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IRS says many not taking advantage of Earned Income Tax Credit

January 31, 2008 By

The director of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Program for the Internal Revenue Service says one in four eligible Iowans are missing out on the special tax benefit. Debra Holland says there are a variety of reasons.

"Some people may not earn enough money to be required to file a tax return and yet they may qualify for EITC and don’t realize it," Holland said. "There are some workers without children who may not realize that they’re eligible for the credit or there may be language barriers for some individuals."

For many taxpayers, the credit would be significant. Holland says some people could collect $4,700 from the tax credit. Last year, more than 174,000 Iowa taxpayers received more than $304 million in EITC.

Holland says anyone with income of less than $39,000 a year should check on their eligibility. Iowans who are eligible for the EITC can also get free help in preparing their tax returns. Holland says the IRS works with organizations like the United Way, Goodwill and AARP to offer free tax assistance – or eligible taxpayers can use the "free file" function at the IRS website .

 

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With:

Minnesota soldier says Iowa wife drove him into debt

January 31, 2008 By

A Minnesota National Guardsman is suing his wife and her boyfriend, who live in Iowa, accusing the pair of spending his military pay and driving him into debt while he was deployed in Iraq. Andrew Scullen and his wife, Kimberly, got married five days before he shipped out for active duty in March of 2006.

When he returned just over a year later, she served him with divorce papers. According to court documents, the 37-year-old soldier says while he was gone his bride — who lives in Swisher — used his military pay on luxuries, including trips, and made cash payments to her boyfriend.

The suit also alleges that 26-year-old Kimberly Scullen bought a car and other big ticket items in his name, but failed to make timely payments, so his credit rating’s bad now, too.

Audio: Radio Iowa’s O. Kay Henderson reports. :40 MP3

Filed Under: Military

Harkin and Nussle to meet and talk about the farm bill

January 31, 2008 By

Later this afternoon, Senator Tom Harkin will meet with former Congressman Jim Nussle who now is the president’s budget chief. Harkin, who is chairman of the Senate Ag Committee, has talked with Nussle by phone but will review the legislation with Nussle face-to-face this afternoon in Harkin’s senate office.

"I said, ‘Let’s sit down and kind of go through this and see where we are and what’s out there that we might probe and find where we can reach some agreement,’" Harkin said. "You know, where can we give, where can they give to try to get this thing through."  

A committee of Senate and House members is being assembled to hammer out a compromise on the Farm Bill. President Bush has threatened to veto all the versions that have been offered so far. "So the clock is ticking and we’re still discussing the contours of a Farm Bill the president can sign," Harkin says.

The Farm Bill version that passed the Senate got 83 "yes" votes and it included tax hikes that Bush has said are unacceptable. Harkin says he intends to press Nussle, who is head of Bush’s Office of Management and the Budget, for some answers as to what the president will accept.

"The administration has signaled that it wants to work with congress on a bipartisan basis to pass a farm bill that the president can sign. I’m taking them at their word," Harkin says. "I will remind Mr. Nussle that this is a complex bill. He knows that. He’s been around a long time and any kind of rigid, ‘my way or the highway’ stance on the part of the White House just is not very helpful."

Nussle was chairman of the House Budget Committee when he left congress in January of 2007. He became Bush’s top budget advisor this summer. 

Filed Under: Agriculture, Politics & Government Tagged With: , ,

Harrison County man died in blizzard after accident

January 31, 2008 By

A 54-year-old western Iowa man died this week, trying to get help for his 85-year-old mother. A search began after the two did not make a doctor appointment Tuesday. A Harrison County deputy discovered the wreckage of a vehicle in a deep ravine just after 11 p.m.

Helen Elhert, who was found inside the vehicle, told authorities she was driving the Jeep when it slid off the road in Harrison County, near Woodbine. Elhert’s son, Fred, told her to stay in the Jeep and he’d go for help.

Deputies found Fred Elhert about 100 feet from the Jeep, face down in a small creek. Authorities suspect the strong winds and blowing snow on Tuesday made it difficult for Fred Elhert to see where he was going. Wind chills reached 18 degrees below zero. Fred Elhert was a retired third grade teacher. His mother, Helen, is in the hospital in fair condition. An autopsy is scheduled for Fred Elhert’s body.

