Motor Vehicle Accident Fatalities for the Week Ending, November 17, 2006

Record of the Fatalities for Motor Vehicle Accidents in Iowa per week.

Motor Vehicle Accident Fatalities for the Week Ending, November 24, 2006

Record of the Fatalities for Motor Vehicle Accidents in Iowa per week.

Motor Vehicle Accident Fatalities for the Week Ending, December 8, 2006

Record of the Fatalities for Motor Vehicle Accidents in Iowa per week.

Motor Vehicle Accident Fatalities for the Week Ending, December 15, 2006

Record of the Fatalities for Motor Vehicle Accidents in Iowa per week.

Motor Vehicle Accident Fatalities for the Week Ending, December 22, 2006

Record of the Fatalities for Motor Vehicle Accidents in Iowa per week.

Motor Vehicle Accident Fatalities for the Week Ending, January 26, 2007

Record of the Fatalities for Motor Vehicle Accidents in Iowa per week.

Motor Vehicle Accident Fatalities for the Week Ending, December 29, 2006

Record of the Fatalities for Motor Vehicle Accidents in Iowa per week.

Motor Vehicle Accident Fatalities for the Week Ending, January 19, 2007

Record of the Fatalities for Motor Vehicle Accidents in Iowa per week.

Investigation Into the Timeliness of the Death Notification to the Surviving Spouse of a Motor Vehicle Accident Victim, 2005

Report: #05-02 Kirke C. Quinn, Attorney for Jo Anne Holland, first contacted the Ombudsman by letter dated January 2, 2004. Quinn also addressed his letter to the Governor’s Office, Iowa State Patrol (ISP), and Iowa Department of Public Safety (DPS). Quinn characterized his letter as a complaint against ISP regarding “the method and manner of reporting the death of Ross Holland to his surviving spouse.” According to Quinn, Mrs. Holland “went through hours of misery as a result of the patrol’s inattention to a tragic situation.” On January 7, 2004, the Ombudsman asked ISP Major Gary Hoskins, Supervisor of Field Operations, how ISP and DPS intended to respond to Mr. Quinn’s letter. Major Hoskins stated he would refer Quinn’s letter of complaint to DPS’ Professional Standards Bureau (PSB) for investigation and response. After speaking with Major Hoskins, the Ombudsman told Mr. Quinn that DPS would do an internal investigation and if he were not satisfied with the results he could contact the Ombudsman again. On March 29, 2004, Mr. Quinn contacted the Ombudsman and stated he was not satisfied with DPS’ response. Quinn stated he would send a copy of the response to the Ombudsman, along with a letter stating his outstanding issues and concerns. In his letter to the Ombudsman, dated May 5, Quinn simply stated: “Please find enclosed [a] copy of the letter received from the Department of Public Safety. We think this is an absolute outrage. We welcome your input.”

Motor Vehicle Accident Fatalities for the Week Ending, February 9, 2007

Record of the Fatalities for Motor Vehicle Accidents in Iowa per week.

Motor Vehicle Accident Fatalities for the Week Ending, February 16, 2007

Record of the Fatalities for Motor Vehicle Accidents in Iowa per week.

Get a GRIP: Should Area Revenue Coverage Be Offered through the Farm Bill or as a Crop Insurance Program? 2007

The successful expansion of the U.S. crop insurance program has not eliminated ad hoc disaster assistance. An alternative currently being explored by members of Congress and others in preparation of the 2007 farm bill is to simply remove the “ad hoc” part of disaster assistance programs by creating a standing program that would automatically funnel aid to hard-hit regions and crops. One form such a program could take can be found in the area yield and area revenue insurance programs currently offered by the U.S. crop insurance program. The Group Risk Plan (GRP) and Group Risk Income Protection (GRIP) programs automatically trigger payments when county yields or revenues, respectively, fall below a producer-elected coverage level. The per-acre taxpayer costs of offering GRIP in Indiana, Illinois, and Iowa for corn and soybeans through the crop insurance program are estimated. These results are used to determine the amount of area revenue coverage that could be offered to farmers as part of a standing farm bill disaster program. Approximately 55% of taxpayer support for GRIP flows to the crop insurance industry. A significant portion of this support comes in the form of net underwriting gains. The expected rate of return on money put at risk by private crop insurance companies under the current Standard Reinsurance Agreement is approximately 100%. Taking this industry support and adding in the taxpayer support for GRIP that flows to producers would fund a county target revenue program at the 93% coverage level.

Motor Vehicle Accident Fatalities for the Week Ending, March 2, 2007

Record of the Fatalities for Motor Vehicle Accidents in Iowa per week.

Motor Vehicle Accident Fatalities for the Week Ending, February 23, 2007

Record of the Fatalities for Motor Vehicle Accidents in Iowa per week.

Motor Vehicle Accident Fatalities for the Week Ending, March 9, 2007

Record of the Fatalities for Motor Vehicle Accidents in Iowa per week.