A Medicare Option would be Medicare in about nearly detail except for how it is paid for. Premiums would be collected which would fully cover its costs just as the insurance company’s premiums cover their costs. However, the Medicare Option premiums would be considerably less as would the deductibles and co-pays. That is because for one thing the insurance company profit and overhead would be eliminated. Secondly, the existing Medicare provider fee schedules are much less than the insurance companies are able to negotiate. Implementation should be relatively easy since the Medicare bureaucracy is already in place and functioning effectively with a high degree of user satisfaction. All existing Medicare rules and regulations would apply, except for the collection of premiums and penalties which still apply as part of ACA. The existing network of Medicare doctors and hospitals would be utilized as the provider sources for the Medicare Option patients. The providers would bill Medicare for their services the same as they currently do for those 65 and over. Optionally, Medicaid could be eliminated as its current patients could also elect the Medicare Option, with the provision they pay no more than currently. Present funding for Medicaid would be transferred to Medicare. ACA’s current subsidies would stay in place to help patients with their premiums as would all other positive aspects of the ACA. Penalties for not participating would remain to encourage participation, whether it is with one of the insurance companies or the Medicare Option. Over time “Medicare for All” would become a reality right before our eyes! Users of every other plan, including those of employers, will want to migrate to the Medicare Option because it will be the most affordable, comprehensive and accessible plan available. It’s a win-win in every aspect for the people of our nation.

The proposed Inner Harbor Navigation Canal (IHNC) Lock Replacement Project by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has immense negative impacts for the people of South Louisiana.   •       The proposed lock replacement project will cost tax payers millions and is not economically viable.  Based on existing studies and data; the implementation of the USACE Tentatively Selected Plan 3 (Draft GRR) project no longer makes economic sense and is not justified through economic data and lock data provided by the USACE.   Data Provided indicates reductions in overall tonnage, amount of barges, and number of lockages between 2004-2015 with no proof of projected increase use into the future.   •       The Tentatively Selected Plan 3 construction will cause significant environmental, economic, and cultural damages to our region.  The proposed construction of this project is estimated to last at least 13 years.  Residents, home owners, businesses, and property owners will be the ones impacted most during this period and will be exposed to environmental hazardous materials, vibrations and erosion impacts from pile driving. Construction will delay, if not prevent at times, safe access and transportation across the Industrial Canal without an adequate transportation study review.  This construction period will also halt the ongoing and future completion of significant real estate development projects on both sides of the IHNC.  “Large construction projects, such as the IHNC Lock replacement project, reduce the livability of nearby neighborhoods, reduce aesthetics and interrupt linear recreational opportunities.” (Page 6-30 January 2017 USACE Draft GRR) •       The project has no economic benefits for the residents of this area. USACE has publicly stated, in the Feb 23rd 2017 Public Meeting, that after the potential construction of Tentatively Selected Plan 3, the project will provide no short or long term economic benefit to the surrounding region's home owners, business owners, and residents. •       A New Environmental Impact Study must be done. The USACE must develop and complete a new and Separate Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) using up to date data and review processes.  Instead the USACE has stated it will provide only a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) to the Previous 2009 SEIS which is out of date. •       The dredging of toxic chemicals will endanger the eco-system. The USACE Tentatively Selected Plan 3 calls for excavation of approximately 719,000 cubic yards of total dredge material, with 105,000 cubic yards of material containing harmful materials, including dangerous metals, herbicides, pesticides, petroleum hydrocarbons, and other volatile materials.  The dredging of these materials in open water will endanger the surrounding ecosystem and the safety of New Orleans’ city water from the Mississippi River, and furthermore expose residents to unknown toxic levels for an undetermined amount of time.

