People's lives are more important than the flow of money from gun manufacturers to the NRA to politicians.

Post production costs are taken out of royalties, gouging landowners.

There are many Alabamians and citizens of other states who take pride in being among the people of our nation who do not baselessly judge others based on color, race, religion and/or national origin. Please hear our pleas and support a position that is in accord with the American tradition of being open to people of the world who are in need. Only through tolerance, kindness, and support can we defeat the rise of hatred and violence that is occurring in the world today.

My daughter Angela attends Maryhaven Center of Hope, which does a wonderful job providing disabled adults a place to work along with supportive education and counseling. The Federal Government is trying to take away Medicaid funding for these Sheltered Workshops, and close down all Sheltered Workshops for the disabled in the United States.

In July, 2014, the Pennsylvania Environmental Hearing Board (EHB) found that New Hope Crushed Stone (NHCS)’s mining activities are creating a public nuisance, and that the PA DEP has a duty to abate and remove public nuisances. On September 11, 2014, the department issued a Technical Deficiency to NHCS, and subsequently issued additional requests for detailed reclamation plans. NHCS has repeatedly failed to comply with this directive. In the last 13 months, NHCS has proposed a reclamation plan which was based on minable reserves rather than addressing the public nuisance issue; this was deemed unacceptable by the DEP. NHCS then claimed they were in compliance; also rejected by the DEP. After several back-and-forth correspondence and meetings, the DEP took the unusual step of issuing a Compliance Order, requiring compliance by October 30. Days before that deadline, NHCS claimed that a change in their management necessitated an extension, despite the fact that over 13 months had passed since DEP initially directed them to comply. The DEP yet again granted them another extension to November 30. Meanwhile the quarry continues to operate, new sinkholes continue to form, and the safety of the public is at risk. Just this week (11/16/15), an emergency permit was issued to repair a sinkhole in Primrose Creek. So far no one has been injured or killed, but the township and its residents simply can’t afford to continue to take these risks. The time for concrete and specific action is here – no more extensions – the quarry must be ordered to comply or halt operations. Enough is enough!

The United States is expected to receive 1,400 to 2,000 Syrian refugees for the year 2015, and 5,000 to 8,000 in 2016. There are over 4 million refugees that have fled Syria, and this number grows everyday. The United States is better equipped than most states to resettle the outpour of Syrian citizens. However, in the wake of the attacks on Beirut and Paris, several politicians are attempting to reject Syrian refugees with misinformed claims of fearing for national security. Thirty-one governors have issued statements expressing opposition to resettling Syrian refugees in their respective states, citing security concerns. To our grave disappointment, Governor Susana Martinez is one of them. While the final decision regarding the immigration of Syrian refugees to the United States will fall to the federal government, Governor Susana Martinez's official opposition to the settlement of refugees in New Mexico is indicative of a greater, reactionary and discriminatory mindset. In the words of former Secretary of State Madeline Albright, “These proposals are motivated by fear, not by the facts….We have always been a generous nation, and we have in place a rigorous process for refugee resettlement that that balances our generosity with our need for security. It works, and it should not be stopped or paused." In light of the terrorist attacks that have rocked the international community, it is important to stand in solidarity with the victims of these attacks. But we must remember that the refugees fleeing Syria are victims of this very same terrorism themselves. We must not scorn the refugees seeking safety in a misguided and misinformed attempt to secure our own safety. Instead, we must extend our sympathy.

The children in RVSD have been negatively affected for many years from the existence of the MAP program in our district. Our district has spent over $100,000 in legal fees in the last year alone and countless hours of board time on the MAP program which consists of approximately 5 % of the total children in RVSD. The current leaders of RVC are the same people that are the leaders of MAP including former RVSD trustees, all the MAP teachers, and the MAP leadership committee. A third party investigator found that MAP program (during its 19 years run by the current RVC leaders) had policies which created the effects of discrimination on protected classes of children. They have had virtually no ELL in MAP and have not translated the petition into Spanish. The existing leaders have known about the inequities with the protected classes of children as far back as 2005 and have done nothing to recruit these children into MAP. Documents exist from 2005 that identify MAP was responsible to translate their materials into Spanish. Now after 19 years of discrimination, these same people are claiming they want to become a charter to reach these children. The ACLU in a letter written to MCOE dated October 9th, 2015 stated that "it appears that the leaders of MAP wish to export the exact program (and its students and teachers) that an independent investigator found was operating in a discriminatory manner into a Charter School which will necessarily have greater autonomy from District oversight (their emphasis)." We will be sending a separate detailed letter to support many more reasons for denial that the people who signed this petition read and support. (http://www.saverossvalleyschools.com/letter-to-state/). Please deny the appeal and support high quality education for ALL the children in RVSD.

Why do we kill people who are killing people to show that killing people is wrong?

Human life is valuable. Our top priority in this life is to preserve the sanctity of it, and maintain a valuable and meaningful one for all those we are able to help. Helping our own citizens, and integrating others into our melting pot is what this country is founded on. As a first world country, it is our responsibility to help those that we can. If we do not ease some of the burden of refugee acceptance from Europe, we will create enemies. Refugee families who do not receive help when Europe's borders close, and they will close, may consider joining Isis just to survive. They will have no other choice. We can create more worldwide allies by doing our duty.

Americans need to learn from the mistakes of nearly 80 years ago when this country, like nearly every other country in the world, slammed the door on Jewish refugees trying to escape Nazi persecution throughout Europe. The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum has called today's conflict in Syria "a humanitarian catastrophe of staggering proportions" with "grave implications for security and interests throughout the world." The violence has claimed the lives of some 20,000 children, and has displaced more than 11.6 million people (http://www.ushmm.org/confront-genocide/cases/syria). Indiana alone cannot solve the world's refugee problems, but we can play a small part in alleviating world misery and catastrophe by making sure that we never again turn away men, women, and children fleeing widespread atrocities and crimes against humanity. Tell Governor Pence and the Indiana State Legislature to remember Holocaust history, and do the right thing in stepping up to help Syrian refugees in need today.

We are a community school that serves children in the west Philly and surrounding area with good teachers and staff and we deserve a chance to be heard.

It is unworthy of us as Americans to refuse asylum to individuals simply because their country of origin is Syria or because they are Muslim. There is some risk in ANY action, but we are certainly capable of offering safety and comfort to those innocents who desperately need to shelter in New Hampshire.