Congratulations to the Class of 2009 at Washington High School and the Performing Arts at Washington

We want to wish the Senior Class of 2009 at Washington High School and all our area graduating seniors the very best in the coming year. Commencement for the Class of 2009 was May 29, 2009 at the US Cellular Center for Washington High School.


Summer is in two weeks for the rest of the students in the Cedar Rapids Community Schools. We want to encourage all those in the performing arts, especially marching bands the very best. Here's to next year's Washington High School marching band. We are looking forward to next year's marching band season.




Further, we want to congratulate all those who were named section leaders for the 2009 marching band season, including this young lady to the left, who will be section leader for the clarinets this fall.

I enjoyed my three years at Washington High School. I was a public address announcer for both boy's and girl's basketball programs and played baseball a couple years. I also served on the yearbook and student newspaper staffs.

Washington High School is one of many outstanding high schools in the area.

peace

Watching Game 6 of the NBA's Western Conference Championship

I don't watch a lot of NBA basketball, but I have began to tune into the NBA Playoffs, with the Los Angeles Lakers playing the Western Conference championship. Tonight, after dinner out with most of the family... one family member attended Washington High School's graduation ceremony tonight, so I have tuned in the game on ESPN.

Lakers up 53-40 at the half. Here's the Lakers closing out in Denver tonight...

USA Today's headline today: Leap in U.S. debt hits taxpayers with 12% more red ink

The Friday May 29, 2009 edition of USA Today features an article titled Leap in U.S. debt hits taxpayers with 12% more red ink. The Public Interest Institute at Iowa Wesleyan College has an Institute Brief titled: Iowa’s State Budget: Spending Our Way to a Crisis Again that looks at the issue from our state's prospective.

Our government's financial challenges go far beyond the Republicans and Democrats... as Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Tenn appropriately said, "More and more, people are worried about our fiscal future."

House Republican Leader Kraig Paulsen (R-Hiawatha) today issued the following statement in response to Governor Culver’s recent vetoes and budget bill signings:

“After all the talk of budget cuts and not raising taxes, it’s very
regrettable the governor failed to use his veto pen to protect Iowans’
pocketbooks. This governor just finished signing significant
overspending and what amounts to the largest general fund spending in the
history of Iowa. Furthermore, it raises multiple fees and will definitely
result in Iowans paying more in property taxes. During these tough
economic times we should be looking for ways to help Iowans keep more of their
money.” - Iowa House Minority Leader Kraig Paulsen

As was mentioned... our fiscal future will be an important public policy discussion in the coming months and years. Taxpayers need to get involved in the public discussion with lawmakers and with their neighbors. A good source for information and dialogue is linked here.

National Write Your Congressman’s Mission: To encourage responsible
Americans to use their influence in government to preserve the freedoms set forth
by our Founding Fathers.

peace

As we approach the one year anniversary of the Flood that crippled parts of our community ...

We will likely be seeing more stories like this article in the coming weeks. Here's a story from American Way magazine titled The Rise and Fall of Cedar Rapids, by Stephen J. Lyons.

Our next Big Problem in America: Big Government

The Economist suggests it's Big Government as our next problem in America.

THIS WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS:
Executive pay
Attacking the corporate gravy train
Opposing Sarkozy
All the president's enemies
The origin of swine flu
Piecing it together
Open-source computing
Unlocking the cloud
Twenty years after Tiananmen
The Party goes on

Dear Reader,

Our cover story in Asia this week gives warning of a chain
reaction of proliferation that could result from North Korea's nuclear antics;
if China is at all serious about joining America as a global leader, this is the
time for it to shoulder its responsibility by helping to punish Kim Jong Il.
Elsewhere, our cover leader gives an early warning of a different sort: the
danger that a bigger role for government could pose for American business.
Barack Obama, and his Democratic allies in Congress, risk overreaching in their
zeal to sort out America's troubles. By all means Mr Obama should fix the flaws
of America's free-market capitalism, but he should not take its dynamism for
granted. That dynamism, argues our special report in this issue, means that American business
should emerge from the recession leaner and stronger than ever.
Here are some
other pieces from this week's issue you might also be interested in. You can
click straight through to each one and read it online at Economist.com using the links below.

John
Micklethwait

Editor in Chief

The Review and Preview of Federal Legislation for this week from www.nwyc.com

National Write Your Congressman’s Mission
To encourage responsible
Americans to use their influence in government to preserve the freedoms set
forth by our Founding Fathers.

