For a year and a half, fast food employees and other low-wage workers across the country have been organizing and striking for $15 an hour and the right to form a union without retaliation. Now, the city of Seattle has just announced a landmark agreement to raise the minimum wage to $15. Seattle's wage raise will pump $500 million back into their economy without raising taxes. Large employers paying the lowest wages are subsidized by our taxes when their low-paid employees are forced to use public programs like welfare just to get by. This is a huge victory for workers, but it's only the beginning of a wave that will sweep across the country. Republicans in the Senate just blocked an increase in the federal minimum wage--but cities like Seattle are showing that progress is made locally. Who's next? In Portland, raising the minimum wage to $15 will provide a dramatic boost for thousands of working families and the local economy.

Our “Do Nothing Congress”, particularly the obstructionist Republican party, implemented a Government shutdown policy last year. Amazingly it actually made it to the house floor, costing American taxpayers 24 billion dollars. This was according to a Standard and Poor’s estimate as reported by Time Magazine, Oct. 17, 2013. This cost can not be recovered! Our nation was founded on the principle of low taxes. No one likes higher taxes. We’re urging Congress to close the gap that tax loopholes create. For example, The Tax Haven Abuse Act is currently in Congress, Senate bill S1533 and House bill HR 1554. The bill would restrict the use of offshore tax havens and abusive tax shelters to inappropriately avoid Federal taxation, and for other purposes. A report issued by U.S. PIRG, released April 15, 2014, tells us “every year, corporations and wealthy individuals avoid paying an estimated $184 billion in state and federal income taxes by using complicated accounting tricks to shift their profits to offshore tax havens. Of that $184 billion, $110 billion is avoided specifically by corporations.” The report further notes, “The Senate Finance Committee squandered an opportunity to stand with regular taxpayers who can’t marshal armies of lawyers and lobbyists to bend the tax code to their whim. Unfortunately, they caved to special interest pressure.” “Many of America’s largest and best-known corporations use these complex tax avoidance schemes to shift their profits offshore and drastically shrink their tax bill. GE, Microsoft, and Pfizer boast the largest offshore cash hoards.” By closing these loopholes Congress can save billions of dollars for our country. Join us by signing this petition and hold Congress responsible to close tax loopholes rather than let average Americans struggle every year.

Of the 6,514 families presently living in poverty—with many having to make the choice to pay bills before buying food—44 percent or 2,874 of those families have female heads of household without a contributing male present. These women aren’t just teenagers looking for extra money; they are mothers hoping to build a stable foundation for their children’s future. Yet, this simple dream—based on the premise that law-abiding and hardworking members of the community can give their children a better life—isn’t real for thousands of hardworking Guamanians. You see, some of island’s biggest businesses have made more money year after year—all the while holding wages flat. When indexed against the cost of housing, food, medical care, and electricity; today’s minimum wage would have to be $8.41 an hour just to have the same purchasing power as it did in 2007. This means that thousands of people who work full-time jobs still have to raise their families in poverty. Although Guam is blessed with many good corporate citizens, too many people—too many of our neighbors—are still weighed down by minimum wages that can never lift them out of indigence or allow them the opportunity to work their way out of the hard life. After more than six months of study and consultation with economists Dr. Claret Ruane, Dr. Rosanne Jones, Mr. Joe Bradley, Mr. Gary Hiles and Mr. Albert Perez, Vice Speaker BJ Cruz introduced legislation, Bill No. 316-32 (LS), to raise Guam’s Minimum Wage from $7.25 to $10.10 an hour over the next three years. According to federal and local labor figures, hourly wages, total employment, and the number of hours worked after the last three minimum wage increases in 2007, 2008, and 2009, either held steady or rose. Put simply, the Guam experience says increasing the minimum wage does not kill jobs, cut hours or cause the collapse of our economy. And our experience is also the experience of our nation. The federal government has raised the minimum wage 22 times since 1938, and every time the same counsels of doubt and cynicism have proclaimed that the economic sky would fall -- yet history has not been kind to their predictions. Here we are, still working, still building, still trying to expand the circle of opportunity for everyone willing to work for it. Many of you support this measure but will be too busy working a second shift, cooking dinner for your families, or helping your kids with their homework to attend public hearings. Or, even more concerning, many of you have been intimidated by employers, your voice suppressed by the climate of fear perpetuated by pro-business politics that is more concerned about the bottom line: profit margins. Regardless of your hourly wage or your station in life, your opinion matters. Express your support by calling your Senators, talking about the minimum wage issue with friends on Facebook, or simply signing this petition to stand up for fair wages for our fellow working-class Guamanians.

