Long before the economic tailspin, Flight attendants were being replaced with cheap labor, and to make it more palatable to our Commander and chief, and the public as well, it appears that they are only replacing foreign unionized interpreters. Instead, with the union removed, we are all slowly being replaced by "language speakers". "IT'S Discrimination!" America does not need a huge group of baby boomers collecting unemployment and retirement. instead we need our Jobs to continue helping the economy recover!!

130,000 Italians just signed a petition calling for the Catholic churches in Italy to pay taxes on all properties they own to help cure it's financial ills. I propose that ALL churches here in America do the same: Close the tax loopholes that exempt ALL properties owned by churches!

It's the year 2012. The permitting process for mining is both lengthy and exhaustive to mine for copper and nickel in Minnesota. The actual mining process takes place 3,000 to 4,000 feet underground not on the surface. Neither the State of Minnesota nor the residents of Ely, MN want to see their backyard destroyed but DO believe that in these modern times, we actually can mine unobtrusively and without damaging our precious environment. Ely, MN is suffering significantly with a declining ability to survive on tourism as the years and bad economy have chiseled away steadily at the population here. We need to do something and sell a product that everybody needs, that being nickel. It's is used in every thing from iPads to cellphones to stainless steel and the US currently imports all of it. Let Ely, MN contribute to its own sustainability and the economy of the United States in a meaningful, tangible way. Support the mining efforts for the underground mine south of Ely MN.

http://wh.gov/81O I was on a recent conference call with White House officials, during which research funding was discussed. It seemed to me that these officials did not fully understand the central importance of NIH funding to our national research enterprise, to our local economies, to the retention and careers of our most talented and well-educated people, to the survival of our medical educational system, to our rapidly fading worldwide dominance in biomedical research, to job creation and preservation, to national economic viability, and to our national academic infrastructure. In response to a question from a participant, they staunchly defended the proposed flat $30.7 billion FY 2013 NIH budget as being perfectly adequate, remarking that “The NIH receives more funding than any other research entity; it will continue to be strong; it will do just fine.” This is not the case. The proposed flat NIH budget will severely exacerbate a catastrophic crisis that has been ongoing since 2003, when growth in NIH funding fell (and has continued to fall every subsequent year) behind the rate of inflation. As a consequence of this deeply flawed public policy, promising careers have been cut short, amazing research projects have been aborted, hundreds of laboratories nationwide have shrunk or been shut down, established and accomplished senior researchers have been forced to abandon their programs, young scientists have departed from research of even left the country (even after many years of productive training), thousands of ancillary jobs have been lost, our worldwide medical research dominance has been eroded (ceded to China, India, and other nations), and a large support network of laboratory supply and biotechnology companies has been drastically attenuated. We successfully rescued the auto industry because we understood the ramifications of letting it fail. Our biomedical research infrastructure is just as far-reaching and vitally important to our nation’s economy as is the auto industry. I hope that our Administration understands this. In response to this apparent lack of understanding of the current medical research crisis, I started the following petition: Dear friends, I write to let you know about a recently created petition on "We the People", a new feature on WhiteHouse.gov , and ask for your support. If this petition gets 25,000 signatures by March 18, 2012, the White House will review it and respond! We the People allows anyone to create and sign petitions asking the Obama Administration to take action on a range of issues. If a petition gets enough support, the Obama Administration will issue an official response. “You can view and sign the petition here: http://wh.gov/81O Here's some more information about this petition: Increase NIH budget to $33 billion dollars next fiscal year! A flat $30.7 billion will kill jobs and hurt research. Increase NIH spending to $33 billion! The proposed flat NIH budget will close labs nationwide, kill good-paying jobs, damage our worldwide medical research dominance, and hurt state economies. NIH jobs cannot be outsourced. NIH funding created 350,000 jobs and contributed $50 billion to the national economy in 2007! Insource our jobs!! Stephen J. Meltzer, M.D. The Harry & Betty Myerberg/Thomas R. Hendrix Professor Departments of Medicine (GI Division) and Oncology The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine & Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center 1503 E. Jefferson Street, Room 112 Baltimore, MD 21287

The right to work law pending before the Minnesota Legislature, is a blatant attack on Workers Rights. It will affect everything from lowering workers wages to contract negotiations and health and welfare.