We all have a stake in the fair treatment of our friends and neighbors no matter their immigration status. People Power ACLU groups all over the USA are planning meetings with their local police and sheriff departments to encourage their support of the following guidelines: #1) The Judicial Warrant Rule: [County/City/State] officials shall require a judicial warrant prior to detaining an individual or in any manner prolonging the detention of an individual at the request of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or Customs and Border Protection (CBP). #2) No Facilitation Rule: [County/City/State] officials shall not arrest, detain, or transport an individual solely on the basis of an immigration detainer or other administrative document issued by ICE or CBP, without a judicial warrant. #3) Defined Access/Interview Rule: Unless acting pursuant to a court order or a legitimate law enforcement purpose that is unrelated to the enforcement of a civil immigration law, no [County/City/State] official shall permit ICE or CBP agents access to [County/City/State] facilities or any person in [County/City/State] custody for investigative interviews or other investigative purposes. #4) Clear Identification Rule: To the extent ICE or CBP has been granted access to [County/City/State] facilities, individuals with whom ICE or CBP engages will be notified that they are speaking with ICE or CBP, and ICE or CBP agents shall be required to wear duty jackets and make their badges visible at all times while in [County/City/State] facilities. Protect our friends, families and neighbors’ privacy from the Trump administration: #5) Don’t Ask Rule: [County/City/State] officials shall not inquire into the immigration or citizenship status of an individual, except where the inquiry relates to a legitimate law enforcement purpose that is unrelated to the enforcement of a civil immigration law, or where required by state or federal law to verify eligibility for a benefit, service, or license conditioned on verification of status. #6) Privacy Protection Rule: No [County/City/State] official shall voluntarily release personally identifiable data or information to ICE or CBP regarding an inmate’s custody status, release date or home address, or information that may be used to ascertain an individual’s religion, ethnicity or race, unless for a law enforcement purpose unrelated to the enforcement of a civil immigration law. #7) Discriminatory Surveillance Prohibition Rule: No [County/City/State] agency or official shall authorize or engage in the human or technological surveillance of a person or group based solely or primarily upon a person or group’s actual or perceived religion, ethnicity, race, or immigration status. Help our friends, families and neighbors get redress when abuses and mistakes occur: #8) Redress Rule: Any person who alleges a violation of this policy may file a written complaint for investigation with [oversight entity]. Help ensure our friends, families, and neighbors are protected from discrimination: #9) Fair and Impartial Policing Rule: No [County/City/State] official shall interrogate, arrest, detain or take other law enforcement action against an individual based upon that individual’s perceived race, national origin, religion, language, or immigration status, unless such personal characteristics have been included in timely, relevant, credible information from a reliable source, linking a specific individual to a particular criminal event/activity. Final Note: The Trump Administration has asserted, falsely, that if localities do not help advance Trump’s mass deportation agenda, they are violating federal law. The following rule, which is the only applicable federal law in this area, would help ensure your city, county or town establishes its clear intent not to violate federal law. While not a necessary addition, this rule may be a useful complement to the above policies. 1373 Rule: Under 8 U.S.C. § 1373 and 8 U.S.C. § 1644, federal law prohibits [County/City/State] officials from imposing limits on maintaining, exchanging, sending, or receiving information regarding citizenship and immigration status with any Federal, State, or local government entity. Nothing in [County/City/State] policies is intended to violate 8 U.S.C. § 1373 and 8 U.S.C. § 1644.

The GOP attempt to dismantle the ACA and replace it with a degraded system that provides tax cuts to the 1%.

I am graphic designer that pays to use Adobe products for my profession. Adobe refuses to pull their ads from Brietbart.com which puts me in a painful dilemma...follow my conscience or make a living. I have spoken to many other visual and graphic designers that feel the same way. Adobe should not put us in that position.

On Friday, March 10, Stephen O’Brien, the United Nations’ under secretary general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, addressed the United Nations Security Council about what must happen to avert the threat of famine in Yemen. [1] He said: "only a combined response with the private sector can stem a famine: commercial imports must be allowed to resume through all entry points in Yemen, including and especially Hudaydah port, which must be kept open and expanded." [2] Sacha Llorenti, Bolivia's Ambassador to the UN said: "Restrictions have to be lifted at the port of Hodeidah to allow access to humanitarian aid." [3] On Thursday, March 9, 53 House Democrats wrote to Secretary of State Tillerson, urging him to "use all U.S. diplomatic tools to help open the Yemeni port of Hodeida to international aid humanitarian aid organizations to allow them to import food, fuel, and medicine into northern Yemen and save the lives of hundreds of thousands of Yemeni children who face starvation." [4] The signers were: Ted Lieu (CA-33); John Conyers (MI-13); Gwen Moore (WI-4); Debbie Dingell (MI-12); Bobby Rush (IL-1); Barbara Lee (CA-13); Mark Pocan (WI-2); David Cicilline (RI-1); James McGovern (MA-2); Emanuel Cleaver (MO-5); Ruben Gallego (AZ-7); Keith Ellison (MN-5); Jamie Raskin (MD-8); Raúl Grijalva (AZ-3); Jan Schakowsky (IL-9); Steve Cohen (TN-9); Adam Smith (WA-9); Anthony Brown (MD-4); Carol Shea-Porter (NH-1); Peter DeFazio (OR-4); Donald Beyer (VA-8); Alcee Hastings (FL-20); Darren Soto (FL-9); William Keating (MA-9); Hank Johnson (GA-4); Alan Lowenthal (CA-47); Chellie Pingree (ME-1); Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11); Frank Pallone (NJ-6); Betty McCollum (MN-4); Nydia Velázquez (NY-7); Adam Schiff (CA-28); Jared Polis (CO-2); Joseph Crowley (NY-14); Dwight Evans (PA-2); Pramila Jayapal (WA-7); Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12); Frederica Wilson (FL-24); Adriano Espaillat (NY-13); Anna Eshoo (CA-18); Stephen Lynch (MA-8); Judy Chu (CA-27); Zoe Lofgren (CA-19); Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23); Bill Foster (IL-11); Jackie Speier (CA-14); Karen Bass (CA-37); Earl Blumenauer (OR-3); Tulsi Gabbard (HI-2); Mark Takano (CA-41); Salud Carbajal (CA-24); Louise Slaughter (NY-25); and Peter Welch (VT). [5] Urge President Trump and all Members of Congress to join the call to open the port of Hodeida and avert famine in Yemen by signing our petition. References: 1. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/11/world/middleeast/yemen-market-airstrike.html 2. http://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/usgerc-stephen-o-brien-statement-security-council-missions-yemen-south-sudan-somalia 3. https://twitter.com/Bolivia_ONU/status/840320709855477762 4. https://lieu.house.gov/sites/lieu.house.gov/files/Letter%20to%20Tillerson%20from%20MoCs%20re%20Yemen%20Crisis%20030917.pdf 5. https://lieu.house.gov/sites/lieu.house.gov/files/Letter%20to%20Tillerson%20from%20MoCs%20re%20Yemen%20Crisis%20030917.pdf