The very large number of home foreclosures have reduced our home values by ~ 40% which has eliminated most, if not all, of our citizens' home equity, has precipitated 3 home property tax increases within 3 years, caused vacant and looted homes, increased crime, caused large budget cuts to our schools, etc. The actions requested in our Petition plus our non-profit's Foreclosure Prevention activities help from our Federal and Georgia Government Foreclosure Prevention Units will prevent and eliminate most of the pending, present, and future foreclosures in Douglas County. These actions have proven to be very successful in doing that across the nation. When the Foreclosures are prevented and removed, our Home values will increase 40% or more and then the county can reduce our home property tax rates. As a result of our Home Values increasing by 30%-40%, 60% of our home owners will no longer owe more on their mortgage than their house is worth. All their Home Equity will be restored + some. They'll be able to use their new-found home equity as they did before, i.e. for emergencies, to pay high cost medical bills, pay their kid's college tuition, consolidate their bills, buy "big ticket items" i.e. a boat, RV, new furniture, luxury vacation, etc. or be able to sell their home and use their equity to buy another one. Please help us to make those things a reality for all of Douglas County homeowners by signing this Petition and getting everyone you know to do the same.

There's an estimated $300 billion more going from us to corporations over the next decade, and it's not countered by a single raised rate or closed Big Business loophole.

Some of us depend entirely on our pensions to survive. They have already cut $300 from my pension in health subsidies, and I'm paying more for medical care. This is because I never could get the COPS to put me on Medicare. I wrote the board, the president, the governor, the first lady, and the mayor, probably in the '80s, begging to be put on Medicare. Nothing happened.

The Oso Slide on March 22, 2014 took dozens of lives and wiped out the main road to Darrington. Hundreds of local volunteers showed up with heavy equipment and chainsaws to undertake the immense task of searching for survivors. The WSDOT is restricting reconstruction bidding to large corporate contractors, some from out of state. We want those local contractors and workers who rushed to volunteer after the slide to be allowed to participate in restoring the main road to Darrington. Please help us help our town! #530slide

All but 12 of the House Republicans recently voted for Rep. Paul Ryan's federal budget resolution. According to the nonpartisan Economic Policy Institute, Rep. Ryan's budget cuts would slow the economy and cost 1.1 million jobs next year -- and 3 million jobs in 2016. This is a federal budget only a billionaire or defense contractor could love. It would cut $137 billion from SNAP (food stamps), $125 billion from Pell Grants, and $16 billion to block grants for Meals on Wheels, homeless shelters, and child care for working-poor families. While Rep. Ryan's budget isn't likely to pass the Senate, we need to show congressional Republicans that we want a budget that creates jobs and opportunities needed to give everyone a fair shot in life. MORE INFORMATION: "By Ignoring Economic Reality, Ryan Budget Would Slow Recovery, Cost Jobs," Economic Policy Institute, April 1, 2014 http://goo.gl/tNExVy "Ryan Plan Gets 69 Percent of Its Budget Cuts From Programs for People With Low or Moderate Incomes," Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, April 8, 2014 http://goo.gl/RuW0nQ

Unemployment stinks.

This legal fraud has caused the loss of over 3 Trillion Dollars in Federal Taxes over the last decade alone. If we close the loophole(s) that allow this fraud, the U.S. Government will collect an additional 300 Billion Dollars per year. There are so many worthwhile projects that could be funded, such as helping the Vets, increasing funding for Schools, and putting people back to work rebuilding our roads, bridges and schools.

I am 77 years old, hold both a BFA & MFA (at Yale) and now augment my wife's teacher's salary by finding and completing small masonry jobs: steps, landing, patios, etc. We barely meet our mortgage, fill the fridge for family meals. If I find pride in doing excellent masonry at bargain prices....how much more satisfaction I'd have, say, repairing paths in our National Park System.... or restoring decaying murals in a post office or public building. Or using lifelong photographer skills to document this program. Bringing back the shining glory of America... something all races and all ages can work toward. WPA for TODAY

Rep. Peter Roskam voted for a federal budget that would, according to the Economic Policy Institute, slow the economy and cost 1.1 million jobs next year -- and 3 million jobs in 2016. This is a federal budget only a billionaire or defense contractor could love. Paul Ryan's congressional budget would cut $137 billion from SNAP (food stamps), $125 billion from Pell Grants, and $16 billion to block grants for Meals on Wheels, homeless shelters, and child care for working-poor families. While Ryan's budget isn't likely to pass the Senate, we need to send Congressman Roskam a strong message so that he knows we don't support these budget priorities. We want him to champion a budget that creates jobs and gives everyone a fair shot in life. If enough of us sign, Rep. Roskam will know exactly where his district stands. MORE INFORMATION: "By Ignoring Economic Reality, Ryan Budget Would Slow Recovery, Cost Jobs," Economic Policy Institute, April 1, 2014 http://goo.gl/tNExVy "Ryan Plan Gets 69 Percent of Its Budget Cuts From Programs for People With Low or Moderate Incomes," Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, April 8, 2014 http://goo.gl/RuW0nQ