REVIEW

Credit Card Bill of Rights: The House passed a bill by a vote of 279 - 147 that aims to establish fair and transparent practices relating to the extension of credit. It would require a 45 day advance notice for rate increases and a 30 day advance notice for account closures. The bill goes next to the President to be signed into law. (H.R.627)

FAA Appropriations: The House passed a bill by a vote of 277 - 136 to authorize appropriations for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for 2010 through 2012. It revises requirements for airport improvement programs and directs the FAA to develop a monitoring system for flight service staff and service contracts. (H.R.915)

Job Creation: The House passed the Job Creation Through Entrepreneurship Act by a vote of 406 - 15. It would establish a veterans Business Center program. It would provide entrepreneurial training and procurement assistance to service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses. (H.R.2352)

War Supplemental Appropriations: The Senate passed a bill that would make supplemental appropriations for FY2009 for the Department of Defense. The vote was 86 - 3. The bill provides around $91.3 billion in funding. It was stripped of money for the Guantanamo Bay facility closure. (H.R.2346)

Climate Change: Legislation to address global warming was approved by the House Energy and Commerce Committee. With a goal of creating “green” jobs and driving economic recovery, lawmakers are expressing widely differing points of view. Some want to analyze the “indirect effects” of biofuels. (H.R.2454)

National Institute of Health (NIH): Senate appropriators have expressed an interest in extending the time given to NIH to spend $10.4 billion in new research money it received under the economic stimulus law.

Auto Dealers Reprieve: Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) has proposed using the war funding supplemental to give thousands of Chrysler dealers slated for closure next month a temporary reprieve. (S.1054)

Call for Investigation: The House rejected a Republican resolution to investigate Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) assertions that the CIA misled her during a 2002 classified briefing on harsh interrogation techniques. Agency records indicate that Rep. Pelosi was briefed on the use of waterbording in 2002. She has maintained she did not learn until 2003 that such techniques were used.

Cigarette Smuggling: The House passed legislation aimed at curbing the illegal sale and smuggling of tobacco. The bill would require tobacco sellers to verify the age of buyers who purchase tobacco products online or over the phone. (H.R.1676)

Pentagon Purchasing: The House passed legislation to revamp how the Pentagon purchases major weapons systems. The bill adds new oversight regulations to the Defense Department’s procurement process. (S.454)

Municipal Bond Market: House tax writers report that portions of this year’s economic stimulus law designed to assist the municipal bond market need to be extended and enhanced.

Veterans’ Gun Rights: The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee approved a bill that seeks to ensure that veterans are not wrongfully denied the right to bear arms. More than 117,000 have been determined to need assistance managing their benefit payments and have had their names submitted to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, a database used to prevent individuals with mental illness or criminal records from buying firearms. (S.669)

Renewable Electricity: A renewable power mandate has passed the Senate Energy and Natural Resources committee. It would require that 15 percent of the nation’s electricity come from renewable sources such as wind and solar by 2021, a fivefold increase from the 3 percent produced today.

PREVIEW

The Senate and the House are taking a Memorial Day recess and are scheduled to reconvene Monday, June 1, 2009. The Senate is expected to address the U.S. - Panama Trade Deal. The House will consider a national fuel efficiency policy.

Click here to view this week's R&P Report as a PDF

Robin Tucker

Week of May 26, 2009... hey, what happened to Monday?

My wife asked when am I leaving for Rotary today? I had to remind her that Memorial Day took care of that for this week. So, working to get back into the flow of things, after a three day weekend!

We enjoyed a lovely Memorial Day weekend at home. The weather was nice here in Cedar Rapids. Caught the Kernels 1-0 win on Sunday over the Lansing Lugnuts. It was nice to get out to Memorial Stadium with my brother-in-law, Mike.

The LA Lakers went 1-1 over the weekend in Game 3 and Game 4 of the NBA's Western Conference playoffs...

We hosted Carole's sister and her family for Memorial Day. Now, we have grown by one child for the week, with our niece visiting.

Have a great week everyone!

peace

Welcoming family and enjoying the Lakers tonight

My wife's sister and her family are coming to Cedar Rapids tonight to spend the Memorial Day weekend with us. Carole's sister, Patty is a pharmacist in Omaha, with her husband, Mike, they have two daughters. Patty and I had an interesting experience in philosophy class, while at Creighton University.

