Current hours in Cleveland Rec Centers are abysmal. None are open later than 7:30 pm, and this is only for scheduled programming. Studies (from the United Nations and Columbia University) have shown that the best way to reduce juvenile crime (which has shown a rise in Cleveland neighborhoods this year) is to allow public recreation centers to stay open later, preferably between 12 and 2 am on the weekends. Functional recreation facilities increase property values, decrease obesity rates, and contribute to making an entire area more desirable. A more public-friendly and crime free Cleveland is the Cleveland of the future. Michael E. Cox is the Director of Public Works in Cleveland. He has some authority in working to change this. Sign on to encourage his action.

Forcing applicants of Welfare Programs to undergo drug testing.

Every family which lost a single family home due to unfair lending and criminal refinancing, or home modification!

In France, they serve five-course meals, made of a main dish, yogurt or cheese, desert, appetizers, a side, and vegetables. Here, we get frozen tater tots and meat with so much preservatives it would last weeks. We get unappetizing vegetables in small plastic bags, and meat that has been radiated and isn't even real meat. We get ketchup that's really just tomato paste with water. I understand we're in a recession, but is it so bad that children's health is no longer a concern? Sure, you pay for money to feed us- but the food hardly gives us energy or increases our health. And I think that it's time to fix that. There is a reason we are the most obese nation in the world.

Please write to your Congress People in your state and ask them to reinstate the Charitable IRA Rollover benefit.

New Orleans is one of the few remaining large cities in America to not have a major, custom, in-ground concrete skatepark despite the longstanding and massive BMX and skateboarding communities in the greater New Orleans region even though there are numerous public amenities for traditional sports. We're calling on the New Orleans city council to allocate funds for a major, custom, in-ground concrete skatepark such as the newly completed Baton Rouge skatepark with design input from the local BMX and skateboarding communities featuring hybrid terrain for everyone from beginners to advanced users to accommodate everyone from the youth to the veterans of the New Orleans BMX and skateboarding communities.

The shortfall in funding the future of social security can be relieved by removing the earnings cap (currently $110.000) after which no contribution to social security is made. By taxing all wages, salaries and self employed income fairly, including the highest wages earned, the shortfall in the Social Security Trust can be greatly reduced. It is time to stop the terrible inequity of taxing only low base earnings.

My petition is about the waste in Pac money. No public good benefits from this deep well of spending. This Pac money should be taxed and the proceeds used to prop up struggling programs like Medicare, enhance education, improve our infrastructure, create jobs. Jobs. Jobs. At least, make the Pac money provide some good for our struggling working and middle class.

Twenty percent of American children will be sexually abused before their 18th birthday. Child sexual abuse produces many damaging lifelong effects for it's victims. Unfortunately, many victims are unable to seek justice in the criminal or civil courts because of New York's statute of limitations. Studies show that over 90% of children are sexually abused by someone close to them, often a family member or someone close to their family. 80-90% of victims won't tell anyone about their victimization before they become adults. In at least ten percent of cases, there is a non-offending adult who is aware of the abuse and does nothing to stop it. And this doesn't take into account the children who tell an adult who may take some action, but that action falls short of a call to the police or CPS. In short, it is impossible for many dependant children to use the court system to seek justice. They need to wait until they are adults, and adults who have accomplished a certain amount of healing, and have social, financial and health resources at their disposal. Things that are almost impossible for them to accomplish by the tender age of 23, the age at which the current statute of limitations prohibits them from seeking justice. This is one of rare opportunities the legislator gets to pass a bill that can empower victims, remove sex offenders from the street, and protect children.

The US Government is poised to give more public aid to the rich and powerful. Tell our leaders to stop doing this at the expense of the tens or hundred of millions of Americans. We are calling on them to help those that need help not the wealthy.

IBM has prepared a Report which the San Jose City Council will consider on or about February 28th which recommends that hundreds of police officers and firefighters be eliminated. They also recommend that the Senior Lunch Program be ended.

The Mahoning-Youngstown Community Action Partnership has appealed to the U.S. Department of Agriculture to save the local program from bankruptcy and closing.