People don't necessarily enjoy being on the receiving end, but automated calls are easy, inexpensive and reach more people than traditional advertising.

Ric Jones utilized robocalls during his re-election campaign for City Council. Whether a trend has started in local elections remains to be seen, but the numbers do seem to add up.

"You call an 800 number, you record your message and they send you a bill," Jones said. "And it's really inexpensive."

Jones said he spent about $400 on newspaper advertising and another $2,000 on radio ads. His $270 investment into automated phone messages paid for about 5,000 calls.

Jones said he isn't the first local candidate to use robocalls. They also rang in on recent school board elections.

"And the message wasn't so much 'vote for me,' but 'vote for God's sakes,'" Jones said.

One could argue that the message didn't get through. Only 8.8 percent of registered Dubuque voters cast ballots, although that might have more to do with a light ballot that contained two unopposed races, including for mayor.

Braley decries Wall Street preference

Rep. Bruce Braley, D-Iowa, decried Wall Street executives who reportedly received H1N1 vaccine this week.

Braley sent a letter to Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius Thursday in response to news reports that Wall Street executives received shipments of the H1N1 vaccine:

"While Wall Street executives have received the vaccine, many Iowans have been denied access," Braley said. "I am very concerned that our government is looking out for the health and wealth of Wall Street executives while thousands of Iowans are left in the cold. Not only have these companies wiped out our Treasury, now they are wiping out our flu vaccine supply."

In his letter, Braley questioned the necessity of 13 New York City companies, including Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase and Time Warner, receiving the vaccine.

"I urge you to immediately end this unfair rationing of the H1N1 vaccine," Braley said. "It is beyond the pale that Wall Street companies have been given the vaccine while thousands of people across Iowa have been told they will not be given the same access.

"The vaccine should be distributed based on risk and need, not based on wealth, profession or zip code."

Money swaying health care vote?

Consensus on health care reform has moved from elusive to nearly impossible, and some suggest there's a simple reason for that: money.

That's the clear indictment of the Public Campaign Action Fund, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that bills itself as dedicated to improving America's campaign finance laws.

Its latest tracking breaks down the big beneficiaries of the health care industry, and, perhaps not surprisingly, some of the biggest opponents to reform -- at least the Democratic plan promulgated -- are politicians collecting the biggest campaign checks from the trade.

U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, has raised $154,350 in campaign donations from health care interests in the third quarter of 2009, including $43,590 from health insurance interests, according to the campaign finance watchdog group. Grassley serves as the ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, which voted out a health care reform bill earlier this year.

Over his career, Grassley has raised at least $3.3 million from the health care and insurance industries during his time in Washington, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

There seems plenty of money to go around.

U.S. Sen Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, a strong proponent of his party's controversial health care reform position, raised $35,150 in total campaign contributions from health care interests, including $10,300 from the health insurance industry, in the third quarter, according to the Public Campaign Action Fund.

The health care industry has spent tens of million of dollars on campaign contributions and lobbying expenses to influence Congress in 2009.

Taking a look at insurance industry

On a related topic, Harkin, chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pension (HELP) Committee, last week announced that the committee will investigate the pricing practices of health insurance companies in the small group market.

The announcement was made in his introductory remarks of the committee's Tuesday hearing, "Increasing Health Costs Facing Small Businesses."

"At this hearing, I would have liked to question health insurance companies about these trends and practices," Harkin said. "But not surprisingly, insurance companies are not interested in discussing them. So today I am announcing my own investigation into the pricing practices of health insurance companies that sell policies to small businesses."

Harkin said health insurance companies should "open their books and explain to the American people why they support a health insurance market for small businesses that is so dysfunctional, and so lacking in transparency."

Harkin has sent letters to Humana, United Health Group, WellPoint and Aetna asking that they provide the committee with information regarding methods used to set rates and premiums, and on compensation for individuals that exceeds $5 million annually.

Robert Zirkelbach, a spokesman for America's Health Insurance Plans, told The Des Moines Register that it's wrong to assume that health insurance companies are to blame for skyrocketing premium costs to small businesses.

Every state, including Iowa, requires insurance companies to justify premiums with actuarial statistics, said Zirkelbach in the Register piece. His Washington, D.C., group represents about 1,300 health insurance providers.

Schultz touring his district

Wisconsin state Sen. Dale Schultz, R-Richland Center, will make several stops in the Livingston and Platteville areas on Tuesday, including times when community members are invited to join him.

* 9 to 9:30 a.m. -- Schultz will meet with local residents for coffee at Alley Oops, 220 N. Center St., Livingston.

* Noon to 1 p.m. -- Schultz has scheduled a brown bag lunch with students at the UW-P Pioneer Student Center in the Platteville West Room. The meeting is open to the public.

* 2 to 3 p.m. -- Schultz will meet with Main Street businesses and neighborhoods in the Platteville area.

* 4:15 to 5 p.m. -- Schultz will be holding a community listening session at the Platteville Public Library, 65 S. Elm St., Platteville. The meeting is open to the public.