Dr. Mariannette Miller-Meeks formally announces in Marion/Cedar Rapids today for U.S. House ...

Pictured are Dr. Miller-Meeks and

Mrs. Grassley accompanying her

during the Marion/Cedar Rapids leg

of her "Let's Make History" tour.

Dr. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, the 2008 Republican nominee in Iowa’s Second Congressional District, formally announced her candidacy Monday, Nov. 30, for her party’s 2010 nomination and a rematch against Rep. David Loebsack.

Miller-Meeks, an Ottumwa ophthalmologist, will make a series of stops in the 15-county district in eastern and southern Iowa. She will be accompanied by Barbara Grassley, spouse of U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley. The schedule of her “Let's Make History” tour is as follows:

• 11:30 a.m. -- Quality Cobbler, Muscatine Mall, 1903 Park Ave., Suite 22, Muscatine;
• 2:00 p.m. -- Hames Homes, 640 Marion Blvd., Marion;
• 4:45 p.m. -- Big River Resources, 15210 103rd St., West Burlington;
• 7:15 p.m. -- Al-Jon Manufacturing, Industrial Airport, 14599 Second Ave., Ottumwa.

Mayor-elect Ron Corbett wants to hear from Flood Victims on Thursday, December 3rd ...

For immediate release

Contact: Ron Corbett

November 30, 2009

Phone: 319-573-5050

Corbett Holds Listening Session for Flood Victims

Ron Corbett, Cedar Rapids Mayor-elect, wants to hear from flood victims.
During his campaign, Corbett said his FIRST priority was to take care of flood
victims.

As the first step toward fulfilling that campaign promise, Corbett is
holding a listening session for flood victims. He wants input and feedback to
find out their needs and gaps during the recovery process. He is also looking
for recommendations on how the city can improve its efforts.

The session will be held on Thursday, December 3 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at
the IBEW Local 405 - 1211 Wiley Blvd SW, across from the Fareway grocery store.
For more information, please visit http://www.roncorbett.com/

Paid for by Corbett for Mayor

Does Iowa get to Fiesta this season?

University of Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz reflects on a regular season filled with great individual plays and great individual stories. (Photo: Darren Miller)

So, do we consider a trip to Arizona for the New Year?

Official Sports Report: November 30, 2009
Ferentz Recalls Regular-Season Highlights
Individual plays, stories stick out during 10-2 season
by Darren
Miller, OSR Managing Editor


IOWA CITY, Iowa - There is still one very big football game left to be
played, but when University of Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz reflects on the 2009
regular season, a few individual plays and a few individual stories move toward
the forefront.

"The first one that comes to mind is Adrian's play at Penn State,"
Ferentz said, in reference to defensive end Adrian Clayborn blocking a
fourth-quarter punt and returning it 53 yards for a touchdown, giving Iowa an
11-10 lead against the Nittany Lions.

Two of Ferentz's other favorites came on the same third-quarter series
at Wisconsin.

"Amari's interception at Wisconsin kind of ignited us a little bit and
Tony's catch right after," Ferentz said.

The Hawkeyes trailed 10-3 at halftime against the Badgers, but Spievey
and Moeaki helped knot the score en route to a 20-10 victory. On second-and-11
from midfield, Spievey intercepted a pass by Wisconsin quarterback Scott
Tolzien. Nine plays later, Moeaki hauled in a 24-yard touchdown pass from Ricky
Stanzi.

In a season of impressive defensive stands, Ferentz tipped his hat to
goal-line varieties at Michigan State on Oct. 24 and against Minnesota on Nov.
21.

With the scored tied 3-3 in East Lansing, the Spartans used a 37-yard
run by Edwin Baker that was cut short by Tyler Sash and Jeremiha Hunter at the
Iowa 1. On first down, the Hawkeyes were whistled for offside, inching the ball
closer to the end zone. Michigan State quarterback Kirk Cousins threw incomplete
on first down. Baker gained no ground on second and third-down rushing attempts and the Spartans settled for a 23-yard field goal in a game the Hawkeyes won,
15-13, on the final play.

Although leading 12-0 early in the fourth quarter, the Gophers appeared
poised to get on the scoreboard in the crucial regular-season finale. Minnesota
recovered a fumble at Iowa's 29 with 13:39 remaining and a pass interference
penalty on the Hawkeyes gave the Gophers first-and-goal from the 2. Minnesota
quarterback MarQueis Gray was stopped for no gain on first down. Running back
Duane Bennett was stopped for no gain on second down. Quarterback Adam Weber threw incomplete on third down. On fourth down, Clayborn and Christian Ballard sacked Weber for a 5-yard loss."

The other thing that jumps out at you are all the individual stories -
Joe Conklin stepping in there. A year ago, nobody would have imagined Joe
actually playing in a game at safety. You think Hunter's not going to play
(against Minnesota), so at least (Jeff) Tarpinian's going to be in there, but he
can't go. Troy Johnson jumps in and ends up being the Big Ten Player of the
Week."

Conklin relieved free safety Brett Greenwood during the victory at
Michigan State and then started for the Hawkeyes against Northwestern, compiling five tackles and a touchdown-saving interception. Against the Gophers, Johnson finished second on the team with 11 tackles, but his contribution didn't stop there. He also had a pass break-up, a sack, a forced fumble and a fumble
recovery.

