Increasing the gas tax on a retail basis will add another 8 to 9 cents a gallon to the cost of gas for Vermonters. This is a regressive tax which will hurt low-income Vermonters who must commute largely by car to get to their jobs. It will also hurt gas station owners along the New Hampshire border where NH gas stations already have a 7 cent a gallon advantage.

Congress temporarily lowered the Social Security tax withholding rate to 4.2% from 6.2% for 2011 and 2012. But amid continued hand-wringing about deficits and revenue, lawmakers let it expire for 2013. What that means for most workers is 2% less money in their paychecks.

Use of Free Software in government can increase efficiency, lower costs, and set a useful example to the citizens.

Im a great loyal and faithful and cannot get a job due to bad credit which was beyond my control.

The purpose of this petition is to encourage the State of Missouri House of Representatives and Senate to pass legislation that enables felons that have demonstrated rehabilitation employment protection. Currently, employers are able to openly discriminate against all felons uniformly. We are asking that felons that: 1) Have discharged their sentences successfully 2) Have not had any arrests or law violations other than traffic tickets for at least 7 years 3) Have successfully completed a vocational training (e.g. cosmetology, construction, etc), associates or bachelors degree at an accredited institution of higher education.

I have applied for many jobs and have been denied all of them based on my experience. I want to be able to get a job without being discriminated against for my inexperience and take care of my kids, without being a parent on welfare just to take care of my family.

State income tax

This petition is meant to correct the basic flaw in our Income tax system. First we must understand that the purpose of the Income Tax is to fund the Government, so that it can provide the services that our society needs. The following also must be clearly understood: 1.The Government is not a business, it is a service. 2.The government should operate in paralell with business, by delivering essential services along side the private sector, until an oversupply is attained and at that point it should lease its service production to the private sector, to be operated under contract in the open market. My proposal is introduce the progressive income tax, based on muliples of the minimum wage, and graduated upward for each dollar of income earned above the specified multiple. . I propose that the bottom level be set at five times the minimum (minimum wage * 5) pay 10% wages earned, graduated upward by 5% increments of each multiple of 5 In other words it would increment by 5% everytime an interval of 5 times above the minimum wage in broached. This would be inflation proof, and would encourage congress to automatically increase the minimum wage, as high as possible, in order to lower the incremenatl tax rates on the wealthy.

WHEN I CAME TO CALIF. MY RENT WAS $240. MY PARENTS' MORTGAGE IN IOWA WAS $211, I DIDN'T EVEN HAVE A JOB YET.LATER I WAS IN VENTURA COUNTY. I RETURNED TO L.A. COUNTY NOW THE RENTS ARE LIKE $1,300.00! MY INCOME HAS NOT QUADRUPLED!GASOLINE IS NEAR $5.00 ! $9.00 MINIMUM WAGE? THE "KAPPAS",(THOSE THAT DEAL W/BANKERS) WILL JUST SWALLOW IT! AGAIN.

Offshore accounts should be illegal, so that those who earn over $250,000 annually should pay US taxes & be held accountable. This would decrease the deficit substantially.

We have the most regressive tax structure of any state. The poor are suffering with high sales and property taxes. Of course even apartment dwellers pay the property tax through their rent. We need to add an income tax to make our tax structure more progressive - and hopefully reduce sales and property tax - and fully fund education.

Passing legislation now to raise the minimum wage to $10/hr by 2015 is not only necessary, but long-past warranted. Many Americans left behind in the wake of corporate greed have been left no alternative than to accept positions with organizations that only pay minimum wage, no matter what skills or experience the employee brings. That has had the effect of throwing millions of workers into poverty. In the richest country in the world, where corporate profits and CEO compensations have never been higher, that has a stock-market that has come roaring back, to have millions of working families living in poverty is a travesty. Please, join me in telling our representatives that this is no longer acceptable and the minimum wage must be increased to allow our fellow citizens the simple luxuries of food and roofs over their heads.