House Republicans have a plan to cut SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as the food stamp program), by at least $40 billion over ten years, affecting up to 6 million hungry families—including children, seniors and veterans.. The plan to vote on these life-threatening cuts in the coming days. The new House proposal is harsh, and continues the attack on working families and poor people by the GOP. Their scheme would deny SNAP to at least 4 million to 6 million low-income people — including some of the nation’s most destitute adults — as well as to many low-income children, seniors, and families that work for low wages. The people the proposal would cut off SNAP include but are not limited to:  2 million to 4 million poor, unemployed, childless adults who live in areas of high unemployment — a group that has average income of only 22 percent of the poverty line (about $2,500 a year for a single individual) and for whom SNAP is, in most cases, the only government assistance they receive;  1.8 million people, mostly low-income working families and low-income seniors, who have gross incomes or assets modestly above the federal SNAP limits but disposable income — the income that a family actually has available to spend on food and other needs — below the poverty line in most cases, often because of high rent or child care costs. Some 210,000 children in these families also would lose free school meals;  Other poor, unemployed parents who want to work but cannot find a job or an opening in a training program — along with their children, other than infants. We demand that Congress cease playing political “hunger games” that hurt vulnerable families, children, and local communities. Instead, Congress should close corporate tax loopholes and make large companies such as Apple, General Electric and Verizon pay their fair share of federal taxes. Please sign our petition to stop the cuts of food to our most vulnerable neighbors. As former Vice-President Hubert Humphrey said, “The moral test of government is how that government treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly; those who are in the shadows of life; the sick, the needy and the handicapped.

As home child care providers, we partner with New Jersey’s working families to care for their children while providing flexible hours and a safe & loving environment. In 2007 we won the right to organize a union and negotiate a collective bargaining agreement. Our first contract was a huge victory and now we’re negotiating a second contract that will increase our wages AND our ability to provide the children we care for with the necessary resources to be successful in their lives. We’re just two of 2,000 home child care providers in New Jersey earning wages so low we could qualify for taxpayer-funded public assistance programs. In fact, home child care providers contracted by the state of New Jersey to care for the children of working parents, haven’t received a raise in over five years. Some of us have degrees in education and early childhood development – and all of us work upwards of 50 or 60 hours each week. We’re also classified as “independent contractors” which prevents us from accessing workers’ compensation, unemployment, social security retirement or even basic health care coverage. We struggle to make ends meet – not just for our own families – but also for the children we care for. We frequently pay out-of-pocket for food and basic supplies…even diapers! Many of us also take on the important work of caring for physically and developmentally disabled children who require more attention, extra support and additional resources. As hard-working professionals who care for New Jersey’s next generation we deserve to earn enough to provide basic needs for our own families. We also deserve the resources and support that the children we care for require to be successful in all the developmental stages their lives. Please support our efforts and tell the New Jersey Department of Human Services, to negotiate a fair contract for home child care professionals! Sincerely, Shawanda Jones-Velez, Newark, NJ Danisia Valadez, Passaic, NJ Professional Child Care Providers in New Jersey

The existing requirements of CCD-55 are not adequate to protect abutting neighbors from negative impacts or create the type of projects that realize this neighborhood's vision for new development.

Be concerned about the issue because it could be you! There could always be a time when you need assistance because your monetary benefits have decreased. Better yet, it could be a family member or friend who needs food assistance! Please help! Advocate for those who do not have!

