The 'Fairness Doctrine' is necessary to encourage unbiased information and diversity of editorial comment and to identify editorial comment as such as opposed to news. Recent studies have shown an unacceptably large percentage of inaccurate and misleading content in news/editorial broadcasting. Though there are alternative means of getting the news and commentary, none are as powerful as television and radio which are, for all intents and purposes, the sole domain of corporate owned entities. Corporate consolidation of media is having a chilling effect on diversity of opinions represented and the selection of news stories covered. Last but not least, these airwaves belong to the people of the United States and should be the most inclusive in diversity of viewpoints and free of bias in any news coverage. The Fairness Doctrine was a policy of the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC), introduced in 1949, that required the holders of broadcast licenses to both present controversial issues of public importance and to do so in a manner that was, in the Commission's view, honest, equitable and balanced. It was ruled on and upheld as constitutional by the Supreme Court in 1969. It was deregulated in 1987.

Elephants are one of the most incredible creatures. They, like humans, remember the deaths of their family members and are extremely traumatized by it. We must stop this atrocity from occurring each day! We must save the African Elephants from inevitable extinction! As citizens of humanity, it is our job to carry out our function on earth: to be humane. Not only this, but the money earned from selling ivory goes to support terrorist organizations. Basically, the State of California is helping terrorism by standing by and doing nothing to enforce the already existing ban on ivory. So, we must bring attention to this issue, and pressure the governor of California to enforce the law! Once California strictly prohibits the selling of ivory, then the poachers won't earn as much money for ivory because there isn't a market for it. Once this occurs, elephant deaths will hopefully decrease! Support this effort to help African elephants by signing my petition.

If Comcast merges with Time Warner cable, Comcast will gain unprecedented power over our country’s cable and Internet market -- resulting in higher prices, fewer choices, worse customer service and control over the information we read, watch, and hear. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and CA Attorney General Kamala Harris have the power to block this disastrous merger. But they must hear from concerned citizens like you RIGHT NOW to let them know that we do NOT want the corporate giant Comcast to have a monopoly over us. If we can stop the merger in California, Comcast’s national domination plan could be over. Without California’s biggest markets, the cable giant would most likely walk away from the whole deal. So let's make sure the CPUC and Attorney General hear us loud and clear! JOIN US & SIGN TODAY!

If Comcast merges with Time Warner cable, Comcast will gain unprecedented power over our country’s cable and internet market -- resulting in higher prices, fewer choices, worse customer service and control over the information we read, watch, and hear. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and CA Attorney General Kamala Harris have the power to block this disastrous merger. But they must hear from concerned citizens like you RIGHT NOW to let them know that we do NOT want the corporate giant Comcast to have a monopoly over us. If we can stop the merger in California, Comcast’s national domination plan could be over. Without California’s biggest markets, the cable giant would most likely walk away from the whole deal!

This bill would be a bad deal for New Mexico. We've seen time and time again that when public systems are bought up by private companies rates increase, staff lose jobs and transparency with the public vanishes. In the water sector, a public-private partnership is a type of arrangement wherein a local government contracts with a private entity to run all or part of a government-owned drinking water or wastewater system. Communities with aging infrastructure often think that the private sector can deliver financing or better services. The truth is just the opposite. These kind of public-private partnerships restrict transparency and keep the public out of the loop. Full proposals would NOT be subject to the state's open records laws until after the deal is signed, so the public would not be able to review a proposal or weigh in and voice their opinion. Instead, the state should facilitate public-public partnerships among public sector entities to share resources and expertise. Intermunicipal cooperation, interlocal agreements and bulk purchasing consortiums can improve public services and reduce costs while allowing communities to retain local control of their essential water and wastewater resources. Keep our public water under public control!

With all of the public knowledge about recycling, there are still people who do not recycle -- whether out of ignorance or apathy. If advertisers took the extra step in informing consumers (even in a small-text message at the bottom of their advertisements) about properly recycling their product and the importance of doing so, the United States could see a considerable change for the better in energy savings, greenhouse gas emissions, conservation of natural resources, and job creation.

