Why should we pay additional tax on gifts. We don't see a return, for those funds at the end of the year.

This petition is to give any and all Rhode Islanders the ability to state their support for getting this situation corrected - bullying in the workplace - in all types of workplaces, involving every race, gender, sexual orientation and state of ability. I and many friends, colleagues and people who know I support this issue have reported alarming instances of abuse in the workplace. The Healthy Workplace Bill would be a great step in the right direction since there is no law against bullying.

As Governor Rauner continues to hold the state budget hostage to push his obsessive anti-union agenda, young people and their families are suffering. As a candidate, Rauner ran as the “Education Governor”, while Rauner the governor will allow more than 100,000 low-income students to fall through the cracks unless he takes action to pass a budget. In 2014, the Monetary Award Program (MAP) provided tuition assistance to 136,000 students attending Illinois colleges and universities. Without a budget to fund this essential program, these students’ educations are in jeopardy. More information ---> http://ow.ly/VZAJF

I'm a resident of Providence, and I'm worried about what's happening to my city. The City always says it doesn't have the money when it comes to helping ordinary people, but they're happy to hand out ample cash to big developers.

The State of Missouri refuses to let a disabled veteran telework. I am a Military Service Disabled Service Connected Veteran hired under the Show Me Heroes program. The State of Missouri placed Disabled Veterans like myself on Leave of Absence without pay during Christmas time. I have asked for work over and over again and the State of Missouri has refused. Please sign my petition telling the State of Missouri to let me telework so I, a disabled veteran, can support his family.

We as a people have a choice to drive more Eco friendly vehicles. And should not be punished and taxed for our choices. If the government cannot secure the funds it wants, than it needs to find a new resource, NOT tax the people!

The number of homeless and hungry in our country is outrageous and unconscionable. No one who works 40 hours a week should live in poverty. America is smarter than this.

December 1, 2015 letter to the Co-Chairs of Roxbury Strategic Master Plan Oversight Committee (RSMPOC) from the Bartlett Project Review Committee Dear Co-Chairs, The Bartlett PRC is providing written notification that WE OPPOSE DEVELOPMENT PLANS TO ADD THE CONSERVATORY LAB CHARTER SCHOOL TO THE BARTLETT PROJECT. We have consistently rejected the proposal and communicated our opposition to the development team at public meetings, including RSMPOC meetings. The Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) convened a PRC meeting in May 2015 at the District B-3 police station (open public meeting). At that meeting, the PRC, Councilor Jackson, and other community members clearly conveyed opposition of the school proposal to the Bartlett development team and the BRA. We request the RSMPOC support our opposition and communicate this message to the development team and the BRA. Most members of the RSMPOC will recall the long toil and determination of our community commitment to set a vision for Bartlett over a multi-year period. We believed in the strategic planning process for Roxbury and have not wavered on the vision for Bartlett. We remain committed to the RFP requirements that set a foundation of economic development and wealth creation for the Bartlett parcel. We firmly believe the entire site should be anchored to economic drivers (homeownership and commerce opportunities) that will have an immediate and lasting impact on the community. We know that homeownership is central to individuals and families ability to amass wealth. We also believe that commercial and retail space encourage entrepreneurs to create businesses, attract existing businesses, and ultimately increase employment opportunities and wealth generation. The approved development plan also incorporated open space that will allow the economic energy to flourish in a proportionately populated neighborhood village landscape. While we have nothing against The CLCS, it simply does not fit the wealth creation design for Bartlett. Roxbury must increase economic drivers in the community and the Bartlett parcel is committed to that effort. Washington Commons and Heritage Commons are great examples of a community process that created economic opportunity and security for Roxbury residents. Both projects successfully created homeownership wealth and security within the Roxbury community. Bartlett will expand that model and make it possible for many more residents to build wealth within the community. Once again, the community is protecting a transparent and inclusive process that spoke loudly with a voice of community unity. We now face a development team which intends to renege, and disrespect the very people that trusted their sincerity and commitment to the Bartlett RFP process and the Roxbury community; a developer who has decided to disregard the public process and stakeholder voice to pursue their own agenda. We followed the process believing that our voices would not be squashed or diluted by the resources of a developer or the political might of a mayor or city agencies. We respectfully request that you stand with the Bartlett PRC and send a very clear message that DEVELOPERS CANNOT AND WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO PUSH THEIR AGENDA ON THE ROXBURY COMMUNITY! We would be happy to attend a RSMPOC meeting to affirm this letter. Sincerely, Bartlett Project Review Committee Michael Miles - Co-Chair