We hope everyone is having a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day weekend.

Watching the NBA Western Finals Game 3, Los Angeles Lakers @ Denver Nuggets on ABC tonight. As a lifelong Lakers fan, we hope they can up the series by a game. It's been a close series thus far, and Game 3 appears to be on the right track to continue it that way tonight.

Happy Memorial Day everyone!

Happy Memorial Day weekend everyone!

I changed my layout and added to my content contained in this blog this morning. If you have any comments or feedback, please feel free to let me know.

One of my daughter's commented see liked the colors of my old format, but liked the professional look of the new format.

Have a great Memorial Day weekend everyone!

peace

Saturday, May 23, 2009 of Memorial Day weekend

It's a beautiful day again, the weather this week has been very good in Cedar Rapids.

Congratulations to all our graduating seniors this year, best wishes on your future plans, whether it be college, a career, travel or a new job.

Carole and I have two nieces reaching personal milestones, one graduated from high school in Omaha last weekend and another is headed to high school next year and graduated from 8Th grade this past Thursday.

Happy Memorial Day weekend to you!

peace

Enjoyed Walk for Community in Cedar Rapids

Attended the Walk for Community event held on Thursday, May 21, 2009. It was an outstanding turnout and hopefully will make a impact on the quest for unity in our community.

Have a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day weekend everyone. May 22-25, 2009. Activities in the Cedar Rapids area.

Robin Tucker

This week's NWYC Review and Preview of Federal Legislation

National Write Your Congressman’s Mission
To encourage responsible
Americans to use their influence in government to preserve the freedoms set
forth by our Founding Fathers.

REVIEW

Interrogation Methods: A Senate Judiciary hearing on the Bush administration detainee interrogation methods has broken down into partisan disputes. Though House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) publicly acknowledged that she had been briefed on harsh interrogation methods and knew about waterboarding, lawmakers continued to disagree over whether and how Congress should examine President George W. Bush’s interrogation program.

Energy Bill: The House is continuing work to secure votes to advance an energy bill that is being drafted. Allowances dealing with cap and trade regulations for power plants and refineries are being discussed. Democrats are also close to resolving how to write the bill’s separate standard for low-carbon fuels.Appropriations Bills: Supplemental funding bills face action in both chambers with money for the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the fate of Guantanamo Bay prisoners topping the list of contentious issues. The Senate version will include about $5 billion to account for “default risk” that is associated with an additional $108 billion U.S. contribution to the IMF requested by the administration recently. (H.R.2346)

Surface Transportation Policy: Key Democratic senators outlined their vision for a shift in federal surface transportation policy that would aim to reduce highway congestion by increasing investments in public transit and passenger rail. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) is expected to lead the drafting of a reauthorization bill in her chamber.‘Green’ Schools: The House passed a bill that would authorize billions of dollars for ‘green’ school renovation and modernization projects. The bill, which passed 275-155, would authorize $6.4 billion in fiscal 2010 for school construction projects. (H.R.2187)

Primate Pets: A Senate panel approved a series of bills aimed at restricting the keeping of monkeys and other nonhuman primates as pets. The bill also promotes conservation of cranes, large cats and rare canines such as wolves and coyotes. (H.R.80)

Water Improvement: A Senate panel approved a bill by a vote of 17 - 2 that would reauthorize for the first time in more than 20 years two programs aimed at improving the nation’s aging water infrastructure. (S.1005)

D.C. Vote: Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) reminded Congress that it has been nearly three months since the Senate passed a bill to give D.C. a full voting House member. The delegate, who can vote in committee but not on the floor, is asking why the House hasn’t acted yet. (S.160)

Airline Safety: The Senate is planning to hold a series of hearings focusing on federal rules for the operation of commuter airlines. A February crash of Continental Connection flight into a Buffalo, NY suburb exposed gaps in commuter airline standards. Transportation Security Administration Reauthorization: A House panel approved a bill 22 - 0 that would put the names of Guantanamo Bay detainees on a no-fly list. (H.R.2000)

War Supplemental: The House passed an appropriations bill by a vote of 368 - 60 that would make supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2009. Many anti-war Democrats voted against it. (H.R.2346)

FEMA: Rep. James Oberstar (D-MN) introduced legislation that would restore the Federal Emergency Management Agency to an independent agency. The Obama administration has asked that the Department of Homeland Security house FEMA.(H.R.1174)

Military Personnel: Members of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Pentagon’s senior leaders expressed concerns that not enough military personnel or civilians with the needed skills are working in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) said he might support an authorization for more spending to train and equip Afghan security forces.

