Aetna just raised my individual health insurance policy 12 percent. Worse, according to the New York Times, "In California, Aetna is proposing rate increases of as much as 22 percent, Anthem Blue Cross 26 percent and Blue Shield of California 20 percent for some of those policy holders, according to the insurers’ filings with the state for 2013." Under current California law, our regulators can review rate requests only for technical errors but cannot deny rate increases. In other states, like New York, state regulators have denial authority and are already using it to curb these abuses.

Cans for food should be safe and not have dangorus chemicals. People need to feel safe. Health care costs can be reduced with this ban.

Al Jazeera has won many awards for objective reporting of international news, an area of which Americans are generally ill-informed. The recent purchase of Current TV by Qatar makes it possible for Americans to obtain international news that is currently missing from the airwaves in the US.

Boycotting Papa John's Pizza until he publicly embraces Obamacare.

Drivers failing to pay missed tolls within the seven day grace period can lead to high tollway fines. $5 in missed tolls can potentially create $500 in tollway fines over the course of a year. Failing to pay these fines can lead to a suspended license without notification to the driver. Please provide drivers with the ability to search and pay for outstanding fines using their license plate number to avoid their license from being suspended.

If you can believe it, one Congressman from New Jersey has said he may vote against the bulk of federal aid to rebuild his own state next week. Scott Garrett said he may vote against the rest of the New Jersey delegation and try to block the majority of federal aid for disaster victims citing 'wasteful spending.' Rebuilding roads and bridges. Helping families get back in their homes to start putting their lives back together. That's hardly waste. If Garrett were alone, that would be bad enough. But he’s joined by a Tea Party caucus that would rather see families suffer than admit that we actually have obligations to each other. So every vote will count. The House will vote on the Sandy relief package on Tuesday, January 15. Sign our emergency petition to Rep. Garrett not to block relief for Hurricane Sandy victims.

From camping under the stars at Big Bend Ranch to exploring the cypress swamps of Caddo Lake, our state parks make life better here in Texas. They protect the clean water we depend on and provide a home for some of Texas’ most wondrous wildlife, from the black bear to the leatherback sea turtle. They're also a major economic engine for the state, generating more than one billion dollars in economic activity for local communities. But budget cuts may force the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) to close twenty state parks, cancel critical repairs, and fail to restore Bastrop State Park after devastating wildfires. We can do more to keep our parks safe and open. In fact, our parks already have a dedicated funding stream—sales taxes on sporting goods—but for too long, the Legislature has raided the fund, diverting the money for other purposes and leaving just the bones for our cash-strapped parks system.

The NRA has refused to enter the discussion about reducing gun violence in our society. They have recommended that schools have armed guards to insure safety. Unfortunately, no funding source for this plan was discussed. Gun owner must realize that their second amendment right does come with responsibilities as well.

The westbound street from 65th Place and Stony Island to South Dorchester currently serves as a perilous throughway for cars trying to get around traffic jams on Stony Island. It is an extremely narrow ,single lane, one way street. Last spring our family dog was crushed by a car going at an excessive speed down the street. As our block continues to flourish, more families are moving in with small children, making it ever more likely that a child will be injured by a car using this street as a way to get around traffic.

If car owners must carry insurance, why not gun owners who can do more harm with a gun than most do with a car. Also, car registration must be renewed each year with a fee, so should gun owners registration.

Its time to get a real Economist in the position of authority. Mr Krugman says what he knows is helpful for our economy and he is not tied to Wall Street...

We the People demand a $12.00 per hour minimum wage. The current minimum wage amounts to economic enslavement. We will not be slaves of the top 2% any longer!