"We had a lot of great stories that way and then some individual plays
and efforts that were just fantastic," Ferentz said.

The Hawkeyes finished the season 10-2 overall and placed second in the
Big Ten Conference at 6-2. Their bowl destination will become official Dec. 6,
but until then, there will be time for fans to reflect back on the memorable
first 12 games.

"As much as anything, just the resiliency and the grit these guys
demonstrated week in and week out really stands out," Ferentz said. "They
carried an attitude that was so enjoyable to work with."

The University of Iowa football program had a very competitive regular season in 2009. A play here or there could have changed a lot of things for the Hawkeyes. From the excitement vs. UNI, which my UNI daughter and I enjoyed from Kinnick Stadium to the prime time win at Penn State (absent three key offensive players, who went on to become all-Big Ten performers for 2009) to seven other exciting Big Ten battles for the Hawkeyes.

Formal Announcement for Dr. Mariannette Miller-Meeks on Monday in four communites in Iowa's 2Nd Congressional District ...

We are proud to hear the following in the Second Congressional District of the great State of Iowa ...

MEDIA ADVISORY

Dr. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, the 2008 Republican nominee in Iowa’s Second Congressional District, will formally announce her candidacy Monday, Nov. 30, for her party’s 2010 nomination and a rematch against Rep. David Loebsack.

Miller-Meeks, an Ottumwa ophthalmologist, will make a series of stops in the 15-county district in eastern and southern Iowa. She will be accompanied by Barbara Grassley, spouse of U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley. The schedule of her “Let's Make History” tour is as follows:

11:30 a.m. -- Quality Cobbler, Muscatine Mall, 1903 Park Ave., Suite 22, Muscatine;

2:00 p.m. -- Hames Homes, 640 Marion Blvd., Marion;

4:45 p.m. -- Big River Resources, 15210 103rd St., West Burlington;

7:15 p.m. -- Al-Jon Manufacturing, Industrial Airport, 14599 Second Ave., Ottumwa.

Reporters or editors who have questions about one of these events or need additional information about Miller-Meeks should contact Eric Woolson at (515) 681-3967. Thank you.

# # # #

We encourage everyone to get to know Mariannette. She will make an outstanding representative for the citizens of the 2Nd Congressional District of the State of Iowa. As parents of three daughters, we encourage everyone to get active and support Mariannette in her run for the 2Nd Congressional District.

Enjoying Thanksgiving with family this holiday weekend ...

We want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving where ever your travels may take you ...

Food, fun, conversation, college football and basketball, movies, reflection and more!

peace

Do we have the right URL for my blog?

Well, my blog is http://robintuckercrd2.blogspot.com/.

• We live in Cedar Rapids = CR


• We live in District 2 Cedar Rapids = CRD2


• Further, we live in the 2Nd Congressional District of the State of Iowa = D2


• We are thankful to live in the United States of America.


• We are thankful to live in the State of Iowa.


• We are thankful to live in the City of Cedar Rapids.

When we reflect on things, the name of my blog is fine. Despite our concerns over the lack of limited spending, the lack of limited government, our Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness; this is a week for Thanksgiving. There are plenty of concerns in our life today. From the discussions of health care reform to Cap and Trade to more government spending: but, clearly the glass is half full, rather than half empty. So, we are going to focus on the real meaning of Thanksgiving this week.

Thanksgiving is all about God and thanking him for the
gifts of life, love, joy, and more. Yes, we get to see family and friends and we
get to eat a great meal. But our central purpose should be to give thanks to
God. Hmmm, maybe Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday after all. - Stacey
Schifferdecker

Have a safe and enjoyable week of Thanksgiving where ever your travels may take you. We wish you the very best and are thankful for our many friends, customers, neighbors and those of you take the time to read my blogs.

peace

The R&P Report on Federal Legislation for Monday, November 23, 2009 ...

As a member of nwyc.com, we received our weekly R & P Report ...

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

Senate Health Care Legislation is Unveiled: Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) presented a 2,074-page draft bill designed to expand coverage for the uninsured. It would reduce federal spending on Medicare, Medicaid and other federal health programs by $491 billion in 2010-2019, according to an estimate prepared by the Congressional Budget Office and the Joint Committee on Taxation. Click here to express your opinion on this issue.

Vote to Proceed on Senate Health Care Bill: On Saturday, the Senate voted 60-39 in favor of moving to debate on the health care bill. All 60 members of the Democratic Conference voted in favor of the procedural vote and all Republicans voted against the move. (H.R.3590)

Reading the Health Care Bill Aloud: Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) who has said he would force Senate clerks to read the proposal aloud on the chamber floor, indicated that he would make that demand when the Senate returns the week of Nov. 30.

Using a Shell Bill: Because the House health care bill was unpopular, Senate lawmakers are not using it as a basis for their measure. Instead, they are inserting their bill into a separate, unrelated House-passed bill - H.R.3590. They will then strip the text from the shell bill and use it as a vehicle for their health care bill.

Public Option: The Senate bill would create a new government-run insurance plan, or public option, to compete with private insurers. States could opt out of participating in this plan.