CLEAN, HONEST GOVERNMENT REQUIRES A STRONG CIVIL SERVICE! ......SB 285 Deals a Death Blow to Clean, Honest Civil Service!...... Wisconsin's nationally-recognized civil service system is on the chopping block because Republican leaders are using lies and deceptions to say the system is failing. It is NOT failing. Here are some of the lies and deceptions they are using: LIE: Civil service law makes it too hard to hire and fire state employees. An agency had to conduct almost 800 interviews to fill 31 positions. It takes more than six months to hire someone. TRUTH: Managers have all the tools they need. Nothing in current law specifies how many to interview or how long it should take to hire, and neither does the new bill. Wisconsin’s civil servants do good work. In the few cases where discipline is needed, the current system works. LIE: SB 285 does not change merit hiring. TRUTH: This bill takes a wrecking ball to merit hiring by eliminating objective civil service exams and using a subjective resume-based system that experts say is not the way to hire the best people, and is open to bias. This bill makes DOA and its Political Appointees far more central to all hiring decisions. As a result, underqualified cronies will fill public agencies. LIE: SB 285 does not remove Civil Service protections nor Just Cause, and does not make state employees at-will employees. TRUTH: The loss of an objective method for layoffs will make it easier for politicians to get rid of state employees who give their professional opinions rather than twist the facts. This bill makes it easier to discipline or fire whistleblowers with no investigation, no progressive discipline, and no need to follow established “just cause” standard in many cases. The bill adds confusing wording that may require litigation to determine if state employees are made at-will. Limited Term and Project employees may keep their jobs while permanent employees in the same job class are laid off. LIE: The new bill will make state agencies work better and deliver better services to the citizens. TRUTH: This Administration is using swift, stealth attacks to install cronyism, and a patronage system to serve the politicians in power. Public Services will decline at taxpayer expense. Contact your Wisconsin State legislator to ask them to oppose SB 285!

Jackson Square Partners, of which JPNDC is a lead partner, is seeking community support for its Article 80 filing towards the development of Site III in Jackson Square. Demonstrating support from neighbors and business owners is an important step in the BRA's Article 80 approval process. For years, JPNDC has engaged the community to help shape Jackson Square's redevelopment. As a result of that input, the proposed Site III program provides many important community benefits, including both 100% affordable apartments at what is now called "Building M" (44 units) and mixed income housing at 250 Centre St (100 units) as well as new green space, a new community plaza and other pedestrian, parking and traffic improvements along Amory Street. (Note: JPNDC's development of 39 100% affordable apartments at 75 Amory Ave., also on Site III, is already underway.) Given its track record of developing 600 new homes and managing 13 properties, JPNDC will be a responsible neighbor and continue to engage the community throughout and after development. To learn more, please visit: https://jpndc.org/real-estate-portfolio/real-estate-portfolio-in-the-pipeline/

We are currently enrolled in a Race and Ethnic Relations course, taught by Professor Paul Lopez, at California State University, Chico.

Alabama, Utah, Indiana, Tennessee, and Georgia all had the highest filing bankruptcy rates in 2013 by state. Another thing they had in common was the "Right to Work" policy. "Right to Work" is unfair and unequal to unionized workers. It takes away benefits and opportunities from our family, pension, retirement, etc. The goal of making the United States "Right to Work" effective is to lower our wages and to destroy our economy even more. Without unionized labor, there is not any guarantee of work and no growth for the middle class.