PREVIEW
The Senate will consider policy provisions in the supplemental spending bill regarding detainees from Guantanamo Bay prison. The House will continue work on energy legislation.

Click here to view the R&P Report as a PDF
National Write Your Congressman

Rotary Club of Cedar Rapids for 5/18/2009

Robin Tucker, Realtor and Property Manager for Tommy Tucker Realty Co., is a member of the Rotary Club of Cedar Rapids. The Rotary Club of Cedar Rapids meets on Monday's at Noon.

This weeks Rotary Club program:

Monday, May 18, 2009

at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Downtown Cedar Rapids

Program:

JUDGE MICHAEL MELLOY

and

ARCHITECT DAN THIES

New US Federal Court House in Cedar Rapids

Link to KWWL groundbreaking story for the US Federal Court House in Cedar Rapids. More news from google on the new US Federal Court House.

ttrco

Walk for Community - May 21, 2009 (Thursday night)

St. Paul's UMC will host a BBQ between 5:30 to 6:30 pm

Walk begins at 6:30 PM

For more details

Get a bite to eat, then join us for a 20 block walk of support

through the Heart of the City on the East Side

peace

Central Arizona College honors bi-partisan effort in Pinal County, Arizona

Congratulations to my father, in receiving Governing Board Award at Central Arizona College.

From an article in the Central Arizona College web site:

Joe Robison, Tommy Tucker to receive Governing Board Award at Aravaipa Campus graduation on Friday night

The article points out the following about my father, I.L."Tommy" Tucker:

"A native of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Tucker arrived in Pinal County
more than a decade ago. He served as the Linn County Republican Chairman in his
native state.

Tucker has been in the real estate business for more than 50
years having been a real estate board president (Cedar Rapids) and a state real
estate association president (Iowa). He was named the Realtor of the Year in the
city of Cedar Rapids and for the state of Iowa during his career.

For over 30
years Tucker has served the local, state and national associations in the
legislative area. In Cedar Rapids he was a Civil Rights Commissioner for more
than three decades."

My father celebrated his birthday a week ago on May 9Th. My mother, LaVerne Tucker, and my father celebrated their 60Th wedding anniversary on January 9, 2009. Both have been lifelong members of the Republican Party and continue in their community service today.

peace

Cedar Rapids receives top ranking in Next Cities List

The Cedar Rapids Chamber of Commerce newsletter announced the following news today:

Cedar Rapids is ranked fourth in a list of “Next Cities” with a
population of 100,000-200,000 released by Madison , WI based Next Generation
Consulting. “Next Cities” are considered to be the best places to live and
work for young professionals and are evaluated in seven indexes including:
Vitality, Earning, Learning, After Hours, Cost of Lifestyle, Around Town and
Social Capital.

Top 5 Next Cities, population of 100,000 – 200,000

1. Fort Collins, Colorado
2. Charleston, South Carolina
3. Eugene, Oregon
4. Cedar Rapids, Iowa
5. Springfield, Illinois

For more information click
here.

Nice news for the City of Cedar Rapids. Cedar Rapids population is roughly 126,000 and is the county seat of Linn County, Iowa.

Robin Tucker

Great News for two high schools of the Cedar Rapids Community Schools

George Washington High School of Cedar Rapids #1

The Washington High School attendance office sent out the following e-mail this afternoon. As a former Warrior alum and as parents of a current, former and future Warrior student... we are very pleased to learn of this news for our community...

Washington High School has become the state's first public school to
achieve the No. 1 ranking on the "Iowa Advanced Placement Index for the Top 50
Schools."

The index, developed by the University of Iowa College of
Education's Connie Belin and Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted
Education and Talent Development, assesses AP participation among public and
private schools in Iowa. Each school is given an index score based on the ratio
of AP exams taken by all its students divided by the number of its graduation
seniors.

A score of 1.00 means the number of AP exams for a school equals
the number of graduates. Ten schools achieved or surpassed this standard this
year, up from eight last year.

In the latest index, George Washington earned the top score of
2.21; John F. Kennedy High School came in second with a score of 1.73. The other
schools in the top five are Regina High School (a private school), Iowa City;
West High School, Iowa City; and Ames High School.