On April 3, 2005, Sabrina was born to Nancy Hey. She weighed 7 lb. 4 oz. Mother and baby were released from the hospital on April 5, 2005. On April 8, 2005, Ms. Hey took Sabrina to the pediatrician for a regular post-birth follow-up. The baby had lost weight (from 7lb. 4oz. to 6lb. 12oz.) so the pediatrician recommended supplementation with formula (Ms. Hey was nursing) and a follow-up visit several days later. Ms. Hey saw the pediatrician three more times after that initial visit. Although Sabrina%u2019s weight only dropped to 6 lb. 10 oz., she did not exhibit a sustained weight gain. As a result, on that third visit, the doctor who saw Ms. Hey and Sabrina indicated that Sabrina%u2019s weight loss and lack of sustained weight gain was more significant than Ms. Hey had been led to believe and he instructed Ms. Hey to admit Sabrina to the hospital. So, on April 16, 2005, Sabrina and Ms. Hey were admitted to Virginia Hospital Center. Sabrina was admitted with a failure to thrive diagnosis. After increasing the amount of formula used to supplement Ms. Hey%u2019s breast feeding, Sabrina gained weight. On April 19, Ms. Hey was visited by a social worker from the Arlington County Child Protective Services. On April 20, Ms. Hey and her live-in companion, Kit Slitor, (not the biological father of the baby) were compelled to sign a %u201CSafety Plan%u201D presented to them by the Arlington County CPS social worker. They were informed a refusal to sign would prevent the baby from being discharged. The following day, Ms. Hey and Sabrina were released from the hospital. On the date of release, Sabrina weighed 7 lb. 5 oz. On April 22, the social worker and one or more home nurses visited the family. The social worker returned the next day, Saturday, April 23; however, Ms. Hey and Mr. Slitor refused her entry, stating they wanted a %u201Ctime out%u201D while they retained legal counsel (a letter to that effect was handed to the social worker). Over the weekend they sought, and by Monday morning they retained, an attorney who immediately attempted to contact the social worker. (Another attorney who is a friend had attempted to contact the social worker over the weekend.) Notwithstanding the fact that counsel managed to speak to the social worker sometime late Monday morning, the social worker went forward with a request for an Emergency Removal Order which was granted. The Order was executed that day, April 25, and Sabrina was placed in foster care. At the time of removal, Sabrina weighed 8 lb. 1 oz., a 12 oz. gain from April 21 the day on which Sabrina was released from the hospital. On May 2, the Court made a finding of abuse and neglect and ordered psychological evaluations for both Ms. Hey and Mr. Slitor. Those evaluations, which were performed by individuals hired by the County, occurred over the course of the next two weeks. Following those evaluations, a Foster Care Service Plan was developed by the County. The Plan%u2019s stated goal was %u201Creturn home%u201D and it imposed several obligations on the parents, all of which they have complied with. On July 5, the Foster Care Service Plan was presented to the Court and accepted. Although visits were occurring between Sabrina and Ms. Hey and Mr. Slitor, they did not occur on a set, regular schedule. The visits that did take place, took place at the County offices and were only approximately one hour in duration and usually no more than twice a week, although some weeks there was only one visit. By early September, for all intents and purposes, the visits had ceased, because Sabrina had exhibited increasing signs of distress. At a follow-up hearing on October 25, the Court ordered that a home visit occur. That visit occurred three days later, on October 28, after which both sides submitted to the Court memoranda summarizing the visit. On November 14, the Court issued a letter ordering that visits continue to occur in the parents%u2019 home. One such additional visit occurred, on November 23, approximately a month after the previous in-home visit. Those two visits are the only visits Ms. Hey had been able to participate in since late August/early September. Mr. Slitor, whom the County wanted to evaluate as the potential primary caretaker since Ms. Hey had been ruled out by the County as such, did have several short visits on his own in October and one in December. (It should be noted that Ms. Hey and Mr. Slitor got married in October.) At a follow-up hearing in late November, the Court ordered both sides to submit a plan for facilitating the goal of return home, which both sides did. In mid-December, the Court informed both sides that it had accepted the plan submitted on behalf of Ms. Hey and Mr. Slitor, which contemplated regular, frequent visits with increasing duration accompanied by instruction from a qualified home-based services provider. The Court ordered that all visitation cease until the new reunification process could begin with the new service providers. The Court also ordered that Ms. Hey and Mr. Slitor be financially responsible for the services to be provided. Starting in January, that plan was implemented and the reunification process got underway. Initially, the service providers familiarized themselves with Sabrina and Sabrina with them. They then slowly and carefully reintroduced the parents to Sabrina in an effort to properly restart the attachment process. The visits occurred on a set schedule (3 days a week) in the parents%u2019 home and, as time went on, the duration of the visits steadily increased. During these visits, the parents received parenting instruction and once a week they participated in a parent-infant therapy session. The amount of instruction provided by the home-based workers decreased as time went on. This process continued until approximately June 15, by whic...