Le Corbusier's famous Capitol Complex in Chandigarh is about to be ruined by the construction of 19 towers, each between 12 and 36 stories tall, on land located just to its north. This project, called 'TATA Camelot', is being developed by TATA Housing, the real estate wing of TATA Sons, one of the largest industrial houses of India. This petition to stop TATA Camelot is directed at Ratan Tata, Chairman (Emeritus) of TATA Sons, who is an architect (Cornell '62) and Pritzker Prize jurist. ARGUMENT 1. The transparent relationship between the Capitol buildings and the agro-pastoral landscape and the Himalayas to its north is an integral part of the design of the Capitol Complex. Le Corbusier documented this extensively, and carefully controlled all development in this area to ensure that it did not interfere with this relationship. He even moved the Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to prevent the building of a military cantonment within the sightlines of the Capitol. (See Documentation below.) 2. Due to political exigencies (i.e. the redrawing of state boundaries in 1966), a portion of the land just to the North of the Capitol is no longer under the jurisdiction of Chandigarh Administration, but under that of the state of Punjab. The TATA Camelot project exploits this loophole to cash in on the exorbitant real-estate values of Chandigarh by proposing the construction of this high-rise residential tower complex. More than a hundred members of the Punjab legislature are shareholders in the project, raising question of due process. 3. The towers are guaranteed to destroy the integrity of the design vision of the Capitol Complex. It will be a lamentable eyesore both from the Capitol Complex and from the Lake. The small sliver of land just to the north of the Capitol Complex deserves to be protected as a common heritage of the tri-city region. There is ample developable land around Chandigarh on all other sides. 4. While TATA Housing claims that its towers are "green", a development of the size of Tata Camelot will severely disrupt the sensitive hydrology, natural habitats and rural ecologies of the area around it. It is proposed on land that is at the very first flats at the foothills of the Himalayas. It is immediately adjacent to a national reserved forest. It is sited on former riverbed, created by diverting an intermittent river. Sukhna Lake, the preeminent public space of the city and a renowned wild-life sanctuary, is located just to its east. Three villages and extensive farmlands abut it. 5. Chandigarh was a prominent part of Jawaharlal Nehru's post-colonial vision for independent India. It was designed by Le Corbusier (along with a team of other European and Indian architects and planners) and is a signature destination of global modernism and the founding of the Indian nation. J.R.D. Tata, Mr. Ratan Tata's predecessor, was an integral collaborator on this project, flying Le Corbusier on Air India regularly, and hosting him routinely in Bombay (now Mumbai). The democratic values of the Indian nation-state, and of modernism, enshrined in the Capitol Complex deserve to be protected. 6. Since two previous attempts to reach Mr. Tata and the senior management of TATA Sons have fallen on deaf ears, and while a legal argument is pending in the courts, this online petition is designed to appeal to Mr. Tata publicly. Complete visual documentation at - http://chandigarhurbanlab.org/?p=1318

As CEO of eBay and PayPal, along with about 500 other corporate advisors, you have, over the last 5 years, had unlimited access to the negotiating text of the TPP, while we, the people of the United States, have been barred from reading the classified texts. This puts you at an unfair advantage. This comes after 20 years of millions of jobs lost through NAFTA, CAFTA, the Korean Free Trade Agreement and WTO. Asking your customers to tell our reps to vote yes on fast track, a bill that, if passed, would hand Congress’ Constitutionally granted authority to make trade, (Article 1.8) to President Obama, and just ‘trust’ that he has our backs, reminds us of how we got swindled into NAFTA, by promises of good jobs and a boost to the economy. What we do know of TPP, through 2 leaked chapters, indicates it is much worse than NAFTA, and will only benefit the John Donahoe’s of the world, while the rest of us will see further outsourcing of jobs and even more depressed wages. Apparently, Donahoe’s idea of “trade modernization” and ours, where labor and environmental groups have a seat at the table are quite divergent. We have learned from over 20 years of NAFTA, CAFTA, WTO, and we are insulted that eBay/PayPal CEO, John Donahoe, would think we are gullible enough to go along with his collaboration with the U.S. Trade Representative’s campaign to fast track deals that will bury the people of this country and the fragile economy and send more jobs to Viet Nam with its 56 cent minimum wage, child labor, and human rights violations.