"This is an incredible accomplishment for both Washington and
Kennedy and the result of an appreciable amount of work on the part of students,
parents, faculty and administration," noted Dr. Dave Markward, Superintendent.
"I tip my hat to everyone involved!"

The Belin-Blank Center developed the index five years ago as part
of a broader effort to encourage and recognize Iowa schools that provide
high-level academic opportunities for high school students. The index is
designed to give a fair comparison of AP opportunity across Iowa
schools.

This week in Washington DC

National Write Your Congressman’s Mission
To encourage responsible
Americans to use their influence in government to preserve the freedoms set
forth by our Founding Fathers.

REVIEW:

Defense Weapons Acquisition: The Senate passed legislation by a vote of 93 - 0 to overhaul the Pentagon’s weapons acquisition process. The bill’s sponsors warned of a potential conference dispute over the details about the role of a new oversight official. (S.454)

Keep Terrorists Out of America Act: House Minority Leader Rep. John Boehner (R-OH) introduced legislation that would seek to keep terrorists from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, detention facilities from being transferred or released into the U.S. (H.R.2294)

Supplemental Spending: A House panel approved a supplemental spending measure that would give the Pentagon rather than the State Department control over $400 million in aid to Pakistan.Foreclosure Legislation: The Senate passed a bill (91 - 5) designed to broaden a federal safety net for homeowners on the brink of foreclosure. The measure would also boost the borrowing authority of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. (S.896)

The House passed a similar bill (H.R.1106) in March but the measures differ substantially in a bankruptcy provision and other key areas. Conferees will now hammer out a final bill to present to the President for his signature.Mortgage Reform: The House voted 300 - 114 in favor of the Mortgage Reform and Anti-Predatory Lending Act that aims to ensure borrowers avoid overly costly mortgages. The bill would ban compensation to loan originators for steering borrowers into higher-priced loans. It would require lenders to ensure borrowers can repay a loan. Under the bill, lenders would face additional liability for offering risky loans and could be forced to either void such mortgage loans or to rework the mortgage into a more stable 30-year fixed rate. Republicans say such language would result in a windfall for trial lawyers. (H.R.1728)

Budget Cuts: The President has asked lawmakers to cut $17 billion in funding from projects that Congress has already approved. The request is part of the fiscal 2010 budget that would eliminate or reduce spending on 121 programs. (S.Con.Res.13)

National Day of Prayer: Several lawmakers criticized President Obama for what they saw as his brush-off of National Day of Prayer observances. Rep. Randy Forbes (R-VA) issued a statement in which he quoted President Obama as saying, “Although … we have a very large Christian population, we do not consider ourselves a Christian nation or a Jewish nation…” Click here for more information on this issue.

Energy Legislation: The energy and climate change legislation that the President has said is top priority appears to have stalled in Congress. Bills that would expand renewable-energy production, overhaul the national electricity grid and cap carbon emissions from fossil fuels are being drafted. Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) has spoken out against the legislation. He said, “I certainly will provide as much push back as I possibly can because I think it’s absolutely the wrong thing to do to raise taxes during a time of recession.”

Financial Fraud Bill: The House passed legislation by a vote of 367 - 59 designed to bolster the government’s ability to combat and recover funds lost to mortgage fraud, securities fraud, financial institution fraud and other frauds related to federal assistance and relief programs such as bailouts. (S.386)

Aviation Financing: The House Ways and Means Committee has indicated support for a bill that would raise additional revenue needed to help modernize the nation’s aging air-traffic control system by raising taxes on some aviation fuels. The proposal would eventually be folded into a $70 billion bill to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration. (H.R.915)

Radio Royalty Fees: A coalition led by Rep. Jesse Jackson (D-IL) has expressed concern that a bill that would require radio to pay royalty fees to performers and their record labels could drive minority broadcasters out of business. Radio is among the most powerful ways to encourage minorities to vote, the representative said. (H.R.848)

PREVIEW:

The House will continue to consider the Truth in Lending Act. The Senate will address immigration and customs enforcement.

Click here to view R&P Report as a PDF

I hope you have enjoyed the R&P Report produced by National Write Your Congressman. We would encourage to to join too. If you have questions, please e-mail us.

It's always a special time for my family around May 8, 2009

• May 8, 2009 - Today is my birthday, along with my cousin's 20 year old son, David.


