Do I?

Jim Messina, Campaign Manager of Obama 2012, has signed on to work for the UK Conservative Party. The Conservatives have governed by attacking poor people, immigrants and the unemployed. Jim Messina fought these policies when Romney was pushing them; but now he's pushing them himself.

Hugely popular children's books like the Ramona Quimby and Junie B. Jones chapter books are wonderful finds for little girls and boys. They help teachers interest new readers in books. Wouldn't it be great if some copies of these books could be printed with illustrations of little Black and Brown girls. This does not seem like a glass mountain to climb but more a choice of will, and perhaps a job or two for a few illustrators. I know this is not an issue to lose sleep over or be enraged about but it is meaningful and important all the same. I would love to walk up to the children's section of a library or a book store, with my students or my own children, and see a rainbow of Ramona and Junie B. Jones books to choose from! If the authors of these two series are with us we cannot fail, let them know it matters. Help me work for this by signing my petition!

Please note: the chaos of driving an automobile on Block Island during the busy tourist season is detrimental to user safety.

My business has been blocked from expanding because BLM will not issue any permits to any other vendor to provide shuttle service to river recreationalists on the Colorado River. Rancho Del Rio has been the only vendor allowed to legally operate since 2009. Tell BLM anyone should be allowed to purchase a permit to operate on BLM land, not just one company!

This petition is not from a megapartner.

President Obama has dismissed legitimate concerns about Larry Summers' suitability to be Federal Reserve Chairman, saying that progressives are just making Summers their "whipping boy." But consider: 1. As Treasury Secretary under President Clinton, Larry Summers was one of the men most responsible for the misguided policies that led directly to the financial crash of 2008. 2. As chief economist at the World Bank, Larry Summers argued that "under-populated countries in Africa are vastly under-polluted.” He later claimed that his remark was meant to be ironic. 3. As president of Harvard University, Larry Summers claimed that “issues of intrinsic aptitude” may be why relatively few women have tenured positions in science and engineering. 4. As director of the White House National Economic Council under President Obama, Larry Summers drafted the plans that resulted in the inadequate stimulus and premature deficit reduction that have made the Great Recession worse and longer. You almost have to wonder if Larry Summers has ever had a job he's done well!

Yesterday in front of a Michigan House subcommittee, Hillsdale College President Larry Arnn used the phrase "dark ones" to refer to minority college students. Following this, Hillsdale issued a sarcastic non-apology. Arnn should immediately resign.

Anita Alvarez has allowed for the arrest and prosecution of hundreds of thousands of innocent men and women, upon information and belief. She has allowed and even pushed for her staff, defense attorneys, public defenders, paid attorneys and judges to gain wins through forced confessions, forced plea bargains and by any means necessary tactics. She has avoided the prosecution of judges, attorneys and others who are politically connected to the justice system, who have been proven to have acted unethically and/or committed actual crimes. Anita Alvarez wants to win at all costs regardless of a persons innocence and she selectively prosecutes by protecting her friends regardless of their guilt. We ask for the investigation and resignation of Anita Alvarez and for the re-opening and/or overturning of cases in which parties can provide proof that they did not receive fair proceedings. We also ask for a special election to replace Anita Alvarez at once. Respectfully submitted by the people of Illinois and all concerned citizens.

The idea of HOME is sacred. We can all appreciate the value of our own place to lay ourselves down and have a little peace as we rest and prepare to greet the day and the world outside. Many among us don’t have this special restorative place, in fact, there are an estimated 1,500 people without a safe place to rest in the City of Santa Cruz, and another 1,500 people in the county. We, the undersigned believe there is a way to provide this to everyone—A Santa Cruz Sanctuary Camp, a designated area where people can rest, keep their things, build community, and find the support they need to rebuild their lives. Well meaning citizens have assumed the local services would provide what these folks need, but over the past years we’ve seen that despite the many day services provided, 95% of homeless folks still fend for themselves out in the cold dark night as they sleep out in the open. Emergency shelter space can be a 2 month wait and many report that they are never admitted at all. Maximum bed space is enough for only 5% of the homeless population. Consequently, most of our homeless population sleep out in the open, in bushes, in doorways, and in the woods in violation of the city ordinance which bans sleeping after 11 pm. This illegal camping exposes homeless people to inclement weather, violence and theft from others in the homeless community, harassment from vigilante groups, and scorn from the rest of the citizenry. Often the desperation one feels when sleeping out in the open exacerbates other existing conditions like mental illness and drug abuse. It is nearly impossible for someone who has become homeless to rebuild their life when forced to sleep in a bush and carry the last vestiges of their life in a backpack on their back. Besides the toll homelessness takes on the individuals who are forced to fend for themselves, local homeless experts have admitted that the amount of money spent on homeless is unquantifiable. The range of “services” provided is very large and includes emergency medical/ambulance, law enforcement/jail/courts, mental health etc, and the amount spent on these annually can easily climb into the tens of millions. That doesn’t include the several million dollars spent on actual homeless services. The amount is staggering when we realize how few people are actually served. Sanctuary Camps provide safe and grounding spaces for individuals to address substance abuse, mental illness, and emotional problems. People could learn about services available to them, and have support around taking medication or staying sober. Besides offering assistance to the county’s homeless population, a Sanctuary Camp would improve the city overall, reducing general vagrancy in residential, business and tourist areas, decreasing crime and police calls for homeless issues, and setting aside natural areas as places for recreation, not homeless encampments. Examples all over the country demonstrate that with Sanctuary Camps communities are safer and cleaner, and homeless people are better able to move up and out of homelessness. Santa Cruz Sanctuary Camp proposes the establishment of a pilot camp of between 25 - 50 residents to demonstrate its effectiveness over the winter. This will require a 1 acre piece of land on city, county, private or church property. Additionally the camp will request a garbage dumpster emptied weekly. The camp will use 1 porta-potty per 20 persons. A list of rules will be enforced 24 hours a day at the gate staffed in rotating shifts by a Responsible Person and a Support Person with the support of an external Steering Committee. The camp will be bound by an Art Wall and and Entrance Portal. The camp will have good relations with local authorities, the media and the community at large. We, the undersigned, encourage our city and county elected officials to allow the creation of a Sanctuary Camp and to form a partnership by allowing use of a small parcel of land and a dumpster service contract. This camp will cost very little, but will do so much.

With a record setting disapproval rate, politicians are still planning to take a summer break. I'm calling for all American's, Democrats, Republicans, Conservatives and Liberals to ban together and take back our country. Let's work together and put pressure on each and every one of our elected representatives to get them back to work and solve our country's problems. Each party keeps blaming the other and nothing is getting done and they feel entitled to take a break and keep earning money. Which we pay. Our politicians need to skip their vacation and get back to work or resign from office and admit they are incompetent. Our government should represent the people and not the vested interests of corporations and lobbyists. Let's make our government accountable or turn their paychecks in and go home.

After asking several times for handicapped parking in front of my home, Wyalusing removed on street parking except for church and carnival functions leaving me without a place to park since my property is the only one without alternative parking. Their action has devalued the property because it is landlocked as well as making me a shut-in, unable to get to food, doctors, mail and other necessities.