New Yorkers were promised the Verrazano Bridge would be free after it was paid for. The bridge was opened in 1964, nearly 50 years later, I'm sure the bridge has been paid for and then some. The toll just keeps increasing, $15.00 to get to another borough?! When will it end? Since I have been using the bridge, the toll has increased at least $2.00 a year. That means by the year 2020 we will be paying nearly $25.00 to get to Staten Island. This has to stop now, tolls need to be cut.

The Engineering Firm hired by the City of Norwalk Ct to plan flood mitigation measures to use tax dollars to rebuild Washington Village in a flood plain when other sites nearby are available state that these measures will have an adverse affect on Ryan Park ,an urban butterfly and bird sanctuary lauded for combating neighborhood obesity by teaching organic gardening and sound nutritional practices

The City College of San Francisco Music and Theater Departments have launched this petition to protect $88 million currently dedicated to complete construction of City College's Performing Arts Education Center (PAEC). The petition asks the California State Legislature for a one-year extension on $38 million in state bond funding and calls on the CCSF special trustee and interim chancellor to respect the will of the voters of San Francisco, who approved two bonds for CCSF totaling $50 million. Almost $20 million has been spent on the Performing Arts Center (PAC) to date, The project, which has won both state and national awards for design and sustainability, is now shovel-ready. The petition to support completion of the PAC has already been signed by writers, actors and musicians including Laurie Anderson, Danny Glover, Lawrence Ferlinghetti and many others. Join us in this effort by signing this effort and asking lawmakers not to give up the PAC!! For more information, please contact Madeline Mueller, chair of the CCSF Music Department, at 415-239-3641 or [email protected]. Visit the CCSF Music Dept website for more information at www.ccsf.edu/music.

In 2010,I was ruled disabled by the Social Security Administration and am collecting Social Security Disability. On January 3, 2012, I was placed into the NYC shelter system because of my lack of housing. Since this time I have applied for numerous apartments. The response is always that do not have enough income to meet the minimum income guideline requirements., although, I have been told that I receive a substantial amount for disability. Because of this hindrance, I have been in the Shelter System for almost 2 years with no way out. I feel as though I am a prisoner doing time for a crime that I did not commit. I hope that by changing this law, it will afford people with disabilities and limited income a chance for decent affordable housing.

Los Angeles is desperate for a convenient open tranquil nature inspired park. Some positive changes will transform the State Historic Park in 2014 into an incredible oasis of trees, a large water wheel donated by UCLA, ancient artifacts and water will be funneled over from the L.A. river! However, the State Historic Park is committing to 9-10 commercial concerts per year in order to finance the park. This is a densely populated area with old communities such as Solano Park see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solano_Canyon,_Los_Angeles Lincoln Heights and HIghland Park are not far from this park either. As well as all of the Downtown L.A. communities including Chinatown and Little Tokyo. The strategy to include large commercial concerts trashes the local environments, the grounds of the park and wildlife irreparably. There is a better way. Please support the park by signing this petition to stop 15,000 - 25,000 attendance commercial concerts. We are calling on the Governor and the State Park system to eliminate large commercial concerts in support of smaller local community inspired concerts and other events. This Historic State Park serves 3.82 million L.A. residents. The State Park system's mission statement, "To provide for the health, inspiration, and education of the people of California by helping to preserve the State's extraordinary biological diversity, protecting its most valued natural and cultural resources, and creating opportunities for high-quality outdoor recreation." No where does it say we support trashing of the environment in favor of money.

I have personally experienced this due to having cancer and not being able to be sick and work. So I have had to pay larger deposits and except crappy places to live based upon my credit status all because cancer does not discriminate.

Our access to Pine Grove is now completely blocked which is where we load and unload children, elderly parents, groceries, etc. We are now forced to do this in a tow zone on Addison. Ironically Addison is deemed unsafe for the cyclists. The stop sign is obstructed and the station is 10 feet into a tow zone. All Divvy locations in the 46th ward except one are by commercial enterprises and the one residential site (not yet installed) is at the back of a building not disturbing privacy. Let's advocate for appropriate, safe locations for Divvy.