06 Aug 2012

Middle Class Iowa Family React to Independent Report Romney's Tax Plan Would Raise Taxes on Middle Class Families

By Rick Martin

McLaughlin's Met President to Discuss Tax Benefits They've Seen Since Obama Took Office

Des Moines, IA - Today, middle class Iowa family Jason and Ali McLaughlin reacted to a nonpartisan report out yesterday that found in order for Romney to pay for his $5 trillion of tax cuts weighted toward millionaires and billionaires, he'd have to raise taxes by an average of $2,000 on a middle-class family with children.

President Obama visited the McLaughlin's in Cedar Rapids in July. The McLaughlin's spoke to the President about $4900 in tax cuts they have received since President Obama took office. Romney's tax plan would raise the McLaughlin's and other family's taxes, putting a strain on the middle class. Watch a video on the McLaughlin's HERE.

Statement from Cedar Rapids Family Jason and Ali McLaughlin

"We are a typical middle class family. We work full-time to provide for our son, Cooper, and a second child on the way. We had the opportunity to talk to President Obama about the $4,900 in tax relief we have received over the course of his first term. We told him the tax relief is vital to supporting our family whether it's finishing our basement for more space for our growing family or putting money towards Cooper's college education fund.

"That's why we are disappointed to hear about an independent, non-partisan report finding Mitt Romney's tax plan would raise taxes for families who have children and make less than $200,000 would see their taxes go up an average of more than $2,000. And Romney is raising taxes on middle class families to pay for a $5 trillion tax plan skewed to the wealthiest. To some people, $1,000 or $2,000 might not seem like that much. But to us, that's a big deal. A thousand dollars is a big deal. Five hundred dollars is a big deal.

"Our family literally can't afford Mitt Romney.

"President Obama has a plan to prevent a tax hike on the middle class that enacts spending cuts and reforms and asks the wealthiest to pay their fair share again so we can reduce our deficit in a balanced way. On top of the tax cuts our family has benefitted from, The President is calling on Congress to immediately prevent a tax hike on the 98 percent of Americans who make less than $250,000. There is a clear choice between President Obama, who is looking out for families like ours, and Mitt Romney, who puts the interest of the wealthiest American over middle class families."

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06 Aug 2012

Media Advisory: Agriculture Deputy Secretary Merrigan to Announce Results of 2012 USDA Farmers Market Directory

By Dorothy Tate

National Farmers Market Week Begins August 5

 

WASHINGTON-August 2, 2012-Tomorrow, Deputy Agriculture Secretary Kathleen Merrigan will announce the latest findings from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's 2012 National Farmers Market Directory. Each year the annual report shows the total number reported of farmers markets operating throughout the United States. Last year, USDA reported that 7,175 markets were operating across the country. Also, Merrigan will announce this year's top ten states reporting farmers market growth. This announcement launches National Farmers Market Week which is August 5-11.

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USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, D.C.  20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202-720-6382 (TDD).

06 Aug 2012

ISU Extension Calendar Aug 3, 2012

By Joy Venhorst
06 Aug 2012

Aug 2, 2012 Pasture Walk Focuses on Efficiency

By Amanda Heitz
Pasture improvement and rotational grazing are key topics for many beef and dairy producers, but one of the big challenges is getting the most forage out of each acre. Scott Cherne uses intensive rotation, in-paddock water lines, legumes and haying to optimize each acre of pasture on his farm near Guttenberg. Cherne's pasture will be the feature of a pasture walk on Wednesday, August 29, at 6:00 pm. This pasture walk is co-sponsored by ISU Extension & Outreach, the Iowa Beef Center, Southern Iowa Forage & Livestock Committee, and the Northeast Iowa Grazers.

Cherne has over 1 ½ miles of buried water line providing water access in all paddocks. He also has created his own water tanks from old anhydrous tanks. Cherne usually harvests an early hay crop from most of his pastures to contribute to winter feeds, and also to ensure adequate pasture growth in the peak summer grazing time. Frost seeded legumes also help increase forage growth by fixing nitrogen and reducing fertilizer needs. A light supper will be provided following the pasture walk, provided by the Clayton County Cattlemen and the Southern Iowa Forage & Livestock Committee.

The Cherne pasture is located at 33166 Kilm Rd, Guttenberg, IA. From Guttenberg, take Hwy 52 south to County Rd C7X (Garber Rd), turn right (west) about two miles, then turn left (south) on Osterdock Rd about 3 ½ miles to Kiln Rd. Continue west on Kiln Rd about 2 miles. From Colesburg, go north on Colesburg Rd about 2 miles, then turn right (east) onto Osterdock Rd about 6 miles. Turn left (west) onto Kiln Rd, about 2 miles.

