The proposed Pescadito dump will be bringing industrial, demolition and special wastes that are toxic into Webb County by rail and truck, from industries within an 800 mile radius. This includes materials like coal ash, which carries significant health risks for humans, livestock and most importantly, our air and water. Pescadito will also accept maquiladora and other industrial waste by rail from Mexico, which will not even be inspected until it has already crossed the Rio Grande. The proposed site is within the floodplain, on the Pescadito creek, which empties into the Rio Grande. Local landfills have more than 100 years of life remaining. We don't need this dump. Read more at http://NoLaredoDump.com. Sign this petition, or sign a paper petition when you see our volunteers in public. Just stand with us and CALL them out!

We applaud reforms outlined in Senator Sanders' plans for combating detriment to our ecosystem; however, there is one immensely destructive industry not addressed. Animal-agriculture is a major cause of climate-change pollution, water pollution, drought, water shortage, deforestation, land degradation, species extinction, and contributes to world hunger. We are calling to end animal-agriculture subsidies. The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) found animal-agriculture responsible for 14.5% - 18% of global greenhouse gas emissions - more than the entire transportation sector. Climate scientists published a report detailing missing data from the FAO's calculations, and pegged the real figure at a whopping 51%. In the 2000 National Water Quality Inventory conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency, agricultural activity was identified as a source of pollution for 48% of stream and river water, and for 41% of lake water. The top source of this pollution is the storage and disposal of animal waste. First, storage tanks often leak, rupture, or overflow. Second, the way the industry disposes of the waste is by spraying it onto farms as fertilizer; however, the farms produce far more waste than is needed for this application, so the (excessive) excess runs off into surrounding water systems. High levels of nitrogen and phosphorous, an effect of fertilizer runoff, is the most common form of water pollution in the United States. In addition, there are toxic substances in the animals’ excretions, such as pharmaceuticals and bacteria, which cause damage to the environment, wildlife, and human health. The amount of water used to raise animals for human consumption dwarfs the amount used for growing plants for us to consume. A hundred billion gallons of water is being exported from California each year - in the form of alfalfa, to feed livestock. That’s enough to provide for the yearly water usage of a million families. The UN estimates that by 2025, 1.8 billion people will be living in countries or regions with absolute water scarcity, and two-thirds of the world's population could be living under water stressed conditions. Occupying over half of Earth’s arable land; animal-agriculture is behind the majority of deforestation, land degradation, and species extinction. Despite these intensive impacts, it has been estimated that one in eight people still suffer from food scarcity - and it's only getting worse. According to the FAO, "the number of hungry is currently climbing at the rate of some four million a year." Animal-agriculture is in fact a contributor to world hunger. For example they use land in Africa to grow soybeans to feed to cattle in the United States instead of feeding soybeans to starving people in Africa. Even those still consuming products of animal-agriculture ought to end taxpayer money propping up this destructive industry, as many in the scientific and health communities have warned us of the need to curb consumption. Also, there are no two ways about it: animal-agriculture is unconscionably cruel to the individuals who are its commodities. In contrast; fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains, nuts, and seeds build health and prevent and reverse disease affordably with healthy carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, antioxidants, and phytonutrients. Fruit trees and plants actually sequester carbon in the soil where it belongs. In light of all we know about industrialized animal-agriculture's devastating impacts on the health of the planet and people, as well as its inherently inhumane exploitation of sentient beings, it does not make sense for us to be subsidizing it. This is a case of the profits of a few taking precedence over the benefit of the many. Bringing an end to all funding, both direct and indirect, of animal-agriculture by the U.S. government would be a huge step with many positive effects, not the least of which is helping to reverse catastrophic environmental deterioration.

As an objective observer, it's plain to see that Detroit school children and their education are continually place in jeopardy because the state of Michigan regards them as little more than expendable pawns in a political chess game. No child's education--and by extension, their lives--should ever be so easy to play with.

We the 2016 Florida Democratic Pledged Delegates, 2016 Democratic Pledged Delegate Candidates, and the voters of the great State of Florida, are writing to you to express our strong concerns for the current direction of our party and the future of the democratic process in our United States of America. It is our deepest hope that when you read our concerns and our requests for action, you do so in the sentiment expressed in a quote by Abraham Lincoln in stone at our nation’s capital: "…and that government of the people, by the people, and for the people shall not perish" 1863 As citizens and elected officials, we have deep-rooted concerns for the Democratic party’s primary system. The primary system has shown to not only disenfranchise millions of independent and non-party affiliated voters, but has also been involved with numerous accounts of possible voter fraud and confirmed accounts of unethical behavior at the expense of voters. In the recent months, the execution of the Democratic primary system has: (1) Disenfranchised thousands of Democrats due to lack of polling stations in Arizona, (2) Both elected and hired party members have been involved with numerous confirmed accounts of unethical behavior relating to voting, (3) The access to our party's VAN, or member contact lists, has been used by top party leaders to prevent other members from running in the Democratic primary party system, and (4) Over 120,000 registered Democrats in Brooklyn, New York were purged from voter lists preventing them from participating in the primary system. As pledged delegates elected in this primary system, we pledge to conduct our own polls to ensure that we vote for the candidate in line with majority. We refuse to represent the State of Florida at the convention in Philadelphia without the will of ALL our Florida citizens who hold our party platform dear to their hearts. As party members, we pledge to refuse responsibility of a Republican-controlled White House come November. Currently, millions of party members will abstain from voting for the Democratic nominee if this current primary process continues. We urge you to speak with your constituents so you may truly realize that no speech on "party unity" or "lesser of two evils" will trump the intimate emotions of disfranchised party members across this state and nation. As voters in the State of Florida, we pledge to hold you responsible for your decision on our call to action. In the extreme case that our voices are not heard, you can expect activists on the ground in your district, and voters in the booth. Your acceptance to our call of action will garner respect and gratitude during your future political endeavors. Therefore, we the People of Florida ask that you pledge, as a superdelegate, to provide a means for citizens in your districts to determine your vote at the convention just as Florida superdelegate Alan Grayson has recently accomplished. If you choose not to conduct a poll, we ask that you pledge to refrain from voting and participating at the convention in Philadelphia. We sincerely hope that you join our efforts in ensuring that the State of Florida arrives to the convention with the current voice, and the will of our Florida electorate. Anything less will be considered a direct attack on our constitutional voting rights. Sincerely, The electorate of Florida

