Until a little more than 30 years ago U.S. workers were protected by import tariffs. Since then corporate profits have surged while American wages have stagnated. We've all been hurt by the lack of import tariffs.

I walked off my job at Jimmy John's this morning because I can’t survive on the poverty wages I make. And I’m not the only one. Fast food workers from all over St. Louis went on strike because the companies we work for aren’t paying us enough to support our families – despite huge corporate profits. Most of us make $7.35 an hour – Missouri’s minimum wage – or just barely more. That means our average salary is less than $19,000 per year, which just isn’t enough to cover basic needs like rent, food, health care, transportation, and often times a family to support. A lot of us are forced to rely on public assistance to make ends meet. It’s downright shameful that someone who works full time is forced to rely on public assistance because their employers aren’t paying us enough. Paying fast food workers a livable wage will not only help us support our families, but it will also help strengthen St. Louis’s entire economy. When we’re paid a fair wage, we’ll have money to buy the everyday items we need, keeping the money in our community and making our neighborhoods safer. I've had it with you and other fast food chains who are not paying your employees in St. Louis enough to survive. I’m outraged that full-time workers can’t afford rent, food, transportation, or health care (health care that you also refuse to provide) and many are forced to rely on public assistance to make ends meet. I believe that, here in America, everyone who works hard should be able to afford basic necessities like groceries, rent, and transportation for themselves and their families. I stand with St. Louis’s fast food workers in demanding they get the respect, and living wage, they deserve.

The U.S. government cannot run short of dollars. Federal deficit spending supports our Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, R&D, food & drug inspections, roads, dams, education, housing aid, unemployment compensation and all other federal programs. Deficit cutting (aka "austerity") has caused recessions and depressions everywhere in the world it has been tried.

every citizen is affected Lets get out of debt

This petition addresses Local hiring for all construction projects for new haven residents who have completed the EEOC program and New Haven Base Minority Contractors who have completed the SCD program. look at all of the black and brown contractors in the city that pay for licenses and permits that can’t even find work in the city in which they live. The 1.4 billion dollar school construction program, Rt 34, science park, 360 state street, and the list of development throughout new haven will continue for years, why are our policy makers talking about creating jobs, the jobs are here, we should be talking Job placement for new haven residents and new haven base minority contractors.

I could lose my home in Florida because it is underwater and my mortgage payments are too large for me to handle since the economic recession has severely shrunk my retirement investments. Reducing the mortgage principal to the actual value of my home would shrink my mortgage payments to a manageable level.

Why do we let employers play games with hours worked for benefits awards. 20 hours should be the floor for full benefits, insurance, retirement, sick pay, etc..

My years of hard work are being effected by huge insurance companies. All my clients need my service. Without me as their broker, they wouldn't have any idea what to do. Please reduce costs from hospitals and pharmecuticals, not from brokers who work very hard to earn a buck.

I see people every day who need help. People who are working but they have to fix a flat, or go to the dentist, or have a furnace go out. Sometimes I see people living in the alley ways. There are lots of people in Durango that make it from paycheck to paycheck....and if they have an emergency, they have to take time out from work to go to a government agency and fill out a ton of paperwork and MAYBE in a month or two or six...they MIGHT get State assistance. I see these people who come ask me for money to get by on. If I have it I lend it. I never get it back, because they barely make it. I am proposing that I receive the .9 cents a gallon of gas that is sold in Colorado to go into a bank account where I can help people out regardless of philosophies, race, gender, creed or religion.

Are you 50 and older and out of full time work? Have you been looking for work since 2010 or longer that your resume states you are qualified or overly qualified to do the job? Then why are we not being called in for an interview and or given employement? Because you have to state your age on all applications and once they calculate you are over 50 then noone is you or anyone 50 and older employees.

Isn't it time to have a balanced budget and fiscal responsibility? The government can not spend us into prosperity nor tax us until we are equally broke.

Why doesn't the Government help old workers get back to work . Government is spending money every were but were it is needed most. In order to get older people(40-65) back to work the Government need's to created a program were they will pay half the salary of an older worker in order to make them more attractive to the work force. Lets face it there are millions of older workers unemployed who apply daily for work .If and when, they get a Job interview , they are not hired because of their age.It's a fact and the only way to give an advantage to the more experienced hard working older population is with Government help.