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Braley may vote “no” on extending jobless benefits

September 22, 2009 By

Congressman Bruce Braley may vote against a proposal that would extend unemployment benefits for another 13 weeks.  Braley objects to a restriction that makes the extension effective ONLY in states which have an unemployment rates of 8.5 percent or more. Braley, a Democrat from Waterloo, says there are pockets of Iowa where unemployment is far higher than 8.5 percent.

“There are many rural counties in Iowa that exceed the floor level for the extension of unemployment benefits and yet because the state level does not meet that requirement Iowans will not be able to benefit from an extension of unemployment benefits,” Braley says.

The bill is scheduled to come up for a vote in the U.S. House this evening.  There are border issues as well, according to Braley.

“I’m also concerned about the fact that it creates the anomaly that you can live in Iowa, work in Illinois, lose your job and get unemployment benefits, and yet your neighbor who lives in Iowa, works in Iowa and lost their job doesn’t,” Braley says.

Iowa is not among the 27 states that have unemployment rates at or above 8.5 percent.  Iowa’s unemployment rate was 6.8 percent in August. 

“I want to see the bill improved,” Braley says.  “I’m not at all trying to diminish the impact of widespread unemployment in many states that’s even higher than in Iowa, but I just am concerned about how this is being applied and penalizing high-unemployment counties in states like Iowa.”

The bill, when it comes up for debate this evening, cannot be changed to address the concerns Braley raises.  Braley suspects the bill may fail in a close vote and he predicts House leaders may choose to bring it up again, later, but in a form that can be changed by amendment.
 

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

Iowa turns up the noise to prepare for Penn State

September 22, 2009 By

Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz hopes a weekly routine of cranking up the music at practice will help the Hawkeyes get ready for more than 107,000 fans in Beaver Stadium when they visit fifth ranked Penn State on Saturday night. Ferentz says during each Wednesday practice the Hawkeyes workout with the speakers blaring.

Ferentz says they just started that a year ago as he says for a long time he thought it was “all garbage,” but says it was something they did back in the 80′s and in the NFL. Ferentz says he doesn’t know if if helps or not, but if it does, it is good.

The Hawkeyes are 3-0 after a 27-17 win over Arizona and Ferentz says his team is battle tested heading into the start of the Big Ten race. He says it was a tough football that was even and they had to play hard every snap and respond during the game. Ferentz says he doesn’t know if the tough game will help them this week, but he says it will benefit them down the road.

The Hawkeyes spoiled Penn State’s run at a national championship a year ago with a 24-23 victory but Ferentz is not concerned about the Nittany Lions being motivated by revenge. Ferentz says you can say that any time someone loses a game. He says Penn State’s players have talked about it, but he says if they hadn’t won last year, Penn State would still want to beat them this year, so he doesn’t think it will be a huge factor.

Offensive tackle Bryan Bulaga, tight end Tony Moeaki and receiver Derrell Johnson-Koulianos all missed the Arizona game due to injury or illness and Ferentz is not sure if they will be ready by this weekend. He says that’s the nature of injuries and you have to go with it and if they are able to play, then it is a bonus.

Ferentz says the Iowa defense made significant progress against Arizona, and he says it started up front with the front four, which he says is important with their defense. Iowa lost at Penn State 27-7 two years ago but Ferentz coached teams had won three straight in Beaver Stadium prior to that.

Ferentz says if you’re going to win against Penn State you have to play your best football and if you aren’t then you can lose like they did two years ago.

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With: ,

U.N.I. opens conference at Missouri State

September 22, 2009 By

The U.N.I. Panthers prepare for this weekend’s Missouri Valley Conference opener at Missouri State. The Panthers are 2-1 after a 30-0 victory over Saint Francis of Pennsylvania and coach Mark Farley says his team is ready for the league race. Farley says they can start to plan and scheme based on those three games as they learned a lot from the different teams they faced.

Farley talks about some of the things they learned during the first three games. He says the secondary has been tested in many different ways and that has been a good way to teach them. Farley says they’ve also learned what his offensive and defensive line can and cannot do.

Missouri State is led by former U.N.I. coach Terry Allen, and Farley says they have made a lot of progress and are a lot better team than they were last year. Farley says Allen’s connection to U.N.I. will have no bearing on the outcome. He says it comes down tot he players lining up in the first conference game and both teams are trying to set the tempo. Farley says you have to win on the road to win the league.

