When the punishment does not fit the crime: Multnomah County Animal Services (MCAS) wastes money; wastes lives, and spends $22,620 to kill a young dog. MCAS will immediately kill this young dog as soon as all legal deadlines end in mid-September. Protest this politically motivated action and support the rescue, adoption, and foster offers that have been made to allow him the life he has never had. Blaze, a young American Pit bull impounded at 10 months of age, has been held in maximum security at Multnomah County Animal Services (MCAS) since May 19, 2017. Over 3 years have gone by. He is not a “dangerous dog.” Blaze has not caused a “serious physical injury.” He was never used as a weapon and has caused no one ‘s death. The bite incidents (2) that resulted his incarceration in 2017 were well within the range of incidents that occur throughout the community, were preventable, and situational, secondary to living in a chaotic multi occupant household. There is no need to kill him to keep society “safe.” MCAS’s plans to kill him are retaliatory, driven by a need for absolute control and a commitment to the idea that killing is the best way of teaching a lesson to those with the courage to a challenge MCAS’s authority. The fundamental policy at MCAS is that that no one may ever question the validity of their decisions or offer alternative solutions. The rejection of public input and inclusive thoughtful solutions began with a regime change five years ago when the newly hired director began to systematically re-write all policies to exclude all professional consultations, rescue and public input, once important parts of decision making. It was in fact a hostile takeover, unfettered by oversight targeting removal of the public from its own government. The immediate escalation in killing that followed has been covered up, disingenuously explained away way as “socially responsible,” when no data has been presented that the community is “safer” with more killing. Killing just requires less effort. The agency, not the homeless animals unfortunate to be there, is “unhealthy and untreatable.” No questions are asked by government. Complacency and collegiality trump fact finding every time. The agency requirement that Blaze be killed when safe humane alternatives exist is a continuing pattern at Multnomah County Animal Services and is about vengeance, a revenge for which MCAS as of September 07, 2020 has willingly incurred boarding costs of $22,620. Blaze’s exemplary behavior under stressful agency generated circumstances has been extraordinary. Nearly all of Blaze’s life has now been spent in solitary confinement where he is only permitted visits behind a kennel door without contact allowed for 15 minutes or less, with those closely supervised by an animal control officer. The goal to discourage visitors has succeeded. But despite the fact that nearly all of his life has been spent in solitary confinement, Blaze has survived. His daily kennel monitor reports document a cheerful welcoming behavior and efforts to seek out positive attention from other animals and people passing by the outside of his cell. MCAS refuses to allow him to be evaluated by an expert professional with a diplomate in veterinary behavior medicine and rejects the opportunity to create a behavior plan and allow him to go to a 501(c)(3) placement partner as did previous administrations. This resort to autocratic rule is occurs because MCAS can simply run out the clock. MCAS’s deliberate refusal to acknowledge and respond to consultation and rescue offers from volunteers, community professionals, and rescues in all cases now is unconscionable. “Winning” by deliberately shutting out the community has led to increased killing throughout the county without any safety agenda served. Please contact the listed responsible parties in charge of this agency where every democratic principle has been removed. Ask that Blaze be permitted to live and help us in this county advocate for a humane democratic shelter, one that does not kill arbitrarily when safe and humane options exist and partners with the community that pays its way. Documents available upon request. Gail O’Connell-Babcock, PhD [email protected] Foster Pets NW Citizens for Humane Animal Legislation/Watchdog --- Contact list for responsible parties: Wade Sadler, MCAS Director: [email protected] Phone: (503) 988-6233; (503) 988-7387 Jamie Waltz: Interim Director Dept.Community Services: [email protected] Phone: (503) 988-7968 Interim Chief Operating Officer Peggy Brey: [email protected] Phone: (503) 988-2999. -- The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners County Chair Deborah Kafoury: [email protected] Phone: (503) 988-3308 Sharon Meieran, Commissioner District 1: [email protected] Phone: (503) 988-5220 Susheela Jayapal, Commissioner District 2: [email protected] Phone: (503) 988-5219 Jessica Vega Pederson, Commissioner District 3: [email protected] Phone: (503) 988-5217 Lori Stegmann, Commissioner District 4: [email protected] Phone: (503) 988-5213

