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 …
Saturday, May 11, 2013
The cost of colonoscopies, MRIs, CT scans and mammograms can shift a lot from place to place.
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Saturday, May 11
You can save more than $2,000 by getting an MRI in Polk County than it costs to get the same medical procedure in Story County. The average cost here is $1,570 compared to $3,630 in Story County. The cost in Polk County is also a bit lower than the state average of $2,630. That's according to data from New Choice Health, a private company that encourages people to become smarter healthcare consumers. Other procedures such as colonoscopies are considerably more affordable in Polk County than Story County and, on average, across Iowa. Colonoscopies cost on average $1,990 in Polk County compared to $4,560 in Story County $3,690 across Iowa. Big regional differences for medical procedures have been in the news lately: As the Washington Post …
Friday, May 10, 2013
The West Des Moines businessman says central Iowa can support a second casino in addition to Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino. Urbandale residents said no to plans last fall.
While 60 percent of Warren County voters on Tuesday rejected plans for a Wild Rose casino near Norwalk, developer Gary Kirke says his company is still pursuing plans for a luxury casino in central Iowa. The central Iowa market is underserved, Kirke told the Des Moines Register, noting Council Bluffs has three casinos, and Dubuque has two. Central Iowa can support Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino as well as a second gambling operation Kirke told the newspaper. "Our goal is to have a central Iowa casino, and we’re not going to stop with that goal,” said Kirke, chief executive of Wild Rose Entertainment, in the Register story. “Where that is, I can’t tell you today.” LINK UP WITH PATCH: Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. Have …
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
A Johnston woman, who claims a staff member from the Bachmann presidential campaign stole an email list of homeschoolers, is reportedly in negotiations to settle her lawsuit.
Former GOP presidential hopeful Michele Bachmann is negotiating a settlement with a former campaign worker from Johnston who sued the Minnesota congresswoman over a stolen email list, according to the Star Tribune's report on Wednesday. Barb Heki served as a coordinator of home-school supporters for U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann’s presidential campaign that participated in the January 2012 Iowa caucuses. She claimed fellow staffer and Iowa State Sen. Kent Sorenson stole an email list from her computer in Bachmann’s Urbandale campaign office in 2011. Sorenson's attorney told Patch last year he committed no crime. According to the Star Tribune, Bachmann met with Heki's lawyers in Des Moines on Monday. Heki said in a statement last week she …
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…
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
The three cities now have their own tactical team and officials are now questioning whether the service is worth their investment.
Urbandale is among three Des Moines suburbs considering withdrawal from a joint homeland security agreement with the Des Moines Police Department, the Des Moines Register reports. The three cities – which include West Des Moines, Urbandale and Clive – pay a combined total of $160,700 to be part of the team, the article said. However, they have their own tactical team, and officials told the newspaper they believe there is a duplication of services between the two. The agreement with the Des Moines Police Department developed after the 2001 terrorist attacks on the U.S., according to the Register. Services provided under the agreement include a bomb squad, Metro STAR tactical unit, intelligence assistance, crisis negotiators, a police dive …
A Johnston GOP volunteer says statements last week in an Iowa Senate investigation back up her charge that State Sen. Ken Sorenson stole an email list from her computer and gave it to the Michele Bachmann campaign.
A Johnston woman who has accused a Milo state legislator of stealing her email list told the Des Moines Register she welcomes an Iowa Senate ethics investigation in the case, including statements “that denote first-hand knowledge of the crime.” Barb Heki served as a coordinator of home-school supporters for U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann’s presidential campaign that participated in the January 2012 Iowa caucuses. She said in a statement last week she was grateful former Bachmann campaign aide Chris Dorr of Van Meter had acknowledged removing an email list from Heki’s computer in Bachmann’s Urbandale campaign office. “This public disclosure is a significant milestone. The false statements made about my computer interactions with others are …
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 …
Sipele Quezada
3:33 pm on Sunday, May 19, 2013
Please dont misunderstand, I support securing our borders... that is not the debate... most American's can agree upon that. But King's comments on illegal immigrants and their respect for our country and how they raise children to not respect our country is far-fetched and quite honestly appalling. As to whether our forefathers were here legally is highly debatable. The fact is, they came here to… more ›