| Legislator comments on budget proposals
In his first major address to the Iowa Legislature, Gov. Chet Culver outlined his budget proposals for the 2008 fiscal year, which begins July 1. His proposed budget increases general fund spending by nearly 9 percent, or $459 million, over the fiscal year 2007 budget lawmakers approved last year.
I do appreciate the governor's commitment to fully fund Medicaid, the health care program for needy Iowans; and his proposal to continue the commitment made by lawmakers last year to raise teacher pay in Iowa. However, there are areas of concern. During his speech, Gov. Culver said we have a historic opportunity to create one Iowa. Yet his budget leaves many Iowans behind.
Iowans overwhelmingly believe that any cigarette tax hike should be dedicated to health care. However, the governor does not target the increase in cigarette tax revenues for health-related spending.
Nortel and Microsoft unveil joint unified messaging roadmap
These products and services will "dramatically improve business communications by breaking down the barriers between voice, e-mail, instant messaging, multimedia conferencing and other forms of communication" said a Nortel release. It added that the expanded integration services portfolio spans the entire network lifecycle "from design and deployment to support and evolution." The companies also announced 20 "joint demonstration centres [that allow] customers to experience the technology firsthand." In the six months since the ICA was formed, Microsoft and Nortel have signed agreements with "dozens of customers" the companies announced. "Our goal is to close the gap between the devices we use to communicate and the business applications we use to run our businesses," Zafirovski said.
Foreign Exchange Student Prepares for Disney!
16-year-old Hanna Dubrovska is from Ukraine. She's spending one year living with a host family in Guysville and attends Federal Hocking High School. Saturday, the Coolville Lions Club presented her with a check for 314 dollars to allow her to go on a senior trip to Florida. Dubrovska says her experience in Southeast Ohio has been unforgettable. "It is awesome! I really love it. People here are really friendly. I really like living here." Saturday, the club also hosted a lunch and accepted donations so Dubrovska will have spending money on the trip. The vacation will include stops at Disney World, Kennedy Space Center, Cocoa Beach and Universal Studios. .
Letters to the Editor
The Board of Trustees and I thank the Oxford Community Foundation for two grants that help us fulfill our mission to promote self-sufficiency for families in the Talawanda School District. The first grant paid for postage to send post cards announcing the free tax preparation service through The Family Resource Center starting .
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