Dear North Saanich Resident and/or Owner, A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to secure 83 acres of land for agriculture, in perpetuity, for North Saanich residents is before North Saanich council right now. However, it is being met with resistance from some council members. The current owners of Sandown Racetrack have offered to give the District of North Saanich 83 acres of agricultural land in exchange for retaining 12 acres for commercial development. To compensate for those 12 acres coming out of the ALR, the District of NS has twelve acres of land it will put into the ALR, so that there is no net change of land in the ALR. This proposal has the support of the Agricultural Land Commission, and the CRD under the Regional Growth Strategy. It is a tremendous opportunity for present and future North Saanich residents. To make this proposal a reality for the benefit of all North Saanich residents we need your support. Signing this petition will help make this happen. We will benefit by: a) A significant increase to our tax base in perpetuity (estimated at a minimum of $350,000 per year of new tax revenue from just the commercial portion, a total of $371,000 when added to present lease income); b) 83 acres of farmland as a community asset for the benefit of present and future residents. While the final uses of the land have not been determined yet, it could be used for leasing to farmers, community allotment gardens, teaching school children how to grow food, a permanent farmer’s market, agricultural education – and lots more; c) Economic spin off and potential revenues from development of the lands, both commercial and agricultural; d) Additional local jobs from the commercial development; e) Enhanced food security. If this proposal is rejected, the owner advises he will sell the land, as 8 estate lots, which would result in annual taxes totaling no more than $18,000. Full details of the proposal are available at the district website: http://www.northsaanich.ca/Municipal_Hall/District_Projects/Sandown_Racetrack_Proposal.htm Critics have voiced the following concerns: Myth #1: The municipality will “become farmers”. Fact: That has never been the intention. Once the municipality has acquired the land there will be further consultation with the community to consider possible options for third party leasing and/or management agreement. Myth #2: The farming will be subsidized by the District, thereby competing with existing farmers. Fact: Since any farmers using the land would pay fair lease rates, this is not a concern. Myth #3: There will be an increase in our taxes. Fact: This point is simply false as new taxes and revenues from the Sandown lands will cover all costs to meet ALC conditions. This proposal is self-sustaining using tax revenue and lease income that will not materialize if the proposal is not approved. And once the reclamation is complete, all tax revenue will continue to the benefit of the Municipality in perpetuity. Myth #4: There will be significant start-up costs that will need to be “front-ended” by the taxpayers. Fact: Again not true as any early stage costs will be paid from lease revenue and contributions from the present owner. Please sign the attached petition, and forward it to any other adults who live in your household, as well as any other North Saanich residents or owners you think will be interested. This is too good an opportunity to let pass us by, and it will be lost to us if we don’t act. Please sign now. Thank you, The Friends of Sandown Community Farm Email: [email protected]

Stuart Shaw of Bonner Carrington is proposing an "Affordable Multi Family" 244 unit complex off 290W between Ledge Stone Dr. and Four Star Blvd. To complete this project he will be requesting a tax abatement from Hays County. A tax abatement will unnecessarily burden the citizens of the Dripping Springs area.

In South Carolina, unemployment insurance as we know it is on the chopping block. Over 200,000 South Carolinians are currently unemployed. These are our friends, neighbors and family members who are struggling to find work. But instead of helping create good jobs, right-wing legislators and Gov. Haley have proposed a slew of destructive bills this year—blaming jobless workers and their families for an economic downturn they didn’t create. Their latest stunt? A bill which would require unemployed workers to pass drug tests to get their unemployment insurance, look for only full-time employment opportunities after a certain period and force them to take minimum wage work after a short period of time on unemployment. It's time for South Carolina lawmakers to stop these attacks and focus on real policies that create good jobs for South Carolinians.

Right to work law. Republicans are trying to bust the Unions.