If the House and Senate pass the Repeal and Replacement of ACA; it will put many people in jeopardy. Medicaid must be kept intact - and tax credits are simply not an adequate replacement for them. My family and many others that I know will be seriously hurt if this program goes into effect.

It's time to shut the insurance industry down and go to a Medicare-for-all-style system. Almost every developed country except the United States has some version of a single-payer system.

Dear Friends, Trump has only held public office for a little over a month, yet he has already started to plan in great detail one of his disastrous policies: building a wall between the US and Mexico. America has been built on the handwork of immigrants, who brought their styles, customs, and religions into our country. We have thrived off welcoming diversity into our nation, and we should not be willing to give up these values we cherish most strongly. We are a melting pot, and that is what keeps our nation together. What makes America great, is not only its economy, but it's acceptance towards those who are struggling all around the world, and working together with other countries to make this world a more peaceful and safe place. We cannot solve the worlds problems on our own. We need other countries' support in order to achieve global goals. We need to stand up for our values and prevent Trump from building a wall separating us from Mexico. Trump's proposal to build a wall not only goes against our Constitution, but it goes against humanity. Practically everyone living in the US today has ancestors who immigrated from other parts of the world. Donald Trump wouldn't be in our country right now if his grandfather Friedrick Trumpf never emigrated from Germany. Melania Trump wouldn't be here if it weren't for her modeling. What makes certain backgrounds more accepting than others? I am asking everyone of you to do your part to prevent Trump from following through on his measures. Congress needs to do their part by refusing to provide Trump with the funds he needs to make this disastrous project possible. However, in order for that to happen, citizens like me and you need to do our part by signing this petition and spreading the word to make sure others sign it as well. Donald Trump claims he is for the people, so let's prove to him a large majority of our people do not believe in the specific measures he is taking. America needs bridges, not walls, and we are going to eventually make this happen. I may be only 14, but I am doing my part to help the world and make it a better place. We have a voice, and if we all work together, no one can silence it. I would appreciate if you could sign the petition, and share it with your friends. Thank you.

Court-appointed guardianship does the exact opposite of what it says it does. It is plundering the estate of my mother without oversight. There are layers of court-appointed lawyers appointed as her guardian charging exorbitant fees that we are forced to pay because a judge says we must. It is a corrupt system that is legal. She has no access to her social security or retirement money.

Congress has lost their right to government sponsored health insurance. Make Congress choose between a cell phone and affordable health insurance.

*The petition opening cannot be edited. The property under debate is the 0.99 acre where Logemann Center sits. The rest of the civic campus would still be owned by the City. Why Starting this Petition: In order to enhance the economic and social vitality of our community, we support a philanthropic park proposal by a group of long-time Mequon city developers and prominent area businessmen. Plans focus on enhancing and modernizing the pool and refurbishing the baseball field. Tentative plans include: -Aquatic park with a zero-depth pool, lap pool, splash pad, water slides, and, a special program party area -Multipurpose Sports Field including baseball and soccer field -Concession booth -Event performance stage -Lawn terrace -Grandstand seating Oppose a former alderman's (who recently left office April 2016) proposal to build a 7000 sq.ft, sports restaurant/pub in a portion of the existing Logemann building footprint, THUS PREVENTING ANOTHER LAND SALE OF 0.99 acre of PRIME MEQUON PROPERTY to a private citizen. ***PLEASE NOTE YOUR DISTRICT (1-8) IN COMMENT SECTION IF APPLICABLE*** LINK TO PARK PROPOSAL: https://www.dropbox.com/s/19kmd5xfu9tzp86/Mequon%20Community%20Park%202.27.17_JG.pdf?dl=0