CLEAN, HONEST GOVERNMENT REQUIRES A STRONG CIVIL SERVICE! ......SB 285 Deals a Death Blow to Clean, Honest Civil Service!...... Wisconsin's nationally-recognized civil service system is on the chopping block because Republican leaders are using lies and deceptions to say the system is failing. It is NOT failing. Here are some of the lies and deceptions they are using: LIE: Civil service law makes it too hard to hire and fire state employees. An agency had to conduct almost 800 interviews to fill 31 positions. It takes more than six months to hire someone. TRUTH: Managers have all the tools they need. Nothing in current law specifies how many to interview or how long it should take to hire, and neither does the new bill. Wisconsin’s civil servants do good work. In the few cases where discipline is needed, the current system works. LIE: SB 285 does not change merit hiring. TRUTH: This bill takes a wrecking ball to merit hiring by eliminating objective civil service exams and using a subjective resume-based system that experts say is not the way to hire the best people, and is open to bias. This bill makes DOA and its Political Appointees far more central to all hiring decisions. As a result, underqualified cronies will fill public agencies. LIE: SB 285 does not remove Civil Service protections nor Just Cause, and does not make state employees at-will employees. TRUTH: The loss of an objective method for layoffs will make it easier for politicians to get rid of state employees who give their professional opinions rather than twist the facts. This bill makes it easier to discipline or fire whistleblowers with no investigation, no progressive discipline, and no need to follow established “just cause” standard in many cases. The bill adds confusing wording that may require litigation to determine if state employees are made at-will. Limited Term and Project employees may keep their jobs while permanent employees in the same job class are laid off. LIE: The new bill will make state agencies work better and deliver better services to the citizens. TRUTH: This Administration is using swift, stealth attacks to install cronyism, and a patronage system to serve the politicians in power. Public Services will decline at taxpayer expense. Contact your Wisconsin State legislator to ask them to oppose SB 285!

Given the long term nature of the homelessness crisis in Lane County, we need government to commit resources for emergency shelter needs. It is neither efficient, logical or ethical to expect community volunteers acting in an emergency situation to meet the urgent, sustained needs without a public homeless shelter option.

Bullying, intimidation, harassment, threatening behavior by managers cannot be tolerated and such behavior can only be extinguished by standing firm with your colleagues who have experienced such behavior and demand extinction and change of leaders who display such behavior. If you have experienced this at work let us know, if you haven't, then support those who have.

This is the beginning of breed-specific legislation in our area. It will effect people personally, and financially with homeowner tax increases. They have already removed the police from a heroin infected town.

By one count, 355 mass shootings (with 4 or more dead) have occurred in the U.S. this year. That comes to more than one every day. The Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence estimates more than 100,000 Americans are victims of gun violence every year. According to polls, most Americans agree that guns -- particularly assault weapons like those used in San Bernardino on Wednesday -- are too easily accessible. No gun control could completely prevent mass shootings, but today’s gun laws ease the path to such tragedies. Too many of our senators and representatives pay more attention to the financial muscle of the gun lobby than to the daily slaughter of innocent fellow citizens and the clear wishes of their constituents. Last year alone, the National Rifle Association invested $28 million in “independent expenditures” aimed at supporting some candidates and defeating others. The gun lobby backs these political contributions with outlays to influence those in office. Since 2000, pro-gun groups have spent more than $101 million in lobbying on Capitol Hill. The pro-gun forces are so strong that in 1996 they persuaded Congress to ban federal funding of research into the causes of gun violence. That ban remains. America funds research aimed at finding ways to limit the damage done by all sorts of other dangerous products, from automobiles to toys, but not a penny goes to study the public health dangers posed by the 300 million-plus firearms in circulation. How much more must the nation endure before Congress rouses itself?

I am an indigenous mother of North America whose lawfully acquired home has been attacked by a descendant of Europe who is capitalizing on the fact that State and City offices have the option of acknowledgment of Indigenous people of The United states of America, including North America, Central America and South America. The current laws that govern and protect us are at an International level and must be written into Local and National Legislature.

Darrell Johnson is still participating in the old Law, it is time for him to come home for a non violent crime.

Jackson Square Partners, of which JPNDC is a lead partner, is seeking community support for its Article 80 filing towards the development of Site III in Jackson Square. Demonstrating support from neighbors and business owners is an important step in the BRA's Article 80 approval process. For years, JPNDC has engaged the community to help shape Jackson Square's redevelopment. As a result of that input, the proposed Site III program provides many important community benefits, including both 100% affordable apartments at what is now called "Building M" (44 units) and mixed income housing at 250 Centre St (100 units) as well as new green space, a new community plaza and other pedestrian, parking and traffic improvements along Amory Street. (Note: JPNDC's development of 39 100% affordable apartments at 75 Amory Ave., also on Site III, is already underway.) Given its track record of developing 600 new homes and managing 13 properties, JPNDC will be a responsible neighbor and continue to engage the community throughout and after development. To learn more, please visit: https://jpndc.org/real-estate-portfolio/real-estate-portfolio-in-the-pipeline/

Please sign regardless of the state you live in. The goal is to get national attention. Douglas County, CO has a state-mandated, tax-payer-funded Master Plan that is supposed to be in effect until 2035. The County Commissioners have overthrown the will of the people to approve at least (2) dense developments by rezoning. These decisions were outside of the basic guidelines of the Master Plan and were against the will of the citizens who voiced their opposition to the developments at public hearings. Douglas County is now preparing to rezone agricultural land on Hilltop Road for more dense development. The heavy development in Douglas County is congesting our communities, destroying Colorado's natural beauty and wildlife, and is depleting the limited-resource aquifers. The depletion of the aquifers will eventually leave the land scarred and worthless within approximately 100 years. This is being done so a few developers can make large profits without regard for land and water preservation and the local citizens. Our County Commissioners are paid to be public servants. When they overthrow the will of the people and the Master Plan, they become dictators. Please protect citizens' rights to steward and preserve our local communities by signing this petition. Thank you for your support.

Bring back the Ripper

I love blueberry pie; you love blueberry pie; all Mainers love blueberry pie.

In December 2014 a bill was put forth to sell 2,400 acres of Apache Holy Land to an Australian/British company that intends to mine the property. This action has detrimental effects for both the Apache people and the environment. We are asking people to sign this petition to reverse this action.