SOCIAL SECURITY is an insurance policy, not an ENTITLEMENT, as they would like you to believe. All people pay into SOCIAL SECURITY every week from their paychecks. Social Security is not a tax but a payment on your insurance (policy) even if it is called a tax. "Privatization means increased retirement risk, severe cuts in Social Security. benefits, and a multi-trillion-dollar increase in the federal debt. Privatization diverts money out of Social Security into individual accounts, leaving an even larger solvency problem" as President George W. Bush did on April 5, 2005, when he 'borrowed' $ 2.5 trillion in surplus revenues to pay his tax cuts for the rich and fight his Iraq wars and other projects - never paying it back. This needs to be paid back and stopped. Stop the general fund surplus that the government can loan to themselves for their own agenda. "Why are we not solvent?"

The Republican Party claims to be committed to free elections and the democratic process despite its consistent efforts to disenfranchise voters through so called "Voter ID laws." Many of the Party's leaders have broken with Trump lately as if he were not a representation of the themes the Party has been advocating for decades (although he has discarded the frills and obfuscation). Trump's recent allegations that the election is rigged and his calls for group (mobs) to "watch your polling booths…(in)…certain areas" all contribute to what Matt Viser and Tracy Jan's October 15 Boston Globe story says is his increasing tendency "undermine faith in democratic institutions." This is a very scary scenario. If Republicans have any commitment beyond lip service to the electoral process, they need to publicly and widely denounce Trump's efforts to undermine it, and commit to protecting the rights of voters—of all colors, genders and incomes—at the polls.

It is time to place limits on Congressional representatives to break the gridlock in Washington. The American people have little approval for the way Congress is working at this point and no governmental body should become a hindrance to conducting the business of the people they represent or become a representative to only those interests driven by a profit motive a balance must be struck and the best way to strike that balance is through a regular influx of new civic minded people who know they have a limited time frame in which to accomplish the good work of the people of this great Nation.

The mission is to start an open conversation in regards to revisiting the North Texas Toll Association's toll road pay structure.

I think Americans deserve to get straight answers on the issues. Absolutely NO attacks by either side. The candidates should be forced to answer POLICY questions, no deflections, no pivots. Stop the "cage match" behavior!

I started this petition because I haven't heard a single politician talk about it, and our vote should be sacred, people died for it. Despite news reports, and documentaries of rigged machines, talk of The Russians, Annonymous, both Major Parties, rigging the election via electronic voting machines, and the debacle in 2000 in Florida, NOTHING HAS CHANGED!

Donald Trump’s comments to Billy Bush in 2005, picked up on a hot mic and heard around the world, are not just an embarrassment to our country. In his initial defense of his disgusting comments, he said he was engaging in “locker room banter.” But what Trump said isn’t just “lewd” or something real men talk about in locker rooms. What Trump described was sexual assault—grabbing women’s body without any hesitation of thought of women as people. Yet, there are 6 notable politicians still sticking by him and downplaying his dangerous and criminal attitude. They must acknowledge that their candidate promotes sexual assault and denounce their support immediately or risk losing all of their future political ambitions. * Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions claimed Sunday that if Trump actually “grabbed a women by the genitals" it wouldn't necessarily be sexual assault. * Governor Mike Pence, Trump’s running mate, said he wouldn’t “condone” the remarks but the notorious religious fanatic made no mention of the actual content or its promotion of violence against women. * Iowa Senator Joni Ernst merely downplayed the comments as “lewd and insulting.” * Kentucky Senator Rand Paul denounced the comments but has not responded to inquiries on how he will vote in November. * House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy called for an apology, but has not distanced himself from supporting Trump’s presidential bid. * Similarly, House Majority Whip Steve Scalise also called for Trump to apologize, but is still sticking by him. This dangerous and criminal attitude of Trump's--that he can do "anything" to women--puts women's safety at risk every day. And justice for victims of men like Trump, who feel entitled to women’s bodies, is rare. Women who come forward are often blamed, marginalized, or called liars. The Washington Post’s reporting on Trump’s conversation with Billy Bush is so important--every American needs to know who Donald Trump is before the voting on November 8. That’s why we’re urging politicians to call his comments for what they are--bragging about sexual assault. Trump isn’t just vile and lewd--he’s dangerous and boasting about crimes against women.