Pasture walks are informal educational programs designed to demonstrate one or two key areas of pasture management, as well as answer any questions you might have. Each has a slightly different focus and producers are invited to attend any that are of interest to improving their own pasture management.

All producers who are dependent on forage production are invited to attend. If you have questions, or need detailed directions to the farm location, contact Denise Schwab in the Benton County Extension office at 319-472-4739.

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06 Aug 2012

Details of Iowa Teacher and Principal Leadership Symposium are announced

By Office of Governor Terry Branstad

(DES MOINES) - The governor's office today announced more details of Friday's Iowa Teacher and Principal Leadership Symposium.

The sold-out Iowa Teacher and Principal Leadership Symposium will be live streamed by JDL Horizons. JDL Horizons, using its flagship Internet streaming solution EduVision, will produce and stream the Iowa Teacher and Principal Leadership Symposium events in cooperation with the governor's office and the Iowa Department of Education. eSchool Media will accept the stream and deliver the roundtable events to a national audience of nearly 1 million K-12 educators throughout North America and around the world. Individuals interested in watching coverage of the Iowa Teacher and Principal Leadership Symposium should visit https://educateiowa.eduvision.tv/.

The Iowa Teacher and Principal Leadership Symposium will launch a statewide conversation about why stronger shared school leadership matters, and what is the right approach to adopt in Iowa. Given higher academic expectations for students in today's knowledge-based economy, it's not reasonable to expect principals to provide all the instructional leadership required to significantly raise achievement. Tapping the talents of outstanding teachers who are interested in new leadership roles makes sense.

A preliminary schedule is as follows:

Friday, Aug. 3, 2012

9 a.m. Welcome - David Maxwell, President of Drake University

9:05 a.m. Opening Remarks - Gov. Terry Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds

9:15 a.m. "Better Than We Used to Do Is Not Good Enough" - Mark Tucker, President of the National Center on Education and the Economy

10:30 a.m. "Leadership Lessons From Around the Globe" - Vivien Stewart, Senior Advisor for Education at Asia Society

11:30 a.m.   TAP Panel

Noon Break for lunch

1 p.m. Des Moines Panel

1:30 p.m. Cedar Rapids Panel

2 p.m. The Toledo Plan Panel

2:45 p.m. "The Future of Teacher and Principal Leadership"

3:30 p.m. "Looking Forward" - Brad Jupp, Senior Program Advisor in the Office of Secretary of Education Arne Duncan

4:30 p.m. Final Remarks - Jason Glass, Director of the Iowa Department of Education

Click here for a detailed schedule of events.

In May, Gov. Terry Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds joined Education Director Jason Glass to announce they would host the Iowa Teacher and Principal Leadership Symposium on Friday, Aug. 3, at Drake University in Des Moines.

To learn more about the symposium, go to: https://educationleadership.iowa.gov/

About Iowa Interactive

Iowa Interactive built and manages the official Web site for the state of Iowa (Iowa.gov) and partners with state and local entities to bring new government services online.  Iowa Interactive is a service of IOWAccess and is managed by the Department of Administrative Services and the eGovernment firm NIC (NASDAQ: EGOV - News).

About NIC

NIC Inc. is the nation's leading provider of official government websites, online services, and secure payment processing solutions. The company's innovative eGovernment services help reduce costs and increase efficiencies for government agencies, citizens, and businesses across the country. Our popular self-funded solution allows government to put in-demand services online without using taxpayer funds. The NIC family of companies currently provides cost-effective eGovernment solutions for more than 3,500 federal, state, and local agencies in the United States. Additional information is available at http://www.egov.com.

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06 Aug 2012

Find Your Fun This Fall in Columbia

By Beenders Walker Group
The fall is a beautiful time in Columbia, Missouri with a number of fun and exciting festivals for the entire family and the dawning of a new era for the Missouri Tigers as they kickoff their inaugural season in the Southeastern Conference (SEC).

