Gomers

YOUNG GAMBLERS:

A University of Northern Iowa survey of UNI and Kirkwood Community College students found that nearly seven in 10 students gambled in the previous year. Probably not surprising, given that the definition of gambling included a wide range of popular activities, such as playing cards, buying lottery and raffle tickets and participating in sports pools. The most troubling results of the survey found that 10 percent met the criteria for problem gambling - the kind that leads to financial, substance abuse and relationship problems.

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WAGE THEFT:

An Iowa Policy Project report in 2012 asserted that Iowa workers are being cheated out of as much as $600 million a year in wages because of mistakes and exploitation by some employers. A more recent investigation by an Iowa Workforce Development task force found that one of the leading problems, misclassification of workers as independent contractors rather than employees, involved at least 380 employers and more than 5,000 workers in 2013, resulting in more than $90 million in unreported wages. Iowans deserve to be paid as promised for work completed, and employers who play by the rule shouldn't have to compete against those who don't. So, can state legislators devise a better system that holds employers accountable as well as clarifies employment laws where needed?

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