For the safety and longevity of our children, our homes and even our business we can no longer delay or apply half measure to what is a very serious issue! Investment must be made in the form of legislation. Corporations must be made to act for the good of themselves and their customers if anyone wishes to have a future on this planet. WE NEED COURAGEOUS ACTION BY OUR GOVERNMENT.

In August the BOE gave Dr. G an evaluation of average/satisfactory across all metrics measured. Average performance does not constitute firing the Superintendent. She has been Superintendent for one year; one year of working in the District after much turmoil where there is a historical lack of parental and community investment, a population of extreme poverty, and a long history of micromanagement by the previous BOE where all but two were voted out. It is absurd to think that anyone could control all of those factors and magically turn that history around in one year. Firing Dr. G is not only unwarranted, it is irresponsible. The students and teachers need continuity of strong leadership by both the Superintendent and the BOE. Such a change after a short time at the District would put the District on the wrong path. Over the last year, Dr. G has built an excellent executive team and has shown vision and leadership in developing the reading initiative, coordinating many partners and all schools onto the same reading program and focusing all partners onto a common means to a common goal. All of this while a lot of politics from the Mayor regarding the City’s support and many people still at the District who were and are part of the problem in causing such poor performance and a State takeover. In the last 6 years, State legislators have been harmful to the future of education in Alabama by enacting laws that have nothing to do with what is known in education policy or supporting schools and everything to do with naming and penalizing poor performing schools through the Accountability Act, the A-F school grading system and charter school law. None of these aforementioned items are under the control of Dr. G. Stand up and support Dr. G. I know the Board of Education can get back on the right path; they have shown good leadership over the past year. The BOE is not perfect and not all problems are solved. But that doesn’t mean that I advocate for them to all be voted out. The BOE meets Sept 22nd at 5:30.

