explains, "The Quad Cities is a misnomer in that there are actually five larger cities that make up the metropolitan area. So of course we had some fun with that thought. We're hoping that travelers will find it intriguing enough to have their photo taken in front of the display."
At a recent visit to the airport, Mr. Gunter noticed that every LifeStyles Lounge was occupied. "I talked to the travelers who were in the seats and they just raved about both the store for providing the furniture and the furniture itself for its comfort and innovative design. They especially liked the reclining chairs."
"We've been extremely happy with the response that we've received from our airport marketing," explains Mr. Banks about their innovative program. "I guess the next natural step is to see if we can get our furniture on some of the jets."
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