Abortion: The Senate bill restricts federal funding for abortion by requiring new government-run insurance marketplaces called “exchanges” to offer at least one plan that covers abortion and one that does not. Exchange plans that cover abortion — including the public option — would be required to segregate revenue collected from individuals from federal subsidy revenue collected from the government.

Click here to express your opinion on this issue.

Surtax: The health care bill would impose a surtax on high-cost “Cadillac” insurance plans to help finance coverage of the uninsured. Plans that cost more than
$8,500 for individuals and $23,000 for families would be charged a surtax. States with high health costs will get a $3,000 increase in the thresholds.

Air Traffic Glitch: After an equipment glitch by a Federal Aviation Administration contractor caused a nationwide wave of flight cancellations and delays, lawmakers are asking the inspector general responsible for the agency to fast-track a review of the problem.

Regulatory Overhaul: The House Financial Services Committee voted to give a panel of federal regulators the authority to step in and break apart institutions whose impending failure is threatening to undermine the economy. By a vote of 38-29, the panel voted to broaden a bill intended to give sweeping power to the government to guard against “systemic risk” in the financial system. (H.R.3996)

Tobacco Smuggling: A Senate Committee approved legislation aimed at curbing the illegal sale and smuggling of tobacco. (S.1147)

Ban on Nuclear Waste Imports: A House panel approved legislation that would ban the importation of low level nuclear waste into the U.S. (H.R.515)

PREVIEW

Jobs-Creation Measure: Ideas are being discussed for legislation that would create jobs. The 10.2 percent unemployment rate has prompted congressional Democrats to show voters that they are focused on job creation.

Long-Term Highway Bill: Senate lawmakers are drafting a multi-year surface transportation bill with the goal of finishing it by next spring, if Congress moves quickly on a six-month extension. (H.R.3617)

Medicare Physician Payments: An endorsement from the Obama administration is expected to give lawmakers in the House added momentum to pass a measure that would halt a deep cut in Medicare physician payment rates. Congress is on Thanksgiving recess this week.

Your next R&P Report will be sent Dec. 7.

Click here to view the R&P Report as a PDF

It is Thanksgiving week, there is much to be thankful for. We wish everyone a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving where ever your travels may take you.

News today has been interesting to say the least. We have learned about a death of a friend's father; an illness of a long-term resident in our community and fellow Rotarian; and an accident of a great person who serves the community with his hands, who suffered a hand injury. Our prayers and thoughts go out to all those in our community as we head into this time of Thanksgiving.

peace

Rotary Club of Cedar Rapids meeting for November 23, 2009 ...

Robin Tucker is scheduled to attend today's Rotary Club of Cedar Rapids meeting at Noon. Robin celebrated his 20Th year anniversary as a member of Rotary International in September of this year.

The Rotary Club of Cedar Rapids is now on Twitter! Link

Monday, November 23, 2009

CROWNE PLAZA HOTEL

Today's Speaker and Program:
John Sorensen, President/CEO

Iowa Bankers Association

Robin Tucker

Wishing all a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving week where ever your travels may take you ...

Noticed a web site today on the importance of teaching children the meaning of Thanksgiving. When we think of Thanksgiving, family is often the first thought that comes to mind. For me, it is often about my mother and many of the small traditions she included in the holiday, as I grew up in our family.

We agree with Stacey ...

Thanksgiving is all about God
and thanking him for the gifts of life, love, joy, and more. Yes, we get to see
family and friends and we get to eat a great meal. But our central purpose
should be to give thanks to God. Hmmm, maybe Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday
after all. - Stacey Schifferdecker

A good read heading into the Thanksgiving week is the following article on the web.

Teaching Children The Meaning of Thanksgiving - Stacey Schifferdecker

We welcomed our oldest home for this week from college. Further, the Cedar Rapids Community Schools offer our children a week off for both Thanksgiving and the end of the first trimester of the 2009-10 academic year. Thanksgiving provides a great opportunity to reflect ...

By the way, did you know that academic studies show that thankful people
have higher vitality, more optimism, and less stress and depression than the
population as a whole? How great is it that something we should do anyway
actually makes us healthier and happier people. What a wonderful legacy we can
leave our children by teaching them to be thankful each and every day of their
lives. - Stacey Schifferdecker

Carole and I took a drive down to Wapello County today to visit with Dr. Mariannette Miller-Meeks and others. We encourage you to learn more about Mariannette in the coming year. We are very thankful of Mariannette. We look forward to the good news she is planning to deliver shortly after the Thanksgiving holiday to Iowans living in the 2Nd Congressional District.

peace

It's time for the Battle of Floyd of Rosedale once again in the Big Ten ...

It's the final regular season game of the year for both the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Minnesota Golden Gophers today. This year's game will take place at Kinnick Stadium, with an 11:00 am Kickoff on ESPN. The two Big Ten programs will face for their annual battle for the Floyd of Rosedale trophy.

The memories of Iowa's resounding 55-0 win last year in the final game of the Metrodome are long past, after Iowa's solid, but bitter sweet 9-2 campaign thus far in 2009. Both teams are bowl eligible, with Iowa (9-2) and Minnesota (6-5). Can a win today propel Iowa to a BCS at-large bowl bid? The Hawkeyes are 7-3 vs. the Gophers in the Kirk Ferentz era.