Danger to a tranquil community. Hillcrest Golf Club is a rolling 40+ acre golf course located in a nice, peaceful neighborhood on the border of St. Paul, Oakdale and Maplewood. Golfers/club members and their families can enjoy the comfort of golfing on the edge of the city without of the feel of the city. What many don't realize is that as they golf with family, friends and colleagues, the Hillcrest neighbors and residents along Winthrop Street North live in fear of golf season. They fear that children, their pets and they, themselves will be hurt or even killed by a golf ball coming directly to them over the golf course fence (which measures less than six feet tall!!) at between 130 - 140 miles per hour*. It is estimated that between 500-1000 golf balls leave the course at high speed, hitting houses, cars, walkers, pets, windows and walkers per year. * The average speed of a golf ball in flight on a fairway drive. Who are the neighbors on this short stretch of Winthrop st North? They are middle income median wage earners, retirees, developmentally disabled group home residents, children, walkers and pets enjoying the spring, summer, and autumn weather. How and Why? In what other neighborhood, you may ask, would this ever, ever be allowed? This is a thriving neighborhood, a highly-populated and favorite public walking route. The answer appears to be that the golf course management is mission is profit driven. The course is a private investment venture where the risk of injury is tolerated in hopes of higher short-term financial returns. Until an individual is hurt sufficiently to merit a lawsuit, no amount of money will be allocated toward building a preventative barrier. Civil liability is at the door...It is only a matter of time until there is a serious injury. The question remains whether the known risk of serious injury -- repeatedly documented, and serially ignored, may also leave the director and the board open to eventual criminal charges. The director and board have told the neighbors that a fence would cost too much money. The savings to the course are more important than the neighbors on the other side of the course's five-to-six-foot fence. Frequent damage and minimal response, disturbing close calls: The golf balls not only take a toll on residents' sense of safety but on their personal property as well. There have been dozens of incidents of damage to residents' houses, cars and guests’ vehicles. The balls break windows, damage roof shingles, and create body damage on nearly every car that is parked regularly in the neighborhood streets and driveways. When these accidents happen, golfers are often unaware or choose to walk away hoping they will not be fingered for whatever happens when their drives go unintentionally off course. What is the response from Hillcrest management? Officially the damage from golf balls are "not their problem," legally speaking, of course. When Hillcrest management receives phone calls from residents such as myself for these damages, the response from their management team and manger Paul Hayne is always the same, “Hillcrest Golf Club is not responsible for any damage done if the golfer did not own up to their fault.” Additional responses from Hillcrest’s management team are that neighbors should call their own insurance to pay for these damages. This means that deductibles will come out of the resident's own expense. A disturbing close call: In addition to property damages that have been ongoing for years, there was a recent incident this past June that Hillcrest Golf Club chose to ignore. A resident was out walking her dogs when a golfer yelled out warning; when she looked up a golf ball was flying towards her head. Only by quick reflex she was able to save her face by blocking the ball with her hand. The golf ball hit her hand with so much force that the ball bounced 20 feet away from her. The resident was so upset that she did not get the golfer’s name. Her neighbor drove her to Hillcrest Golf Club in hopes of obtaining the golfer’s information, only to come back empty handed. Her neighbor emailed Paul Hayne, the manager at Hillcrest and Mr. Hayne replied back stating that he had already contacted the young woman and she said everything was fine. This was not true, as Hillcrest’s only attempt to contact her was a message from the manager in their catering department, stating that she would pass this message onto upper management. The young woman’s fingers were painful, swollen and bruised but she was unable to get any medical attention due to lack of health insurance. If this had happened to an elderly person or a child, whose reflexes are much slower, this would have been a very bad accident. The impact of a golf ball can be fatal; there have been people with brain injuries due to direct impact of golf balls to the head. Where else would this be allowed?? Despite Hillcrest Golf Club’s management team’s knowledge of property damage and this recent incident, there has been minimal effort from Hillcrest Golf Club to makes changes. Residents in this neighborhood have also contacted their City Council (Ward6) and City Attorney of Saint Paul (Peter Warner) only to get similar discouraging responses, "We have no power or say in this matter; residents need to talk to the golf course." Hillcrest Golf Club has not made any any real change and minimal efforts have been made to "calm residents," but nothing substantive to remove what is seasonally a constant source of bodily and property harm. When it comes down to it this comes close to violating the very principles of what makes life in the United States so precious! The United States’ Declaration of Independence notably states, “Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” and the Constitution promotes the “general welfare” of the people; we are the people and we are living in fear in our own home. Residents and their children should not have to live in fear; we...

To Stop this company from devastating our people, wildlife, land & water. For a map of the proposed Atlantic Sunrise pipeline, please copy the link below and paste in your browser: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1h9te0ao1SkBL47UR_QIx_MhMmqY&usp=sharing

It's a disgrace that we can't have backpacks at a school where we have so much to carry, chargers and all. Having a backpack is just common sense, especially since the school board doesn't even have enough lockers for each student.

Many of us teachers, myself included, intended to vote "yes" on a strike authorization this September. Many of us are disheartened by what we perceive to be the union pressuring us to vote in accordance with their political aims. Unions should by their very nature be democratic, and their methodology leaves a bad taste in our mouths.

On September 21, the Senate voted on a resolution offered by Senators Chris Murphy [D-CT], Rand Paul [R-KY], Al Franken [D-MN], and Mike Lee [R-UT] to block an arms sale to Saudi Arabia. The Murphy-Paul resolution was a challenge to U.S. support and participation in the Saudi war against Houthi rebels in Yemen. The Saudi war in Yemen has been slammed by human rights groups for causing a humanitarian catastrophe, for violating international humanitarian law, and for violating U.S. laws against targeting civilians with U.S. weapons. Senator Durbin and Senator Kirk voted against killing the Murphy-Paul resolution, effectively voting against continuing to arm Saudi Arabia. [1] Thank Senator Durbin and Senator Kirk by signing our petition. References: 1. http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=114&session=2&vote=00145#position

