August 21, 2008

ANNUAL BIKE TOUR

UPCOMING EVENTS

FLOOD SURVEY

Dear Friends:

ANNUAL BIKE TOUR 

Please join me on my annual bike tour of Senate District 19 this Sunday, August 24. 

The tour will begin at Huntington Ridge Park off of C Avenue NE (across from Berkshire Dr. NE) at 3 p.m. 

Stops include the playground at Twin Pines Park off of 42nd St. NE at 4 p.m. and McLoud Run Park off of J Ave. NE (at the I-380 overpass) at 5 p.m.  The tour will conclude with an ice cream social at 6 p.m. at the Bever Park Pavilion off of Bever Ave. SE.

Joining me on the tour will be State Rep. Art Staed, State Rep. Tyler Olson, and Linn County Supervisor candidate Ben Rogers. 

The tour gives me the chance to see much of the district by bike, and each stop is an opportunity to visit with constituents about flood recovery issues for a possible special session, as well as other key issues for the 2009 session.  You can also turn in your response to my flood survey (see below) at the stops on my bike tour.  I hope to see you this Sunday.

UPCOMING EVENTS

- On September 3 and 4, the Iowa Climate Change Advisory Council will meet in Des Moines to begin finalizing its report on strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Iowa.  For more information, visit www.iaclimatechange.us.

- On September 10, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., the Heritage Area Agency on Aging and other organizations are sponsoring a forum on "institutional bias" at the Kirkwood Training and Outreach Center, 3375 Armar Drive, in Marion. For more information, call 398-5559.

- On September 10, beginning at 6:30 p.m., the Iowa Power Fund board and the Office of Energy Independence are hosting a public forum in Mt. Vernon for preparing its 2008 energy independence plan.  For more details, visit www.energy.iowa.gov.

- On September 13 and 14, the Iowa Renewable Energy Association is hosting its annual renewable energy expo at the Center for Energy and Environmental Education in Cedar Falls.  For more information, visit www.irenew.org.

- On September 19, from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Linn County Veterans Affairs is holding Linn County Stand Down to help people in need (both veterans and non-veterans) at the Armed Forces Reserve Center, 1599 Wenig Road NE, in Cedar Rapids (please note new location).  For more information, call Linn County Veterans Affairs at 892-5160.

FLOOD SURVEY 

This week, with the help of some great volunteers, I mailed a flood survey to more than 10,000 households in my Senate District. 

I’ll be compiling the results of that survey over Labor Day weekend and reporting back to you with the results. 

Please send your responses by e-mail to rob.hogg@legis.state.ia.us or by mail to 2750 Otis Road SE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52403.  In case you didn’t receive a copy by mail, the questions are below.  I look forward to hearing your responses.

State Senator Rob Hogg

2750 Otis Road SE

Cedar Rapids, IA 52403

(319) 247-0223 (h)

rob.hogg@legis.state.ia.us

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Flood Survey

1.  Please mark which of the following ideas you would like to see in a Rebuild Iowa Plan:

___ Guarantee up to 50% of the costs for developers of new quality, affordable housing

___ Use state funds to eliminate property taxes on flood-damaged properties for one year

___ Provide up to $2,500 in tax refunds to displaced homeowners and renters

___ Provide up to 6 months’ mortgage or rent assistance to displaced homeowners and renters

___ Guarantee cities and counties the costs to buyout flood-damaged properties

___ Use state funds to repair city, county, and school buildings and infrastructure

___ Provide cash grants to small businesses and nonprofits damaged by the flood

___ Provide forgivable loans to flood-damaged businesses that rebuild and reopen

___ Pay the interest on SBA or bank loans for flood-damaged houses or businesses

___ Invest in soil conservation and restored wetlands to help minimize future flooding
 

___ Build larger levees or flood walls in flood-damaged cities

___ Other (Please explain: ________________________________)

2.  Do you support using the state’s rainy day funds for a Rebuild Iowa Plan?

___ None                ___ Some                ___ All

3.  Which of the following revenue sources, if any, would you support to pay for a Rebuild Iowa Plan?  Please mark all that apply.

___ 10% income tax surtax for five or ten years?

___ A one-cent sales tax increase for five or ten years?

___ Increase the hotel-motel tax from 7 to 14 percent?

___ Increase the gasoline tax by 10 cents per gallon?

___ 10% property tax surtax?

___ Expand gambling?

___ Reinstate the sales tax on gas and electric utilities?

___ Raise the premium tax on insurance companies?

___ Issue bonds that have to be repaid in the future?

___ Other (Please explain: ________________________________)

___ None of the above?

4.  Do you have any specific suggestions for cutting state spending that could be reallocated to a Rebuild Iowa Plan?  Please use the space below to explain your ideas.