Memorial Union

"It's so easy to keep yourself entertained in Columbia, especially in the fall.  The autumn weather is typically some of best and most beautiful weather of the year, which makes for great hiking and biking, and there's always something exciting going on," says Amy Schnieder, director of the Columbia Convention and Visitors Bureau. "From festivals to football, there is an event for everyone in your circle of family and friends." Read on for just a few of the exciting things going on around

 

 

06 Aug 2012

Civil War History Comes to Life at Central Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks

By Beenders Walker Group

Lake of the Ozarks, Mo. - Commemorate the Civil War's 150th anniversary with two thrilling reenactments of the Battle of Monday's Hollow at a Living History and Civil War Reenactment Weekend, Sept. 15-16, at the Missouri Trapshooters Association Grounds, 51 Trapshooters Road off of State Road A in Linn Creek.

 

This event, sponsored by the Camden County Historical Society & Museum and the Fourth Missouri Cavalry Reenactors, will feature a full-scale reenactment of the battle on both Saturday and Sunday. Admission is free to this maximum-effort reenactment of the only Civil War battle fought in Camden County. Parking is available for suggested donations of $10 per car and $5 per motorcycle.

 

The Civil War festival will feature a multitude of activities and will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. The reenactment of the Battle of Monday's Hollow will start at 1 p.m. each day and is expected to last 45 minutes to an hour. According to period reports, the actual Battle of Monday's Hollow took place on Oct. 13, 1861 and lasted less than a day. Battle reenactments of this scale generally attract an average of about 400-600 reenactors and spectators can often number in the thousands.

 

"It's the only reenactment of its kind in the central portion of Missouri," said Valerie Thomas, event coordinator and museum archivist. "It's like having a front row seat to a live-action Civil War battle movie. These battle reenactments are quite a spectacle - Union and Confederate soldiers with sabers drawn, cannons firing, infantries shooting and the cavalry charging. Kids love it and adults are absolutely fascinated by it. And there's so much more to the reenactment than just the battle. It's really a spectacular two-day event."

 

Each day visitors can travel back in time to the 1860s with a variety of era-themed activities before, during and after the battle. Guests can walk through Confederate and Union military camps and interact with the soldiers on both sides. Patrons also can hear live Civil War-era music performed by singers and musicians on Saturday, as well as watch period reenactment speakers on both days. A Civil War-era worship service is also scheduled at 8 a.m. Sunday.

 

Other planned activities include a "sutler village" of period vendors, craftsmen, traveling museums and a Civil War-era medical tent. Inside the tent, visitors will learn how surgery was performed and how illnesses were treated in the 1860s, as well as observe Union and Confederate wounded soldiers as they receive medical attention in the heat of battle.

 

Additional 1860s-era stations will showcase a laundress, woodworkers and soapmakers. A children's area will feature an interactive air cannon, a station where kids can learn to make rope and other fun activities. A variety of food vendors also are scheduled to be at the site, featuring pulled pork, chicken and ribeye sandwiches, hamburgers, hot dogs, french fries, nachos, funnel cakes, kettle corn, ice cream and more.

 

Three special guests will help "review the troops" during the reenactment: John Seward, a retired brigadier general and the last living male descendant of President Abraham Lincoln's Secretary of State William Seward, along with Brandon and Chase Mills, the great-great grandson and great-great-great grandson of a Union soldier who fought at the Battle of Monday's Hollow.

 

For more information, including an event schedule or for details on how to get involved with the reenactment, call the museum at 573-346-7191 or visit CamdenCountyMuseum.com. The Camden County Historical Society & Museum is at the corner of U.S. 54 and Route V in Linn Creek and is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. seven days a week (when volunteers are available).

 

Civil War reenactors and spectators who are looking for lodging can learn about the Lake's many resorts, hotels, condominiums, motels, bed and breakfasts, RV parks or campgrounds by calling the Lake of the Ozarks Convention and Visitor Bureau at 800-FUN-LAKE (386-5253) or visiting FunLake.com.

 

The event was made possible by a $5,000 grant from the Missouri Humanities Council (MHC) to the Camden County Museum and Historical Society in support of the reenactment. The MHC is the only statewide agency in Missouri devoted exclusively to humanities education for citizens of all ages. It has served as a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities since 1971.

 

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06 Aug 2012

Loebsack Introduces Middle Class and Small Business Tax Relief Act

By Joe Hand

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack released the following statement today after introducing the Middle Class and Small Business Tax Relief Act of 2012.

"I am fighting for commonsense, fiscally responsible tax cuts for middle and low income families, small businesses, and family farms.  That's why I've introduced an initiative to allow them to keep their tax cut.  Growing up, my family wouldn't have been able to afford to put food on the table if taxes on working families went up.  I stand ready to work with anyone who will support commonsense compromise to get these tax cuts done.

