Brent Bennett, a young veteran who served for the US Navy, is under attack from the Oregon Unemployment Department. They are trying to get him to pay back a disgustingly huge sum of money, for a mistake that THEY had made. The mistake? Refusing to take information from him when he'd originally applied for benefits, and then using that information to retroactively deny him benefits after having been on them for over three years, and occumulated over $50,000 via $400+ weekly unemployment insurance benefits. They had known about the information he had tried to supply, we can assume, from the beginning, but did not deny him then, and waited until his benefits had been completely run through before then demanding him to pay it back. Brent Bennett is still unemployed, and they have signed a warrant for garnishment on him already. He has no means to repay the huge sum of money and the interest keeps growing every month. Brent is going to find a lawyer and take this issue to court and battle it to the end, but we need more than just a good lawyer to get this issue seriously looked at. Without the backing of society, the government and the unemployment department could just swipe this issue under the table and ignore it indefinitely. We need a public outrage to get our cries heard! We cannot let this sort of atrocity happen to other innocent US citizens, we should not allow this atrocity happen to Brent. Help us fight this and make life fair for the people in our country. Please do not allow the Government to effectively RUIN a young man's entire life by forcing him into a debt of this measure, that cannot be removed by bankruptcy, with an interest rate that will keep him from ever paying it off.

As some of you are aware, Visual Risk Technology and Dr. Lepofsky, MMTA’s hired consultant, has crafted a response to Battelle's response to MassDOT on issues raised in our analysis. After presenting Dr. Lepofsky's materials to MassDOT they have required Battelle to respond to points made in his report. Both of these reports are posted on our website for your review. In addition, we are hearing reports that MassDOT is poised to make a ruling this month. As some of you are aware, we are trying to come up with our own risk analysis that may refute the risk established in the Battelle report. We are asking now for all of our members to take action and sign on to this letter to the Governors office to ensure MassDOT creates a cogent transportation routing plan for Massachusetts.

The proposed leveraging of publicly-held resources for up to 50 years to pay for an arena is the wrong choice to make at this time in Sacramento's history. Those funds would be better used to put more police officers on the street, keep firefighters on the job, fix our crumbling infrastructure, and restore the services that have been slashed for our city parks and other amenities.

Building a connecting bridge from Cumberland Head NY to Grandisle Vermont.

Governor McDonnell has proposed $10 million in fee increases for the Department of Motor Vehicles and now he proposes a tax on Virginia residents in the form of tolls. This toll tax will increase economical profits for Government and Corporate gain, while the citizens of the Southeastern Region of Virginia pay the cost of expense.

West Virginia is one of the least fit states in the Union. We lead in diabetes, heart disese, stroke, and other health conditions caused by or exacerbated by a sedentary lifestyle. And there are infrastructural barriers to an active lifestyle here--lack of footpaths, bicycle paths/lanes, sidewalks, etc.

One Mental Health Consumer-Run initiative in Kansas saves the State thousands of dollars each day. Support these initiatives with taxpayer dollars and help individuals with mental illness stay in their communities.

Governor Chris Christie continues to claim that he has made major economic improvements in the State of New Jersey. If this is true, where are the new jobs? Why is he laying off teachers? Why is there still a freeze in hiring for state positions? Social Services clearly needs more, not less, employees, and funding. The delays in assisting the unemployed with vital social services is inexcusable, as is the amount of funds available.

Senate Bill (SB) 2073, would now reduce the revenues available to local taxing districts in tax-capped counties. Where property assessments are declining, the bills would prevent any increase in the aggregate tax levy extension, even though the costs to provide services continue to rise with inflation. This bill will directly affect libraries in property tax-capped counties by not allowing for any increase in the property tax extension, ignoring escalating budget factors that are beyond the control of the library such as insurance programs (property, liability, unemployment, workers' compensation), employee benefits, fuel supplies, etc.

To receive any form of State Assistance and/or Unemployment Benefit, All persons 10 to 65 must have drug testing every other month to continue receiving benefits. And the state, or hospital where testing is conducted, must have the test results to the Department of Social and Health Services within 24 hours. Within the 2nd 24 hours, the results must be reviewed by an authority who will either approve the next check or send assistance receiver a form notifying them no check will be provided by tax payer money until the period following the next drug test scheduled for two months out. Everyone should benefit from this change....druggies? Maybe they will consider giving up drugs, seek help or a job. Taxpayers? Save thousands and thousands. If benefits are relied on to provide income then recepients should be treated like an employee who would need to provide clean drug tests before being hired. Testing results need to include everything from marijuana to the worst possible drug. No doctor prescription for marijuana use eliminates the discontinuance of benefits unless a physician verifies the recepient has been diagnosed with a terminal illness. This petition should be submitted to City, County, State and Federal governments. And I would appreciate acknowledgement this is petition request is accepted or denied.

NJ desperately needs a second tunnel into NYC. The one tunnel we have gets backed up when a train breaks down, and backs up all the trains behind it for hours. This gets people who live in NJ hours late for work in NYC. Or hours late in getting home. Sometimes it is shut down for an entire day. Also, if we had a second tunnel, more trains can run between NJ and NYC which would decrease the significant overcrowding on the peak trains people take to get to work. Sometimes the trains get so overcrowded, people cannot even get on the train. We're calling on President Obama, the Senators, and the House of Representatives to use federal funds to make this infrastructure project of building a second tunnel between NJ and NYC happen! We also call upon Governor Christie, the NJ House, and the NJ Senate to help fund this extremely needed project of a second tunnel into NYC. As a bonus, jobs would get created and put a lot of people to work.

Senate Bill 3 would provide money for school meals to hungry children. The School Meals Bill has been stalled in the House Finance Committee for four years. "The Seward Phonenix Log columnist named Elstun Lauesen discovered the source of this moral irrationality, i.e. $8.2 billion in tax breaks for oil companies. It is called House Bill 110 and it is currently being fought by Senate Bill Wielechowski. Wielechowski is the sponsor for the School Meals Bill. Since he will not allow oil companies to receive billions in tax breaks without accountability, the House Finance Committee is “resolved” not to schedule any Bills, especially those sponsored by Wielechowski." http://kokayi137.wordpress.com/2012/01/26/the-juneau-hunger-strike/ Please ask Alaska legislators to get this bill to a vote.