Look for the Hawkeyes to take care of business on Senior Day, continue to show resilience. It will be a tough game at times. Haven't they all been throughout the 2009 season for Iowa? But, Iowa usually gets it done, when the Golden Gophers come to town for Senior Day!

Iowa will honor 17 seniors today's as the take the field at Kinnick Stadium. Look for Iowa to get separation by the end of the game for another celebration with Floyd remaining in Iowa City for another year.

Robin Tucker

Do you support the inclusion of abortion coverage in health care reform legislation? ...

We received the following e-mail today from nwyc.com.

A service of National Write Your Congressman

www.nwyc.com

Friday, November 20, 2009

Action Alert

Abortion Options in Health Care Bills
Mr Robin B Tucker, both the House and Senate have options for abortion
coverage in their respective bills, but the scope of coverage is quite
different. The House legislation prohibits the use of federal funds to provide
abortions, except in the cases of rape, incest or danger to the mother’s life.
This language is an extreme divergence from the Senate bill, which explicitly
requires abortion coverage in some plans, but not to be paid for with tax
dollars.

The Senate bill would require elective abortion coverage in a
government-run “public option,” which would have a higher annual cost to cover
the procedure. The Senate measure would also explicitly require that
government-run health care packages offer at least one plan that covers abortion
and one that does not.

Opponents of the abortion language say that if adopted, it would be a
significant departure from current law, which forbids federal funding for
abortion, except in extreme cases. They add that the inclusion of the language
represents a first-ever federal mandate for abortion coverage.

Meanwhile, supporters of the language point out that while abortion
procedures would be available in government-run plans, the participant would be
required to pay for the procedure as part of their annual premium for the
package. They say this ensures that federal funds are not being used to cover
abortions, even though it is a federal plan that offers the procedure.

Do you support the inclusion of abortion coverage in health care
reform legislation?

Click here to voice your opinion on this issue!

Voice your opinion now!

If the above link to the ballot does not work, try pressing the 'Back'
button on your browser, or copy and paste the following text in your address
bar:

Abortion Options in Health Care Bills: http://www.spesend.net/SpeClicks.aspx?X=2R0QE581HR2KZVLW02YQWS

Thursday, Novmember 19, 2009: Joint Cedar Rapids Metro Area Rotary Club Event ...

Robin Tucker is scheduled to attend today's joint meeting of the seven Cedar Rapids Metro Area Rotary Clubs from 11:30 am to 1 pm at the Kirkwood Center for Continuing Education.

The Rotary Club of Cedar Rapids is now on Twitter! Link

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Kirkwood Center for Continuing Education

Today's Speaker and Program:

The seven Cedar Rapids Metro area Rotary clubs will join together to hold a luncheon to build public awareness for polio and to raise money to help eradicate polio one and for all. Doug Oberman (read more below), a successful Waterloo lawyer and international speaker on polio will share his inspiring life story and the impact polio has had on his life.

Many of us know someone who had a brush with the crippling disease which mainly
strikes children. But Rotarian Doug Oberman of Cedar Falls has a very
personal experience. Doug was a normally active boy until one day
when he was eight. Polio robbed him of the use of his hands and arms, but
not his spirit. Although Doug has slept in an iron lung for over 50 years,
he graduated from college and law school and had a successful law practice for
29 years.

In 2002 Rotary asked Doug to travel to Barcelona,
Spain to address its international convention. Although the ordeal of
getting his iron lung onto the place was replayed four times, he made it and was
the hit of the event. Later he traveled to Rotary meetings in Cleveland
and Windsor, Canada where he gave powerful presentations about his passion
for making polio only the second disease ever eradicated. - Rotary West

Robin Tucker

#10 Iowa at #11 Ohio State in the Horseshoe for all the Roses today, 2:30 CT on ABC/ESPN

David vs. Goliath

As defined by ESPN's "College Game Day" today; and others throughout the week leading up to today's game. Iowa has "zero chance" in a game where Vegas calls Iowa as high as a 17 1/2 point underdog on the road today.

The #11 Ohio State Buckeyes (8-2, 5-1 in the Big Ten) host the #10 Iowa Hawkeyes (9-1, 5-1 in the Big Ten) in their famous stadium know as the Horseshoe. The game will determine who the Big Ten representative is in this year's Rose Bowl game in Pasadena, California.

Ohio State is going for their fifth outright or shared Big Ten title in the past five years. Ironically, the Buckeyes haven't played in the Rose Bowl, since 1996, since they have played in three BCS title games. Iowa hasn't played in the Rose Bowl, since 1991. The Hawkeyes haven't beat Ohio State in Columbus, since the 1991 season.

The Hawkeyes opened up to a 9-0 start for the first time in the school's history this season. But, in the second quarter last week, the Hawkeyes lost their #1 QB, in Ohio native Ricky Stanzi, and the likely bowl-bound Northwestern Wildcats pulled out the win at Kinnick Stadium 17-10.

It's Iowa in the David role and Ohio State in the Goliath role. If Iowa QB James Vandenberg is looking to make it a solo role for David, then Iowa has no chance on Saturday. Championships are won by teams, not individuals in football. The Big Ten Conference will determine who is heading to the Rose Bowl today. It will be one of the 'eyes. Either Hawk or Buck ...

