By executive order, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker has directed all state agencies to review nearly all regulations with the mandate that none should exceed federal requirements. Baker wants to dismantle and dumb down regulations governing the state's water and air quality standards, worker safety requirement, and health regulations. This will hurt businesses that are civic-minded with responsible best practices while rewarding the few that cut corners. Baker acts as if throwing every regulation up in the air will be good for businesses. Baker wants only regulations that do not "unduly and adversely affect Massachusetts citizens and customers of the Commonwealth." Moving on to public transportation, Governor Baker ignored the MBTA during the blizzards of 2015. Given no respect, the general manager Beverly Scott resigned. When the MBTA was running again, Baker called for all members of the independent MBTA Board of Directors to resign. Baker, a former CEO and in a command-and-control approach where the buck stops with him, called for the formation of a financial control board composed entirely of the Governor's handpicked individuals. My family and I want access to affordable public transportation, clean water and clean air. Footnote: M.T.A. by Jackie Steiner and Bess Lomax Hawes Let me tell you the story of a man named Charlie On a dark and fateful day He put ten cents in his pocket and he kissed his loving family And he went to ride the MTA. Did he ever return? No, he never returned And his fate is still unlearned He may ride forever ‘neath the streets of Boston He’s the man who never returned. This song is based on the history of Boston's transit system. Called the M.T.A in 1949; today it's simply called the T. Trouble for Charlie was he had the dime to get on train but not the nickel to get off. If only his wife had handed Charlie a nickel instead of a sandwich his fate would not still be "unlearned." Prior to 1949, Boston's public transit system was privatized. When private businesses failed to make a profit at running the system, they sold it back to Boston for a profit. The nickel charge was added to pay off the private investors. Today's governor, a former businessman, is once again taking the traditional command-and-control, one man ultimately responsible approach instead of a robust collaborative participatory approach to managing a very complex and dynamic system known as the MBTA, where the rider passes are fondly called "Charlie Cards." Let's consider a MBTA turnstile outside Baker's office, a dime to get in and dollar to get out, complete with special customer fares and better treatment for citizens.

I and many fellow Americans face difficult prospects in IT tech fields. It's become "de rigueur" for corporations to hire H1B Indians instead of Americans. It's reverse-discrimination on the basis of nationality and visa status.

I'm angry as hell, and I want to do something about it.

Every year, some large corporations dodge billions in taxes while their friends in Congress do all they can to protect their loopholes. I don't know about you, but I'm tired of it. Let's see if they can dodge this: As we near Tax Day, add your name to our petition and we will put it on a dodgeball and deliver it. By hook or by crook and with considerable help from Congress, a few big corporations end up dodging more than $150 billion in taxes per year -- through offshore bank accounts, phony overseas subsidiaries, and tax breaks written into the law by special interest lobbyists. You and I pay our fair share. Isn't it time for tax-dodging corporations to do the same? Especially when some members of Congress would rather protect these tax giveaways than invest in education, health care or making sure kids have enough to eat? Right now Sen. Nelson is part of the Senate group coming up with the plan for corporate tax reform. We know they are being inundated by lobbyists from the big tax-dodging corporations. Help us send a message that they can't dodge their responsibility to the rest of us.

Every year, some large corporations dodge billions in taxes while their friends in Congress do all they can to protect their loopholes. I don't know about you, but I'm tired of it. Let's see if they can dodge this: As we near Tax Day, add your name to our petition and we will put it on a dodgeball and deliver it. By hook or by crook and with considerable help from Congress, a few big corporations end up dodging more than $150 billion in taxes per year -- through offshore bank accounts, phony overseas subsidiaries, and tax breaks written into the law by special interest lobbyists. You and I pay our fair share. Isn't it time for tax-dodging corporations to do the same? Especially when some members of Congress would rather protect these tax giveaways than invest in education, health care or making sure kids have enough to eat? Right now Sen. Bennet is part of the Senate group that will come up with the plan for corporate tax reform. We know they are being inundated by lobbyists from the big tax-dodging corporations. Help us send a message that they can't dodge their responsibility to the rest of us.

