This Petition is to bring education and healing by the facts of wounded knee. Chief Big Foot's tribe were prisoners of war, and after the massacre over 20 medals of "honor" were awarded for the murder, and in some cases dismemberment and sexual assault on, mostly elders, women and children. I am half white and half Indian. I also served in the United States Marines. To this date, this is still the highest amount of medals awarded in history, including WWII - the greatest generation to live. These medals absolutely have to be returned willingly or by an act of the president or Congress. We believe once this is accomplished, the poverty, crime, suicide, and violent crimes will be reduced and the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation will be a better place. L/Cpl Duane Garvais KD Lawrence, Gulf Co 2/5 1st Marine division 1986-1990

We have started this petition in hopes to counter the petition to repeal the Michigan Fireworks Safety Act of 2011. We the people of the State of Michigan feel that Independence Day is the most important holiday in American history and we would like to see it further celebrated by not only professionals but private individuals. So we ask you please, do NOT repeal the Michigan Fireworks Safety Act of 2011. If anything we would like to see lighter restrictions on the sale, possession and use of ALL fireworks. Thank you for your time.

I am a teacher and will be starting my 35th year as a public school teacher this fall. Therefore, I have a vested interest in the WI Retirement System.

Hedge-fund managers are earning exorbitant incomes, and many are avoiding paying taxes by pretending to run offshore reinsurance firms. The top 25 hedge-fund managers earned more than all of our nation's kindergarten teachers in 2014. Despite this, these hedge fund managers are paying a lower effective tax rate than most middle-class families. The IRS and Treasury department is considering a proposal to close the reinsurance loophole, which enables hedge fund managers to pay minimal amounts in taxes on their unbelievable earnings. They do not need the additional benefit of funneling their earnings through an offshore reinsurance company so that they can further reduce their taxes. The IRS and Treasury Department have a duty to preserve fairness in the tax code, and the hedge fund reinsurance loophole is plainly abusive and unfair. Former Representative David Camp has a three prong test that would prevent abuses and ensure tax fairness. That test says that “an insurance company would have to have more than 50 percent of its gross receipts consist of insurance premiums, have insurance liabilities equal to 35 percent of its total assets, and be subject to tax as an insurer if it were a U.S. business.” The IRS and Treasury Department should do the fair thing for the American people by closing this loophole. It’s only fair that people making so much money should be playing by the same rules as the rest of us.

How does Congressman Steve Knight choose to represent his constituents? Is it by fighting for a stronger middle class? No. On July 9, Congressman Steve Knight had the opportunity to remove state flags bearing the Confederate battle flag from display in the United States Capitol. Instead of voting to remove this symbol of hate, Knight chose procedural delays and parliamentary games, ensuring that these flags remain on display. This isn’t Knight’s first vote like this – just last year Knight was one of just three California state legislators to vote against barring the display or sale of the flag in state museums and gift shops. Sign the petition and tell Congressman Knight: Focus on Jobs and Education, not Confederate Flags

It is time for sane, sensible policies that serve the people not Corporations. Sanders-Warren2016.com

The owners of the Fifth Christ Church/Mosaic Church building located at 7107 Hollywood Boulevard (intersection of La Brea Avenue and Hollywood Boulevard) are seeking to demolish this historic building and rezone the plot in order to build a 26-story skyscraper containing 410 units plus extensive commercial space on the ground floor including a 940 vehicle commercial parking facility. The proposed development would require a change in zoning from the current R-3 (medium residential) to Regional Center (C-4) permitting unlimited height, increased density and commercial development on this site. The intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and La Brea Avenue has been graded F on all current traffic studies which is the worst score that can be achieved. The intersection is jammed with normal traffic and often experiences gridlock because of the frequent closures of Hollywood Boulevard at La Brea Avenue and spillover during the Hollywood Bowl season. The rezoning will have a domino impact, as developers along Hollywood Boulevard will use the rezoning of this plot as precedent to rezone their land for increased height and density.  The City Planners of Los Angeles never intended to change the zoning of this site and indeed have kept it as a bulwark signaling a change from downtown Hollywood and the residential areas west of La Brea Avenue. Zoning of this site has remained medium residential in both manifestations of the Community Plan for Hollywood. The entire character of the neighborhood changes west of La Brea Avenue including Hollywood Boulevard itself, which is a two-lane road between La Brea Avenue and Fairfax Avenue. 
 Not only would the proposed development have a profound negative impact on the quality of life in our neighborhood, the congestion creates a public safety issue that will dangerously increase emergency response time in our neighborhood. The increased noise from the commercial establishments and a large pedestrian plaza designed to bring non-residential foot traffic will completely alter the character of our neighborhood. 
(1) It will set a dangerous precedent for increased density and commercial development all along Hollywood Boulevard west of La Brea Avenue;  

(2) It will paralyze the area with traffic congestion and lengthen emergency response times for medical, fire and police responders; 

(3) It will draw tourists, noise, pollution, and crime from the Hollywood Business District;  

(4) It will deprive the neighborhood of a culturally significant building and civic function.

Secretive megadonors are ready to unleash a tidal wave of spending on the 2016 election -- and the IRS is helping them hide their identities. Groups on the right, like Karl Rove’s Crossroads GPS, and left, like Patriot Majority USA, buy millions of dollars in political ads to influence elections after claiming a special nonprofit status that lets them keep their donors secret. And the IRS takes their word for it! We need to close this loophole BEFORE next November. Demand that the IRS enforce the rules and stop millionaires from abusing our tax laws to pump secret money into our elections!

The Economic Development Agency had planned to pay Porter Novelli up to $750,000 to help develop a plan to rebuild the state's image after widespread criticism over the religious objections law that Republican Gov. Mike Pence signed into law in March. Critics contended the law would allow religious beliefs as a legal defense for discrimination against lesbians, gays and others. Lawmakers later revised the language of the bill, but convention and tourism officials across the state say they are still being questioned about that law and that its true effects might not be known for years. The relationship with the PR firm was terminated when the Pence administration and the global PR firm expressed different opinions on gay rights. Pence needs to be held accountable for the wasting of taxpayer money.

The Marion County, Florida, Board of Commissioners continue to hold discussions and votes on items that are not listed on the day's Agenda. It Is Time For Marion County, FL to join the 21st Century and stop flying a 19th Century antiquated Flag that holds negative emotions for many. I have many African-American friends who become emotionally distressed when they see this flag flying. The negativity toward the black race needs to stop and one way to do this is to take down the flag of hate that the Confederate flag has become.

The Confederate flag is not a symbol of southern pride but rather a symbol of rebellion and racism. On the heels of the brutal killing of nine Black people in a South Carolina church by a racist terrorist, it's time to put that symbol of rebellion and racism behind us and move toward healing and a better United States of America!

NJ State Senators Ray Lesniak and Loretta Weinberg are planning to introduce legislation that would require Governor Christie, and any future Governor, to resign from office in order to run for president. This is common sense. Christie has been out of the state for more than half of this year. He's making decisions based on what super conservative voters in Iowa and South Carolina want to hear, not what is in the best interests of New Jersey's families. And New Jersey taxpayers are going to continue to be on the hook for the cost of Christie's state trooper protection as he travels around the country running for president. Sign the petition to the NJ State Legislature asking them to pass a bill that would force Christie to resign if he wants to continue to run for president!