There is way too much "pork" attached to bills for someone's special interest and we the people end up footing the cost. The president is the closest to the people and therefore the most responsive (polls, headlines, media, internet) which would make the voice of "WE THE PEOPLE" more heard. It would stop most of the illegitimate "add ons" which cause a great deal of the fiscal problems.

Choices on the presidential ballot. Normally there is a choice between two candidates - maybe three if there s an independent. There should be a 'none of the above' choice so those who cannot in good conscience vote for any of the listed candidates could still vote and have their vote counted.

Scott Walker & JB Van Hollen have plans to redirect HOMEOWNER assistance funds to the coffers of the State budget.

This petition is about voting on the issues brought forth rather than just letting congress vote and kill a bill before it gets off the ground. It has become so competitive in congress, it's so hard to get anything passed. Why not let the people vote ?

Our national and state representatives implored us for the opportunity to lead. Now they must move from interested parties to truly committed individuals. They must lead by example, cutting their benefits and entitlements before asking others to do so.

Maryland's Constitution mandates that every 20 years the General Assembly place a referendum on the ballot giving voters the opportunity to convene a state constitutional convention (con-con). If a majority of the voters approve, then the Assembly must provide for the election of con-con delegates (using the same electoral districts as the Assembly) and then another ballot referendum so the voters can ratify or reject the con-con's proposed constitutional amendments. The Framers of Maryland's 1851 constitution inserted this self-executing provision in the Constitution because they knew that the Assembly would have a conflict of interest in convening a con-con to implement democratic reforms that did not enhance their power. Prior to the most recent referendum on Nov. 2, 2010, not a single member of the General Assembly publicly supported a yes vote on the referendum. This was no surprise, as many legislators feared a con-con would lead to popular constitutional amendments that they strongly opposed, such as independent redistricting, legislative transparency, legislative term limits, and a balanced budget. On Nov. 2, 2010, 54.4% of Marylanders voting on the question voted yes to convene a state con-con. But members of the General Assembly have refused to convene it, despite their claims to respect the will of their constituents, the original intent of the Framers and Ratifiers of the self-executing con-con provision, and their oath of office to uphold the Constitution. Sign this petition to uphold Maryland's Constitution and the people's right to convene a state constitutional convention. For more information, see www.MarylandConCon.org.

Private campaign financing and electioneering, be it from corporations, unions, PACs or individuals, has skewed the nature and function of our government. This petition is to call on the United States to place an outright ban on private show-boat elections and to reform the system to a publicly funded, democratically based system of ballot initiative, petition and election rounds.

Candidates for public office should be limited to an equal amount of campaign funds and limited campaigning time.

Stop the revolving door between corporations and our government representatives. No one should be allowed to move from a government position into any industry or business that they had helped to regulate or legislate for, for at least 5 years. And no one from a corporation or lobbying group should be able to move into a government job for 5 years. This would put a big dent in the corporate takeover of our government.

Removal of elected officials

Unfortunately, both parties; Republicans and Democrats have failed us since they have become pawns of special interests. They are no longer protecting the interests of American citizens because they are too busy protecting the interests of the corporations for the sake of power.The only man standing up in the 2012 presidential race to up-hold the constituation of the United States of America and protect American values and our civil liberties is Dr. Ron Paul. Dr. Ron Paul has been consistent in his views as they relate to civil liberties, economy and the foreign policy AND has never compromised on them for the sake of just winning an election. Therefore, it is our responsibility to elect men of honor like him. It is also clear that mega interest groups are as always spending millions of dollars to keep the status quo and silence people like Dr. Ron Paul. Our press, as usual is serving special interests again and the system has piled up obstacles and hurdles for people like Ron Paul. It is up to us now. We should all contact Dr. Ron Paul and request him to break with his party and stand as an independent candidate so that Americans can get an option to vote for him. http://www.ronpaul.com/ Respectfully Arshad Waheed

The U.S. House of Representatives have recently passed a much weakened version of the STOCK Act legislation, which some representatives in the U.S. Senate find to be disappointing. We need to remind our House Representatives and Senate Representatives that the parts left out in the weakened STOCK Act need to be kept in the final bill.