The House Republican leadership is trying to do to Puerto Rico what the International Monetary Fund is doing to Greece: put the demands of international bondholders ahead of the needs of the majority of working people, and replace democratically elected government with a "control board" that can overrule the democratic government to impose an austerity agenda so international bondholders can be paid more. Sen. Bernie Sanders called on Senate colleagues to oppose legislation that would establish a control board. Sanders said the House bill, H.R. 5278, “would make a terrible situation even worse” by requiring the governor of Puerto Rico to submit a fiscal plan to an unelected oversight board comprised of seven members, a majority of whom would be chosen by Republican leadership. Puerto Ricans would choose no members. The oversight board would enact its own fiscal plan to cut the budget, slash pensions, raise taxes, privatize and sell public assets without the approval of Puerto Rico’s democratically elected government. The legislation requires that any restructuring of Puerto Rico’s debt be “in the best interest of creditors.” H.R. 5278 would also exclude Puerto Rico from the Department of Labor’s new overtime rules and allow the governor of Puerto Rico to slash the minimum wage to just $4.25 an hour for a period of up to five years. [1] Rep. Luis V. Gutiérrez [D-IL], one of five Puerto Ricans in Congress, said: “I cannot support this legislation because it runs counter to basic values of democracy, fairness and justice.” He wrote, “The profits and profiteering of investors are likely to be weighed as heavily or more heavily by the Board in its decision-making and that fails my test for what is needed for Puerto Rico.” He also pointed to reductions in the minimum wage, the exemption from overtime rules, questionable protections for pensions earned by Puerto Rican workers, and expedited permitting of energy and construction projects without environmental checks as reasons he opposes the legislation. [2] The AFL-CIO, AFSCME, SEIU, UFCW, USW, and the UAW oppose the bill. In a letter to the House, the unions wrote that the bill “provides no economic stimulus, and in fact takes money out of the economy by reducing the minimum wage and overtime protections" for union members they represent in Puerto Rico. [3] Urge Congress to oppose the bill unless the "IMF" control board provision is removed by signing our petition. References: 1. http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/sanders-to-senate-democrats-do-we-stand-with-puerto-rico-or-wall-street-and-the-tea-party 2. http://gutierrez.house.gov/press-release/rep-guti%C3%A9rrez-tells-natural-resources-committee-he-cannot-support-promesa-bill-puerto 3. http://thehill.com/policy/finance/economy/280696-labor-unions-oppose-puerto-rico-debt-bill; http://www.world-psi.org/en/unions-reject-us-bill-seeks-impose-fiscal-oversight-board-puerto-rico

Ever since Watergate, Democratic and Republican presidential nominees have released their tax returns to the public. Why? Because the American people deserve transparency and information when choosing who to vote for to run our country. And, ever since Watergate, presidential nominees recognized that and released their tax returns. A tax return cannot spin blatant exaggerations and opinions into facts. A tax return cannot pander and only present one side. A tax return cannot fabricate income, charitable giving and tax shelters. A tax return tells the truth. Once in the light, a tax return cannot be explained away by conspiracy theories, bravado or misdirection. It is what it is: a very telling document. What does the candidate value, give to charity? Does the candidate pay their fair share of taxes? Is the candidate telling the American public the truth about their finances? This is why presidential nominees have released their returns for nearly 40 years. And it’s why the American people shouldn’t have to rely on the benevolence of a presidential nominee to know exactly who they are voting for President of the United States of America. I’ve introduced the Presidential Tax Transparency Act to require all presidential nominees - no matter their party - to release their tax returns after the nominating convention. So stand with me. Tell Congress to pass the Presidential Tax Transparency Act! --Ron

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According to US Uncut, Chris Matthews on MSNBC admitted recently that his network and several others "intend to call the Democratic primary race for Hillary Clinton before polls close in California on June 7". They don't elect our government, we do. If they want to mess with that, then let's mess with their revenue by petitioning and then boycotting their advertisers. Apparently, they need reminding who really needs who. Let's drive that point home. Source: http://usuncut.com/politics/media-clinton-california-primary/

BECAUSE MEASURE 11 IS CRUEL AND UNUSUAL PUNISHMENT, USES HERESAY, SHE SAID/HE SAID, NO EVIDENCE NEEDED. D.A.'s HAVE TOTAL CONTROL OVER THE LEGAL SYSTEM. OUR DUE PROCESS IS GONE. YOU ARE GUILTY TILL PROVEN INNOCENT.

The Portland Public School Board just took a strong stand for the right of students to be taught accurate information about human-caused climate change. On May 17, the board unanimously approved a resolution that directs the Portland school district to "abandon the use of any adopted text material that is found to express doubt about the severity of the climate crisis or its root in human activities." Bill Bigelow, a former Portland school teacher, said "we don't want kids in Portland learning material courtesy of the fossil fuel industry." But since its vote, the board has been barraged with angry hate mail from angry climate change-deniers across the country. An email sent to board members shouted: "One can only hope that Mount St. Helens erupts again and spews 'Global Warming' on you morons." The board did the right thing for Portland students and climate change education, and they should be thanked and congratulated, not condemned. Please sign the thank you letter to let board members know you strongly support and appreciate their action!

