In 2004, HB 278 gave Oil & Gas Companies an unfair advantage over other businesses. This legislation appoints The Ohio Department of Natural Resources as the sole authority to regulate the permitting, spacing, and location of oil and gas wells within the state. The problem with HB 278 is that every community has unique needs that the state is not familiar with. Take Stow, Ohio for example. This beautiful suburban community has a long history of preserving residential neighborhoods while also promoting business activity. The city is set up in a way where residents can enjoy quiet streets where their kids can play and businesses are able to conduct their daily operations. Thanks to HB 278, when the Church of New Hope leased their mineral rights to PEP Drilling Co. in front of a residential allotment, no special zoning approvals were needed. Once the well was drilled, it was determined the current depth would not be productive. The company drilled deeper than they were supposed to and were cited with multiple violations. PEP needed to get additional acreage in order to drill deeper. It is still not clear if the company has enough acreage, but they are operating anyway. Some of that acreage was under a city road and it was believed the mineral rights were owned by the city. The residents of Stow did not want this in their community-- Especially since there is a daycare at the church. Residents urged their council not to lease its mineral rights because they were concerned for the health, well-being, and integrity of their community. The city did not lease the mineral rights and the company has since provided the state with information that indicates someone else owns the mineral rights. The well should not be allowed to go forward until mineral rights and proper acreage have been determined. Furthermore, the city should be able to control what type of business activity takes place in their city. Stow is in an area of Ohio, rich in hydrogen sulfide (H2S). H2S is highly corrosive to steel and a serious health risk. It can cause well casings to fail and corrode equipment and tubing. H2S killed an Ohioan at a gas well in 2009 and is widely known to pose other serious health risks. This is wrong! Stow City Council and residents should have the right to say what goes on in their community. Other communities have the right to determine what is best for them. "Governor, please immediately stop drilling in the communities that don't want it! Grant local governments the ability to control what happens in their neighborhoods!"

Ninety percent of my mail goes straight into the garbage can. We all get multiple ads for products we don't want and endless solicitations from charities. Also, a friend whose wife died 18 years ago still gets hundreds of solicitations for her, despite written requests to remove her name. We need a law to stop this. It would save many trees and decrease the landfills on our planet. We could also be more sure the money we donate to charities is not thrown away.

An increasing number of Evanston homeowners currently offer rooms of their homes, or their entire homes, for rent on the internet on a short term basis, nights and weekends. The City of Evanston regulations currently prohibit homeowners in residential neighborhoods (e.g., R1 zoned districts) from renting out rooms of one’s home to transient guests. The City does not enforce this law. For at least 5 months now, a group of concerned neighbors in Evanston have been asking the City to enforce its laws. The City has refused to do so. Instead, the City responded by announcing its intention to craft legislation that would allow residents to rent out rooms to people for as little as 24 hours. We are law-abiding, tax-paying, voting citizens of Evanston who are opposed to these illegal rooming houses that are spreading in our town through the use of advertisements on craigslist, airbnb.com, and many other websites that promote overnight room rentals to the world at large. The rooming houses are affecting our property values and they threaten our security and the safety of Evanston children. NO ONE WHO RENTS OUT ROOMS IN THEIR HOME BY THE NIGHT CAN ADEQUATELY SCREEN TENANTS FOUND ON THE INTERNET FOR CHILD PREDATORS OR CRIMINAL BACKGROUNDS. Please sign this petition to show our elected politicians that we are opposed to illegal rooming houses that will change the character of our neighborhoods forever.

Presented with Mayor Ford’s removal from office the most cost effective yet constitutionally sound decision would be for Council to appoint Deputy Mayor Holyday as interim Mayor of Toronto for remainder of the electoral term. He is very experienced and able to follow through on the mayors mandate.

in lieu of all the violence that these dogs have spread, owners should be required to place muzzles on their dogs when walking out on the street or any public place with their dogs. These dogs have harmed, maimed and killed people without provacation.

I am the first person in New York to be convicted for "illegal voting" since 1872. The defendant in that case was Susan B. Anthony. I have an application for a pardon before Governor Cuomo. I have the support of the editorial boards of the New York Daily News, The Albany Times Union, The Irish Echo and The Amsterdam News. A petition asking Governor Cuomo to grant a pardon would correct a horrible precedent that now subjects dorm students and homeless people to prosecution if they vote from a place that is not their "principal and permanent residence". www.freejohnohara.com

The Pat Mullen Cinder Pit is just 1/4 mile from our house. We cannot safely hike that way anymore, since the target shooting has escalated, nor do we enjoy the peace and quiet in our own home that should be our right. The shooting goes on all hours of the day, every day of the week, and includes semi-automatic weapons. The shooters shoot at targets including garbage and live trees (which are now dead or dying) and leave all kinds of litter behind, including lead bullets and shell casings.

Mean spirited news hosts who don't understand what it is like to be poor.

In years past, World Wars and the military draft did a lot to familiarize and equalize people from different ethnic, social, and economic backgrounds in this country. I believe our sense of an overall American ethos would be regained if we instituted compulsory service of some kind for everyone.

Show some respect and refer to our president as President Obama. All talking heads are paid and good manners are important!

GoApe is a zipline course renting municipal park space in Indianapolis and other states. There are no safety regulations requiring helmets or padding on the trees. On September 30, 2012, I sustained a traumatic brain injury, whiplash, concussion, neck and shoulder injuries while on their zipline course. Children participate and are at risk, similar to the unregulated inflatable domes rented to families, where thousands of children are injured each year.

From what I have heard, General Petraeus is an exceptional general, and as such, it is in the best interests of all of us in the country to have him working for us. Let's not let his personal issues remove him from service he is willing to provide for our country.