On the election trail, we know candidates are hearing the frustration of We the People with the huge amounts of dark money being spent in elections. Voters see that big donors have acquired a megaphone, which is drowning out the voice of ordinary constituents. The need for money to fund their campaigns means politicians have to spend much of their time fund-raising versus speaking to or for their constituents. We ask candidates to endorse I-735. This initiative urges the Washington state congressional delegation to propose a federal constitutional amendment clarifying that constitutional rights belong only to individuals, not corporations; that spending money is not free speech under the First Amendment; that governments are fully empowered to regulate political contributions and expenditures to prevent undue influence; and that political contributions and expenditures must be promptly disclosed to the public.

BACKGROUND: UGI Utilities has asked the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) for approval of a 19.7% rate increase for all UGI natural gas customers. The proposed rate increase will produce approximately $58.6 million to cover costs associated with the distribution of gas to residential and commercial customers. According to UGI, the requested rate hike is being driven, in part, by the cost of replacing outdated bare steel and cast iron distribution lines. This work was required by a PUC order following a deadly 2011 Allentown gas explosion that resulted in the deaths of five people, including one infant. While gas companies have been pocketing profits for years, they now want to reach into the pockets of consumers to cover the costs of what should have been routine and ongoing maintenance. Pipeline replacement should have been covered within the cost of safely operating a gas utility, but as we know, companies are often willing to forego routine maintenance in exchange for profit and at the expense of the consumers. These costs should not be forced onto consumers. UGI is the lead investor in the proposed PennEast/UGI Pipeline, a project with a $1 billion price tag. This project is unnecessary and will not benefit PA Natural Gas Customers who are already enjoying historically low natural gas prices. In fact, the opposite is true. In PennEast’s application to FERC, they claim that this proposed interstate transmission line from Luzerne County, PA, to Mercer County, NJ, which will distribute 1 bcf of natural gas at approximately 1500 psi, is not to serve local communities, but to expand natural gas service to “southeastern Pennsylvania, parts of New Jersey and beyond.” It is this last entity that suggests this natural gas is for exportation, making this rate increase even more disturbing. While UGI aims to expand its service area for profit, it is neglecting the safety and security of its current customer base. Consumers should be forewarned that they will pay for the costs of the proposed PennEast/UGI pipeline if it is approved. The cost of this unnecessary pipeline will be added to any rate increases approved by the PA Public Utilities Commission and will be borne by residential and commercial UGI customers.

Wall Street's reckless financial speculation caused the greatest economic collapse since the Great Depression, causing millions of Americans to lose their savings, their jobs, and their homes. Despite a $700 billion bailout to save the financial sector from itself, Wall Street still hasn’t learned its lesson. Today, Wall Street is up to its same old tricks—gambling with risky and unneeded financial products. We cannot allow Wall Street hedge funds to jeopardize our economic health and the hard-earned savings of working Americans for their personal gain. A small tax levied on financial speculation would rein in the worst offenders and allow us to invest in infrastructure projects that create jobs and help make quality education more affordable for young Americans.

As an avid reader of the NY Times daily, I am disturbed by the Bias in reporting on Senator Bernie Sanders bid for the democratic nomination. In an effort to tell the press what we think of them telling us how the election should go, I am asking you to take a small bite out of their bottom line. Unsubscribe to the times until after the conclusion of the General Election. It's a small but worthwhile step to make your voice heard.

ExxonMobil has taken climate change denial to a whole new level. According to a groundbreaking report released last year, Exxon has known about the cataclysmic effects of climate change since the 1970s, and they have been funding climate change denial groups to protect their profits over the planet ever since. So far, the Attorneys General of California and New York have agreed to investigate Exxon, and there are petitions circulating in multiple states to do the same! The more states that join the investigation, the better chance we have to bring this case to the US Department of Justice. This is our chance to show the world what #ExxonKnew. We are working to build a broad coalition to call on New Hampshire’s Attorney General, Joseph Foster, to launch an investigation. If Exxon intentionally misled the public about climate change for over 30 years, it’s time to bring them to justice. So please, join us in this fight.

Pfizer is one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies. It’s also one of the most profitable. Through a merger with Irish drug firm Allergan, Pfizer is attempting to move its address overseas. After 166 years of doing business in the United States, the company is looking to stay headquartered in New York but escape paying billions of dollars in taxes. Millions of U.S. customers buy Pfizer products. From ChapStick to prescription medications, everyday working people’s purchases are the backbone of the company’s profits. Over the past few decades, those items have gotten more and more expensive, too. No taxes plus higher prices put the ultimate squeeze on working families. Letting Pfizer enjoy all of its benefits without paying a fair share of taxes is just plain wrong. President Obama and the U.S. Treasury can take an executive action to close the loophole behind Pfizer’s planned merger. You can help, too. Take action and sign our petition to keep the pressure on.

I am sick of watching the nightly news only to see inaccurate numbers being projected that include Superdelegates with no coverage of Bernie Sanders. I understand that Corporations run our major networks and hold their purse strings. I understand Donald Trump gives generously to their causes (as can be heard on the Anonymous hacked phone messages that were just released). The only way to get fairer coverage is to demand the networks act like the news organizations they pretend to be.

Superdelegates are not determined through the election process and should not be included in delegate counts reported during election coverage. Superdelegates may, and have been known to, change which candidate they support, often based on the popular vote. This practice is misleading, especially to less informed viewers.

As a resident of California, I know that the state of our democracy affects us all. The priority corporate interests have taken over the well-being of citizens illustrates the crisis we are in. Only by uniting and demanding change will we be able to see progress.

Sprint needs to either recognize that customers make the company, or we must stand up to corporate greed, fraud, and misuse of the common man.

Many Americans may be unaware of the distinction between regular delegates and superdelegates, and therefore may be misled by Google's current format for showing the Democratic Party's primary election results. It is important that media sources and popular search engines report these results in an impartial and transparent manner by clearly reporting regular delegates that have been fairly won through the democratic process. Google's current reporting of superdelegate votes is misleading. While many superdelegates have already stated support for a particular candidate, superdelegates are being called upon to preserve the democratic process and respect the popular vote. Although a superdelegate may have stated support for a particular candidate early on, it is unlikely they would expressly go against their voter's wishes. Therefore, until the popular vote has been cast, making a candidate appear far more popular through display of superdelegates is misleading and must be changed. Please ask Google to display poll results first and foremost WITHOUT SUPERDELEGATES and then with the option of separately viewing results including Superdelegates. Please sign and share the petition! Thank you for your help in keeping our democracy democratic!

Since the arrival of Mr. Andrew Lack to the MSNBC News division, a number of not so honorable events have taken place. Mr. Lack has a public history of dismissing people of color unceremoniously. However, for some strange reason, MSNBC and Comcast executives have a theory that no one is watching. Comcast suspended Mr. Brian Williams for 6 months. Mr. Williams, it turns out is a habitual liar. This revelation brought unbearable shame to the network. However, instead of being let go, Mr. Williams was brought back with opened arms, almost like nothing had happened. Mr. William's former boss Ms. Pat Fili-Krshel, the ex-chairwoman of NBCUniversal News Group was banished to some obscured position. Over the last year, MSNBC has banished or undermined people of color from its on-air personality lineup. Therefore, the question must be asked to MSNBC executives, are you telling the public that MSNBC would rather give a habitual liar a second chance then an employee who simply fought for her staff’s participation? We call on MSNBC to immediately reinstate Dr. Melissa Harris-Perry back to her show and to publicly apologize to her fans for what is clearly an overreaction by the executive team at MSNBC.