Being born and raised mostly here in the South I have realized the amount of religious privilege, bias, and incredibly, how much lawmaking is carried out by their faith alone. I am so passionate about making the United States of America, no matter the region, for all, no matter gender, race, religion, or sexual orientation, because I deplore the powers that strip our natural given rights that then causes the suffering of mankind. Check the post and see how much of a threat an un-separation of church and state will be: http://www.forwardprogressives.com/republican-religious-fanatics-pose-bigger-threat-country-than-isis/ My father fought in Desert Storm. Being there twice and coming back like most soldiers he was not the same. I fight for him, like he's fought for me and my freedom. So I continue to fight for the America and the rights and freedoms that we deserve. So I will say again, drop the religious Fanaticism. You can keep your religion, but you DO NOT have the right to force it on our lives. If we make laws it should be based on evidence of a threat if those laws are not upheld. Like for instance, what happens when we don't uphold the separation of church and state. Thank you, Cortney of Alabama

The railing is too hot in the summer A water slide would prevent heat strokes

WE ARE PETITIONING FOR A STATEWIDE INVESTIGATION OF FAMILY COURT PRACTICES IN AN EFFORT TO STOP MINNESOTA JUDGES FROM HARMING INNOCENT DEFENSELESS CHILDREN. Minnesota residents are being bled of our most valuable resource, the innocence of a child, and because of which, we are slowly losing our grip on the future of America. Since 1998, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has continued a lengthy investigation into adverse childhood experiences (ACE). ACE is one of the largest medical investigations ever conducted to assess associations between childhood maltreatment and later-life health and well-being. They found that a child’s exposure to certain traumas, including domestic violence, child sexual abuse, or being separated from their primary care-giving parent, resulted in more illnesses and injuries to children in childhood through adulthood, i.e., social emotional and cognitive impairment; adoption of health-risk behaviors; disease, disability and social problems; and PREMATURE DEATH. This study demonstrates how a child’s exposure to these elements are a PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE. Yet every year, an estimated 58,000 children are court ordered into custody or unsupervised visitation with a reported abuser. Additionally, current research estimates that false allegations of sexual abuse happens less that 2% of the time, yet 85% of those children are court ordered into shared or sole custody with the parent that is raping them. Inadequately trained professionals tend to believe the myth that mothers frequently make false allegations, contrary to current research. Therefore, in thinking they have the needed expertise, family court professionals don't listen to domestic violence or child abuse evidence, experts, and they don't include current scientific research. Mothers are being forced into bankruptcy and poverty trying to protect their children, and their children are being irreparably harmed. Governor Mark Dayton, House and Senate Representatives, we now have the medical research through the CDC to declare domestic violence, child abuse, and being separated from a primary attachment parent a PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE. And the U.S. Department of Justice's Saunders report states that the STANDARD and REQUIRED domestic violence training received by judges, lawyers, and evaluators does not adequately prepare them to handle abuse cases. WE ARE PETITIONING FOR A STATEWIDE INVESTIGATION OF FAMILY COURT PRACTICES IN AN EFFORT TO STOP MINNESOTA JUDGES FROM HARMING INNOCENT DEFENSELESS CHILDREN. We would like to see you, our leaders, echo your constituents concerns, and ensure that the HEALTH AND SAFETY OF A CHILD WILL COME FIRST IN DIVORCE AND CUSTODY LITIGATION. We thank you in advance for your support.

I'm Senator Tammy Baldwin, and I'm taking on Wall Street's 1%. Our economy should work for middle class families and not just the 1%. Unfortunately, it's hard to level the playing field when Wall Street CEOs and Hedge Fund Managers are writing their own rules. That's why I'm leading the effort to stop Wall Street's revolving door and am proud to have Senators Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and Barbara Mikulski join my fight. The Financial Services Conflict of Interest Act would prohibit the practice of incentivizing private sector employees to take jobs in the government, make federal employees recuse themselves for two years in cases involving their former employers, and close the lobbyist loophole. Here’s how it happens: There is a fast-spinning revolving door between the government and private sector industries. Employees in the private sector can actually accept incentives from their companies to take jobs in the government. Then, once they become government officials, they only have to wait one year before regulating their old companies. The same thing happens in reverse. Federal employees can take jobs at companies they oversaw immediately after leaving the government. They can become “outside advisors” or “strategic counselors” and lobby their former government colleagues in an unofficial capacity that allows them to skirt legal requirements registered lobbyists have to meet. Americans should be able to trust that public servants are, in fact, putting the interests of the people first. But, it’s not easy when private-sector employees, namely from the financial services industry, take jobs in the government where they are tasked with overseeing their former companies. This practice is rife with conflicts of interest. Join me and sign my petition urging Congress to take action to restore trust in government by stopping the revolving door between Wall Street and Washington.

The Koch brothers (and their ilk) plan to spend big in state and local elections, and the left can't come close to that kind of money. But we have to prevent any more right-wing takeovers of state legislatures and keep the Supreme Court from doing further damage to our rights (like in Citizens United). Get off your ego trip and start helping protect non-whites, women and LGBT Americans from the Republican bigots!