In Washington, DC, developers are not following permitting and zoning laws set forth by DC Ordinances. Homeowners are being effected by having to make substantial repairs when their property has been damaged. Further, other burdens such as lawsuits, attorney fees, and court cost is forced on the homeowner. This burden is forced on the homeowner who are mainly working families. These families have limited resources from the beginning and cannot assume this cost. The DC Laws that regulate illegal pop-ups are as follows: 104.3 Notices and Orders. The code official shall issue all necessary notices or orders to ensure compliance with the Construction Codes, and shall institute administrative and legal actions to correct violations or infractions, including actions pursuant to An Act To provide for the abatement of nuisances in the District of Columbia by the Commissioners of said District, and for other purposes, approved April 14, 1906 (34 Stat. 114; D.C. Official Code § 42-3131.01 et seq. (2012 Repl.)), and the Due Process Demolition Act of 2002, effective April 19, 2002 (D.C. Law 14-114; D.C. Official Code § 42-3171.01 et seq. (2012 Repl.)). 113.7 Illegal Construction. Without limiting any of the penalties or remedies for violations of the Construction Codes, or the Department’s enforcement authority set forth in this Section 113 or elsewhere, if a building or other structure or part thereof is being erected, constructed reconstructed converted or altered, or has been erected, constructed, reconstructed, converted, or altered in violation of the Construction Codes or the Zoning Regulations, said actions shall constitute illegal construction, and the code official is authorized to order ongoing work to stop and that the condition be corrected within a specified time frame deemed reasonable by the code official. Service of the order shall be made in accordance with Section 113.2.1. 113.7.1 Civil Fines. Notwithstanding the issuance of a stop work order or an order to correct, relating to the illegal construction, the code official is authorized to issue civil fines pursuant to Section 113.6 of the Building Code, and each day thereafter a violation goes unabated shall be considered a separate offense. Upon adjudication of the civil fines provided for in this section, the code official is authorized to assess any unpaid fines as a tax against the property on which the violation occurred, and to carry such tax on the regular tax rolls of the District and collect such tax in the same manner as general taxes. 113.7.2 Fire Safety Hazard; Public Hazard. Should the code official deem the condition to be a fire safety hazard or otherwise constitute a hazard to the public, the code official is authorized pursuant to D.C. Official Code § 42-3131.01(c) (2012 Repl.) to cause such condition to be corrected, to assess the cost of correcting such condition and all expenses incident thereto, including fees or charges authorized or imposed in the Building Code, as a tax against the property on which such condition existed or from which such condition arose, as the case may be, and to carry such tax on the regular tax rolls of the District and collect such tax in the same manner as general taxes. 113.8 Injunction to Restrain Use of a Building in Violation of Construction Codes. The Mayor may file a petition with the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for an injunction to restrain the use or occupancy of any building, other structure, or part thereof, in violation of any of the provisions of the Construction Codes or the Zoning Regulations. 113.9 Transfer of ownership. It shall be unlawful for the owner of any building or other structure upon whom a notice of violation or order has been served to sell, transfer, mortgage, lease or otherwise dispose of such building or other structure to another person or entity until the provisions of the notice or order have been complied with, or until such owner shall first furnish the grantee, transferee, mortgagee or lessee a true copy of any notice or order issued by the code official and shall furnish to the code official a signed and notarized statement from the grantee, transferee, mortgagee or lessee, acknowledging the receipt of such notice or order and fully accepting responsibility without condition for making the corrections or repairs required by such notice or order. SOURCE: Final Rulemaking published at 61 DCR 2782 (March 28, 2014 – Part 2). The District of Columbia Building Code (2013), referred to as the “Building Code,” consists of the 2012 edition of the International Building Code as amended by the District of Columbia Building Code Supplement (2013)(12 DCMR A). The International Building Code is copyrighted by the International Code Council and therefore is not republished here. However, a copy of the text may be obtained at: http://publicecodes.cyberregs.com/icod/ibc/2012/index.htm?bu=IC-P-2012-000001&bu2=IC-P-2012-000019 Harriet Frost

