Creighton University economist Ernie Goss says taxpayers in Iowa and nationwide will be the losers under President Obama’s newly-announced student loan plan. More than 200-thousand Iowans have student loans. With what the president’s proposing, Goss says colleges, universities and borrowers will benefit.  “A lot of it is at the taxpayer expense,” Goss says. “A lot of these men and women that are out there working don’t have kids in college, won’t have kids in college, and it’s a big transfer of income to those of us who have university educations, or particularly those of us who are in university education.”

Goss says students owe about one-point-one trillion dollars to the federal government in loans. He says the government will pay the loans back to the universities regardless of how much the students pay back. While the president’s executive order has some good aspects, Goss cautions that capping student loan payments at ten-percent of income will benefit borrowers, but will eventually fall on the backs of taxpayers.

“I just don’t know if we can afford it, all in the guise or all in the belief that we’re increasing human capital, the value of human knowledge out there,” Goss says. “I think it’s a poor expenditure.” Nearly 72-percent of Iowa’s college graduates have student loan debt, the 4th highest percentage in the nation. Goss says the president’s proposal on counseling new college students makes sense.  “Letting students know what they’re getting themselves into, and their parents as well,” Goss says. “We need to more properly indicate what universities are bringing to the table, what we’re doing for these young men and women, or in many cases, older men and women.”

Iowa college grads have an average of 29-thousand dollars in debt. Goss estimates the President’s proposal will cost the federal government five-billion dollars per year. He says misplaced priorities from university leadership have led to higher education costs. He says the executive order amounts to another subsidy from the federal government to colleges and universities at taxpayer expense.

(Radio Iowa)

Atlantic Mayor Dave Jones today (Wednesday), issued a proclamation pertaining to public transit. The proclamation says “Whereas Southwest Iowa Transit Agency (SWITA) is the public transportation system for Atlantic, and the surrounding region; and Whereas, SWITA provides rides to school, work, shopping, and medical appointments for the citizens of Atlantic; and Whereas, SWITA provided over 40,000 rides last year to the citizens of Atlantic; and Whereas, SWITA employs 26 staff members and drivers in the Atlantic community providing; and Whereas, National Ride Transit Week is June 15th to June 21st, 2014; Therefore, be it resolved that I, Dave Jones, Mayor of the City of Atlantic, do hereby proclaim June 16th through the 20th, 2014 as RIDE SWITA TRANSIT WEEK.”

One of the various forms of SWITA transportation available to area residents.

Officials with SWITA will be celebrating national Ride Transit Week June 15th through the 21st, with multiple activities planned throughout the week. SWITA will kick off the week by participating in an escort convoy of Cass County veterans going on an honor flight to Washington D.C. SWITA will also provide free transportation to area rest home residents to view the convoy and participate in the “flag waving” along the travel route.

Also, SWITA will provide free rides for taxi customers in the cities where SWITA operates the taxi service. SWITA Executive Director John McCurdy says “Free Taxi Ride Day is one of the best ways we could think of to celebrate Transit Week.. It gives SWITA the opportunity to give back to the customers who rely on our taxi services and encourages new customers to try it out.”

In addition to Atlantic, mayors in the cities of Clarinda, Glenwood, Harlan, Missouri Valley, Red Oak, and Shenandoah have been asked to sign proclamations declaring June 16-20 Ride SWITA Transit Week. SWITA will also give a few lucky riders Ride Transit and SWITA materials through the week.
Southwest Iowa Transit Agency is one of 16 regional public transit agencies in Iowa and serves Cass, Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Montgomery, Page, Pottawattamie, and Shelby counties in southwest Iowa. In 2013 SWITA provided over 400,000 rides and travelled over 1.6 million miles. This service is essential for giving SWITA clients personal mobility and freedom and gives options to commute to work, go to school, medical appointments, or shopping trips.

For more information, or to schedule a ride on SWITA, please call 800-842-8065 or visit www.swipco.org.

SOLDIER – The city of Soldier in western Iowa’s Monona County issued a boil advisory Tuesday after a hole in a well pipe drained the city’s entire water tower. The hole in the pipe was repaired and the system was up and running by midnight. However, the loss of water pressure has the potential to allow bacteria to enter the water system. The boil advisory will remain in place until two sets of water samples are tested clean for bacteria.

Due to the potential for bacterial contamination, the city and DNR recommend boiling water for drinking and cooking, or using bottled water or another alternative source until the advisory is lifted. All residents of Soldier should bring water to a boil, let it boil for one minute, and let it cool before using. Use boiled or bottled water for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth and food preparation. Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms which could be in the water. The water may be used for bathing and similar purposes.

General guidelines on reducing the risk of infection are available from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1(800) 426-4791.

(updated to Clarify that ruling deals with unused glass pipes.)
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Court of Appeals is giving a legal victory to the owners of retail head shops. The court ruled Wednesday that unused glass pipes commonly sold in those stores are not drug paraphernalia under Iowa law and therefore cannot be subject to forfeiture by law enforcement. The court is ordering the return of glass pipes that were seized by agents during a warrant served at Day Dreams in Des Moines.

A three-judge panel says no drugs were found there, so there is no evidence suggesting the pipes “were used, or attempted to be used, in combination with a controlled substance” as required to be considered paraphernalia.

The court says adopting the state’s position would make selling glass pipes a federal felony and allow all such property to be forfeited.