Iowa needs to Just Do It! The time and opportunity will be there for 60 minutes in Columbus today. As former Iowa head coach J. Hayden Fry used to say, "scratch where it itches." Iowa, especially QB Vandenberg, needs to take what the defense will give. Iowa's defense will have to play some of their best football of the season. Iowa's special teams will have to play the best football of the season, as well.

Iowa football under coach Kirk Ferentz is clearly "not sexy." Opponents often know what the Iowa Hawkeyes are planning to do. The philosophy is fueled on execution and taking care of one's own individual assignment. When Iowa beat Duke in basketball in the 1990s, under former head basketball coach Dr. Tom Davis... the Duke coach talked about the "sum of the parts" the Iowa team displayed that day.

It will take a Team effort today. Solid offense, special teams and defense pulling together and taking care of the their individual assignments and executing the play. Our coaching staff will have to be at the top of their game too. We can't afford a high mix of turnovers, miscues and penalties in Columbus. We need to win the battle of the breaks. We need to put the Buckeyes in poor field position, long downs and force them to march down the field. The defense must come up big! As we know, defense wins championships!

Just Do It Iowa!

peace

I will not likely be seeing this game. I have a conflict, which is part of the landscape of life. I didn't see the game in 1987 either, which was Iowa's first win in my lifetime in the Horseshoe. Let's hope our tight ends step up in today's game.

Robin Tucker

By the way, Iowa is a Nike school, so ... Just Do It!

Absentee or Early Voting is Now Available in Linn County for the HD33 Special Election and the Runoff Election for the City of Cedar Rapids ...

Reminder for those living in Cedar Rapids, Iowa:

• The Special Election in Iowa House District 33 will occur on Tuesday, November 24 for people living in SE, SW and NW precincts in Cedar Rapids. For more information Voters in Precincts 1-11 Cedar Rapids will be selecting a new House Member to represent them in Des Moines. Don't forget to vote on Election Day or through absentee or early voting at the Linn County Auditor's Office.


• In the City of Cedar Rapids, a Runoff Election for the City Council District 3 position and one At-Large position will take place on Tuesday, December 1, 2009. Absentee voting and in-person voting at the Linn County Auditor's Office has begun and is encouraged. For more information All Cedar Rapids voters have the opportunity to vote for one candidate and voters in District 3 have two candidates to vote for in this Runoff Election.

Robin Tucker

What is on the Horizon in 2010 in the State of Iowa?

Locally, we have candidates that will seek re-election or an opportunity to serve in 2010 ...

• Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA, pictured), who is developing a good use of social networking with the public both young and old. He will seek to continue to represent the Great State of Iowa in Washington D.C. We wish Chuck well in 2010 in his re-election.


• The position for Second District Representative for the State of Iowa will be contested again. The person we are most interested in is Dr. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA, pictured), who we anticipate in the next 30 days will announce her intent to run for the Republican nomination for U.S. House in the 112Th Congress for the State of Iowa.


• Ahead of 2010, on November 24Th, there is a special election for House District 33 in the Iowa State House. I have had the pleasure to meet one of the candidates. Next week, I will have another opportunity to meet both candidates at a Government Affairs meeting for the CRAAR.


• Don Karr is running for At-Large City Council in a City Runoff Election. We wish Don the very best in his Runoff.


• The City Runoff Election is for two position on the Cedar Rapids City Council. The Runoff will be held on December 1st. Four positions were already determined during the general election on November 3rd, including our new mayor, Ron Corbett.


• We agree on Ron Corbett's suggestion for 2010 for Mayor Pro Tem in the article today in The Gazette.


• We know our State House and State Senator will be up for re-election in Tyler Olson (Dem.) and Rob Hogg (Dem.), respectively. The Primary Election in the State of Iowa for 2010 will June 8, 2010. Interested in running, here are important dates for various races?


• The 2010 County Caucuses will be on January 23, 2010 at 1 pm statewide in the State of Iowa. Both the Democrat and Republican parties of Iowa will be holding joint caucuses on the same day.

Don't forget to vote, when the opportunity arises. Further, we hope these important dates on the upcoming Election Calender for the State of Iowa will be of help to you.

Wow, we didn't even get into the race for Governor or the other executive branch offices in the State of Iowa. I do know State Auditor David A. Vaudt will be seeking re-election. He was the program at the Rotary Club of Cedar Rapids this past Monday.

Iowa State Auditor Budget Update - YouTube
6 min - May 13, 2009
Iowa State Auditor Dave Vaudt presents a five minute overview of the state's finances.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvmsvW6fbuY

Robin Tucker

Happy Veterans Day: November 11, 2009 ...

We salute those who serve and have served in our Armed Forces, especially those
members who gave the greatest sacrifice to our country.

Happy Veterans Day America!

peace

P.S. - Our offices at Tucker Manufacturing Co., Inc. and Tommy Tucker Realty Co. are open today to be of service to all ...

Flood Relief Benefit Concert scheduled for Saturday in Cedar Rapids: November 14Th ...

Update from CR Small Business Recovery on upcoming event in the community on Saturday, November 14!