Time Warner now has the capability to 'remotely encrypt' any and all televisions stations. This includes 'over-the-air' stations such as PBS, NBC and ABC that for decades were free (no cost) to the public. A powerful corporation -Time Warner - now LITERALLY CONTROLS THE PUBLIC AIRWAVES, dictating which channels they will allow you to view, and which channels they will not allow you to view. After the channels have been encrypted ("blocked" from your television set), Time Warner then advises that, in order to receive these stations, one must purchase or lease a "digital adapter" and one must subscribe to their (costly) monthly cable service. This violates the FCC edict that; "If you view television over-the-air through the use of an antenna, cable system encryption will not impact you in any way." Time Warner now brazenly operates as if they own the public airwaves. We Must put a stop to their unlawful practices.

I’m Frenchise Young born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida. Mr. President, I would like to briefly share my story of my situation of how I have been wrongfully accused and in a fight of my life for over 6 1/2 years against U.S. Bank Home Mortgage. In short, back in May 2008, The Law Office of David J. Stern, P.A. (Which David J. Stern Law Firm has been under investigation since 2009). Who is no longer the attorney for the bank? David Stern Law Firm filed a foreclosure with the courts against my home on behalf of US Bank. Even after learning a month into the proceeding that it was an accounting error on the bank behalf, in 61/2 years, countless attorneys and court appearances later, I’m still fighting(Due to the fact that U. S. Bank is trying to cover up Fraud). The Bank's payment center over a period of several months misapplied my mortgage payments to an incorrect account. Now, we would all think that the Bank will go back and reverse those payments and dismiss the foreclosure but, as of today they have not done so. Attached is an article of our local newspaper recently ran telling some of the facts behind this debacle of a case U.S. Bank has continued to pursue against me. My contact where I can be reached to discuss how my Civil Rights have been violated in further detail is (904)616-8483. It is my hope that there is some type of assistance you will be able to offer. The stress and financial turmoil of this case, has tremendously affected my health and my family's well-being. I am pleading to you and asking will you please help me regarding this matter it will be greatly appreciate. Thank you so much for your time and attention that you have given to this matter. Sincerely Indebted to you, Frenchise Young 1612 West 25th St Jacksonville, Fl 32209 http://m.jacksonville.com/news/metro/2014-06-30/story/fight-over-foreclosure-drags-its-sixth-year-homeowners-spars-over-bank

PETITION BACKGROUND Since 2010 the U.S. along with eleven other Pacific Rim countries have been negotiating in secret a trade agreement with lobbyists representing over five hundred multi-national corporations. This trade agreement will fundamentally compromise our country’s ability to protect consumer rights, worker’s rights, the environment and the power of local communities to implement laws and regulations that are in their best interest. The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is nothing more than a blatant attempt to allow multi-national corporations to deregulate themselves in manner which would not be possible using normal legislative processes. Simply put, the U.S. is bargaining away its very sovereignty. To ensure passage of the trade agreement the Obama Administration wants to use the “Fast Track” legislative procedure which requires an up-or-down vote in the Senate with no amendments and with only twenty hours of debate allowed; this, on a trade agreement which will consist of tens of thousands of pages. And Congress is being told to vote to “Fast Track” the trade agreement before they even know what is in it. This lack of transparency and the undermining of our democracy is an outrage and must not stand. Over 150 Democratic Representatives, including eight from Illinois, have signed the Delauro letter to the President stating that they will not support using “Fast Track” on this trade agreement. The Trans-Pacific Partnership is too important to be rushed through the Senate. Fast tract has to be prevented to allow the American public to see what this trade agreement is really all about.

BP has paid about $42 billion to address the Deepwater Horizon disaster since oil first started spilling in 2010. About 80% of those payments have qualified for tax deductions, effectively shifting the cost of BP’s “gross negligence” onto taxpayers. The practice of writing off settlement agreements is both legal and common—but it doesn’t have to be. Should BP be able to write off its payments made to address the Gulf Coast oil spill? Should Wall Street banks be allowed to deduct their settlements for mortgage abuses as business as usual? Tell the Justice Department no tax deductibility for BP in the upcoming Gulf spill settlement and to make other future settlements for corporate misconduct non-deductible as well. These write offs send the wrong message. They diminish the value of settlements as a deterrent to future misbehavior. They are also costly for the public because taxpayers must make up for the lost revenue through cuts to public programs, higher tax rates, or more federal debt. When settlements become write-offs, Americans pay both for the cost of corporate misbehavior, and secondly to subsidize the tax write-offs. It’s time to demand an end to this practice: no more write-offs for corporate wrongdoing.