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Union leader says raise taxes or cut tax breaks to fix budget

December 1, 2009 By

The president of the union which represents the largest share of state workers says it’s time to raise taxes, or at least do away with some tax breaks, but Governor Chet Culver says no. Danny Homan, president of AFSCME Iowa Council 61, says state workers who are members of his union have agreed to pay and benefit concessions in 2002, in 2003 and again this year and state officials shouldn’t ask them for more concessions in 2010.

“We have stepped up to the plate and I don’t believe our membership is willing to do it again,” Homan says. Homan says he is willing to mention the “T” word — and Homan argues there some state tax breaks that could be rescinded. “I believe one of them involves airplanes,” Homan says. “I don’t see the common Iowa citizen running around with an airplane and I think anybody that owns one ought to be able to pay taxes on the cotton-pickin’ thing.”

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Politics & Government Tagged With: , ,

November drier and warmer than normal

December 1, 2009 By

The state of Iowa, on average, received one-and-a-quarter inches of precipitation in November. State Climatologist Harry Hillaker says that’s nearly a full inch below normal for the month – a welcome change from the record setting rainfall in October.

Nearly all of the precipitation last month came in the form of rain. “Just a handful of sites had any measurable snow at all,” Hillaker said. “It ties for our least snowiest November on record across Iowa, along with several other Novembers that also had statewide averages with only a trace of snow during the month.”

During a typical November, Iowa receives an average of 3.5 inches of snow. November 2009 was also unusual in terms of temperatures with a statewide average of nearly 44 degrees. November was almost warmer than October. Hillaker says, normally, November is usually about 15 degrees colder than October. This year, it was just 1.4 degrees colder.

The warmest November in Iowa history was recorded in 2001, when the average temperature was 47.9 degrees. Despite the cold weather forecast this week, Hillaker’s prediction for December includes warmer than normal temps. “The general outlook for December, and this is based almost entirely on the fact that we’re in a so-called El Nino weather event right now, would favor a warmer than normal month,” Hillaker said.

No significant snowfall’s in the short term forecast, but Hillaker believes the state could receive a “normal amount” of snow in December – about six to seven inches.

Filed Under: Weather

Victims in fatal go-cart accident identified

December 1, 2009 By

The Iowa State Patrol has identified the victims of Saturday’s fatal collision between a go-cart and a semi in Page County. The Patrol says the driver of the go-cart, 16-year old Shyla Rodriquez, and her passenger, 29-year old Tabitha Rodriquez, both of Shenandoah, were killed as the go-cart they were on was hit by a semi as the go-cart was turning around on a road northwest of Clarinda.

The accident happened on Q Avenue, near the intersection with 200th Street, at around 2:50 p.m. Saturday. The driver of the semi, 63-year old Paul Mellencamp, of Clarinda was not hurt. No charges have been filed in connection with the accident.

Contributed by Ric Hanson, KJAN, Atlantic

Filed Under: Fires/Accidents/Disasters

Complaints about smoking ban violations drop

December 1, 2009 By

There’s been a steep decline in the number of complaints about people smoking in public places around the state. A statewide ban on smoking in most public places took effect July 1, 2008. More than 3,000 complaints were filed with the state about people smoking in non-smoking zones in the first year.

But in the past four months there have been fewer than 350 complaints. Bonnie Mapes is director of the Iowa Department of Public Health’s tobacco use prevention and control division. “This is exactly the trajectory we were expecting. It’s exactly the trajectory we’ve seen in other states,” Mapes says. “This doesn’t surprise us. It pleases us.”

The Iowa Smoke-Free Air Act prohibits smoking in most public places, like restaurants, bars, sports arenas and nearly all places of employment. “Eighty percent of businesses that have received a first notice of potential violation have not gone on to receive a second,” Mapes says.

“So our emphasis on education, education, education; getting information out there; making sure if they’ve had one complaint that we get education to them, one-on-one, has worked.” While the vast majority of Iowa businesses are complying with the smoking ban, a few continue to ignore the law. At least one business has been accused of violating Iowa’s Smoke-Free Air Act nine times.

Filed Under: Crime & Courts, Health & Medicine, Uncategorized Tagged With:

Economy leads to more business for runaway shelter

December 1, 2009 By

The executive director of the state’s largest shelter for runaways says the tough economy is leading to more kids seeking services. Stephen Quirk runs the Youth Emergency Services and Shelter (YESS) in Des Moines. Quirk says they have noticed with the difficult economy and other challenges that they have seen an increase in kids. Quirk says one recent weekend they saw 28 kids at the facility when that’s normally in the low 20′s.

Quirk says all the issues build up and families seek help. “A lot of families that are having some troubles with their kids would look to find a different place for their kids to be,” Quirk says, “and certainly we discourage that. But if this is a better place and a safe place as opposed to some conflicts and some problems around the holiday table, I think it’s best that these kids be here.” Quirk says they try to deal with the problem before the kids come to the shelter.

He says if they call in they try to work with the kids over the phone. Quirk says the kids will show up at the shelter on their own and when they show up he says they “try to figure out what the real issues are.” He says they notify the police and parents and then typically move to some counseling to help get at the root issue of the problem. Quirk says there are 22 emergency shelters across the state and they face similar problems. You can learn more about YESS at yessIowa.org.

Filed Under: Human Interest
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