Now is the time to have paid sick leave for all Michigan workers! The COVID crisis has magnified just how vital paid sick leave is, and how unprepared we were when the pandemic hit. Paid sick leave has been proven to be an effective policy to reduce the spread of the virus. Paid sick leave for all workers is critical as we re-open, is the best way for businesses to stay open and would help get the nation working again while supporting public health. While Congress passed emergency paid leave for many, it was temporary and limited, omitting as many as 106 million workers nationally and 1.7 million working Michiganders, many of them essential workers and on the front lines risking their lives and further exposure. Many of these workers are disproportionately people of color, women, and low-wage workers. Michigan Paid Leave for All (MiPaidLeave4All) is a coalition of individuals, businesses, community groups and nonprofit organizations that have committed to organize and fight for the right of EVERY worker in Michigan to have access to paid sick time to take care of themselves and their loved ones when illness strikes. The coalition is composed of civil rights, economic justice, faith-based, and women’s rights organizations. Together, we are united in a long-term fight in Michigan for establishing Paid Leave for All. Combined, these organizations have decades of experience strategizing, organizing, and mobilizing on behalf of racial, economic and gender justice in policy making. We firmly believe that no singular group can bring about this change. Together, however, through a coalition built on trust, we will be able to fight for and amplify policies that enable workers to have the ability to care for the families they work to support and sustain without losing their jobs, incomes, or livelihoods. As a coalition of your collective constituents, we expect our goal of achieving a public health policy that affords paid leave for all Michigan workers to be heard, listened to, and supported by you. We know that working individuals, their families and the state are strongest with time to heal from illness or injury, to welcome a new child, to help a loved one recover, or to ease their passing. We believe that everyone should be able to take time to care for themselves or a loved one without risking their job or paycheck. Being there for family is what matters—no exceptions. Right now the United States is the only industrialized country in the world that doesn’t guarantee paid sick leave for members of its workforce. Current laws have failed to keep up with the needs of our workers, families, or our businesses in the 21st century. Having widespread access to paid leave would also give workers the confidence in their employers to abate their fears and concerns about getting exposed to COVID-19 (and other likely communicable illnesses) while on the job. Despite existing protections from retaliation for workers who are exposed or who may need to take time off to quarantine because they or a close contact has been exposed, many workers are still concerned that without adequate paid leave policies, they will have to choose between risking their physical health and their financial health. It’s a zero-sum situation and lose-lose situation for our workforce and the power to rectify that is at our collective fingertips. This is a workers’ rights issue, an economic justice issue, a racial justice issue, and a gender equity issue. And as a matter of equity, it’s time for paid sick leave for all of Michigan workers, not just those who already are lucky enough to have access to it. Because of dedicated community organizing Michigan has a Paid Sick Leave law; however, the COVID-19 crisis has demonstrated that it is inadequate. We must update and expand it in the very short term in order to cover every working person, to provide paid leave for a longer period of time than the current law provides, and include health pandemics, as SB 961 sponsored by Sen. Erika Geiss does. We urge you to support SB 961 so that Michigan is never caught unprepared again, whether the crisis is national or personal.

If the school wants to foster a community where we feel safe and can be ourselves this is an imperative thing to do. We need to normalize this kind of stuff so students don’t feel so ostracized

Joe Biden cannot control the narrative of a campaign against Donald Trump through words. HE MUST ACT. He should spend the remaining days of the campaign shuttling between Portland and Kenosha. Bring the parties together. GET THEM TALKING TO EACH OTHER.

