Those of us who have paid our entire lives into Social Security should not have our Social Security used as a bargaining chip with the Republicans. Leave the Social Security account alone. Tax the rich once and for all. If the Republicans are not open for ANY negotiation, it's time to get some other parties started in our government, like the other countries. We in the middle class need the Social Security benefits to survive. Float bonds, high interest Treasury Bills, other investments, and force taxes for the rich. Be creative and find other means and bring back employment to this country.

I am an unemployed 56-year-old who can not find a job, which forces me to use my 401K money to pay my mortgage. Cutting social security will be devasting when I do retire. But my vote still counts.

This week President Obama made an offer to Republican John Boehner to cut Social Security benefits and leave in place some of the Bush tax cuts for the top 2%. The cuts in Social Security are opposed by an overwhelming majority of SignOn.org members and would amount to "a cut of more than 5 percent and more as the years go by." For many retirees this would mean critical cuts to benefits that cover medicine, food, and other daily necessities. The good news is that many senators, including Senate Leader Harry Reid, have promised to oppose Social Security cuts in any deficit reduction package. If they hear from enough of their constituents, we can still get the Senate to reject this proposal and protect Social Security.

Congress has access to Social Security funds by allowing the SSA to buy treasury bonds and securities and using our money to balance the budget. Social Security and medicare should not be cut and Congress must be denied access to Social Security funds.

Social Security Insurance should not be in any budget or deficit discussion, because being independently funded, it doesn't add one penny to the national deficit. It is too vital for too many citizens to be toyed with by the GOP or spineless Democrats in a game of political chicken. Tell Congress and the President to keep their hands off of Social Security.

I am 75 years old and have worked hard to earn these benefits.

Making the rich pay there fair share

Ending the low tax rate for Capital Gains is the single most important fiscal policy step the President should take. By fueling the real estate bubble, it was a fundamental cause of the financial meltdown. It's not fair, and it's bad for the economy. While the 99% labor, it pays the rich not to work.

If Congress fails to reach agreement on the spending part of the so-called "fiscal cliff" negotiations by late February 2013, private universities such as Princeton, MIT, JHU, and others will face significant losses in federal research funding due to sequestration. This is a serious problem, for in fiscal year 2011, almost 75% of Princeton University's, 72% of Johns Hopkins Medicine's, and 71% of MIT's sponsored research funding came from government sources. Scientific research is the driving force behind today's technology-based economy; significant budget cuts to research institutions will affect everyone. For instance, scientific research at MIT has allowed for discoveries ranging from the first chemical synthesis of penicillin to an invention that duplicates the biological plant process of photosynthesis. Scientific research conducted at Johns Hopkins University has elucidated many cellular and biochemical mechanisms important for understanding human development and disease. Meanwhile, very recent scientific research at Princeton ranged from progress in particle physics, crucial to last summer's discovery of the long-sought Higgs boson at CERN, to finding a potential new chemotherapeutic approach for treating cancers. Most of this was possible to achieve through funding provided by federal agencies. Sequestration will have dire consequences for the future of scientific research at private institutions. Our elected officials must prevent these cuts from taking place! Co-authors: Pavel Shibayev, Ted Brundage (Princeton); Jason Choi (MIT); Evan Hess (JHU) Sources: 1. http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/2012/12/09/32119/ 2. http://tech.mit.edu/V132/N49/funding.html 3. http://www.wusa9.com/health/article/232572/28/The-Fiscal-Cliff-Medical-Research-On--The-Precipice 4. http://web.mit.edu/facts/research-expend.html 5. http://web.mit.edu/facts/research.html 6. http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/institute_basic_biomedical_sciences/news_events/articles_and_stories/funding_science/2011_11_Federal_funding.html 7. http://neuroscience.jhu.edu/research.php 8. http://www.princeton.edu/research/ 9. http://discovery.princeton.edu/?portfolio=discovery-research-at-princeton 10. http://www.princeton.edu/research/docs/2010-2011-URB-REPORT.pdf (pg. A-3)

Greetings. I have personally been affected by gun violence (I was shot in the head in the 80s). Since then I have been passionate about stopping gun violence in the US. My idea will work. Please sign my petition.

Many people have lost their homes due to speculation and lack of transparancy in lending.The public is already functioning as the lender of last resort for homes, but is not benefiting. Consumer friendly terms and rates are possible with a non-profit approach.

We should be concerned about the less fortunate in this country. The Republicans are demanding that benefits for the poor and the elderly be cut significantly before they will agree to a tax increase for the top 1 percent. They refuse to vote for a tax cut on the top 2 percent. The salaries for all Senators and Congressmen should be cut by 30% and they should not be allowed to draw retirement benefits until they reach the age of 70, unless they are still serving as a Senator or a Representative. Then, they should not be allowed to. Their retirement package should be no better than the average government worker.