There are 5,371 inmates who are currently serving life sentences in Pennsylvaniia without any chance for parole. Approximately 400 of the 5,371 “lifers” were convicted of second-degree murder but did not commit the actual killings. Accomplices to murder are treated the same as a killer, even if they themselves did not cause the death. Lifers account for one-10th of the Pennsylvania state prison population, cost taxpayers on average more than $870,000 over their lifetimes, and are under a punishment just as definitive as the death penalty. PA Senator Daylin Leach said, “80 people are facing the death penalty across the U.S. who didn't murder anyone.” In many cases, he contends, those convicted of felony murder end up with more severe punishments than the people who actually committed the murder. The felony murder rule is unjust punishment and “is not in line with punishing people for crimes they commit or intend to commit in a way commensurate with the crimes." Senator Leach, hopes to get legislation passed that will get rid of the felony murder rule for second-degree murder. PLEASE SIGN TO GET RID OF PA’S FELONY MURDER RULE!

Accidental gun deaths and gun suicides are viewed as a crisis by health care professionals, including the Putnam County Suicide Prevention Task Force. More than half of all suicides are committed with a gun, and more than 75% of those guns used to commit suicide come from the homes of the victim, a relative or a friend. If guns are not in use, they should be locked up for safekeeping. This will keep our community members, especially our children, safer. With the U.S. suicide rate at a 30 year high, there is no time to waste!

Habitual Offender (Three Strikes You’re Out) laws are affecting both state and federal sentencing policies. They require judges to sentence offenders with three convictions to long prison terms. These laws disproportionately affect African Americans, many for minor crimes, the third time. These laws tend to limit judicial discretion while widening prosecutorial discretion. Too often, persons who may have been convicted of crimes earlier in their life face the possibility of long-term incarceration for minor infractions later in life, as in the case of Abdurrahim Muslim, who has a criminal background that goes back 17 years and a mistake that stems from a legalized name change used on a firearm application, is currently charged with "Armed Habitual Criminal" and faces a prison sentence of from 6 to 30 years.

As an Adult Day Service Instructor for DDS, we have been informed our positions are being eliminated from the department.

On July 12, 1995, the state of New Jersey seized control of Newark's "failing" traditional public schools. The state takeover was sought after the Examination Department of the NPS school system found it to be in "deplorable condition." The Comprehensive Compliance Investigation (CCI) reported low test scores, high dropout rates, questionable expenditures of public funds, crumbling buildings with health & safety hazards, including a lack of such bare essentials as doors on bathroom stalls. Twenty-one years later and the issues still remain the same. Newark Public School system has not improved even under state control; rather it grew worse, including contaminated water found in the pipes of NPS, closure of some traditional public schools to expand charter schools and co-located traditional public schools with charter schools, in which is the cause of segregation and flat funding of Newark Public School District Budget. Sign the petition in support of our legislator's sponsored Bill A3637 to return local control back to the Newark Public School District! It's our right! They are our schools and our children! By signing the petition, you are saying enough is enough! Let's go get the schools all our children deserve!! Full Local Control Now, Parents Educating Parents

Was in a short term marriage of 7.5 years and six (6) year since my divorce the Monterey county family court still rules that I should continue paying exorbitant Alimony for a well bodied, college educated ex spouse.

As an American I am promised that our votes count however in this Democratic Primary there are consistent reports of rampant tampering with voter supression i.e hundreds of thousands of voters being removed from the voter rolls, voters party affiliation being changed without their consent so they cannot vote, polling places reduced significantly so voters have to wait for hours resulting in voters leaving before casting a vote and lastly an overall tone of helplessness replaces the goodwill of true democracy. I am starting this petition because there are already reports of voters in California saying their party affiliation is being changed and the Primary is only weeks away. So I am calling on The United Nations as an EMERGENCY REQUEST to aid us American citizens in being able to carry out one of our immutable rights... Our right to vote for whom WE THE PEOPLE CHOOSE.

The developer of the proposed retail and housing development that surrounds the new light rail station in Capitol Hill is currently trying to recruit a Portland-based, non-union grocer called "New Seasons Market" to fill its space. Central Co-Op is better suited to fill the space as it originated in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, but the developer will not hear the co-op's requests to fill the space. Sign the petition to stand with workers in support of local businesses that share our values!