The problem with our political system is that the elected officials view it as a life-time endeavor. Party affiliation does not matter, both parties take advantage of the taxpaying public. Term Limits would prevent not only their attitude toward voters but since they would know they would rejoin the public, their voting record would be more directed to taxpayers. This should affect pensions, their paying taxes including Social Security as well.

Campaign finance reform. Do not allow any individuals, groups, corporations, PACs, etc. to contribute to anyone running for public office. Public finance and free tv and air time to candidates. Limit the campaigns in time: no 2 year campaigns for president.

In order for our elected officials to truly understand what it's like to be a member of the working poor we propose that ALL elected officials receive minimum wage and pay for their own medical benefits and retirement plans like the rest of normal, hard-working Americans. This amendment to the constitution will save the government money by reducing the cost of government salaries to the most fairly administered wage standard available: the minimum wage.

The EC was created by our founding fathers to represent those who did not live and/or could not travel to Washington DC where they could hear live speaches from candidates. This was over 200 years ago when there was NO MEDIA! Now media is within everyone's handheld device, desktop, laptop, Television, magazines and newspapers. The Electoral College served it's purpose in the 17 and 1800's but the popular vote is all we want!

Retired presidents, vice presidents, and congressmen receive outlandish pensions, in addition to lavish health insurance for life. They really don't need this or deserve this. With all the focus on reducing the deficit, cutting out this perk would be a step ($$) in the right direction. Let these retirees live like the majority of retiree taxpayers, myself included.

My petition is about Gary Stein, he was a Sgt. that belittled President Barack Obama and also called him a "liar." He was repeatedly told to stop making his comments on faceback as a tea party participant while in the military, he did not and he was discharged from the military last month. He was given a general discharge which I understand after a few months he will be able to have it changed to an "Honorable Discharge.

Oregonians deserve true representation of their needs by all the legislators they elect to the Oregon Legislature. Eighteen Oregon Republican Representatives and Senators are associates of the powerful and secretive American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) which claims to be a nonpartisan charity yet lobbies for the interests of large corporations rather than the public interests of Oregon citizens who elected them to office. The subterfuge under which ALEC operates has been challenged by Common Cause, which filed a complaint in April with the IRS, charging that ALEC is a lobbyist organization rather than a charity and misuses charity laws, extensively under-reports lobbying, and improperly obtains tax breaks for political donations by ALEC’s corporate funders to state candidates, ballot measures, leadership, and other political committees, funneling millions of dollars into Oregon in order to skew the Oregon political process. The ALEC agenda seeks to remove federal and state environmental regulations, repeal the federal health care reform law, dump state minimum wage laws, and bust unions. What the ALEC agenda does espouse is taxpayer support of public subsidies for private schools, privatization of prisons/detention centers coupled with support for Draconian immigration laws to provide profits for the private corrections industry, and restrictions on voting rights which discriminately disenfranchise people of color, senior citizens, students, and the poor. Oregonians have the right to expect that their interests will be served by their elected officials without the interference of undue monetary and philosophical influence of out-of-state mega-corporations. The following Oregon elected officials who hold current ALEC affiliations have been identified using three resources: Oregon’s campaign finance database ORESTAR, The Oregonian, and analysis by the Center for Media and Democracy at ALEC Exposed (http://alecexposed.org/wiki/ALEC_Exposed). (Those legislators who contact this petition framer to report that they are not current associates of ALEC will be removed from this list. Updated as of November 17, 2012.): Oregon Senator Larry George, R-Sherwood Oregon Senator Fred Girod, R-Stayton Oregon Senator Ted Ferrioli, R-John Day Oregon Representative Sal Esquivel, R-Medford Oregon Representative Tim Freeman, R-Roseburg Oregon Representative Kim Thatcher, R-Keizer Oregon Representative Gene Whisnant, R-Sunriver Oregon Representative Bruce Hanna, R-Roseburg Oregon Representative Jason Conger, R-Bend Oregon Representative Mark Johnson, R-Hood River Oregon Representative Dennis Richardson, R-Central Point Oregon Representative Sherrie Sprenger, R-Scio Oregon Representative Jim Thompson, R-Dallas Oregon Representative Kevin Cameron, R-Salem Oregon Representative Wally Hicks, R-Grants Pass Oregon Representative John Huffman, R-The Dalles Oregon Representative Bill Kennemer, R-Oregon City Oregon Representative Mike McLane, R-Powell Butte

I am Viet Nam Marine Corp Vetern and I am not considered Service connected and the amount funds per year they have me and my wife living on is $6,685.00 below the Federal Stanard Proverty Level and I do not think it fair of Congress and the Senate when making up the money which goes to the Vetern Adminstration that there allowing us to live below proverty Level which is set by the Federal Standard Provety Level for a couple these days in the year of 2012 it just not right if we were willing give up our lives so they can free and all American in our United States Of America.

Our Congress and our Country has been taken over by uncompromising idealogical zealots who are motivated only by self-interest, greed, their lust for power and money, and the demands of of their financial supporters and their Party. In the 2012 Elections, we CAN send these people a message they will NEVER forget, we CAN change this, we CAN get our country back...and all it takes is your VOTE!

Inspired by the recent French elections where 80% of the population turned out to vote, we should push our legislators to switch our voting day from the first Tuesday of the month to the first Sunday of the month. Voting on Tuesdays keeps many working adults from being able to participate in democratic process. Switching to Sundays would increase the opportunity for higher electoral participation.

An examination of the House and Senate voting record for the past-too-many years would be revealing. The individuals we HIRE to represent us seem to have checked their "thought process" at the door. Both sides react like two year olds saying "NO" loudly just because the other side poses an idea. United We Stand has become a bumper-sticker.. A joke.

I'm tired of the Republican party voting against things that are good for America, just because it was proposed by a Democrat. I'm also tired of Democrats fighting tooth and nail againt everything the Republicans propose. I believe that EVERY person who wants to hold office, and "work" for U.S., should run (essentially) as an independent - with NO "PARTY" affiliation that they must keep happy. It's old, and it's killing us as leaders!