The Illinois Legislature is currently considering SB512 - a measure that would break the promise of a secure retirement to workers who have paid into the pension system and have worked for years on the front lines to improve our communities. We stand with workers across Illinois in calling on our legislators in Springfield to honor their commitments to public employees and vote "No" on SB 512.

Obama is trying to meet the Republicans halfway in their proposal to cut federal programs to trim the deficit. This gives him little room to negotiate to save federal programs affecting the poor and the elderly. What's really needed are higher taxes on the rich and elimination of tax breaks for large corporations.

Deep program cuts will halt our economic recovery and escalate already high unemployment rates in the state, especially in the CA Central Valley where unemployment rates already exceed 16%. CSU and UC systems have already been hit with $1 billion dollars in cuts earlier this year, and without a sensible budget they could face $15 billion more in cuts. We have a revenue problem. Tax extensions must be passed and taxes increased on the top 3%. The CA State Assembly and Gov. Brown can stop these cuts, allow the tax extensions and allow tax increases that will solve our budget deficit. We're calling on our elected officials, to stand up for CA working families, stop the program cuts, protect our state education system and solve the budget deficit.

Medicare and Social Security should not be part of the Government's budget cuts if there are no revenue increases being addressed.

Unemployment is rising, while executive salaries stay high. If a product can be manufactured in the United States of America, it must be made in the USA in order to be sold here. We must not allow US companies to outsource manufacturing, shipping, and other production overseas where they can pay less than minimum wage.

Recent news reports on MSNBC say that the long-term unemployed face a new hurdle that is legal - discrimination by hiring employers against people who, because of the recession, have been and continue to be unemployed through no fault of their own. We all need jobs to survive and thrive in the U.S. Let's outlaw this hurdle that the long-term unemployed desperately need to have removed so we can all get back to work.

I would like to see both the Republicans and Democrats come together to support reasonable compromises on both sides to resolve our debt crisis. Specifically, I would like to see the Republicans consider revisions to the tax system so the wealthy and corporations pay a fair share, and I would like to see the Democrats look at reasonable entitlement revision such as means-testing. I think the bipartisan Debt Reduction Commission is a good starting point.

Senior citizens are petrified that Social Security and Medicare will no longer continue to be funded. There's an easy answer - eliminate the ceiling on contributions. If the fear is that businesses will employ fewer people if the ceiling is raised, then leave the cap on employer contributions. Someone making $200,000 or greater won't miss the 7.65 percent, the government won't have any reason to raid the fund, and it will continue indefinitely.

$0, but i supports my parents having pensions when they retirer

Oil prices are being driven by wealthy invesment speculators who have no connection to the oil industry other than making a profit off of the price moves in the oil markets. Require oil investors to have a business that is directly related to the disposition of the oil either in the production or the refining or the deliveryof it. Banks like Goldman Sacs have no business investing in oil markets

Timothy Geithner and Ben Bernanke aren't part of the solution to our nation's economic fix; as alumni and protectors of Wall Street, they are part of the problem. We need advisers such as Krugman and Galbraith to press for regulations with teeth and for effective investigations of fraud and price-fixing. President Obama: for real change, get rid of Geithner and Bernanke!

Taxpayers that make $75,000 and over are not allowed to deduct student loan interest payments. This $75,000 range affects the middle class. Deleting the phaseout amount will help our economy; and allow students to payoff loans faster.