Between 2007 and 2012, total expenditures for state and local governments increased by 18.2 percent, from $2.7 trillion to $3.2 trillion, while total revenue declined 1.1 percent over the same five-year period, from $3.1 trillion to $3.0 trillion, according to new U.S. Census Bureau data from ...
There's been much recent public discussion about the best way to allocate state funding for our three public universities. If the goal is ensuring Iowa high school graduates can get their college education in Iowa then I strongly support it, but I think there's an alternative and very efficient ...
Several studies indicate that the average spending per person for Holiday Season gifts ranges from $100 to $1000. All of that tends to go to other individuals. That is our heritage! How about a slight change by adding another recipient of the generosity of the holidays your hometown ...
Truth in Accounting provides an annual report about the financial health of Iowa and all 49 other states. The last time we reported on this issue, Iowa was ranked 8th in the nation and our financial burden per taxpayer was a surplus of $100 per taxpayer. As we look at the report for the 2014 ...
Know the difference between a Holstein and a Hereford? You're in rare company.According to a new survey, nearly three in four Americans admit that they know "very little or nothing" about farming. It's a solid bet they know even less about different breeds of cattle - or the difference between ...
It has become a never-ending quest to define millennials. Those between the age of 18 and 34 are often portrayed as a self-absorbed, narcissistic generation obsessed with technology. They are a group more likely to check their Twitter or Instagram apps than keep up with world events. In fact, ...
The late intellectual historian Stephen J. Tonsor wrote that in America "the Founding is determinative, and the Constitution stands at the very center of American political conservatism." Conservatives understand that the American Founding is based upon the principle of liberty and limited ...
State Senator Steve Sodders of State Center will help shape the work of the 2015 session of the Iowa Legislature by serving on several Iowa Senate committees."Legislative committees are where much of the important work gets done in the Senate," said Sodders. "Every day during the session, I'll ...
The "Season of Giving" is upon us, the season where many of us feel compelled to find that "perfect" gift for our loved ones. With all of the hustle and bustle of the Holiday Season, we sometimes forget that it is a time to stop for a few moments to pause and reflect on the people and things ...
In 2007, the Iowa Senate established a Veterans Affairs Committee, which has since approved wide-ranging initiatives to help veterans, service members and their families.In 2010, Iowa became the first state to address the Department of Defense's top 10 quality of life issues identified by USA 4 ...