"Flood Them With Love" Concert Fundraiser This Saturday

Aeroroot will perform to benefit local flood affected families

This Saturday, November 14, the group "Flood Them With Love" will hold a concert fundraiser for flood-affected families. This concert will feature Aeroroot, a local corporate band made up of Frontier Natural Products employees--100% of the proceeds from this event will go directly to families who have survived the flood of 2008. Every $5, $10 and $20 donation will help these families meet some of their immediate needs.

Concert Details:

When: Saturday, November 14 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm (or come early and watch the Iowa game!)

Where: Third Street Saloon (1202 Third St. SE in Cedar Rapids)

Cost: Admission to the concert is a free-will donation or a gift card from Target, K-Mart, Wal-Mart, Hy-Vee, Fareway, Home Depot or Menards Note:

Must be 21 and over to attend.

About Aeroroot:

After a world-wide search, Aeroroot was selected and competed in the finals of Fortune Magazine's 9Th Annual Corporate Battle of the Bands at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, OH on October 3, 2009. Aeroroot was established nearly 5 years ago when the four band members decided to form a band for the company Christmas party at Frontier Natural Products in Norway, IA.

About "Flood Them With Love":
Flood Them With Love was established to help flood survivors with immediate needs. The group has raised over $80,000 plus over $100,000 through its partner, Horizons. The group is made up of volunteers with 100% of donations going directly to flood survivors.

P.S. - One of the members of the band is Steve Krusie of Cedar Rapids. It's great to hear that Steve and his band mates are involved in this community benefit.

RP Report on Federal Legislation for November 9, 2009 ...

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

Health Care Legislation (Go to www.nwyc.com for updated information)

House (H.R.3962): Lawmakers in the House are dealing with concerns over abortion services, immigration and the price tag of the 1,990 page health care overhaul measure. At press time the measure was headed for a vote during a rare Saturday session.

Even as the vote drew near, some anti-abortion lawmakers were asking for stronger guarantees against the use of federal funds to pay for abortions. The bill would neither require insurance plans to cover abortion nor forbid it.

The bill would require the government-run “public option” plan to cover abortions in the event of rape, incest or when the pregnancy could be fatal to the mother. The administration would be empowered to decide whether the public option would also cover elective abortion. It would have to use funds collected as premiums to pay for the procedure. Liberals were continuing to seek a more robust public insurance option.
Lawmakers decided the bill’s language on the immigration issue will remain intact despite the view of some that tighter restrictions are needed to prevent illegal immigrants from obtaining health insurance.

Senate (S.1796) (S.1679): The Senate is continuing to work on its health care overhaul measure with no vote expected in the near future. In a letter to Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT), the heads of three major integrated health systems said a proposal to tax health insurance companies and raise $60.4 billion over a decade would be unfair to their industry.

Science Funding: In a 60-39 vote, the Senate agreed to move forward on its version of a bill that would provide $65.1 billion in fiscal 2010 for the departments of Commerce and Justice, and other agencies such as NASA and the National Science Foundation.(H.R.2847)

Sidestepping the GOP in Cap and Trade: Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) used an unusual
procedural maneuver to push global warming legislation through her committee last Thursday. The bill was approved without a single Republican present. Committee rules require at least two members of the minority to be present for votes on amendments and to approve legislation.

After Republicans made it clear that they would stay away from the markup until they were satisfied with the cost of the bill, Sen. Boxer used a broad interpretation of the rules that allows the committee to report out legislation with a simple majority vote on a bill — but no votes on amendments. (S.1733)

Click here to voice your opinion on this issue.

Unemployment Compensation: The House passed legislation that will extend unemployment benefits for jobless Americans across the nation, continue a popular tax credit for homebuyers and offer tax relief to money-losing businesses. (H.R.3548)

PREVIEW

Employment Discrimination: Lawmakers will be considering legislation to outlaw employment discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in 2010. (S.1584)

Federal Reserve Transparency: A bipartisan pair of House negotiators say they agree in principle on legislation to beef up government auditing of the Federal Reserve, but a deal on exact language has not been made. (H.R.1207)

Tax Evasion: Some Democratic lawmakers are trying to move legislation that would impose new IRS reporting requirements on foreign financial institutions. The bill would give the IRS more data to detect fraud and tax evasion. It would raise $8.5 billion over 10 years. (H.R.3933) (S.1934)

Financial Regulatory Overhaul: The House Financial Services Committee will take two more weeks to finish work on a financial regulatory overhaul package. The measure is designed to mitigate the broad economic risks posed by the largest financial institutions, one of the last pieces of a regulatory overhaul package. (H.R.2609)

Click here to view the R&P Report as a PDF

Rotary Club of Cedar Rapids meeting for November 9, 2009 ...

Robin Tucker is scheduled to attend today's Rotary Club of Cedar Rapids meeting at Noon. Robin is celebrated his 20Th year anniversary as a member of Rotary International in September 2009.

The Rotary Club of Cedar Rapids is now on Twitter! Link

Monday, November 9, 2009

CROWNE PLAZA HOTEL

Today's Speaker and Program:
Dave Vaudt, Auditor

State of Iowa

Robin Tucker

Despite the disappointing loss, the University of Iowa football team heads to Columbus next weekend for a game that will determine plenty ...

Can Iowa's freshman QB James Vandenberg join USC's Matt Barkley and Purdue's Joey Elliott as QBs that have been a part of teams that have beat Ohio State in 2009?

