From sunlight.com concerning candidate transparency and tax returns "Unlike Congress, Presidents are exempt from conflict of interest laws. This makes disclosure of income tax returns especially important to shed light on areas of possible conflicts of interest. Yearly salaries are often reported in the news but tax returns reveal so much more about the character of the candidate. Their debts give us a broader sense of the state of their finances, and perhaps more importantly an idea to whom they could feel beholden. We learn how much (or little) they paid in taxes, and whether they utilized loopholes in tax law to avoid paying those taxes. It sheds light on whether they conducted activity that they have criticized on the campaign trail. Learning about candidates businesses, business partners and the state of those activities can help understand how their judgment might be affected by their financial transactions and debts. We learn their values and priorities from learning which charities they support." After reading this and other articles on candidate transparency, I believe the least a candidate can provide the electorate is full financial disclosure.

The power of money in our political system—who has it, who doesn’t, and what it's buying--has been a central theme throughout this presidential election season. In the Democratic primary, Bernie Sanders animated millions of Americans by mobilizing individual $27 donations to effectively match the power of millionaires and billionaires. Donald Trump dispensed with his opponents by calling them puppets of big donors while committing to being “unbought” by lobbyists and special interests. Hillary Clinton has said reforming the way our elections are financed will be a “top priority” if she’s elected. At the same time, debate has raged from state houses to courthouses about voting laws, who should have access to the ballot, and whether our congressional districts should be fairly drawn. These issues go to the very heart of who we are as a country – so many Americans are losing faith in our institutions and public trust in elected officials is at a record low. Americans deserve to hear the candidates’ positions on the power of money in politics, how they’ll eliminate barriers to civic participation and their visions for how we will take a step toward achieving the promise of our democracy, a vision of political equality for all Americans.

This petition is about challenging fear rhetoric and using reason to stop any single person from having unchecked unilateral nuclear authority. Whether you are afraid that Clinton will nuke Iran or Trump will nuke the world, it would seem logical to take steps now to pass legislation to remove the threat rather than harp on a threat that can be remedied through legislative action before inauguration day. I encourage everyone who believes that unchecked unilateral nuclear authority is a serious threat to national security to sign and share this petition. I also encourage you to contact your representatives, senators, and President Obama, demanding this issue be addressed before they leave office in January. I also encourage all to vote their conscience and for the best candidate and party that represents their interests. We only change things by changing things. And that sometimes requires thinking outside the box, as Rep. Ted Lieu has done in proposing this legislation.

The FBI recently announced that foreign hackers infiltrated election databases in Arizona and Illinois, warning election officials in all 50 states to be vigilant against cyber attacks. This is the latest report in a wave of election-related security breaches this year. Earlier this summer, hackers released thousands of emails from major Democratic Party organizations and officials. But the White House could choose to act right now to improve the integrity of our voting systems. In response to recent attacks, the Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson is now considering classifying election systems as "critical infrastructure," which would grant special security assistance and bring in more federal resources. This is an important step to ensure we hold our voting systems up to the security standards of banks or the private grid. But this isn't enough. The U.S. government must invest in our voting infrastructure and take further action now to protect against attacks, such as mandating pre-election testing for voting machines and making emergency paper ballots available as backups to electronic voting machines, among other measures.

We people of the state of Maine are requesting the immediate resignation of Governor Paul LePage.