Contributed by Elwin Huffman KOEL Oelwein

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With: ,

Unbeaten Coe and Central meet Saturday in football

September 22, 2009 By

The two remaining unbeaten Iowa Conference teams meet this weekend when Coe visits Central. Coe is 3-0 on the season after a 19-6 win over Luther and they also have beaten Gustavus Adolphus by three points and Augustana of Illinois by two. Coach Steve Staker says winning close games is what it will take to be successful in the league race.

Staker says they understand that they are 3-0 and have won some close games and they have to be focused to continue the success. Staker says there will be a lot of close games in the league race. He says that seems to be the norm in the conference, and if you can win those close games, you are going to be a pretty good football team.

Coe quarterback Brad Boyle has passed for just over 260 yards per game and has four scoring passes. He has no interceptions and Staker says that has helped keep the pressure off the defense. He says Boyle has done a good job of finding the receivers and reading the coverage, and also he doesn’t throw it if the receivers is not open.

Staker says limiting mistakes will be crucial against a Central team that is opportunistic, as they have a tradition of feasting off of other people’s mistakes.

Central is also 3-0 and ranked 15th nationally after a 41-27 win at the University of Dubuque.

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With:

Program offers low cost prescription drugs

September 22, 2009 By
David Fries

David Fries

A new program is making it possible for low income Iowans to purchase a 90 day supply of common prescription medications for just $3. The Iowa Medication Voucher Program is funded by Iowa’s share of a lawsuit against two pharmaceutical companies accused of consumer fraud violations.

Doctor Bery Engebretsen, with the Iowa/Nebraska Primary Care Association, says the program covers 17 generic medications for conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, elevated cholesterol and depression. “Because these illnesses don’t produce symptoms, patients tend to not have them high on their priority list,” Engebretsen said.

“Certainly, in terms of medications, it’s not high on their list and in terms of their general life it’s not high on their list when they look at all the other things they have to pay for.” The program also covers medications for pregnancy prenatal care. Iowans who participate in the program can obtain a voucher to be redeemed at one of 94 pharmacies in the state.

David Fries, executive director of the Iowa Prescription Drug Corporation, says the vouchers are currently available at various clinics and health boards in 54 counties. “Our goal is to get to all 99 counties and we believe we will,” Fries said. The $420,000 program will pay for roughly 52,000 prescriptions.

Filed Under: Health & Medicine Tagged With:

Cancer Society volunteers lobby for healthcare reform

September 22, 2009 By

Volunteers with the Iowa Chapter of the American Cancer Society are in Washington, D.C. today to talk about health care reform with the Iowa congressional delegation. Amy Johnson-Boyle of Cedar Rapids is one of the members of I-CAN, or the Iowa Cancer Action Network . Johnson-Boyle says they tell legislators they want a healthcare plan where everyone has coverage regardless of their health status or pre-existing conditions.

Johnson-Boyle says inadequate insurance or lack of insurance is causing unnecessary death and suffering from cancer. She says they will tell legislators that “healthcare reform matters in the fight against cancer and we want that reform to include insurance that is adequate, affordable and available.” She says they some other issues they want to see addressed in the reform.

She says they also want legislators to eliminate annual or lifetime dollar limits on benefits and limits on out-of-pocket expenses. Johnson-Boyle says no Iowan or American should fear bankruptcy or debts as they are fighting for their life. Insurance providers say the more you include in coverage, the more it will cost. Richard Deming, Des Moines, a cancer doctor from Des Moines, says it costs more to treat people in the long run if they don’t have coverage, as those patients don’t seek treatment early on.

Deming says those people are afraid they don’t have coverage, or know they don’t adequate coverage, or they know the co-pays are going to be so expensive, that they delay treatment and the cancer gets to a stage where it is less curable. There are a total of seven Iowans who are joining 600 other Cancer Society volunteers from across the country to lobby legislators about healthcare. You can find out on the ICAN website.

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

Culver: “Iowans will not be taken for suckers.”

September 22, 2009 By
Governor Chet Culver (file photo)

Governor Chet Culver (file photo)

Governor Chet Culver says he is “outraged” that “some” movie companies have taken advantage of a state program designed to lure the film industry to Iowa. 

“Iowans will not be taken for suckers,” Culver says.  “While we need to make changes to strengthen management of this program, we are not going to be taken advantage of and, if we are, we are going to claw back and make sure any money wrongfully provided is returned to the state taxpayers.”  [Read more...]

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