Gustavo Panesso is a New Yorker who was denied a job because of information in his credit report. He has decided to speak out against this unfair practice. Here is Gustavo’s story: “A few years ago, I received a job as a sales associate at an upscale national clothing retailer in Manhattan. I was on my way to orientation when a supervisor called to tell me the orientation was canceled because of a ‘problem' in my credit report. I was shocked because I’ve always paid my bills on time. It turned out that a credit card I co-signed for my sister many years before was in default; after being laid off from her job, my sister could no longer make payments. Ironically, this entry on my credit report ended up costing me several retail jobs – despite my many years of experience, positive references from past employers, and successful interviews. Credit reports say nothing about someone’s integrity, honesty or ability to perform a job. Employment credit checks have increased because the multi-billion dollar credit bureaus want to make huge profits from selling our credit information to an ever greater number of employers, lenders and businesses. Please join me and members of the NYC Coalition to Stop Credit Checks in Employment in calling on the Mayor of New York City and NYC Council to put an end to this harmful practice. For more information, and to watch short videos of me and other New Yorkers sharing our stories, visit www.creditcatch22.org."

Republican Gov. Rick Scott and the Tea Party state legislature have set their sights on the last vestige of sanity in Florida state government: The state Supreme Court. Last week, the Florida state Senate passed a bill that would change whether an incoming or outgoing governor can make appointments to the state Supreme Court. The bill may seem obscure since there won’t be any vacancies on the court until January 8, 2019 -- but that date is extremely important since it would be Rick Scott’s last day in office if he wins re-election this fall. This bill would allow Rick Scott to make three new Supreme Court appointments on his very last day in office, should he win re-election this fall. As if this wasn’t already a thinly-veiled power grab, the Republican state Senate forced the bill through on a party line vote just as Rick Scott pulled ahead in the polls for this fall’s gubernatorial election. Sign the petition: Don’t let Rick Scott pack the Florida Supreme Court.

Sonoma County’s libraries are in the midst of their largest funding crisis in their hundred-year history. The County now spends only $33 per capita each year on libraries, compared to Napa County’s $51, Marin’s $85, and San Francisco’s $100. In response to rising costs and reduced funding three years ago, library hours were slashed 25%, from 52 to just 40 weekly hours at all branches. This petition is part of the RestoreLibraryHours.com Campaign, which last year circulated a petition asking Supervisors to fund the restoration of hours. Yet, after three years, Sonoma County Supervisors David Rabbitt, Susan Gorin, Shirley Zane, Mike Maguire, and Efren Carrillo have done nothing to help alleviate this funding crisis. A new poll financed by Sonoma County’s Library Commission found that 70% of voters support a 1/8 of 1% tax to save our libraries. This would raise $8 million per year for libraries. This tiny sales tax would allow the library to restore Mondays, remain open most evenings, and restore and enhance programs for children, teens and seniors. On July 29. County Supervisors will finally vote on whether they will place a tax measure for libraries on the November ballot. If the measure does not get put on the ballot and passed, locked doors and the shortest library hours in history will become the “new normal.” Please sign and share this petition, and tell your County Supervisor that you care about adequate funding for Sonoma County libraries—and that they should, too. www.RestoreLibraryHours.org

My husband, Matthew DiPaulo, was adopted back in 1969. A time when single parenthood was a disgrace. Birth Certificates were amended to show the adoptive parents as the birth parents and original birth records were sealed. This has left 1000's of adoptees in the dark about their heritage & even more importantly their medical history. These children of adoption are now adults, many with families of their own. The time has come to end the secrecy & lies & give back to the adoptees what is rightfully theirs ..... Their original birth certificate.

There has been vocal opposition of a few homeowners in the area. This petition is to demonstrate that many that live nearby or in other areas of Oklahoma City are in strong support of these two projects.

The Holt Drive Flathead Lake public access is a Flathead County road right-of-way that provides the only year-round public access to the North Shore of Flathead Lake east of the Flathead River. The access lies half (15') on private land and half (15') on public land. The private landowner wants the Flathead County Commissioners to 'abandon' (close) the access. If you use this access or think public access to Flathead Lake should be protected and maintained, please sign this petition. Thank you!

We are starting this petition because we believe that all children should get the best chance at success. Education should determine a person's future, not a youthful mistake in judgment.

We, the owners and renters of properties on Fairchild and Berwick Avenues (Fairfield, CT), the same roads of the property that is the subject of this zoning case (the proposed 33-unit building by Berwick Fairchild and Associates, LLC), oppose the requested zoning changes, most importantly the following: -The addition of Sec. 10.16.13, which will increase the population in excess to the current density, it also being quadruple the bedroom density of the 54-unit affordable housing project called Fairchild Apartments, across from the proposed Berwick Fairchild Site. -The addition of 10.9.3, which in its vagaries, could allow for any building in a Residence B neighborhood to be converted into a multi-unit facility, even if the building was designed as a single-family residence. -The modification of 10.11, which will increase the building height to four stories, far in excess of any housing in the neighborhood. -The modification of 10.17.3, which eliminates the minimum number of affordable or market units, thereby violating the spirit of the affordable housing program within the town. -The modification of 28.6.1, which would allow the project to have one car spare per unit, far less than common sense indicates that the development needs.

Currently, a payor can remit on the first of one month & the last day of the next & be within the letter of the law, even though he has effectively skipped a month. Rents, mortgages, credit cards and other billers don't allow us to pay that way, so why does the state?

The daily torture of ducks for corporate profit needs to end now!

While more research needs to be done to understand the full impact of GMOs, they are not without risk. For example, some GMOs are designed to allow for increased use of pesticides, which have been linked to serious health and environmental impacts. And GMOs usually don’t undergo safety testing before they’re allowed onto the market.

Public parks and access to the outdoors have been a major contributing factor to the sense of well-being in my life. I can't imagine if my local park (Moran State Park) were closed. Similar to libraries, parks are a fundamental building block for the quality of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness that should always be available, and funded, for all americans regardless of geography or economic status. Keep our parks green, keep our parks safe, and keep our parks open!