My Social Security monthly retirement benefit is being reduced because I worked a civil service job not covered by Social Security. I also worked jobs intermittently for almost 45 years wherein I paid into social security. I am being penalized and losing part of my social security because I had a civl service job. After the provision was passed, the government still collected the full amount even though they knew I could not receive my full social security benefit.

Due to the complete lack of Congress to act in a reasonable, rational manner, holding the people they represent hostage to their machinations, our country is facing a serious and potentially devastating crisis.

This issue needs to be settled before the Fiscal Cliff at the end of 2012. If this is not done then taxes will increase and severe budget cuts will automatically kick-in. This will cause disruption and could provoke a second recession.

The president of the United States and our congress are facing a time line of December 31st 2012 to make a decision on how to decrease our deficit, calling it the Fiscal Cliff. As a citizen of the great U.S., I believe in the fairness of the very rich to give a little more in taxes so we may continue supporting the issues some of us strongly believe in, such as education, unemployment benefits, global warming awareness, employment opportunities for our Vets, PBS, and much more.

In 2008, the electorate supported raising taxes on those making more than $250,000. But it didn't happen in Obama's first term, even though Obama in 2008 had taken the risk of telling people that's what he intended to do. Let's not let this opportunity slip through our fingers again. Don't accommodate Republicans and give up the opportunity for which we have fought.

Yes: I'm faced with 25K to 30K in student loans which is like this huge avalanche waiting to come tumbling down upon me soon. The President can sign an Executive Order forgiving all outstanding student loan debt for all Americans earning 250K or less annually as an excellent stimulus for Poor and Middle-Class Americans.

We need to reform the Federal Reserve Bank to create new owners of future productive capital investment in businesses simultaneously with the growth of the economy. The solution to broadening private, individual ownership of America's future capital wealth requires that the Federal Reserve stop monetizing unproductive debt, including bailouts of banks "too big to fail" and Wall Street derivatives speculators, and begin creating an asset-backed currency that could enable every man, woman and child to establish a Capital Homestead Account or "CHA" (a super-IRA or asset tax-shelter for citizens) at their local bank to acquire a growing dividend-bearing stock portfolio to supplement their incomes from work and all other sources of income. Policies need to insert American citizens into the low or no-interest investment money loop to enable non- and undercapitalized Americans, including the working class and poor, to build wealth and become "customers with money." The proposed Capital Homestead Act would produce this result.

Replace Payroll Tax revenue with Carbon Tax revenue, dollar for dollar. Boost job creation while creating market pressure for more energy efficiency and cleaner energy sources.

Petition the house and senate to take a vote on presidents jobs bill.

This petition is about the problem in Congress and the Senate due to a pledge signed to Grover Norquist. By signing the pledge the majority of the party acted as obstructionists for four years and were not working for the good of the American people.

I, as an American citizen, am concerned about the national deficit and ever-widening income gap. I am most concerned with unfunded tax cuts that help those that don't necessarily need it while also feeding income inequality between the rich and the middle class . By the deadline of midnight, December 31, 2012, please negotiate with Congress a fair and amicable solution that addresses both of these concerns, while properly leveraging the "fiscal cliff" in such negotiations.

LFUCG has applied for a $6,000,000.00 CDBG loan in order to build a luxury hotel and art museum. Our city has not met its 10% Minority Business Goal. This $6,000,000.00 renovation project should hire at least 20% minorities with the understanding that the unemployment rate in our cities Urban Core which is predominantly black, poverty stricken and overflowing with crime is above 20%.