Barkley was playing his 2Nd college football game vs. Ohio State in Columbus this season, when USC beat OSU 18-15. Joey Elliott and Purdue's 26-18 win was even more surprising, since Ohio State was going for a record win streak on the road.

Now, the game in the Horseshoe this Saturday is for the Big Ten title and a trip to the Rose Bowl. Ohio State has lost one game in Columbus already. At Purdue, a record win streak was on the line, but OSU came up short. Maybe, the Iowa game can be 'three's a charm' for a Hawkeye team needing a little something, after the loss on Saturday.

Iowa needs to build on five major categories in Columbus:

1. Defense,
2. Special Teams,
3. Turnovers,
4. Field Position,
5. Coaching Adjustments!

Iowa's quarterback situation is what it is. Ohio State's quarterback needs to be forced into mistakes by the Iowa defense. Iowa must avoid beating themselves and giving their opponent a short field, which is how Northwestern won vs. Iowa on Saturday.

Iowa is 9-1, 5-1 in the Big Ten and is still playing for a Big Ten title, despite Iowa's disappointing 10-17 loss vs. Northwestern at Kinnick Stadium on Saturday. Ohio State is 8-2, 5-1 in the Big Ten and is going for it's fifth straight share or outright Big Ten title in five years.

The loss of QB Ricky Stanzi is huge for Iowa. As our the losses of RB Adam Robinson, OL Dace Richardson, WR/PR Colin Sandeman and FS Brett Greenwood have been the past two weeks. The "next man in" motto has always been a part of Iowa football under coach Kirk Ferentz.

Iowa opened the season with the loss of RB Jewel Hampton and CB Jordan Bernstine. The loss of WR/PR Paul Chaney earlier in the season required some adjustments. In Iowa's biggest game to date this season, the Hawkeyes won 21-10 at Penn State, despite missing the play of WR Derrell Johnson-Koulianos, LT Bryan Bulaga and TE Tony Moeaki.

Iowa still has to play out the season and see what happens. Ohio State is playing outstanding football, after a 24-7 win at Penn State this weekend. But, will the pressure of playing in front of the home crowd impact the Buckeyes? Ohio State is still a young team.

The coaching staff and players at Iowa will have to circle the wagons this week. If Iowa can get a lead and build on it, as Purdue did in their upset win, maybe Iowa can find some mojo again? In the past wins at Columbus, the TE came up big. Can we see a repeat of Marv Cook (in '87) and Alan Cross' ('91) magic in the form of TE Tony Moeaki or some other special group of Hawkeyes in 2009?

On Iowa!

Hawkeyes-Wildcats at Kinnick today!

Carole and I attended the City High-Washington high school football game Friday night in Iowa City at Bates Field. The Washington Warriors closed out a good season in the quarterfinals of the Class 4A playoffs. Congratulations to the Warriors.

Time to swing back to Iowa City for today's Big Ten football game between: Iowa and Northwestern. My daughter is finished with marching band season for the Warriors, so we will make it a game at Kinnick Stadium today.

Lets get to 10-0 Hawks!

It may not be 62-10, like 2002, but a Hawkeye win at Kinnick to get to 10-0 will be sweet music for Hawkeye fans everywhere!

Robin Tucker

This week with the Rotary Club of Cedar Rapids ...

The Rotary Club of Cedar Rapids will take part in a wonderful joint all-Metro Rotary Club Meeting on Thursday, November 19, 2009.

At Ron Corbett's victory celebration on Tuesday night at the IBEW Hall on Wiley Blvd., I had the chance to talk to Doug Laird, our Club's President-Elect about the upcoming event. It will be a wonderful speaker in Doug Olberman, who suffers from polio.

The meeting will be at Kirkwood Community College Continuing
Education Center on November 19 at 11:30 A M. Admittance will be only
with a ticket and we don't believe there will be an opportunity to purchase at
the door.

The speaker will be Doug Olberman, an attorney from Cedar Falls, who
will speak in support of PolioPlus. Doug was struck with Polio when he was
8 years old and slept in an iron lung for over 50 years while graduating from
college and law school and enjoying a successful law practice for 29
years.

Tickets are $20. Please let Larry Christy (363-6301)(crrotary@mchsi.com) know as soon as
possible if you want a ticket. He will bill your Rotary account. $20
tickets can also be purchased on the Cedar Rapids West web site (www.crwestrotary.org).

Ripples From the Rapids, written by Editor Larry Christy, the following was mentioned about our program for Monday, November 2, 2009 for the Rotary Club of Cedar Rapids.

DR. BEN ALLEN, PRESIDENT, THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN
IOWA

Benjamin J. Allen was named the ninth president of the
University of Northern Iowa in April 2006. His educational background
includes a B.S. in Business Economics from Indiana University and an M.A. and
Ph.D. in Economics from The University of Illinois. Before joining the
University of Northern Iowa, he was Vice President for Academic Affairs and
Provost at ISU.

The University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls was founded in
1876. It has an instructional faculty of over 850 and more than 120
undergraduate majors. Its student body is composed 92% Iowans. The
University’s 2009 fall enrollment was 13 thousand including 11.1 thousand
undergraduate students and 1.9 thousand graduate
students.

