My husband and I are 33 years apart in age. He has COPD and we are currently on Social Security. Once he passes away my son and I will only receive about half of what we are receiving now. But, that will be only until my son turns 16, then we will receive even less. I have been with my husband 18 years. I would like to pass a law that widowers and their children should receive full benefits. Not only will I lose my husband, I will be losing benefits too. This is not fair.

I would like to see full retirement from social security at 62 not 67 . I think it should be up to the person whether they keep working or stay retired. Many people are worn out in their early 60's so lets get the retirement age down to where it should be.

Taking care of the homeless. Whether they be WAR VETS....young families....young single people. It's time we start taking a look at the local population around the local towns. There isn't one able bodied person that can't do something to earn their keep. In fact to take it one step further; give them an ID card in which they have to check in at a local office to show their progress and that they're serious about getting off the streets. Give them basic jobs to contribute to their mental well being as well as their physical well being. Let them earn points/credits towards their potential new found freedom from poverty. There are way too many empty store fronts that could be put to good use to feed the homeless as well as host them for the night.

I live in Ohio and resent the fact that he'd exploit homeless folks in our state for cheap political gain. Its not fair to them, our state or the St. Vincent de Paul Society for his shenanigans. He should be ashamed. I have had relatives who were homeless, and I have received food from a food bank once. Good people go there who don't need phony's using their pain to get elected.

Mitt Romney has failed time and time again to mention our Veterans. At this point, it is obvious that is a conscious decision. He has not mentioned his stand on veteran's programs. Veterans Health Care is big budget socialized medicine, is this the cut that he is going to use to balance his budget. I believe that he and Ryan plan to voucherize Veterans Health Care and that is why they are not interested in Veterans they see them as part of the 47% that are on the dole. Force Romney to state his position on Veterans Health Care and the budget. This could be a deal breaker for Veterans and that is why he avoids it.

This year the Albany County Department for Aging is concerned with not only maintaining funding for programs and services but for the need for more funding to support services for seniors. As the population of seniors in the county continues to increase, so must the home and community based services and the funding for those services. Because the Albany County Department for Aging services are not mandated, seniors and other concerned citizens in the county should be worried that the county legislature may decide to focus only on mandated services in order to balance the budget.

YES

Some of you may have gotten a postcard from Maine DOT indicating planners are thinking of a spaghetti-like interchange and stop-light system for both the east and west sides of the I-295/Desert Road interchange. This is complete overkill. See www.mainedot.gov: on the splashpage click on Freeport divergent diamond link. 1. Sure, a few minutes a day, a few days a week, some congestion occurs. But please! We intelligent citizens can make do with this. 2. If the department insists, let's use a roundabout. These are much simpler and do not involve a traffic light. 3. DOT, whose budget was slashed and whose bonds were refused by the governor, should be spending money on repairs, not new construction. Thank you for considering this,

Send a message to Paul Ryan, Mitt Romney, and legislators without compassion to line the food banks instead of the bank accounts of their millionaire and billionaire supporters.

The benches in front of the Apple Barrel bar on Frenchmen Street have been an institution for years - going back even before music was happening on the street. It is a place where the locals can sit and talk, and take in the spectacle. It was always common to see the great Coco Robicheaux and Jimmy May holding court there, as well as many New Orleans notables including Uncle Lionel, and many, many others. Apparently the benches were taken away in order to discourage homeless people from gathering there, but we feel that these benches are an important cultural institution, and there are better ways to deal with the situation. Please bring back the benches and help us enjoy Frenchmen Street.

On Monday October 15th, 2012, the New York City MTA announced several proposals for the fourth fare hike in the past five years. The fare hikes place an unfair burden on working families who are already facing a sluggish local economy and the ever-rising cost of living in the city. Call on Governor Cuomo and the State Legislature to work with the MTA to find a solution that keeps the public transportation we rely on affordable for all New Yorkers.

Many home owners are underwater on their mortgages and banks refuse or the process is to lengthy and too convoluted for many home owners to trust it will be helpful. Many home owners need help re-negotiating the terms of their loans, and while they say there are many programs out there, they tend to be no more than piece meal appropriate and results are, at best, minimal. What we need is for government to help home owners with substantial programs that force banks to re-negotiate in a timely manner.