I have been a witness to the disappearance of many young folks in poverty-stricken communities as they are swooped off the streets and sentenced to harsh terms in prison as a result of being convicted of conspiracy. My brothers, Robert (21) and Fatir (20) are at risk of spending the rest of their lives in prison, without a chance for rehabilitation. Please, don't wait until you are personally affected to take action against a charge that essentially is a threat to us all.

With the increasing number of cyclist/car crashes and drivers that are distracted, ignorant of the bike laws, and just don't/can't grasp the concept that driving within inches of a cyclist is highly dangerous and can kill that person, something needs to be done. Michigan has laws for drivers that injure or kill a road worker; it's $7500 and 15 years in jail. No ifs, ands, or buts, it's automatic. I think the same thing should be done for drivers who hit a cyclist.

One person shouldn’t have the power to end the world. The President alone holds the key to the U.S. nuclear arsenal and has the unchecked authority to launch these weapons. That is a problem no matter who is in the Oval Office because there is too much risk that the President will make a wrong and ultimately deadly decision. The United States has possessed nuclear weapons for 71 years and is the only nation to have used nuclear weapons first in war. Today, nuclear weapons are 10-20 times more powerful than the ones dropped on Japan during World War II. Any scope of nuclear war would cause unimaginable human suffering and planet-wide destruction. For these reasons, a nuclear attack must never happen again. One way to constrain the president’s nuclear launch authority and minimize the risk of nuclear attack would be through a “No First Use” policy. This policy would make it clear that that the United States would never use nuclear weapons first against another country. A No First Use policy would strengthen our national security by reducing the risk of launching nuclear weapons by accident or miscalculation. President Obama has little time left in office, but the perils of U.S. nuclear weapons will remain through the next administration. The Presidential candidates, Hillary Rodham Clinton and Donald J. Trump, must pledge that they would never authorize a first strike with America’s nuclear arsenal. They should take a pledge of No First Use. Articles for Reference: • New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/15/opinion/end-the-first-use-policy-for-nuclear-weapons.html?_r=2 • Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/erica-fein/trump-and-clinton-could-d_b_11652498.html? • Defense One: http://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2016/08/obamas-last-chance-terminate-us-nuclear-policy-thanks-trump/130762 • Survey Data: https://today.yougov.com/news/2016/08/11/poll-results-nuclear-weapons/ • Wall Street Journal: http://www.wsj.com/video/obama-considers-nuclear-no-first-use-policy/C115A6D5-79B5-4B2B-B1B3-1CF9D29CFCF4.html • The Case for No First Use: https://fsi.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/51-3_12_Sagan_author_proof.pdf

I have seen countless people in the midst of a diabetic emergency including my grandmother, my boyfriend, and patrons at the pool that I work. I think it is asinine that some people are forking out the equivalent of a mortgage for medicine that the rest of us produce naturally. Why are they being punished for something they have no control over?

Those of us who live in Staunton or work in the downtown area, we know how it works, we know where to park, how long we can stay there, and many of us have our parking passes. BUT, let's focus on the people who do not come here every day, the tourist, the county person, or the out of town shopper, they need time to shop and grab a bite to eat. Two hours does not allot enough time to do this. I know many people come into our store only to leave early because of having to move the car. Some say they return but most of the time they do not. Once in the car, they usually leave, taking their dollars with them. Extending the parking limit to 4 hours would give people enough time to shop, eat, and maybe even catch a movie.

This is a petition to get rid of blight in the New Orleans East area, namely Hearthwood East Condominiums site. The condominiums were torn down post Katrina. Eleven years later, the site at 5505 Bundy Road is a crime inducing, Zika mosquito breeding site and an eyesore. Grass grows into the street, blocking cars. It is located next to a bustling post office, and is across from modern, well kept homes of middleclass residents, and is adjacent to thriving neighborhood businesses. New Orleans has a 311 number and a code enforcement number 658-4346, 658-5050 for residents to call. Our Wimbledon Civic Association has called for several years asking for the property grounds to be cut and fumigated. There is currently a hole in the street manhole, right across from the property at Bundy and Tilford. We cannot get it repaired so the problem with that neglected site is increasing. Residents have been on television several times asking the city to cut the grass but to no avail. Today, I telephoned and left a message with code enforcement that I have been tasked by our Civic Association to write a petition. When it rains heavily, this overgrown site causes street flooding. The site has now become a tire dumping, zika mosquito breeding health hazard. We ask all concerned citizens to please sign this petition for our officials to take action right a way to get the grass cut, debris cleared and land fumigated, at 5505 Bundy Road, New Orleans, Louisiana 70127. Thank you, Connie Hamilton, Wimbledon Civic Association

Big money contributions and expenditures by millionaires and special interests are drowning out the voices of regular voters. That's why we need public financing of campaigns so that elected officials are accountable to voters, not Big Money. SB 1107 will amend California's obsolete and total ban on public financing -- so local governments and the state can decide for themselves whether to explore public financing paid for by dedicated campaign finance trust funds. SB 1107 must pass its final Assembly vote on Monday, August 29th! Please sign the petition now — whether you've signed before or not!

Big money contributions and expenditures by millionaires and special interests are drowning out the voices of regular voters. That's why we need public financing of campaigns so that elected officials are accountable to voters, not Big Money. SB 1107 will amend California's obsolete and total ban on public financing -- so local governments and the state can decide for themselves whether to explore public financing paid for by dedicated campaign finance trust funds. SB 1107 must pass its final Assembly vote on Monday, August 29th! Please sign the petition now — whether you've signed before or not!

Big money contributions and expenditures by millionaires and special interests are drowning out the voices of regular voters. That's why we need public financing of campaigns so that elected officials are accountable to voters, not Big Money. SB 1107 will amend California's obsolete and total ban on public financing -- so local governments and the state can decide for themselves whether to explore public financing paid for by dedicated campaign finance trust funds. SB 1107 must pass its final Assembly vote on Monday, August 29th! Please sign the petition now — whether you've signed before or not!

Big money contributions and expenditures by millionaires and special interests are drowning out the voices of regular voters. That's why we need public financing of campaigns so that elected officials are accountable to voters, not Big Money. SB 1107 will amend California's obsolete and total ban on public financing -- so local governments and the state can decide for themselves whether to explore public financing paid for by dedicated campaign finance trust funds. SB 1107 must pass its final Assembly vote on Monday, August 29th! Please sign the petition now — whether you've signed before or not!

Big money contributions and expenditures by millionaires and special interests are drowning out the voices of regular voters. That's why we need public financing of campaigns so that elected officials are accountable to voters, not Big Money. SB 1107 will amend California's obsolete and total ban on public financing -- so local governments and the state can decide for themselves whether to explore public financing paid for by dedicated campaign finance trust funds. SB 1107 must pass its final Assembly vote on Monday, August 29th! Please sign the petition now — whether you've signed before or not!

Insulin is a vital life-saving drug, necessary for the SURVIVAL of insulin dependent diabetics. Diabetes profoundly alters the life not only of the person with the condition, but their entire FAMILIES. In terms of our communities, we are looking at the face of a public health DISASTER.