The 2016 presidential campaign is unique in the history of our nation in that it is the first time that the sanity of one of the candidates has been called repeatedly into question based upon documented statements and actions. The American people have been exposed to a barrage of messages both online and in other forms of media which blurr the lines between entertainment and news. I believe many voters are no longer able to judge the mental fitness of a candidate due to prolonged exposure to an unprecidented amount of biased, inaccurate, and deliberately deceptive information about both candidates. When faced with what we now know is the very real possibility that we could elect a mentally unstable person to the office of president, it is only prudent that we take steps to prevent this now and going forward. The future of our Democracy and our very lives is at stake.

As a Peace Corps volunteer I learned that helping others for a significant period of time and learning to speak a foreign language increased my understanding of the world and my own country making me a better citizen. A leader who is responsible for sending others to defend their country must have personal experience of having done the same to fully understand the consequences of that action.

Recent newspaper and magazine articles as well as comments by Russia to UN make it clear that there are national security concerns regarding his business ties. Voters should be aware of such ties prior to election. Congress and senate took the oath to protect against powers both foreign and domestic. Do your job

Just as we're gearing up for the second presidential debate, Hurricane Matthew is set to be the first major hurricane to make landfall in the United States in 10 years--and its rapid intensification, sustained strength, and torrential rainfall are all consistent with climate change caused by fossil fuel pollution. It's time to make climate change a top priority of the debates and check in on the climate policies and positions of the presidential candidates. Tell the Commission on Presidential Debates to ask the top-ranked internet question on climate change: "As president, what are the steps you will take to address climate change?" This question has received the most environmental votes and it is top 10 overall on PresidentialOpenDebates.com—a site that ABC and CNN moderators have agreed to consider as a source for questions for the upcoming town hall presidential debates. Hurricane Matthew reminds us, yet again, that catastrophic weather events are no longer infrequent occurrences—they are the new normal. We know Donald Trump has denied climate change is even real, tweeting: "The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive." Will he stick with his climate denialist stance or will he concede that scientists are correct? Alternatively, we know that Hillary Clinton understands the science that shows us climate change is a pressing issue that must tackled. However, we need to hear more on the specific steps she will take to address the issue. Will you join me by signing and sharing the petition change the latter part to the Commission on Presidential Debates to make sure that the top-voted internet question on climate is asked during the upcoming debate?

A provision in the Senate’s defense authorization bill (S 2943) would limit the information the Pentagon is required to report about its use of private contractors. [1] If the Senate's provision were passed, the Pentagon's reported figures for the number of private contractors it is using would be so underestimated as to be useless. A House-Senate conference committee is now writing a final version of the bill. Whatever emerges from that conference will almost surely become law. An unaccountable army of private Pentagon contractors doesn't just waste taxpayers' money - that's bad enough. According to one estimate, the Pentagon could save more than $20 billion per year just by reducing its contractor work force by 15%. [2] But just as privatized prisons establish an unnecessary financial incentive for creating more prisoners, privatized Pentagon services establish an unnecessary financial incentive for wars of choice - like the current U.S. participation in the civil wars in Yemen and Syria. Urge your Senators and Representative to oppose any provision in the defense authorization bill that would reduce the transparency and accountability of the Pentagon's use of private contractors by signing our petition. References: 1. "Pentagon Reports Sharp Drop in Use of Contractors," John M. Donnelly, CQ Roll Call, Oct. 4, 2016 2. http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/world-report/2015/10/08/pentagon-needs-to-cut-shadow-contractor-work-force