 

Filed Under: Fires/Accidents/Disasters

Cognressman wants to restore law enforcement funding

January 31, 2008 By

Iowa Congressman Dave Loebsack, a Democrat from Mount Vernon, has introduced a bill to provide emergency funding for a program that sends federal money to state and local law officers. Loebsack says the money helps drug task forces in Iowa seize illegal drugs, as he says they used the money in 2007 to seize drugs valued at over 31 million dollars and help shut down over 350 meth labs.

"This funding is absolutely critical, not only in Iowa, but across the country for local law enforcement, especially drug task force programs, but treatment as well," Loebsack says. Loebsack says the funding got severely cut in the budget bill signed into law at the end of 2007.

The House approved 600-million dollars and the Senate approved 660-million, and in the end 170-million was approved. Loebsack says the idea is to restore 490-million dollars in emergency funding. Loebsack says the administration has cut funding for the program the last several years, and apparently doesn’t believe federal dollars should be sent to local law enforcement.

Loebsack says,"That’s the wrong approach as far as I’m concerned." He says it’s a worthwhile program and without federal funding, local law officers won’t be able to carry out these public safety functions. Iowa Senator Tom Harkin, a fellow Democrat, is sponsoring a similar bill to restore the funding to what’s called the "Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant" program. 

Filed Under: Crime & Courts, Politics & Government Tagged With: ,

Groups says gay students still facing abuse, but new policies helping

January 31, 2008 By

A statewide organization that provides support to gay high school students says verbal and physical abuse of homosexuals is still prevalent in hallways and classrooms. Ryan Roemerman is director of the Iowa Pride Network, which on Wednesday released results from a new survey involving 180 students in 37 Iowa schools who identify themselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. He says one in three students reported an incident of physical harassment because of their sexual orientation.

Roemerman says the survey found that students were less likely to face harassment or abuse in schools that have adopted anti-bullying policies based on sexual orientation. A new state, which took effect last September, requires schools in the state to include sexual orientation in their anti-bullying policies.

"Some schools already had policies that included sexual orientation and gender identity," Roemerman says, "and in those schools we found that students were three times more likely to report never being verbally harassed. Twenty percent more students reported never being sexually harassed or physically assaulted. We also found that 37-percent reported never being cyber-bullied, which means getting instant messages, texts or e-mails based on their sexual orientation."

Next year, the Iowa Pride Alliance will conduct it’s first survey following a full year of the new anti-bullying legislation being in place. Roemerman says, so far, all the data his organization has compiled shows that the anti-bullying policies do work. He says it also appears that schools with Gay-Straight Alliances have lower rates of name calling, harassment and assault. The survey results and details on how it was conducted are available on-line at www.IowaPrideNetwork.org.

Filed Under: Education

Catholic grade school in Western Iowa faces closure

January 31, 2008 By

Officials with the Catholic Diocese in Des Moines will close a Catholic grade school in western Iowa unless the school’s supporters can raise $400,000. Sheila Murphy represents a group that is trying to keep St. Patrick’s Catholic grade school open.

"Parents, supporters of this school, members of the community that see the benefits of this school in the long range so they are also looking at some strategies to keep enrollment up and to keep bringing income coming into the school," she says. Murphy says the 48 students who’re currently enrolled at St. Patrick’s are very concerned.

"They love their school. They love their teachers," Murphy says. "It is a small school but they strive to have an excellent curriculum there and to have a lot of individual attention to the students." The school means a lot to Missouri Valley, according to Murphy.

"It would be terrible to lose it for the kids," she says. "…To have that empty building that couldn’t survive wouldn’t add anything beneficial to the town either." In addition to the money, Catholic officials in Des Moines say there must be at least 48 students registered for the next school year at St. Patrick’s in Missouri Valley or it’ll be closed. St. Patrick’s was established 92 years ago and is the only Catholic grade school in Harrison County. It offers preschool as well as kindergarten through eighth grade classes. 

Filed Under: Education, Religion
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