On August 8, the Obama administration notified Congress [1] of intent to sell $1.15 billion of weapons to Saudi Arabia, including tanks that would replace tanks destroyed in Saudi Arabia's war against Houthi rebels in Yemen. We urge Senator Elizabeth Warren and Senator Ed Markey to oppose this deal and to co-sponsor a resolution of disapproval against it. Past Congressional concerns about Saudi Arabia's war in Yemen have not been addressed. In October, Members of Congress wrote to the Administration [2] urging greater efforts to avoid civilian casualties in Yemen and achieve a diplomatic solution to the conflict. In June, 204 Members of the House, including 40 Republicans and all but 16 Democrats, voted to block the transfer of cluster bombs to Saudi Arabia after reports of their use in civilian areas in Yemen. [3] Yet, since the proposed arms deal was announced, a Saudi airstrike on a school in Yemen killed 10 children [4] – some as young as 6-years-old – and a Saudi airstrike on an MSF hospital in Yemen killed 11 people. [5] Urge Senator Warren and Senator Markey to cosponsor legislation to oppose the Saudi arms deal by signing our petition. References: 1. http://www.dsca.mil/major-arms-sales/kingdom-saudi-arabia-m1a2s-saudi-abrams-main-battle-tanks-and-m88ala2-heavy 2. https://debbiedingell.house.gov/sites/debbiedingell.house.gov/files/documents/151014_Yemen%20Airstrike%20Letter.pdf 3. http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2016/roll327.xml 4. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/yemen-school-airstrike_us_57b1938fe4b007c36e4f2f67 5. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security-idUSKCN10Q1E0

When constituents delivered our petition [1] to him, Congressman Mike Doyle agreed to cosponsor HR 5474, the "Berta Caceres Human Rights in Honduras Act"! Rep. Doyle joins 31 (and counting) members of Congress who seek to stop US support for Honduran security forces as long as they continue to commit human rights violations with impunity. The Berta Caceres bill would suspend such US support until benchmarks have been met that demonstrate that the Honduran police and military cannot continue to kill, rape, kidnap, threaten and assault without consequence. Among these benchmarks are independent investigations into the notorious murders of Berta Caceres and other recent prominent, unsolved cases in which security forces are implicated, as well as the case of threats against journalist Felix Molina. Congressman Doyle says it's important to send a message with legislation such as the Berta Caceres bill. He's right: bills and letters like this are important in showing the Honduran government that people in Washington - and across the US - are paying attention. Please thank Congressman Mike Doyle for taking a stand for human rights by signing our petition. References: 1. http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/cosponsor-the-berta-caceres?r_by=1135580

With the increasing number of cyclist/car crashes and drivers that are distracted, ignorant of the bike laws, and just don't/can't grasp the concept that driving within inches of a cyclist is highly dangerous and can kill that person, something needs to be done. Michigan has laws for drivers that injure or kill a road worker; it's $7500 and 15 years in jail. No ifs, ands, or buts, it's automatic. I think the same thing should be done for drivers who hit a cyclist.

Big money contributions and expenditures by millionaires and special interests are drowning out the voices of regular voters. That's why we need public financing of campaigns so that elected officials are accountable to voters, not Big Money. SB 1107 will amend California's obsolete and total ban on public financing -- so local governments and the state can decide for themselves whether to explore public financing paid for by dedicated campaign finance trust funds. SB 1107 must pass its final Assembly vote on Monday, August 29th! Please sign the petition now — whether you've signed before or not!

Big money contributions and expenditures by millionaires and special interests are drowning out the voices of regular voters. That's why we need public financing of campaigns so that elected officials are accountable to voters, not Big Money. SB 1107 will amend California's obsolete and total ban on public financing -- so local governments and the state can decide for themselves whether to explore public financing paid for by dedicated campaign finance trust funds. SB 1107 must pass its final Assembly vote on Monday, August 29th! Please sign the petition now — whether you've signed before or not!

Big money contributions and expenditures by millionaires and special interests are drowning out the voices of regular voters. That's why we need public financing of campaigns so that elected officials are accountable to voters, not Big Money. SB 1107 will amend California's obsolete and total ban on public financing -- so local governments and the state can decide for themselves whether to explore public financing paid for by dedicated campaign finance trust funds. SB 1107 must pass its final Assembly vote on Monday, August 29th! Please sign the petition now — whether you've signed before or not!

Big money contributions and expenditures by millionaires and special interests are drowning out the voices of regular voters. That's why we need public financing of campaigns so that elected officials are accountable to voters, not Big Money. SB 1107 will amend California's obsolete and total ban on public financing -- so local governments and the state can decide for themselves whether to explore public financing paid for by dedicated campaign finance trust funds. SB 1107 must pass its final Assembly vote on Monday, August 29th! Please sign the petition now — whether you've signed before or not!