Restore the independence of Hawai'i!

"I am human," he told the News Sentinel. "I don't think I ever put myself out there to be somebody that was perfect. I put myself out there as somebody who wanted to serve the public." Rep. Scott DesJarlais (R-Tenn.)

After centuries of foot-binding, China is selling fashion footwear to American women. The workmanship in these shoes & boots is terrible, & they often bear reputable American labels, & they are usually made of vinyl or “pleather” passing for genuine leather.They never fit properly, & can neither be polished nor repaired by shoemakers. I have European & American-made shoes & boots that still look good after 20 years of care. I treasure them, because for every one of them in my closet, 3 Chinese-made shoes have been trashed after a couple of seasons. Personal experience? A year-long running gun battle with Donna Karan over a pair of boots that cracked & turned out to be vinyl; Bass of Maine, once reputable maker of sturdy, outdoor footwear, nearly crippled me after 3 outings, with a pair of lace-up “shoe-boots”; Even Aerosole, known for comfort, sells lethal boots Made In China, apparently for women with bound toes; another happy return.

The Million Puppet March is a diverse, non-partisan, collection of puppeteers and people creating social good with puppets. It'd be the first time puppets would march in an Inaugural Parade, following the very successful Million Puppet March that occurred in DC on 11/3/12. We submitted an application, but we want the Presidential Inaugural Committee to definitely consider us and we can use your help persuading them - please help!

Tell Congress to pass a law that, groups listed as hate groups should not be allowed a 501c3 charity status. Ministers like scott lively are spreading their message of "hate the Gays" throughout the world. Uganda is about to pass a bill that will put Gay men and Women to death.

It is my belief that politicians, such as George Walker Bush, among others, have, over the past decade, RACED to rush America into wars which have done nothing more than fill coffins, in Arlington Cemetary. Would they have rushed to WAR if their own families were required to serve in the battles?

As part of an update of the Uptown Community Plan, the City of San Diego is proposing to reduce the density and zoning of your property. The current adopted land use densities for Mission Hills have preserved neighborhood character for 23 years. Reducing density and zoning would only create economic problems for property owners.

The Santa Monica Parks and Recreation Committee has voted to ban all group exercise classes (i.e. Stroller Strides, etc.) in Palisades Park (The Bluff) and restrict such business throughout the city. They are bringing the issue to Santa Monica City Hall in January 2013 in order to enforce their recommendation. The majority of these group fitness camps DO carry liability insurance and they DO pay city taxes and business license fees, as well as create revenue for the small business surrounding the area (coffee shops, restaurants, apparel, farmer's market, etc.). More importantly, they are promoting a healthy lifestyle (some camps even offer free fitness days to give back to the community). If you DO NOT support the ban on group fitness in Palisades Park & other ares of Santa Monica, please let the City Council know by signing this petition. Thank You!

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.