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Provide Emergency CARES Act Relief to Every Citizen and Family!Millions of people are either being denied any Federal CARES Act relief or having the federally issued emergency COVID-19 relief payments issued to help them and their families seized, taken, and used for other intents and purposes --- to pay non-emergency debts. This amounts to institutional and state THEFT of federal emergency relief payments made to help the people of our country during a time of global emergency and national crisis - for PROFIT and GREED. As one example, millions of divorced parents, their families and their children are having the federal emergency relief payments issued to them unlawfully treated as income and seized by the states. Their payments are being seized to pay back "child support" - even if the parents are making regular payments. The states are seizing and taking their emergency relief payments, treating the money and income - and using it to line state coffers and to enrich the states. In effect, this is allowing states to engage in criminal profiteering from the global pandemic. This is the nightmare scenario now unfolding across this country for millions of parents and their families. Parents are losing their jobs and sources of income as a result of business and government shutdowns. Millions of these parents are finding themselves unable to continue paying “child support” (in addition to being denied equal access to their children). Under normal circumstances, these parents would be able to file a motion for modification with the court and state. But our courts have shut down indefinitely because of the crisis. So divorced parents have no way to modify their support orders debts, and interest penalties mount for them each week. As they fall behind, with no access to the courts, their driver's and professional licenses can be suspended and they can be jailed (at state taxpayer expense), making it impossible for them to find new employment. When potential employers do background checks, they don’t care why someone was jailed – all they see is that the person was jailed, so why would they hire you? The state is profiteering because the federal government pays the state matching dollars for every dollar of “child support debt” the state manufactures and reports it as collecting to the federal government (See SSA Title IV-D.) You can be behind or defaulted in student loan payments to the federal government and get a CARES Act emergency relief check. You can be defaulted and behind in your IRS taxes, and get a CARES Act emergency relief check. You can be a convicted felon in jail, and receive a CARES Act emergency relief check. You can be DEAD or a foreign national, and receive a CARES Act emergency relief check. But if you are one of millions of parents who owe even a dollar of back “child support,” you and your family with receive NO CARES Act relief. This included parents who are often paying expenses for TWO households, years after their divorces were final, even if you are paying support in accordance with court orders! Divorced parents and their families and children are not second-class citizens to be unconstitutionally denied Equal Protection of our Laws. Parents married to immigrants and their families and children are also not second-class citizens to be unconstitutionally denied Equal Protection of our Laws. Millions of small business owners have received NO relief. This injustice must be corrected!292 of 300 SignaturesCreated by Peter Szymonik
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The Federal Government's Accountability for COVID-19 DeathsIn light of the extensive evidence that through late January, February and early March there was a refusal by Donald Trump to take seriously and make any effort to address the growing menace of the Corona Virus, even as he was being repeatedly warned of its dangers (e.g. in the context of his daily Presidential briefings) it is apparent that he was engaging in a dereliction of his duties and as a result was placing every American citizen in peril. Furthermore, as was recently documented in the New York Times, at the end of February Trump and his administration perpetrated a systematic cover-up, lying to and misleading the American public in an effort to convince people that COVID-19 posed no serious danger to them. The Trump administration purposely jeopardized the health, safety and lives of Americans and is culpable for the growing number of deaths that have at least in part resulted from this. They must be held responsible for their inaction and disregard for protecting the lives of American citizens.76 of 100 SignaturesCreated by Jordan Freeman
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NYC: Let Immigrants Vote Absentee!As COVID-19 forces NYC's immigrant communities to grapple with death and economic devastation, they may now also face widespread disenfranchisement at the exact moment their voices need to be amplified. In advance of primary elections, the NYC Board of Elections created an online application for absentee ballots on May 5, but failed to provide it in any language other than English. As a result, hundreds of thousands of immigrant voters, afraid to visit polls and unable to vote by mail, could be shut out of primary elections. According to the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs, more than half of the 1.6 million immigrants living in New York City are citizens, and 853,000 people residing in the city speak languages other than English. NYC Board of Election may also be violating Section 203 of the federal Voting Rights Act, which requires the Board to translate all materials into certain minority languages. See: https://www.justice.gov/crt/language-minority-citizens Tell the Board of Elections and our elected leaders to PROTECT immigrants' voting rights!152 of 200 SignaturesCreated by MinKwon Center