• May 9, 2009 - My father's birthday is the day after mine. So, Happy birthday to my father, I.L. "Tommy Tucker.


• May 10, 2009 - Happy Mother's Day America! To my own mother, my mother in-law in Omaha and to my wife of 21+ years... Happy Mother's Day!

It's always been a special time of the year for my family growing up and now as we celebrate Mother's Day with our three children. My brother's birthday is on May 5Th, so we don't want to forget him. Thankfully, my sister now has Mother's Day, after growing up with everyone else celebrating something.

peace

It's My brother birthday today... Happy Birthday Terry

May 5th is my brother's birthday. We can celebrate May 5, 2009 - Cinco de mayo, but let's not forget it's Terry Tucker's birthday today.

Here's to you Two T's.

My brother isn't utilizing social networking, such as Facebook or Twitter, but none the less... here's to my brother. If you know my brother, he now lives in Coralville, Iowa and is recovering well from the Flood of 2008 that cost him his home and job. He has a place to live and he is back to work, after some ups and downs along the way!

peace

Final City Planning Meeting scheduled for Neighborhoods

Final Neighborhood Planning Meeting, May 5

We’ve reached a critical point in the Neighborhood Planning Process and the City Council would like to encourage everyone to get involved, and thank all who are already participating. We are beginning to determine final area plans for the flood-affected neighborhoods. The two final meetings –April 25 and May 5 – will determine the outcome of plans for reinvestment in our River Corridor neighborhoods.

Thanks once again to the hundreds of community members who have contributed a total of 4,143 hours of planning in the Neighborhood Planning Process. Your time, ideas and vision for our neighborhoods is shaping critical plans for Cedar Rapids’ future. If you are not yet involved, it’s not too late. Attend upcoming meetings and help Cedar Rapids to recover and not just be better, but greater.

The final area meeting will be held May 5, 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., at the Kirkwood Community College Center for Continuing Education.

The announcement was reprinted from a Cedar Rapids Chamber of Commerce news release.

Robin Tucker

Rotary Club of Cedar Rapids for May 2009

Rotary Club of Cedar Rapids

Monday, May 4, 2009

Monday's at Noon

Crowne Plaza Hotel

Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Today's Program

CHUCK YRIGOYEN
COMMISSIONER OF THE IOWA INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

UPCOMING Rotary Club of Cedar Rapids PROGRAMS & EVENTS

• May 11, 2009 - Willard "Sandy" Boyd, President - Emeritus, The University of Iowa.


• May 18, 2009 - The New Linn County Court House - Speaker to be announced.


• May 25, 2009 - NO ROTARY - IN OBSERVANCE OF THE MEMORIAL DAY HOLIDAY.

Robin Tucker is a member of the Rotary Club of Cedar Rapids. Robin's father, I.L. "Tommy" Tucker is also a member, as was the late I.L. "Irv" Tucker, Robin's grandfather. Our daugher, Cheryl, was a member of Interact at Washington High School for four years.

The Rotary Club of Cedar Rapids meets weekly, except for specific holidays throughout the year. For more information on Rotary International, please visit their web site at http://www.rotary.org/.

Robin Tucker

From the Wall Street Journal May 4, 2009, other comments

Today's reading, includes the Wall Street Journal, the latest issues of The Economist and Edge Business Magazine.

1.WSJ.com - Five Money Lessons for New College Grads
2.WSJ.com - Opinion: How Big Banks Want to Game the Mortgage Mess
3.WSJ.com - Opinion: The Next Housing Bust
4.WSJ.com - Firms Face New Tax Curbs
5.WSJ.com - Banks Get Tougher on Credit Line Provisions
6.WSJ.com - When Safe Places No Longer Feel So Safe
7.WSJ.com - Opinion: As the U.S. Retreats, Iran Fills the Void
8.WSJ.com - New York Fed Chairman's Ties to Goldman Raise Questions
9.WSJ.com - Opinion: Capitalist for the Common Man

After spending last week in and out of the office, due to a head cold, brought on by my allergies...

I am looking forward to getting back to the swing of things, though slowly, with my shoulder injury. I guess my shoulder and sinus infection is telling me to slow down a little.

We start the 2009 Cedar Rapids Independent Church League today, with me on the disabled list, but I wish my teammates/church mates and those everyone playing this year, the very best.

Robin Tucker