Dr. Allen is still excited about being President of
the University of Northern Iowa despite the current difficult financial
challenges like the current across-the-board 10-percent budget cut for fiscal
2010 the Regent Universities are all facing. The new budget reduction equates to
an approximately $8.8 million additional cut for UNI. Declining funding
presents a bigger problem for UNI as the University relies more heavily on state
funding than the UI or ISU. This cut along with recent decreases in state
appropriations represents a reduction in state funds for UNI of $23 million, or
25 percent, since November 2008.

Dr. Allen set a priority to move UNI from a “very good”
undergraduate educational experience to a “great” undergraduate educational
experience by strengthening its already strong liberal arts programs and
selecting a handful of other programs like accounting for additional investment
and strengthening. He wants UNI to be the leading academic institution in
the state in addressing Pre-K through 12 issues and producing the best possible
teachers (approximately 25% of Iowa’s current teachers graduated from
UNI). Doing this has required increased collaborations, better connection
to the Pre-K-12 effort and the need to grow enrollment both from Iowa and out of
state.

More state funding, not less, is needed. Dr. Allen says the
funding cuts will require substantial, structural changes to the university and
sizable slashing of programs and initiatives will be necessary. Everything
is on the table; salary reductions, temporary layoffs/furloughs, a tuition
surcharge, postponing non-essential maintenance and repairs, potential program
eliminations and selling of non-essential assets will be considered.

He hopes to seize on opportunities to collaborate
wherever possible with the UI and ISU and he wants to retain the guiding
principles of the university and keep them intact throughout this process.
Reductions will be made as strategically as possible.

Our next Rotary Club of Cedar Rapids meeting will feature the following program.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2009

Noon
THE CROWNE PLAZA HOTEL
DAVE VAUDT,

AUDITOR of STATE OF IOWA

Robin Tucker

Tuesday, November 3 is Election Day in Cedar Rapids, Iowa ...

Make sure that on Tuesday, November 3, you find time to cast your vote. Voting day information, including candidate profiles can be found on the Linn County Auditors web site.

Being a resident of District 2 Cedar Rapids, we will get to vote

for Mayor and two At-Large positions on the City of Cedar Rapids City Council.

Robin Tucker

R&P Report from nwyc.com for November 2, 2009 ...

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

Health Care Legislation: House Democratic leaders unveiled a comprehensive health care bill that differs from a Senate health care plan in the way it would finance the overhaul.

Public options are similar in the measures, though the Senate bill is expected to include a provision allowing states to “opt out” of participation if their legislatures pass a law rejecting the plan and their governors sign it. House Democrats want to finance the expansion of insurance coverage by levying a surtax on people earning more than $500,000 a year. Senate Democrats want to levy an excise tax on insurance plans with high premiums. Both the House and Senate bills would create health insurance “exchanges” — regulated marketplaces where people without insurance could shop for coverage. Both would subsidize the purchase of private insurance for low-income people, and both would expand Medicaid.

Floor debate is scheduled for this week. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that the legislation would cost less than $900 billion over 10 years, which is President Obama’s spending target for the measure. (H.R.3200)

PREVIEW

Unemployment Compensation: The Senate is expected to vote this week on a measure that would allow unemployed individuals in all 50 states to draw an extra 14 weeks of benefits, with six more weeks available to those in states with a jobless rate exceeding 8.5 percent. (H.R.3548)

Click here to view a list of unemployment rates for states.

Powers of the Fed: Lawmakers are considering draft legislation that would create a Financial Services Oversight Council to determine if firms pose a threat to the economy. It would require the Fed to gain approval from the Treasury secretary before providing money under certain conditions.

Homebuyer Tax Credit: Negotiators have reached an agreement on legislation that would extend the $8,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers for sales contracts entered into by April 30, 2010, and closed within 60 days. It would also add a $6,500 credit for some owners of existing homes. It is still unclear what measure the proposal will be attached to. Click here to voice your opinion on this issue.

Credit Rating Rules: House lawmakers will be considering a bill that would require the Security Exchange Commission to strengthen regulations of credit rating firms. It would require banking regulators to report to Congress on modifications. (H.R.3890)

Click here to view the R&P Report as a PDF

Rotary Club of Cedar Rapids meeting for November 2, 2009 ...

Robin Tucker is scheduled to attend today's Rotary Club of Cedar Rapids meeting at Noon. Robin is celebrated his 20Th year anniversary as a member of Rotary International in September 2009.

The Rotary Club of Cedar Rapids is now on Twitter! Link

Monday, November 2, 2009

CROWNE PLAZA HOTEL

Today's Speaker and Program:
Dr. Ben Allen, President

The University of Northern Iowa

Robin Tucker

P.S. - Our daughter, Cheryl, is a student at the University of Northern Iowa.

November 1, 2009: Beautiful Autumn Day Today ...

The weather in Cedar Rapids was very nice today. Let's hope it's a sign for the rest of the month. Happy All Saints Day everyone!

First full day of standard time, since we set the clocks back an hour at 2 a.m. It was nice to get an extra hour of shut eye.

A great weekend for Hawkeye Football, Halloween cheer and now only if my Green Bay Packers could find a little magic and come back over the Minnesota Vikings on FOX this afternoon.

It will be another busy month.

Robin Tucker