Hundreds of thousands of service sector employees (teachers, firefighters and police) are affected by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP), which radically reduces Social Security pensions if the individual also receives a public pension. It operates on the premise that the total amount received would represent a "windfall." The most recent constitutional challenge to the WEP (Rudykoff vs. Apfel, 1999) was overturned on the basis that the WEP met its intention (to prevent a windfall) and also that social welfare law does not have to meet the same standards as other law, citing precedence. Many individuals (due to the WEP) receive amounts from their public pensions and Social Security that put them under poverty level. In my case, after 39 years of paying Social Security taxes, I received credit towards my Social Security pension for only 15 of those years.

Whether it's corn on the cob, or big juicy tomatoes, or a pint of raspberries, summer is a great time to eat whatever's fresh off the farm -- nature's bounty at its finest. But these days, it seems that food is a bit more complicated. Additives, preservatives, artificial flavorings -- not to mention, genetically-engineered food. Maybe you want to eat 100% organic. Maybe you don't mind some artificial something-or-other. But the one thing I think we can all agree on: You should have the right to know and choose what's in your food. The big multinational food, chemical, and pesticide companies -- like Monsanto, DuPont, and Dow -- would rather keep you in the dark. That doesn't work for me. That's why I support the Genetically Engineered Food Right-to-Know Act.

AARP advertising is filling dead air on the Rush Limbaugh Show. Limbaugh calls women “feminazis,” “infobabes,” “sexretaries,” and, worst of all, “sluts” and “prostitutes.” Limbaugh calls Latinos "weak," "lazy," and "unskilled." And, in the wake of the Trayvon Martin murder trial, Limbaugh even used the "N-word" and claimed it was not racist. Over 2,600 advertisers have stopped supporting Limbaugh's shows, and AARP should follow suit. While public service announcements don't pay Limbaugh, they still give legitimacy to harmful views that have no place in a civil society. Organizations with PSAs (such as AARP) should take responsibility and request their ads not air during the Rush Limbaugh Show. Other ways you can take action: Join: The Flush Rush Facebook community https://www.facebook.com/groups/flushrush/ 
Visit: The StopRush sponsor database http://stoprush.net/rush_limbaugh_sponsor_list.php#current_a Tweet: #stoprush Twitter campaign https://twitter.com/search?q=stoprush Fact Check: Limbaugh Lie Debunking Site http://rushtruth.net Install: ThinkContext StopRush browser extension--notifies you as you browse which companies advertise on Rush http://thinkcontext.org

Earlier today, the United States Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision that Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA), which required some states and localities (mostly in the South) to obtain preclearance from the United States Department of Justice before implementing changes to voting laws and procedures, is unconstitutional, in effect rendering the Section 5 preclearance provision of the VRA inoperative and making it much harder to enforce the VRA. These days, deliberately disenfranchising ethnic minorities from being able to elect the public officials of their choice has become commonplace in states like Wisconsin and Ohio, hundreds or even thousands of miles away from the Deep South. It is now time for Congress to re-write Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act so that all states and localities of the United States would be legally required to obtain preclearance from the United States Department of Justice before implementing changes to voting laws and procedures.

This company stubbornly refuses to pay a hail's damage claim. Mr. JJ washington refused to correct this situation, and his allegiance is to support liars. (Ivy Scott, Craig Thrower, Dee Stone, Claudia Janka)

My name is Matthew Fuemmeler, and I am the owner and operator of "The Boiler Monkey," Albuquerque's first and only mobile restaurant built into a converted bus. I work as a food truck, offering crepes and coffee to the citizens of Albuquerque. Unfortunately, I have been targeted several times by parking enforcement, who have stated I am not allowed to park on public roads during working business hours, because my bus is over 90 inches wide. However, many of the other operating food trucks in town - as well as service vehicles, hummers, delivery trucks, mobile health clinics and more - are also more than 90 inches wide, and from those whom I've worked with and talked to, none of them have received this ticket or been told of this rule. Obtaining continuous parking tickets as well as being asked to move during my hours of operation severely impacts my ability to run my business and maintain a steady income. Designating certain areas for food trucks such as outside Tractor Brewery on Tulane by changing or amending current legislation on food vending and parking on public streets would increase food truck tourism and industry within the city. As small business owners trying to bring creative cuisine and opportunities into our communities, we hope you can understand and support our cause.

As a huge fan of the karaoke event, I suffered as my friends battled to get the opportunity to perform. This cast a cloud of suspicion over the whole event.

Networking with progressives should be easier and it's hard to remember everyone's names! We also need need organizers to let us add Twitter and Dkos user handles!

Major grocery store chains representing more than 4,600 stores across the United States, such as Target, Aldi, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Giant Eagle, and Meijer, have committed not to sell genetically engineered seafood. Now we are asking Kroger, the nation’s largest conventional grocery store chain, to follow suit. Unless Kroger signs the Pledge for GE-Free Seafood, it and its subsidiaries, which include Ralphs, Fred Meyer, GFC and Food 4 Less, may soon be selling genetically engineered salmon and other genetically engineered seafood. The Food and Drug Administration has strongly suggested that it won’t likely require genetically engineered fish to be labeled, leaving consumers with no way of avoiding them. Through the Pledge for GE-Free Seafood, however, stores and restaurants can make clear to consumers their policies against selling genetically engineered seafood. If Kroger and its banner stores agree not to sell genetically engineered seafood, it could be one of the last steps to make sure GE seafood is dead in the water in the United States.

I am a single parent with 3 children, including one who is disabled. I am currently "under water" in my mortgage loan in CA, as are many of my neighbors. Those of us who don't have Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae Loans cannot access HARP to help us refinance our home. I stand to lose my home in the near future if we cannot access HARP. Soy una madre soltera con tres hijos, incluido uno que está deshabilitado. Estoy actualmente "bajo el agua" con mi préstamo hipotecario en CA, como muchos de mis vecinos. Quienes carecen de préstamos de Freddie Mac o Fannie Mae no pueden acceder a HARP para ayudarnos a refinanciar nuestra casa. Me atengo a perder mi hogar en un futuro cercano si no podemos acceder a HARP.

The New York Times regularly reports budget numbers with zero context. They write that a program "costs $700 billion over 10 years" or "saves $150 million" without indicating what percentage of the total that is or giving a meaningful comparison. Since most people don't have any idea that the federal government will spend $50 trillion over the next decade, these are just giant numbers--indistinguishable from one another--to most people. It's gotten so bad that the Times misreported the cost of food stamps by a factor of 10--they wrote $760 billion, but meant $75 billion--and neither the reporter nor the editors noticed; they had to issue a correction. (http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/18/us/politics/fraud-used-to-frame-farm-bill-debate.html)

Connecticut has the second highest electricity rates in the country, and United Illuminating has the highest electricity rates in state. But now they are asking the state to let them raise their rates 12% over the next 2 years. The rate hikes would net United Illuminating $95 million over two years, which would cover the company's plan to increase its profits and would raise electric bills for its 325,000 customers. Tell United Illuminating its wrong to raise rates so they can increase their profits!