"Washington is broken, and today is just more evidence of that.  There are too many people in Congress interested only in political ideology rather than actually helping Iowa families.  Last year the economy was taken to the brink by a group in Washington that is more concerned about rigid ideology than people's jobs. That is simply not me.  I am not willing to do that to Iowa families. Washington needs to learn how to compromise.  I have introduced commonsense legislation and am willing to work with anyone who is interested in putting the middle class, small businesses, and family farms ahead of politics.  I always have and always will fight for Iowans."

Loebsack's Middle Class and Small Business Tax Relief Act of 2012 extends tax cuts for married joint filers making up to $250,000 and individual filers making up to $200,000.  Additionally, the bill:

  • Includes an exemption for small business and family farm income;
  • Extends for one-year the American Opportunity Tax Credit, the Child Tax Credit, the Earned Income Tax Credit, and current capital gains and dividend rates;
  • Includes a one-year patch for the Alternative Minimum Tax;
  • Extends for one year the current Estate Tax rates.

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06 Aug 2012

Wind energy production tax credit

By Grassley Press
Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Senator Chuck Grassley issued the following comment about the two amendments he filed to The Family and Business Tax Cut Certainty Act of 2012.  The Finance Committee is expected to mark up the proposal this week.

Grassley comment:

"It's not right to single out one energy incentive over others before a broader tax reform debate.  I've filed two amendments.  One is a straight two-year extension of the wind credit, like the legislation I introduced earlier this year.  The other is a one-year extension with necessary provisions so that wind-energy producers can, in fact, take advantage of an extension that's for only one year.  An extension needs to be effective.  I'm working with Chairman Baucus, Ranking Member Hatch, Senator Cantwell, and Senator Bingaman, and it's my understanding there's support from the committee leaders to include wind energy when the committee meets to take action."

Description of the Grassley amendments:

Grassley Amendment #1 to The Family and Business Tax Cut Certainty Act of 2012

Short Title:  Wind Production Tax Credit Extension

Description of Amendment:  Extend for two years, through December 31, 2014, the section 45 production tax credit for wind which expires on December 31, 2012.

Grassley Amendment #2 to The Family and Business Tax Cut Certainty Act of 2012

Short Title:  Wind Production Tax Credit Extension

Description of Amendment:  Extend for one year, through December 31, 2013, the section 45 production tax credit for wind which expires on December 31, 2012.  Modify placed-in-service date for wind to a "begin construction" rule.

Background information:

Senator Grassley authored the legislation that created the wind-energy production tax credit in 1992 as a way to provide a level playing field for this renewable resource against coal-fired and nuclear energy and to help grow an innovative energy industry.  He has won passage of extensions a number of times.  The credit has been a tremendous success in helping to develop clean, renewable and domestically produced wind energy.

As this point, wind-energy production supports 75,000 American jobs and drives as much as $20 billion in private investment.  During the last five years, 35 percent of all new electric generation in the United States was wind.  There are nearly 400 wind-related manufacturing facilities in the United States today, compared with just 30 in 2004.

Conventional energy sources, including oil, gas and nuclear, enjoy countless tax incentives and many of them are permanent law.
06 Aug 2012

Loebsack to Senate Republicans: Don't Let Politics Kill Wind Energy

By Rick Martin

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack today urged the Republican Leader of the Senate Finance Committee to not let politics harm Iowa's wind energy industry and include the Production Tax Credit (PTC) for wind energy in legislation to extend expiring tax programs.  Despite the strong bipartisan support of the PTC, according to reports, political pressure from the Republican Presidential Nominee led Republicans to strip the critical job creating tool from the package.

"The PTC has strong bipartisan support in both chambers, including the entire Iowa Delegation.  Congress should not let politics get in the way of taking action on a critical tax credit that is in the best interest of the country and the economy," said Loebsack.  "Pulling the rug out from under an industry that has been striving successfully to employ Americans and provide clean energy during the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression makes little sense.  I respectfully urge you to act now to extend this critical job-creation tool, not let politics dictate policy on this important matter."

Loebsack has been a longtime supporter of wind energy.  He has visited wind energy plants across Iowa to see firsthand the need for stability that an extension of the Production Tax Credit would provide and has repeatedly urged the House and Senate leadership to protect these good Iowa jobs.  Loebsack was also named a USA Wind Champion by the American Wind Energy Association for his ongoing support of wind energy in Iowa and working to extend the PTC.

A copy of the letter can be found here.

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