Tax Credits and Deducations on the next Iowa Journal

Do you know the difference between tax credits and tax deductions?
Does your employer get a tax break?
Does your government know?

The recent stories of the Iowa Film Industry tax credit abuses got us thinking about the questions and others. Just how many tax credits are on the books? 30. What are they, what good are they and do we need more or less will be the focus of this week's Iowa Journal.

Our guests include Rep. Paul C. Shomshor, chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, a democrat from Council Bluffs. Also Peter Fisher, Research director with the Iowa Policy Project and Bill Brown, chair of the board for the Iowa Association of Business and Industry.

We had Peter Fisher our program about what to do with an old mall. You can watch that fun discussion here.

This week we'll have a fun tax talk at 8p on Thursday and 630p on Friday. I hope you can join us.

Last week I got a little wrapped up in the production of the Kathryn Koob show. Today (Nov 4), marks 30 year since she was taken into captivity in Iran. She and 52 others were held for the next 444 days. They were released on the day Ronald Reagan was inaugurated.

Koob is from Iowa, traveled the world and now is back in Iowa where she's done some teaching at Wartburg. Disclaimer: my alma matter.

There's a huge show page with the 20 minute version of the feature here:

The entire 49 minute interview is online on that page I've linked. If you want the best clip, including her discussion on the current president of Iran, check out clip 4.

If you want to see what else we're up to on The Iowa Journal, visit our Twitter page:
www.twitter.com/IowaJournal

Or our website as well.

Next week we'll talk public art. Followed by chronic care on Nov. 19.

BTW, I just had to post a West Wing clip to make newlywed Michael Graham read this posting. Its all for him. Also, I like the TV show "The West Wing."

I forgot to add, some of my co-workers are saying Hello Quad Cities this week as they are preparing for the recording of the Quad City Symphony. I believe they are recording Saturday night. So, if you see the big purple truck, that's what's going on from us in the QC this week.

See you soon.

5p Update: The show is done and ready for air. Good discussion on tax credits. We talked about transparency, cost/benefit and are tax credits the best tool in the economic toolbox. See you tonight. I'll post the link for the show when they are complete.