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Listen to the Experts NOT Extremists! Keep Shelter in Place for Palm Beach CountyWe are deeply concerned about the growing number of COVID cases and deaths in our community. Palm Beach County's death count ALONE is higher than 18 other states. The handful of extremists who held a ReOpen Rally in front of your meeting last night do NOT represent the vast majority of residents who want Shelter in Place to continue until public health experts deem our county safe to enter Phase 1 of reopening. A poll taken on April 22 from Quinnipiac University showed among registered voters, 76 percent said the economy should only reopen when health experts say it's safe. Only 17 percent say Florida should reopen even if public health officials warn against it. source - https://poll.qu.edu/florida/release-detail?ReleaseID=3659 Please listen to the EXPERTS, not the extremists and keep Shelter in Place for Palm Beach County until health experts believe it is safe to begins Phase 1.319 of 400 SignaturesCreated by Meagan Bell
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Urge NV officials to End the Death PenaltyIn April 2020, the state of Nevada agreed to relinquish its supply of drugs intended for executions to the pharmaceutical companies who manufactured them, as part of a settlement agreement in the case of Alvogen, Inc. v. Nevada. The state no longer has the means to carry out an execution, yet prosecutors continue to spend considerable funds pursuing the death penalty. We believe that the error-prone nature of the death penalty (nearly 1 in 3 cases have errors warranting retrial or re-sentencing), its bias against the indigent, Black people, and all people of color, its lack of deterrent effect, and the sheer cost of pursuing it should convince our leaders to put an end to the practice before cutting budgets for services that Nevadan's most vulnerable continue to urgently need, at a higher rate than ever before.197 of 200 SignaturesCreated by Mark Bettencourt
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hazard payHealth care workers are getting paid $5000 a week prn,cna lpns. RNs are getting $10000 a week. in new Orleans. An $10000-$20000 a week in new York. Unknown for every where else. But truckers are risking their lifes and health to keep the economy going. They are losing pay freight dropped extremely. Some cant go home due to the virus. Something have to give. Or the next pandemic is when truckers go on strike.92 of 100 SignaturesCreated by Walter Jordan
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Allowing Boutique Fitness Facilities to Re-open in Phase 1As Health and Fitness Professionals and small business owners, we have drafted a document that outlines operational, class, and cleaning procedures for boutique fitness facilities that comply with social distancing guidelines as outlined by the CDC on their website. We believe our businesses are capable of staying well within the guidelines, and even exceeding them in most circumstances. As a fitness facility we contribute to the overall health and well being of many of our region's citizens. Having an outlet for physical activity allows our members to lead healthier lives, relieve stress, and contributes to their overall health and well being. Following the strict guidelines that are outlined in this document will allow us to operate our business safely, while providing our service to our clients in a manner that is far safer than some businesses currently operating as “essential.” Our operation is unique, and should be considered separately from large gyms. They have thousands of members, whereas we have hundreds. The overall health of our clients is our number one priority, and we will continue to adjust and improve on our best practices to ensure that. We believe our business to be “essential” and a contributor to the overall health and well being of our state’s citizens. Operating our business in a safe manner, while adhering to the guidelines set forth by the CDC, and our local health officials is possible. We are thankful for your time and consideration while reading the operational document (https://www.ftwrightcrossfit.com/fwcf-reopening-plan), and are available at any point to answer questions, or help in any way possible.78 of 100 SignaturesCreated by Udit Saxena
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Ending The Digital Divide In IllinoisThe majority of eighth-grade students in the United States rely on the internet at home to get their homework done. Roughly six-in-ten students (58%) say they use the internet at their home to do homework every day or almost every day, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis of data from the 2018 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Just 6% of students say they never use the internet at home for this purpose. There are differences in these patterns by community type and parents’ education level. Roughly two-thirds of students attending suburban schools (65%) say they use the internet for homework every day or almost every day, compared with 58% who attend schools in cities, 50% of those who attend in rural areas and 44% of those attending schools in towns. Students whose parents graduated from college are more likely to use the internet for homework at home. Some 62% of these students use the internet at home for homework, compared with smaller shares of students whose parents have some post-high school education (53%), have only a high school education (52%) or have no high school education (48%). The “homework gap” – which refers to school-age children lacking the connectivity they need to complete schoolwork at home – is more pronounced for black, Hispanic and lower-income households. Some 15% of U.S. households with school-age children do not have a high-speed internet connection at home, according to a previously published Pew Research Center analysis of 2015 U.S. Census Bureau data. School-age children in lower-income households are especially likely to lack broadband access. Roughly one-third (35%) of households with children ages 6 to 17 and an annual income below $30,000 a year do not have a high-speed internet connection at home, compared with just 6% of such households earning $75,000 or more a year. These broadband gaps are