Please do not allow the republicans to destroy employment for the hard working union workers that are educated, trained and work in safe work environments. We need to become strongly United to stop this crazy stupid move that our government wants to do to us. United We Stand Divided We Fall!!!!!

Stop the right to work on IN!

It makes no sense to dole out massive new tax cuts to the wealthy while stripping low-income and disabled Mainers of needed healthcare services and consequently putting 4,400 healthcare providers out of work. At no time since the Great Depression have America’s wealthy elite enjoyed a lower tax rate then they do right now. Tell your legislators and Governor LePage you want the wealthiest 1% to pay their fair share.

New York City Bed and Breakfasts are in danger of closing! Please support StayNYC, (Short Term Alternatives for You NYC) a non-profit trade association of B&B owners, and the opportunity to choose legal short-term accommodations in New York City.

Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels and his Republican colleagues in the Indiana House and Senate, along with their deep-pocketed corporate allies from out of state, are pushing the biggest attack on Hoosier working families in decades. They want to pass a so-called right-to-work bill. The Republican backers of this bill claim that it would bring new jobs into Indiana. The reality is that in states that have passed right-to-work laws there has actually been a loss in the number of jobs as well as cuts in wages, reduced benefits, and an increase in unsafe working conditions. In short, right-to-work laws have taken away workers’ rights and weakened their collective voice by destroying unions and inhibiting workers’ rights to organize, leaving them virtually defenseless. Fortunately, Democratic members in both houses of the Indiana Legislature are standing up to this attempted political power grab. To stop right-wing legislators from ramming this bill through, Democrats in the House have filibustered sessions over the past week even in the face of $1,000 a day fines from Republicans. Ironically, in 2001 the Republicans staged a boycott over a pending issue and the Democrats didn’t fine them for doing what they (the Republicans) believed was the right thing to do. House and Senate Democrats are also pushing hard for an amendment for a referendum allowing Hoosiers to vote whether or not they want Indiana to become a right-to-work state. Initially, the Republicans said they would go along with this amendment; however, once the Democrats returned to the sessions, the Republicans went back on their word. The Democrats then returned to filibustering the sessions, in spite of the fine. Where I grew up, going back on one’s word is called lying. The question here is why the Republicans are so opposed to a referendum when their party leader, Governor Daniels, has stated: “I do not share the fear of some that Hoosiers cannot be trusted to weigh the pros and cons of big investments for which they will pay the costs. I say, trust the people; give them the facts, and let them vote.” The answer is that 71% of working Hoosiers are opposed to right-to-work laws and if they are given the opportunity to vote on this issue, they would vote against it. The powers that be would not get their way, even though it disagrees with the voters who elected them, whom they are supposed to represent. Please sign the petition to thank Democratic lawmakers and urge them to continue to stand strong.

This Right to Work bill in Indiana is being pushed down our throats by the government of Indiana. We are oppsed to this bill and would like the billed killed or put to a public referendum.

The economy, environment & common people's time, city & suburbs alike, could all get a "win-win" ... if only CTA's Purple Line 'L' EXPRESS service, between Linden (in North Shore suburb Wilmette) & Downtown Chicago via Loop 'L' (presently operating Mon-Fri morning/evening "rush hours" only), gets EXTENDED to "FULL-TIME"!!! Commanding this would save so much time & money, plus a serious reduction in oil, traffic jams, road repair, auto accidents, etc., as it would encourage especially those with a time budget to drive less, use public transit more! Everybody, including CTA, would benefit in the long run, as people would most definitely take advantage of this option, if only it were simply offered!

New York City Bed and Breakfasts are in danger of closing! Please support StayNYC, a non-profit trade association of B&B owners (Short Term Alternatives for You NYC) and the opportunity to choose legal short-term accommodations in New York City.

These days, there are few issues that can unite Democrats and Republicans. However, here is one that concerns members of both parties and all potential voters. Willard Mitt Romney has refused to release his tax returns any time soon, despite calls from his opponents, from his supporters, and from the general public. Why should Romney supporters ask for this release? As Newt Gingrich pointed out in the second South Carolina debate, “If there’s anything in there that’s gonna help us lose the election, then we should know it before the nomination.” Romney said recently that releasing his tax returns now would be “a nice little present” for the Democrats. So how could Democrats pass up a gift now, and another in April when his 2011 returns are due? By waiting until April, when he’s said he’ll release his 2011 returns and maybe a few other select years to be determined, he’s avoiding potential controversy that could arise during the primary process, while his returns from 2010 and before are long finished and possibly damaging - or so he’s implying, by withholding them. There have been reports that Romney harbors much of his wealth in tax shelters on the Cayman Islands, which could bring his combined tax rate to a figure even lower than the 15% - the capital gains and dividends rate - he has claimed to pay. Even if his rate is in fact 15%, that’s considerably lower than that of Americans who earn a tiny fraction of his income. Other reports speculate that Romney may have been a leading player in the Mormon Church’s campaign to attack marriage equality in California, and his tax returns would reveal how much money he pumped into this initiative. And he still may not have paid taxes from many years ago, because of the “carried interest” loophole made possible by his private equity portfolio. A Man Out Of Touch Romney has called the $374,327 he made in speaker’s fees between February 2010 and February 2011 “not very much.” This is seven times the median household income in the United States, but only a small portion of Romney’s income - so to him, yes, this is a negligible amount of money. He has bet $10,000 on national television and admits that he likes to fire people. He thinks discussions about income inequality - about the rich, and the rest - can take place “in quiet rooms,” but not as part of a campaign. He thinks these discussions constitute the “politics of envy,” as opposed to a vital - possibly the pivotal - issue in the 2012 presidential campaign. Do the Great Recession and the nation’s drastically high unemployment rate have nothing to do with the vast wealth inequality in America? Shouldn’t a presidential candidate believe in addressing these issues with his voters? People have many questions for this man whose perspective on income appears disconnected from the reality of working-class Americans. It’s our right, as voters, to know how much money he’s making, what tax rates he’s paying, and where his donations are going. This disclosure will only begin to answer some of these questions. *Romney has announced that he'll release his 2010 returns, and an 'estimate' of his 2011 returns, on Tuesday, January 24. This is not nearly enough.

Georgia General assembly is poised to pass a bill to require mandatory free labor from anyone who file for unemployment benefit. Senate Bill 294 is shamelessly named as " Dignity for the Unemployed Act", which will require you to do free work if you loose your job for no fault of your own, including layoff, reduction of hours or if you lost job due to business closed.

The US Postal Service employs over a 500,000 Americans and has the ability to reach places that privatized companies can not. The United State's Constitution explicitly authorizes it's existence, yet Republican legislation from 2006 seeks to destroy this American institution. The Postal A&E Act requires the USPS to prefund 75-years' worth of future health care benefit payments to retirees. This Act is unconstitutional, in my opinion, and is a disgrace. Under these harsh regulations, no business can survive. The USPS has not received taxpayer funds in nearly 30 years, unlike the banking system. The USPS does not need our money, just our support.

Indiana residents have a right to be heard! Government should be for and by the people, and in that spirit, we petition our Governor, Mitch Daniels, and the Indiana State Legislature: We, the citizens of Indiana, want a public referendum on Right to Work. No matter which side of this issue you're on, your voice deserves to be heard.