Thursday, February 19, 2009

NO Votes on Davenport Promise Task Force and Former Mayor to Speak Out in Public Forum

For Immediate Release/February 19, 2009

News Release

NO Votes on Davenport Promise Task Force and Former Mayor to Speak Out in Public Forum

A news conference and public forum will be held Saturday, February 21, at 3:30 pm at the Northwest Branch of the Davenport Library, 3000 North Fairmount Street, Davenport, IA.

Jeff Heuer, Sue Ketelsen, Sharon Fortney and Dr. Ted Woodruff, four members of the Davenport Promise Task Force who voted against the Davenport Promise proposal, will present their opinions on the Task Force's decision making process. They will be available for public questions after their presentations. The NO votes will be joined by Phil Yerington, former Mayor of Davenport, who also opposes the proposal.

"One aspect of the Promise program that concerns me is the drop-out rate. If our students are not prepared for college or if they attend college 'just because they can' they will not succeed, and the Promise money will be wasted," says Ms. Ketelsen, who was appointed to the Task Force by former alderman and current State Senator, Shawn Hamerlinck.

"I wouldn't give any credence to that Upjohn 'so called' Study. It was a bunch of assertions without any kind of analysis," said Dr. Woodruff. Dr. Woodruff, a St. Ambrose University economics professor, was Bill Lynn's appointtee.

In a January 21, 2009, letter to the editor, former Davenport mayorYerington wrote: "If Davenport City Administrator Craig Malin and School Board President Pat Zamora think people are leaving Davenport just because of the school system, they’re fooling themselves. How about the fact that we’ve taxed our citizens to death, appraised homes for so much more than owners can sell them for, and consistently misspent tax dollars on frivolous projects?"

Opt4Better, the non-partisan taxpayer watchdog PAC working to defeat the Promise program, in the March 3, 2009, referendum arranged this forum. "The voters need to know that the Davenport Promise proposal was not developed with a heavily supported consensus. There has been a reasoned and vocal opposition from the beginning, raising the same objections as we are now," says Mark Nelson, chairman of Opt4Better. "The 'No Votes' on the Promise Task Force, along with our former mayor, share our concerns about the validity of the Upjohn Study," continues Nelson, "recognizing that Davenport's taxpayers would receive limited benefits and take on substantial risks if this massive expansion of local government is approved."

The Website for this campaign is nomorepromises.com.

Mark Nelson can be contacted Phone: 563-340-2597; Email at opt4better@mchsi.com

Sharon Fortney
Sharon Fortney is a life-long resident of Davenport. A graduate of Davenport High School she and her husband have three children and eight grandchildren. Before retiring, Fortney enjoyed an accounting career with two local businesses. She has served as a Cub Scout Den Mother and a Vacation Church School Coordinator. Fortney received the Governor’s Award for volunteer work with The Family Connection, and she was honored as the Quad City Woman of the Year by the Junior League of the Quad Cities. She has been involved with the Davenport Action Initiative, served as mentor at Madison School, a volunteer with the Friends of Vander Veer and the Clarissa C. Cook Hospice House, and she coordinates a very active Neighborhood Watch Group. Fortney is appointed by Alderman Ray Ambrose of the 4th Ward.

Jeff Heuer
Jeff Heuer has 30 years of experience in development and small business, and currently works as a Broker Associate in commercial real estate with Premier Partners. He and his family have owned businesses and real estate in Davenport for two generations. A life-long resident of Davenport, he attended Central High School, Palmer Junior College and St. Ambrose University. Heuer has served on the Davenport Planning and Zoning Commission for the past 10 years, the High Performance Government Work Group Governance Resource team, as well as two focus committees for the expansion of John O’Donnell Stadium and AAA baseball. He was a founding member and instrumental in the start up of the Quad Cities Sports Commission and served on that commission for three years. Heuer also serves on the Board of Directors of the Q.C. Fans Association. He is married and has five children. Heuer is appointed by At-Large Alderman Ian Frink.

Theodore S. Woodruff PhD, Professor at SAU
Professor Woodruff teaches micro and macro economics at both the graduate and undergraduate level at St. Ambrose University. Before coming to St. Ambrose to teach in 1995, he taught at St. Bonaventure University in New York and Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts. Professor Woodruff has also worked at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington D.C., where he helped formulate public financing policies for medical care. He received his doctoral degree from Columbia University in New York City. Dr. Woodruff is appointed by Alderman Bill Lynn of the 5th Ward.

Sue Ketelsen
Sue Ketelsen has enjoyed a career with KWQC-TV for more than twenty-five years in various capacities, and currently works in the sales department. Ketelsen came to Davenport in the mid-1970s to complete her education at Marycrest College. She volunteers her time as a blood drive coordinator for the Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center and as a narrator for the Iowa Department for the Blind. Ketelsen and her husband have one daughter. Sue Ketelsen is appointed by Alderman Shawn Hamerlinck of the 2nd Ward.

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