Congress let federal unemployment benefits and other coronavirus relief aid expire, and they have no idea what they’re going to do to help millions of struggling families! How are we supposed to feed our kids or pay the bills?? Republicans blocked the extension–so they need to hear from millions of us. Will you sign my petition urging Congress to extend unemployment benefits for as long as the pandemic lasts? #ParentsAct

This is important to me because I not only have 3 siblings in foster care that I have not seen since I was eleven but I also have cousins in the system that are separated. I know how the system works because I was in the system and felt alone at times. I was lonely thinking I didn't have a family that cared until my father passed away and I moved with my aunt and then was taken from her. Placed in another home and then placed with my grandmother and I was scared for years that I would be lost in the system. I have been searching for my siblings since I turned 18 I tried calling the agency we were at when I was younger I spoke to a lawyer, searched Facebook, sent emails. I want to find them because they mean the world to me and I want to make sure they know that because I went through so much pain in the system to protect them and my little sister that got adopted with me. So just getting that help and finding them and stopping this from happening to other families will mean everything.

The U.S. military is targeting kids — as young as 13! — while they play video games online. The Air Force, Army, and Navy ALL advertise on Twitch, an incredibly popular video game platform that has 140 million users — 45% who are under the age of 18. Military recruiting laws prohibit recruiting anyone under the age of 16. But this insidious practice targets young people who are vulnerable to abusive online advertising. It’s a blatant violation of recruitment laws and unacceptable. And Twitch has called them out before — the U.S. Army was recently ordered to stop posting ads for a fake contest designed to get people to hand over their contact information to recruiters. These ads must be stopped.

These changes will make policing a respected and accountable profession which will afford a safer community for all. Our main goal should be keeping the peace as we have all citizens abide in the law, and if one breaks the law, they will be treated fairly and humanely. Even though a person commits or is suspected of commiting a crime we as a country must still understand they have rights and deserve to be treated fairly under the laws of the United States of America. Finally, law enforcement is not the final justice our court system has that role. This investment by State and local governments in basic rights will forge a new future for our nation. Please make law enforcement reform a higher priority by continuing to invest in new programs and make the changes listed above. Thank you for your signature!

The Black Lives Matter movement means more than just stopping police-related death of people of color at the hands of law enforcement. It means looking at how racism plays into every aspect of American life. It is time that as Americans, we take a hard look at our racist institutions and ask ourselves if we’re willing to fight for long-lasting, systemic changes or if we are willing to continue with reformism and business as usual. Defunding the police does not mean less public safety. It means that instead of spending exorbitant amounts of money on policing the ailments of society, which solve nothing, we should be investing in programs that directly benefit over-policed, POC, and marginalized communities. Please sign our petition to show the Santa Cruz City Council that they need to do more than performative gestures!

I run a childcare facility that is providing childcare on days that children are not in school. Our families have not prepared for childcare costs during the school year. It is important that we provide an affordable program and keep costs down wherever possible. Tens of thousands of children living in food-insecure households are entering a school year that right now is not prepared to provide them with meals throughout the week. If our youth are not fed they will not be able to make the most of the school year and more children will fall behind in school. The impact of this will stick with the current generation of school-age children for the rest of their lives. Many families simply do not have the resources to provide breakfast and lunch for their children even in normal times. The USDA has allowed schools to provide this service since 1975 and it is more important today than ever before. Please take this opportunity to show your commitment to the betterment of our great state's education system and the youth that it serves. Thank you!

Due to recent concerns regarding the ability of the USPS to effectively and timely deliver ballots and the health and safety concerns brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, we are requesting to have drive up locations placed throughout the state of Nevada where citizens can drop off their ballots safely. This alleviates the concern with the USPS delivery times as ballots would go directly to a voting poll location. Contactless delivery would also alleviate concerns regarding the spread of COVID-19.

This is important to protect the culture and authenticity of our city and this business is a very loved local taco shop please sign to save the best pork al pastor in town!