Social Security and Medicare did not break the budget; careless handling by the government is what depleted the Social Security Trust Fund. Now the government is attempting to further impoverish beneficiaries to correct the deficit instead. They should just plain put the money back into the trust fund that the government borrowed. We are aware that President George Bush did borrow against the Social Security Trust Fund surplus to pay for the tax cut to the rich and fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the bonds are due to be paid back in year 2020. (http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2015/aug/03/facebook-posts/did-george-w-bush-borrow-social-security-fund-war-/ Additionally, $14 million was squandered on the Benghazi witch hunt, $90 million spent to vote against the Affordable Care Act, and $24 billion lost from the government shutdown. None of these acts were productive and cost taxpayers billions of dollars. We demand that United States replenish the Social Security Trust Fund with monies that Congressional officials have squandered. We are keeping records of any Congress person who votes to support Paul Ryan’s plan to tamper with Social Security and Medicare. We will make sure to support that Congressman's opponent when he/she comes up for reelection. If Congress vote against Social Security/Medicare, we will vote against you.

Rockland County is the second highest taxed county in the nation, and yet we have practically no mass transit options into New York City. Our current real estate values do not keep pace with Westchester, and are not in sync with the taxes we pay. A ferry from Nyack to Westchester and Manhattan would be an excellent first step toward the mass transit requirements that Rockland County needs and deserves.

As Town Historian for Great Valley, NY, I have encountered difficulty receiving and gathering media and data from contributors due inadequate access to broadband.

The infrastructure of the post office is in great decline. The post office has been downsized for at least the last two decades. There is no need to continue this policy as the post office has no true financial crisis. It is a result of bad legislation. The solution is simple create post office friendly legislation and expand the post office.

Social Security is not keeping up with inflation. And the proposed cost of living adjustment is not enough to offset raising prices -- medical, food.

There is a path forward to save the 5.5 acre Marshall Park and incorporate it into the new Brooklyn Village development!

• The City DPW and Community Development departments have advanced this project devoid of meeting the State policy requirement to consult and collaborate with affected businesses, residents, other City departments or State Agencies throughout the planning process. • Freight operation is not a considered criteria of the plan. Tractor trailers, large emergency equipment, and passenger buses will not be able to safely negotiate the small-scale rotary from all directions. • The City Council believed their vote of approval endorsed the State’s Complete Streets program and in a subsequent phase a list of priority projects, with a focus on safety around schools, would be developed. • Repeated requests by the public for crash data and documents that have been submitted to the State have gone unanswered. • The 2012 hotel traffic study did not recommend a rotary or major reconfiguration, merely some lane markings and signage. Crash data for Tally’s corner shows it to be lower than the State average. • This plan impedes the iconic view of Harbor Cove and the working waterfront when the program provides for context sensitive approaches. Harbor Cove and Tally’s Corner have been identified in a Heritage Landscape report submitted to the State as part of the City’s cultural and aesthetic landscape to be preserved.

Pleasanton residents coming out of BART station and taking a left on Owens Drive have to face traffic bottlenecks and safety issues every day, as an existing busy 3-lane road was suddenly made one lane. The additional two lanes were given to a builder, so he could make parking for his condo customers. We want to rollback this encroachment of a public road and get back our 3 lanes on Owens Drive.

Every school day, my neighborhood is filled with kids walking to and from David Douglas High School, and every day I worry about their safety. Why? There have been at least 30 traffic deaths in Portland this year. Among those was a teenage boy that was struck and killed crossing the street in Northeast Portland in August. Just a week earlier, a teenage girl was killed by a speeding motorist while crossing SE Hawthorne. It’s important to talk to our children about awareness and safety – but it’s also time for real action to make our streets safe for all. The City of Portland adopted Vision Zero, which aims to move our transportation system toward zero traffic-related fatalities and injuries over the next ten years. However, East Portland still has considerably fewer sidewalks and bike lanes than the rest of the city. We need to do more than talk about safe streets – we need to invest in accessible, safe pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure. We can save lives.

Let's think ahead about the common good.

Takoma Park holds a special place in the hearts of her residents. No doubt many people's ashes have already been scattered around the city, surreptitiously and anonymously. A small garden in an appropriate spot would give residents a place to come and reflect and remember departed family, friends or neighbors. We are asking the city to provide the land and routine maintenance. The cost of memorial structures will be raised through grants, contributions, and individual fund-raising campaigns. For more information - http://takomascatter.com