Our system of government, and our economy, indeed our democracy itself, are all threatened by a strategy of using a government shutdown or, even worse, default, for any cause, left, right, or middle. This is not the way our system of government should work. Steps must be taken to prevent this from happening again, next year, or ever. We should only elect candidates of either party who will pledge to pass legislation that will prevent this kind of strategy.

Senator Ted Cruz's leading role in leveraging the government shutdown based on his irresponsible and dangerous agenda in an attempt to defund the ACA has inflicted reprehensible devastation upon the American people and the nation's economy. His obvious lack of remorse for his actions with his subsequent messages that he "would continue to do anything he can, to stop the train wreck that is Obamacare" is further reason to expel this senator before he paves the way to yet another destructive government shutdown.

The first words of the constitution are “We the People of the United States”. Not “We the Parties”, “We the Politicians”, or “We the Politically connected”. Since the founding of this country, those with power have worked tirelessly to take the power from the people. Our democracy is not representative. It has never been truly representative of all of the people. The current dysfunction within the federal and state governments, punctuated by the federal government shutdown, and the inequality within society show just how far we have gotten from the people. It is time for a revolution. A revolution of thought. A revolution of process. In order to divest power from the few and giving it to the people, we must start with the election process. The time has come to make our democracy truly representative of all of the people. Political parties and politicians must no longer be able to manipulate the election process for self gain. A true democracy stands on the simple principle of one person, one vote, no exceptions. The purpose of this petition is to give the power of the vote and elections unequivocally and irrevocably to the people (A detailed explanation of each piece of this petition can be found here: http://www.bowlofmice.com/2013/10/we-the-people/ )

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=4&cad=rja&ved=0CDcQqQIwAw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.politicususa.com%2F2013%2F10%2F18%2Fsenate-constitutional-power-expel-ted-cruz.html&ei=a_1hUvHoELep4APqu4H4CA&usg=AFQjCNGMDwl5nYqF_1uL8ly5I0RMs4mTxQ&sig2=dSVED-PC48q6z8eMbnN5jA&bvm=bv.54934254,d.dmg

There is no sign in the hours since the shutdown ended that Cruz has touched base with reality, in fact he has doubled down and seems to have an agenda beyond anything related to the Affordable Care Act or any actual policy. Somebody has to deal with him before he and his not-very-bright followers in the house have a chance to drive American into a second gut wrenching shutdown, or cost the country another $24 billion or its credit rating with a shutdown in January. Please pass this along.

The recently passed HR 2775 that reopened the US government and lifted the debt ceiling includes (in section 1002) what had previously been referred to as "The McConnell Rule" but which is now formally known as the Default Prevention Act of 2013. Essentially, it lets Congress pass a budget and puts the responsibility for raising the debt ceiling on the President. The President can raise the ceiling, Congress can object with a simple majority, the President can veto the objection, and Congress can overrule it with a 2/3 majority. It makes very good sense and should satisfy all but the most extreme partisans.

As we have seen only too dramatically over the past several weeks, the actions of members of Congress have an impact not only on the people in the districts and states they represent but on hard-working people throughout the United States. It seems only fair that their compensation should reflect their responsibilities to both groups.

Social Security benefits are NOT paid out from the General Fund, and does not contribute to the budget deficit. Social Security and Medicare (your FICA taxes) are allocated to the Social Security Trust. Any loans taken from that Trust must be repaid, with interest, by the Federal Government.

Today, the overwhelming majority of Americans are disgusted by the harm the government shutdown caused and the foolishness of right-wing politicians--including all four of Colorado’s Republican members of Congress, Reps. Mike Coffman, Scott Tipton, Cory Gardner, and Doug Lamborn--in forcing this unnecessary crisis on the entire nation.

The parking ordinances in Montclair punish residents and serve no purpose other than to generate easy money for the town! Residents should not be forced to pay astronomical parking permit fees, sometimes in excess of 10 times what other surrounding municipalities charge, as their contributions are already made via higher property taxes!

the shutdown, cost billions a day, it hurt many small communities that surround the national parks. it has ruined peoples livelihoods, caused business' to close down, new businesses unable to open. sick patients could not enter vital clinical trials. it cost america over $24 billion dollars.

The U.S. could default on its loans tomorrow if Congress doesn't raise the debt ceiling and end the shutdown. A default could be a financial disaster. Interest rates on most types of loans are projected to skyrocket. Inevitably, student loans would become a lot more expensive, and future borrowers who take out a new federal loans would be crushed by these rates.