Sunday, May 19, 2013
Both the U.S. Senate and House are working on immigration reform plans. What do you think should be done about the estimated 11 million people currently living in the country illegally or on expired visas.
A U.S. Senate immigration reform proposal that would allow the estimated 11 million residents living here illegally by the end of 2011 to remain in the country lawfully is expected to come to a final vote by June. The Senate plan would allow these people to earn a temporary status that lets them to work if they meet a number of requirements, including: passing background checks, submitting to fingerprinting and proving they've lived here before Dec. 31, 2011. The documentation process wouldn't begin until a border security system was in place, according to information about the bill posted on Sen. Mark Rubio's Senate website. The border security plan includes a border fence plan, an electronic system that would verify workers' status and …
Thursday, May 16, 2013
The Cedar Falls City Council is considering a recommendation of the Budget Task Force to convert from a full-time mayor to a part-time mayor with a city administrator.
Should Cedar Falls move to having a part-time mayor? That's a recommendation from the city's Budget Task Force, a group convened to look for ways to create savings to forestall a potential future budget shortfall. The task force recommends moving to a part-time mayor who would oversee a city administrator. The city administrator would take over many of the mayor's duties. The mayor's current full-time salary and benefits will be $114,750 for fiscal year 2014, according to a task force report. "Potentially 50-75 percent ($55,000 - $70,000) of the current mayor's salary and benefit costs could be saved once other management salaries are adjusted when internal departmental responsibilities are reassigned," the report says. Cedar Falls and …
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
The cost of colonoscopies, MRIs, CT scans and mammogram can shift a lot from county to county.
Hospitals in Black Hawk County tend to bill at a higher rate for certain medical procedures than hospitals across the state, according to new data. For a point of comparison, hospitals in Black Hawk County bill $1,600 more for a colonoscopy than hospitals in Johnson County - $4,440 to $2,800. And, the bill in Black Hawk County is more than the state average for a colonoscopy - $3,690, according to data from New Choice Health, a private company that encourages people to become smarter healthcare consumers. Billing for other procedures seem to be closer in prices, although for procedures highlighted above - MRIs, mammograms and CT scans - Johnson County on average has better prices. Big regional differences have been in the news lately…
Monday, May 13, 2013
Cedar Falls City Council member Nick Taiber will seek a second term in his at-large seat this year.
Cedar Falls City Council member Nick Taiber will seek a second term in his at-large seat this year. “Cedar Falls was built on visionary leadership and a foundation of exceptional community assets. Great neighborhoods, schools, businesses, recreation and entertainment combine to create a terrific quality of life for young and old, individuals and families.” Taiber said in a press release. ”Keeping Cedar Falls great requires clear vision and thoughtful execution to lead us into the 21st century.” Taiber and his wife, Molly have two sons, Julian, 7, and Roman, 5, and live in the Overman Park Neighborhood. He works for CPM Holdings as Business Development Director, where he is responsible for the company’s merger and acquisition initiatives…
Friday, May 10, 2013
Steve Gaer, whose city has seen robust growth during a crippling recession, is considering a U.S. Senate bid, but says uniting Republicans in a primary would be a hurdle.
The mayor of one of Iowa’s most successful cities says he’ll decide early next week whether to seek the Republican nomination for U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin’s seat. Harkin, a popular Democrat, announced earlier this year he will not seek a sixth term. It’s a rare, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, said West Des Moines Mayor Steve Gaer, who was approached about six weeks ago by the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which works to recruit and elect Republicans to the U.S. Senate, about seeking the nomination. Gaer said the NRSC credited him with bringing people together to reach consensus, something leaders see as lacking in Congress, and also noted West Des Moines' robust growth during the recent recession. As most of the nation continues …
Thursday, May 9, 2013
After denying rumors of her planning a run for weeks, it looks more and more likely that Swati Dandekar will consider a run at Bruce Braley's vacated seat.
Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, will you join the dance? For Swati Dandekar, that answer is becoming more and more likely to be yes. There have been rumors for weeks that Dandekar, a former State Senator who represented Marion before leaving to fill a utilities board post, might be pondering a run at Bruce Braley's soon to be vacant U.S. Representative First District seat. It now looks like a Dandekar run is becoming more likely: Dandekar Forming Committee to Explore Iowa U.S. House 1st District Campaign (KCRG) After deflecting questions about her plans for months, former state Sen. Swati Dandekar is taking the first steps toward running for an open U.S. House seat in northeast Iowa. The Marion Democrat confirmed today supporters…
Iowa had one of the highest voter participation rates among eligible voters in the country, according to new information released by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Iowa often gets questions about why the presidential election process should start here with the first in the nation Iowa Caucus. One reason could be that Iowans are among the most active voters in the country. A new report by the U.S. Census Bureau shows that 69.4 percent of eligible Iowans voted in the 2012 election, in which Barack Obama earned a second term in the White House. That percentage was one of the highest in the nation, according to new information released by the U.S. Census Bureau on Wednesday. Only eligible voters in Colorado, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Mississippi and Massachusetts had higher participation. Mississippi had the highest voter turnout at 74.5 percent, and West Virginia the lowest at 47.8 percent. A key point of…
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
The Marketplace Fairness Act was approved in the U.S. Senate, and is headed for the Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives. The bill would require merchants to collect sales taxes on online purchases.
Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin, a Democrat, voted in support of a bill that would require merchants to collect sales tax for online purchases, while Sen. Chuck Grassley, a Republican, cast a vote againt the bill. The Marketplace Fairness Act passed the U.S. Senate 69-27 on Monday. Next up, the legislation goes to the GOP-led House. President Barack Obama has previously said he supports the bill. Supporters say the bill would level the paying field for traditional retailers, while opponents include anti-tax activists and retailers who say it will be overly burdensome. TELL us in comments: Do you support a sales tax for online purchases? Statement from Harkin: Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today issued the following statement after the U.S. Senate …
Former U.S. Attorney Matt Whitaker, a Republican in the Rand Paul mold, said he plans to run for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Tom Harkin. State Sen. Joni Ernst and Ames lawyer Paul Lunde also are considering a bid.
With top contenders passing on the GOP nomination for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Democrat Tom Harkin, a few politicians are now saying they are interested. Former U.S. Attorney Matt Whitaker, a Republican in the mold of Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, said he will file paperwork to run on WHO Radio's Simon Conway show, according to The Iowa Republican. Whitaker, a managing partner at a law firm based in Des Moines, appears to be the first Republican candidate to announce the intention to run after several high profile options declined, including Congressman Tom Latham, Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds, Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey and Congressman Steve King. Early polls had King as the favorite in the primary. A couple other Republicans …
Investment groups are pitching casino projects all over Iowa. Warren County voters will consider a Norwalk casino on Tuesday. Linn County voters already said "yes" to a casino.
D R Barber
8:00 am on Sunday, May 19, 2013
All 11 million should not be granted amnesty unconditionally, people who are working and paying taxes and bought a home should be allowed to stay and get citizenship. People who came to the US on a visa and stayed should be allowed to earn their citizenship, people who came here illegally should be deported immediately more ›