particularly pronounced in black and Hispanic households with school-age children – especially those with low incomes. Some lower-income teens say they lack resources to complete schoolwork at home. In a 2018 Center survey, about one-in-five teens ages 13 to 17 (17%) said they are often or sometimes unable to complete homework assignments because they do not have reliable access to a computer or internet connection. Black teens and those living in lower-income households were more likely to say they cannot complete homework assignments for this reason. For example, one-quarter of black teens said they often or sometimes cannot do homework assignments due to lack of reliable access to a computer or internet connectivity, compared with 13% of white teens and 17% of Hispanic teens. Teens with an annual family income below $30,000 were also more likely to say this than teens with a family income of at least $75,000 a year (24% vs. 9%). In the same survey, around one-in-ten teens (12%) said they often or sometimes use public Wi-Fi to do schoolwork because they lack a home internet connection. Again, black and lower-income teens were more likely to do this. Roughly one-in-five black teens (21%) said they use public Wi-Fi to do schoolwork due to a lack of home internet connection, compared with 11% of white teens and 9% of Hispanic teens. And around a fifth (21%) of teens with an annual family income under $30,000 reported having to use public Wi-Fi to do homework, compared with 11% of teens in families with a household income of $30,000-$74,999 and just 7% of those living in households earning at least $75,000. A quarter of lower-income teens do not have access to a home computer. One-in-four teens in households with an annual income under $30,000 lack access to a computer at home, compared with just 4% of those in households earning over $75,000, according to the 2018 survey. There are also differences by race and ethnicity. Hispanic teens were especially likely to say they do not have access to a home computer: 18% said this, compared with 9% of white teens and 11% of black teens. State Representative La Shawn K. Ford has drafted legislative language to provide broadband services at no cost to all residents of the state, with priority given to areas with high levels of poverty and lacking the infrastructure to receive high-speed internet access. Amends the Broadband Advisory Council Act. Directs the Council to develop a plan to provide access to broadband services at no cost to all residents of this State. Provides that the Office of Broadband within the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall support and assist the Council in the development of the plan. Requires that priority be given to zip codes identified as having high levels of poverty and areas lacking the infrastructure necessary to meet requirements for high-speed access to the Internet. Requires the Council to identify existing and new streams of State revenue necessary to implement the plan. Provides that the Council shall report the plan and recommendations for legislation necessary to implement the plan to the General Assembly by March 31, 2021. Effective immediately.741 of 800 SignaturesCreated by Rep. La Shawn K. Ford & Dalila Torres
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A Place for the Homeless to Go.When I moved here, I was blown away by the love and help my son and I received. We were lucky enough to be able to camp for the 6 months we were homeless and we had so much help from the community. I see the need for a safe place for the homeless to go and want to give back and find a way to help.37 of 100 SignaturesCreated by Tara Wilson
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$2000 a month Basic Income for American TaxpayersThe American economy has taking a huge hit with unemployment skyrocketing over March and April 2020 due to the Coronavirus pandemic and the numbers will continue to rise. We are witnessing a domino effect of massive job loss. Businesses close, then the taxpayers have no income to report to the IRS and no taxes to be paid. Of course no income means a steep decline in the agriculture industry, food processing, banking, and mortgage industries just to name a few. Our tax dollars are what makes this economy rise or fall. It is the government's spending of this money which determines what programs are funded or not, and what is considered valuable. Well, now it is time for our government to show its appreciation to loyal American taxpayers by helping us through one of the most financial difficulties in current times. Way too often, large companies such as banks receive MILLIONS OF TAXPAYER MONEY so they will not collapse even though CEO's receive million dollar bonuses and the company makes millions in profits. The government is EAGER to provide them with tax breaks and trillion dollar relief funds at American taxpayer expense. Millions of American taxpayers are working making under $30,000 a year, many more are working 2 jobs, such as teachers, just to somewhat survive. The cost of rent, utilities, food, gas, etc., continues to grow except incomes. A basic income of $2000 a month for American taxpayers age 18 and older and $500 a month for children would give a great start in boosting the economy. Once this financial difficulty has lifted, the economy won't take as long to recover.288 of 300 SignaturesCreated by Shante Jenkins
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Test ALL Ohio Prison Inmates and Essential StaffThis is important to curve the amount of staff and inmates from contracting the virus. This is important to save lives. The inmates live in close quarters and congregate within close proximity therefore it would be almost impossible to socially distance while incarcerated.1,862 of 2,000 SignaturesCreated by Tara Mosley Samples
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Invoke the 25th AmendmentThe future of our country and American Democracy where reason prevails and there are not supposed to be autocratic dictators (if it's not already too late) is at stake.121 of 200 SignaturesCreated by Jan Mason