Every year, some large corporations dodge billions in taxes while their friends in Congress do all they can to protect their loopholes. I don't know about you, but I'm tired of it. Let's see if they can dodge this: As we near Tax Day, add your name to our petition and we will put it on a dodgeball and deliver it to Congress. By hook or by crook and with considerable help from Congress, a few big corporations end up dodging more than $150 billion in taxes per year -- through offshore bank accounts, phony overseas subsidiaries, and tax breaks written into the law by special interest lobbyists. You and I pay our fair share. Isn't it time for tax-dodging corporations to do the same? Especially when some members of Congress would rather protect these tax giveaways than invest in education, health care or making sure kids have enough to eat? Right now Sen. Hatch is coming up with the plan for corporate tax reform. We know they are being inundated by lobbyists from the big tax-dodging corporations. Help us send a message that they can't dodge their responsibility to the rest of us.

On February 12, those making a million dollars a year reached the annual tax cap. After that day, none of their income will be taxed to pay for Social Security. Meanwhile, 94% of Americans -- those who make less than $118,500 a year -- will chip in a portion of every single paycheck, all year long. That’s right. A single mother working as an ER nurse pays 6.2% of every paycheck toward Social Security, 12 months out of the year. Meanwhile, a wealthy investment banker on Wall Street isn’t paying a dime into the system for the rest of 2015. They say we can’t afford Social Security. No. We can’t afford to keep giving unfair tax breaks to millionaires and billionaires! Add your name. Sign the petition and tell Senator Dick Durbin, Senator Mark Kirk, and Rep. Rodney Davis it’s time to end the Social Security tax break for millionaires!

Now that I am drawing on my Social Security, i can do volunteer work in my community.

I am the son of a union worker, a retired teacher who has worked closely with pro-public education unionized workers, and I am a former elected local official who believes this repeal would be disastrous.

To nurture and speed up the development of local and regional food systems. With 500,000 acres being removed from food production in California due to long term drought, and commodity agricultural exports raising food prices at home, the Local Food Security Tax Credit will make food available and keep food affordable for millions of Americans.

I have been serving for a while. Most people I work with have two jobs to make ends meet, causing health issues, exhaustion and more. Most restaurant industries require servers. Every day is a gamble, and we understand that when we sign up for the job. We can't control if or when customers come in. We can control only when they are here and their experience. Either the wage from $2.13 needs to be raised or there should be a minimum automatic tip on the check. We work so hard doing all we can, and when you do your best and get nothing for a tip, when they could have gone to a fast food place. .... yes it hurts. If most people tried to serve, I'm sure they wouldn't succeed. It takes so much talent to do this job. I work two jobs myself to make ends meet. I've had many checks today, as well as other servers, not include a tip. These checks were $50.00 plus, and that's a lot of food and drinks if you think about it. Something needs to be done. Please help to raise the wage, or set an automatic tip amount per check.

On April 1, 2015, Seattle took its first step towards a $15 minimum wage by requiring all employers with over 500 workers to pay at least $11/hr. Despite being the single largest employer in Seattle, the University of Washington administration has argued that it's not obligated to pay $15/hr to campus workers. This means that over 12,000 campus workers are at risk of not receiving a much-needed wage increase – including over 8,700 student workers, who have seen UW tuition rise 82% since 2008. Academically, UW is ranked among the best universities worldwide; unfortunately, UW is also home to an ever-growing gap between the highest-paid administrators and the lowest-paid hourly workers. Instead of increasing student fees/tuition, or cutting research funding and campus jobs, the UW can and should provide living wage jobs for ALL campus workers by redistributing funds from highly-paid administrators to the most marginalized workers on campus. If every other employer in Seattle can pay at least $15/hr, so can UW.