Remember when the minimum wage was worth enough that a family with two wage earners could live adequately on it? Yeah, me neither. Because that was back in 1968, when the Federal $1.60 rate was worth $10.04 in 2010 dollars. These days the Federal rate is $7.25 and the wage in Arizona is $7.65, thanks to a ballot initiative Arizonans passed back in 2006 with 65% of the vote. But even that $7.65 is too much for the politicians doing the bidding of the 1%. The Commerce Committee in the Arizona House of Representatives just passed a bill that would cut the minimum wage by $3 for teenagers and $2 for tipped employees. This takes money directly from the hands of the people who need it the most, disproportionately hitting women and youth. Sign the petition and tell the 1%ers in the Arizona legislature that we won’t give back anyone’s paycheck. We support a strong minimum wage as part of a sensible pro-99% economy that works for everyone. An adequate minimum wage is a critical part of an economic growth strategy because it targets the people most likely to spend the money immediately and locally. This triggers a “multiplier effect” which helps everyone: businesses small and large see increases in demand for goods and services, leading them to hire more people to keep up with demand. The pro-1%ers in the Legislature are saying that they have to take money away from minimum wage earners in order to save jobs. But the unemployment rate in Arizona is now 8.7%, the lowest it has been since March of 2009 and the minimum wage went up $.40 on January 1. This clearly isn’t about jobs, but about the naked greed of the 1%, emboldened to raid the paychecks of the lowest-paid, even as the rest of us still struggle. Sign the petition to tell the Legislature “Hands off the minimum wage.” With the economy making small, fragile improvements, now is not the time to cut the earning power of anyone, especially those workers who will immediately spend their wages directly at local businesses. Stand up to the 1% and tell the Legislature to invest in low-wage workers, not steal their paychecks. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ¿Recuerda cuando el salario mínimo tenía un valor suficiente que una familia con dos asalariados podía vivir adecuadamente? Sí, yo tampoco. Porque eso fue en 1968, cuando la tasa federal de $1.60 valía $10.04 en dólares del 2010. En estos días la tasa federal es de $7.25 y el salario mínimo en Arizona es de $7.65, gracias a una iniciativa electoral que pasaron los arizonenses en el 2006 con el 65% de los votos. Pero incluso $7.65 dólares es demasiado para los políticos que siguen los ordenes del 1%. El Comité de Comercio de la Cámara de Representantes de Arizona acaba de aprobar un proyecto de ley que reduciría el salario mínimo en $3.00 para los adolescentes y en $2.00 para los empleados que reciben propinas. Esto toma el dinero directamente de las manos de las personas que más lo necesitan, y golpeara de manera desproporcionada a mujeres y jóvenes. Firme la peticion para decirles a los del 1% en la legislatura de Arizona que no vamos a devolver el sueldo de nadie. Nosotros apoyamos un salario mínimo fuerte como parte de una economía razonable y pro-99% que funcione para todos. Un salario mínimo adecuado es parte fundamental de una estrategia de crecimiento económico porque se dirige a las personas más propensas a gastar el dinero de inmediato y local. Esto provoca un "efecto multiplicador," que ayuda a todos: pequeñas y grandes empresas ven el aumento de la demanda de bienes y servicios, llevándolos a contratar más gente para mantenerse al día con la demanda. Los que apoyan al 1% de la legislatura dicen que tienen que tomar dinero de las personas con salario mínimo para poder salvar empleos. Sin embargo el índice de desempleo en Arizona en la actualidad es de 8.7%, el índice más bajo desde marzo de 2009 y el salario mínimo incrementó $.40 el 1ro de enero. Es claro que esto no se trata de empleos, sino más bien tiene que ver con la codicia descarada del 1% que tratan de sacar ganancia de los cheques de pago de los peor pagados, aun cuando el resto de nosotros seguimos batallando. Firme la peticion para decirle a la Legislatura "Manos fuera del salario mínimo." Con la economía haciendo mejoras pequeñas y frágiles, ahora no es el momento de reducir el poder adquisitivo de nadie, especialmente para aquellos trabajadores que inmediatamente gastaran su salario directamente en los negocios locales. Únete para hacerle frente al 1% y exigirle a la Legislatura que invierta en los bajos salarios de los trabajadores, en lugar de robar sus cheques de pago.

A critical issue to the very existence of the fine wine industry in New York has been brought to our attention and we wanted to make you aware of it. One of the largest liquor wholesalers is lobbying the State Senate to include an “at rest” provision in their 2012 budget. The practical effect of “at rest” means that only those distributors delivering product out of New York warehouses could legally sell you wine. Legislation such as this would affect essentially every wholesaler currently in operation other than the two biggest ones, since they almost all warehouse in New Jersey, including our company. Imagine a landscape with only the two largest wholesalers remaining to work with. Selections would become painfully limited. Prices would most certainly rise. Service would plummet. Their pro-“at rest” argument (union warehouse jobs and revenue) is simply a veiled attempt by this wholesaler to destroy all of the fine wine wholesale competition, because most of your valued New York wholesalers would undoubtedly be forced to close their doors. We have contacted our State Senators to tell them that we oppose “at rest” in either legislation or budget language. We urge you to do the same before FRIDAY, MARCH 9th. Please contact your Senator to tell them you oppose “at rest.” We thank you for your time, your attention, and most of all your support.

With gas prices soaring, the need for affordable transportation choices is more important than ever. Join the thousands who have already signed the paper petition and make sure that our leaders at the statehouse save the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority.