May 21, 2012

You are here: Home / 2009 / August / Archives for 6th

Grassley at White House this morning

August 6, 2009 By

Senator Chuck Grassley is one of six senators who’ve gone to the White House this morning to talk privately with President Obama about health care reform. Grassley, a Republican, says Obama’s a "good person" with good intentions, but Grassley adds some major caveats.

"I think maybe he’s trying to do too much at one time," Grassley said during a recent telephone conference call with Iowa reporters.

According to Grassley, Obama didn’t serve in the U.S. Senate long enough to understand how things really work.

"Remember, (Obama) was in the Senate four years, but effectively only two years because he spent two years where he was hardly ever here at all — he was campaigning for president — so he really does not have an understanding of how Congress operates," Grassley said. "Now, he’s got plenty of people around him who can help him do it, and things of that nature, but it’s just a tough time for him."

Grassley said he dislikes Obama’s policies, but doesn’t dislike Obama as a person.

"You can’t help but like the guy," Grassley said. "As he’s talking to you, he looks you right in the eye and you’re the most important person in the world. He’s not like a lot of politicians who’re talking to you and then they’re looking around to see who’s more important than you are to talk to."

Grassley has been criticized by fellow Republicans for continuing to participate in behind-the-scenes, bipartisan negotiations on health care reform with a handful of other members of the Senate Finance Committee. Grassley also has drawn fire from Democrats for suggesting fellow Senator Ted Kennedy may not have gotten swift treatment of his cancer if Kennedy were in Great Britain.

"Kennedy, being 77 years old, he wouldn’t be treated effectively for it unless you had plenty of money and maybe in England Kennedy would have plenty of money, but 10 percent of the people are tired of standing in line to get health care, so 10 percent of the people buy private health insurance so they can go to the front of the line instead of stand in line with everybody else," Grassley said yesterday during a different telephone conference call. "Now, we don’t want that in America."

Iowa Democratic Party chairman Michael Kiernan issued a statement blasting Grassley, accusing him of a "bizarre" set of recent statements that Kiernan charges show Grassley is "out of touch" with the everyday concerns of Iowans.

 

Filed Under: Health & Medicine, Politics & Government Tagged With: , , ,

Webster City forgery & theft arrests may be first of many

August 6, 2009 By

Webster City police arrested two men on burglary charges involving local businesses and for allegedly cashing checks stolen from two local banks.

The two apprehended are 33-year-old Jesus Angel Valencia of Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, and 32-year-old Miguel Angel Ramirez of Milwaukee, Oregon. Each man was charged with 19 counts of forgery, three counts of burglary, one count of theft and one count of ongoing criminal conduct.

Both Valencia and Ramirez are being held on a $130,000 cash only bond at the Polk County Sheriff’s Office in Des Moines.

The men are believed to be part of a group of subjects committing burglaries and forgeries throughout the Midwest. Additional subjects are being pursued and additional charges are expected.

Filed Under: Crime & Courts

No changes in store for water tower outside Kinnick Stadium

August 6, 2009 By

Water tower outside Kinnick Stadium. A familiar site at University of Iowa football games won’t be getting a makeover anytime soon, despite the pleas from thousands of Hawkeye fans.

A water tower that’s painted white, without any lettering or logos, stands on the UI Hospitals and Clinics campus just outside Kinnick Stadium.

An online petition started by UI graduate Derek Yoder has gathered nearly 4,000 signatures. It calls for a change in the tower’s color scheme or design to "add to the game day atmosphere."

UI spokesperson Tom Moore says university officials are aware of the petition and have talked about giving the tower a black and gold treatment. "It’s something that’s been discussed periodically," Moore said. "Thus far, there’s been no final decision on whether to proceed or not."

The structure is repainted for maintenance every 10 to 15 years and was last painted in 2006. Moore says a new paint job for the tower probably isn’t a top priority, especially since the work in 2006 cost $370,000. "Particularly in this economic climate…paying for this project would be a very important issue," Moore said.

There are also plans in place to restructure the UI Hospitals and Clinics campus. "At some point in time, there may be a possibility that the water tower may be removed," Moore said. "So, while it may seem like a simple decision, actually there are a million things to consider."

Many fans are suggesting a tigerhawk logo for the tower, which is controlled by UI Facilities Management. Moore says any decision would be up to officials in that department.

AUDIO: Pat Curtis report. :58 MP3

Filed Under: Human Interest Tagged With:

Motorcyclist may have set a land speed record

August 6, 2009 By

The Iowa State Patrol may have clocked a motorist traveling at an all-time highest rate of speed on a public road.

Troopers attempted to pull over a motorcycle traveling 90 miles per hour in a construction zone at around 6:30 p.m.Wednesday, south of Missouri Valley, when the rider, who was traveling alongside another motorcyclist, took-off, while his fellow rider pulled-off to the side of the road.

The 36-year-old rider from Council Bluffs reached speeds of up to 188 miles per hour on his 2003 Suzuki and only slowed to around 150 miles per hour while passing other vehicles on the interstate using the inside and outside shoulders of the road and riding between cars. When the motorcycle sped through the street in Council Bluffs streets and on into Omaha, troopers backed off on their pursuit but the cycle continued to be tracked by an aircraft. When the pilot observed the motorcycle pull into a garage in Omaha, police were directed to the home.

The unidentified rider was subsequently arrested on suspicion of multiple cases of improper passing, stop sign violations, eluding law enforcement and reckless driving. Officials say he had a valid driver’s license and was not intoxicated.

Filed Under: Crime & Courts Tagged With:

New location for Hancher still uncertain

August 6, 2009 By

A University of Iowa official told the state Board of Regents Wednesday, the effort continues to find a new site for the school’s flooded performance hall. U-I senior vice president of finance, Doug True, says they’ve already had one public forum on the future of Hancher Auditorium.

True says a lot of people spoke their mind at the forum and they are going to hold more forums, and there are also efforts on campus discussing the issue of where to put the facilities. "So a great deal of intellectual energy is gonna be spent over the next very few months on this subject," True says. The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s declared that Hancher and the other buildings on the university’s "arts campus" had to be rebuilt on higher ground.

True says they will be holding more public sessions where they give out information, and listen to the public. He says two more are planned and they may need more. True says they have not deadline on the issue because they need to be sure it is done well. True says: "We have no deadline ’cause we need to just make sure this is done well, whatever length of time that takes. Although time is important because the people who’re not enjoying Hancher, or are in temporary facilities for music are desperate to get back to a home."

True says they have worked well with FEMA in getting Hancher replaced. He says the political and administrative leadership of FEMA have the message that this is important to the university. True says there has been a problem with turnover, including three different leaders of FEMA, but he says they’ve have been accommodating.

True says the biggest obstacle is understanding the FEMA rules. "Their rules are in some cases very difficult, they’re very complicated, they’re not intuitive in all cases," True says. True says in some cases they have to work through the process to determine it is not going to work before they can go on to another process to try and move the project forward.

Sites in Iowa City that are at least 14 feet above the 2008 Iowa River flood levels are being considered for rebuilding the facility. FEMA has pledged to pay for 90 percent of the costs of rebuilding Hancher on the new site.

 

 

Filed Under: Education, Weather Tagged With:
Newer Posts »