On September 9th and September 22nd, City Council will be meeting to discuss the 2015-2016 budget, including a proposed 3% increase to our already high water bills. There are numerous issues that need be addressed before an increase is even considered, including the inconsistent billing cycles, old meters, meters not being read every month, transparency, staff issues, and policies in place that are blatantly unfair.

To keep a child killer in jail instead of roaming our streets seeking another child they may devour !!!

There are more than 10 million overseas Filipinos around the world sending hundreds of thousands of Balikbayan boxes for their families in the Philippines. For decades, these boxes have not been opened. We believe that the Bureau of Customs should focus on smugglers bringing in tons of smuggled rice, sugar, commercial goods, etc. in the country. We are migrant workers regularly remitting our hard-earned money to help our economy. We are even recognized as the modern day heroes by the government. We do not deserve this!

Republican leaders are threatening to shut down the entire federal government for the second time in three years unless Congress cuts funding for Planned Parenthood. We cannot let them get away with it! Planned Parenthood is a lifeline for millions of women, providing cancer screenings, contraception, and basic preventive health care to women across the country.

On August 22, 2015, at approximately 9:30 PM, my mother, Sherry Sahlberg, was struck by a car. She has staples on the right side of her head, 7 fractured ribs, and a fractured left leg. Too many people run right through the crosswalks at that intersection when pedestrians are trying to cross the road. They also do over the posted speed limit, which is 25 MPH. Speed bumps being set up would prevent any more accidents from happening, or fatalities. Especially when school children try to cross when coming home. Please sign this petition and get the word out.

"Luis is a loving, kind and intelligent man. He has been through a lot and has made his share of mistakes. However, he really is trying to be rehabilitated so he may come home to his family. He and I are planning to marry and start a family once he is paroled and able. He is tired of the prison life, the criminal lifestyle and negative energy from prison administration, guards and other prisoners. He made a mistake but should not have to pay for it with his life. Many of us have made mistakes in life or done things we are ashamed of, the only difference between us and people who are incarcerated is they got caught. Please support this petition so Luis may get the help he needs to be a productive member of society and he can come home to his family."

No more war.

The City of Pittsburg needs to listen to its constituents and not just a few self-serving business owners who are calling for this 50-year family owned establishment's closure or relocation. There are currently no establishments that can legally provide live entertainment or even DJ's in the City of Pittsburg.

Governor Paul LePage has a terrible record in office since he was elected in 2010. Among other things he packed his administration with lobbyists, vetoed a minimum wage increase, targeted organized labor, undermined renewable energy and used the power of his office to get citizens, including political opponents, fired. He said he would resign if enough people in Maine asked him to leave office. We should take him up on it.

1.5 billion people live in countries rich with natural resources – but many never see the benefits. Instead of sharing in the wealth generated by oil, gas and mining, many communities face poverty, environmental damage, loss of land and human rights abuses. There's one tool that could help communities hold their governments accountable: transparency. Five years ago, an oil transparency law passed that requires Big Oil to make their payments to foreign governments public. But this provision still hasn't been implemented. Citizens in oil-rich countries haven't been able to track where oil money has gone. Oxfam's researchers estimate that $1.5 trillion should have gone back to the governments of poor nations – funds that could have been used to build schools, hospitals, roads and more. The Securities and Exchange Commission has the power to make this transparency law a reality. Speak up with us and demand action!

Tech giants like Microsoft, Adobe and Netflix have recently stepped up to offer more paid parental leave for their employees. Netflix announced unlimited parental leave and Microsoft is upping its policy to 20 weeks starting in November. It's time for Jeff Bezos and Amazon to step up and take care of his employees and their young ones, too.

The Public Trust Doctrine protects citizens from private development on publicly owned land. If you will not defend your hometown, how can the rest of state trust that you will uphold their rights over private interests? Your support means everything to us.