On September 21, the Senate voted on a resolution offered by Senators Chris Murphy [D-CT], Rand Paul [R-KY], Al Franken [D-MN], and Mike Lee [R-UT] to block an arms sale to Saudi Arabia. The Murphy-Paul resolution was a challenge to U.S. support and participation in the Saudi war against Houthi rebels in Yemen. The Saudi war in Yemen has been slammed by human rights groups for causing a humanitarian catastrophe, for violating international humanitarian law, and for violating U.S. laws against targeting civilians with U.S. weapons. Senator Johnson voted to kill the Murphy-Paul resolution, effectively voting in favor of further arming Saudi Arabia. Senator Baldwin voted against killing the resolution, effectively voting against continuing to arm Saudi Arabia. [1] Thank Senator Baldwin and rebuke Senator Johnson by signing our petition. References: 1. http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=114&session=2&vote=00145#position

There is a continuing effort to try and reduce the level of service the US Postal Service provides to the people of the USA. We believe this is against the Constitution of the United States and against the very moral fiber of our country. We support a vibrant public post office that delivers to every known address in America.

Too much evidence of the lethal ramifications of racism has cost too many lives. Protests over deaths as a result of police brutality are increasing because not enough has been done to PREVENT the loss of more innocent black lives. The justice system has proven to remain on the side of injustice, seen in the paid administrative leave of officers who kill innocent black citizens while the families who have lost loved ones work harder to pay for funeral expenses for their killed family members. This is permitted throughout the country as we understand that police officers work in heightened tensions, and seek to preserve their lives as well. Let's bring value to Black Lives Matter and prove that they are included in "All Lives" through education and Undoing Racism workshops to expose all our citizens in public service to the vast disparities in privileges due to differences in skin tone.

Recently, The Washington Post revealed that Trump has spent $258,000 from his nonprofit, tax-exempt foundation to pay legal settlements for his own for-profit business. And he is actually bragging about it: boasting that this was good business sense because it was "other people's money." This outrageous and abundantly unethical behavior concerning tax-exempt organizations must not go unpunished. If the IRS finds that the $258,000 Trump used for personal court settlements violated the law, the self-proclaimed billionaire will likely skate by with a minimal fine and/or a mandate for reimbursement. These slaps on the wrist won't go far enough. The new cases of likely llegal behavior are just the most recent scandals involving Trump’s morally-bankrupt, tax-exempt foundation: * Just last week, New York's Attorney General Eric Schneiderman opened a full investigation into the foundation. * The foundation gave an illegal $25,000 campaign contribution to Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi just days before she decided not to investigate Trump University fraud charges in 2013. This gift was found to be in violation of IRS tax laws, and Trump was required to pay a penalty tax of $2,500 and reimburse his own foundation for the full $25,000. * He has blatantly used his foundation's money to buy himself personal items and memorabilia, such as a football helmet signed by former NFL quarterback, Tim Tebow. Enough is enough: Will you join me by signing the petition telling the IRS to immediately revoke the tax-exempt status for the Donald J. Trump Foundation?

Four years ago, Regina got up early to vote before her workday started at Walmart. It ended up taking two hours to cast her ballot. Thankfully, she made it to work just in time, but voting shouldn’t be that stressful! No worker at Walmart, or any other business, should have to worry about facing a reprimand (or even losing a job) in order to exercise their right to vote. In the last presidential election, only about half of eligible voters across the U.S. turned out to vote, and in 2014 only one-third made it to the polls. Most American workers have little or no paid time off. In fact, 41% of them didn’t take a single day off in 2015. Additional factors like long lines, transportation challenges, and lack of childcare make voting quickly very difficult for low-wage workers. Voting is a right we hold dear in the U.S., but with too few voters making it to the polls each election year, we need to do everything we can to make sure people have the time they need to cast their ballot. Low-wage workers have it especially difficult because their work is typically less flexible and they are twice as likely to have to wait in long lines once they get to the polls. Companies like Walmart that employ a large number of low-wage workers have a great opportunity to do right by their employees—and by our democracy—by giving their employees paid time off to go vote!