What our whales already face is staggering, record numbers of crab pot entanglements, seismic and sonar testing, ship strikes and more. Issuing permits to drown them as well must no longer be tolerated. Tell NMFS to live up to their initials: No More Funny Stuff! Joey Racano, Director Ocean Outfall Group www.oceanoutfallgroup.com

I feel the need for the Drama Department to have more of the basic supplies that we never get. Heck, we even need to fight for our stage half the time! We're just asking for some backdrops or decent lighting, maybe an actual fund that some of the other extracurricular activities get. Mr. Walters is an amazing drama teacher and he as well as the drama department really go under the radar and are un-appreciated half the time.

My daughter has been experiencing bullying from teachers in her school. She's upset about the teachers yelling at her and the other kids. She's told me the teachers tell her that her art work isn't good enough, and when she asks for help with a mean kid the principal ignores her. This has saddened me because I have spoken to principal, teachers, and supervisors with no improvements. I have spoken to other parents with the same concerns. I think that's what's wrong with society, we aren't taught in schools how to communicate when we are upset. Teachers teach by yelling and to discouraging creativity by staying within the line. These children are sent to school with trusting that they are getting the best, but is that the case?

About 30 nations have a financial transaction tax as we had for over 50 years in the 20th century. Like the financial transaction tax of the UK, ours would be a tiny percent of 1%. Existing computerized financial transactions would make it easy to collect. Billionaires like Warren Buffet and Bill Gates strongly approve of such a fair tax. Please contact members of the US House of Representatives and ask them to sign onto HR 1464, the Inclusive Prosperity Act.

American Girl, don't take history away. Last year, you retired four dolls. 4. Why are you taking Caroline from us, too? Learning about the War of 1812 is not in the Common Core. Trust me, I never heard of the War of 1812 until Caroline came out. And my Caroline is having a tough time with school and stuff, and you are just making her feel so depressed that I'll let her stay "home" from school. Plus, Caroline is my sister Sierra's favorite historical. She'll scream if I tell her! And plus, in early 2013, fresh from Caroline's release, there were 13 historicals. With Maryellen coming and Caroline retiring, they'll be 8 dolls in the BeForever lineup at the end of 2015. And besides, Caroline only was a historical for three years, barely. Also, bring back all the archived dolls if you can and try to not retire any dolls. Pleasant Rowland started your company to teach girls history, not take it away from them!

Our children have been raising chickens. They have raised them from birth, they love them, they care for them and they are fighting to keep their chickens. Please save our chickens.

The Supreme Court thinks the super-rich and corporations should be able to spend as much money as they want in politics, and I disagree. Period. Let's take the first step to reversing Citizens United by making sure Oregon's constitution gives us the right to limit campaign contributions to politicians. SJR 5 would put that question on the ballot for Oregonians to decide.

What is Group Residential Housing (GRH)? The Group Residential Housing (GRH) program is a state funded program that provides an income supplement to recipients each month to pay for rent and food. All of those supported by the program are at risk of institutional placement or homelessness. The amount of a GRH payment is based on a federal and state standard of what an individual would need, at a minimum, to live in the community. In addition, there are income and asset maximums. Counties administer the GRH program for the state and are responsible for determining eligibility. The GRH Housing Rate is a payment directly to the provider of housing on behalf of the eligible person. Many types of settings may enter into a GRH contract with their county, including adult foster care (family and corporate), board and lodging establishments, non-certified boarding care homes, and registered housing with services establishments. The Problem The current GRH base-rate, less $96.00 for the recipient’s personal needs, as of July 1, 2014, is $876.00 per month or $28.80 per day / per bed / per recipient. In addition to the base rate room & board paid to the facility, each person in the GRH program will receive for personal needs, clothing allowance, and prescription medication co - pays currently not less than $96 per month. In other words, the program takes all of the recipient’s money and only gives them $96 a month to live on for people’s personal needs money. Recipients are not allowed to work while living in GRH. They can’t pay other bills and they don’t have enough money to live on. Basically it’s a program that keeps people in poverty and doesn’t allow them to move out of poverty. When talking to a Minnesota State Senator about GRH housing, he said that the reason the government only gives people $96 to live on, is because that’s how GRH housing gets their funding. The Minnesota State Government doesn’t want to pay all of it, so they charge poor people an arm and a leg for it. The Solution When you think of everything you need to buy in a month to survive and all of the bills you have to pay, $96 barely covers it. No one can live on $96 a month and it is unfair to ask GRH recipients to do the same. No matter what people’s living situation is, they need to have money to properly live on and to be able to pay their bills. Most importantly, they need to be able to move out of poverty, which is why they also need to be allowed to work and go to school. By amending the GRH program to where the recipient only has to pay 1/3 of their income for rent, and where the Minnesota state government pay for the rest of the budget for GRH, will allow poor people to pay their bills, have enough money to live on, find a job or go back to school, and move out of poverty. Please sign the petition and contact Governor Mark Dayton, and your Minnesota State Senator and Representative and ask them to reform the funding for GRH.

We have heard little about Trans Pacific Partnership and Fast Track most of the last two years, it has been inadequately disclosed to both the American public as well as to our Congresspersons who will nonetheless be asked to vote to put TPP up on Fast Track. It has been introduced by Senators Hatch & Wyden. TPP is a corporate Coup d'etat. It is NAFTA on steroids. NAFTA aka North American Free Trade Act promised to create good American jobs and financial strength but failed to do so. 600 Corporate interests and 12 Nations Reps have negotiated something that is labeled as a trade agreement but from what we know it would more accurately be identified as a treaty; a treaty for the sovereignty of multinational corporations. Corporate negotiations have occurred under a veil of secrecy lacking transparency with little interest by most of the well known media to inform the general public. Since NAFTA, personal household income has been stagnant yet corporate earnings have consistently risen . Before NAFTA , 30% of the American work force belonged to unions now it’s down to 11% .NAFTA has been a disaster despite rosy promises during the Clinton administration. NAFTA was fast tracked . TPP and Fast Track is a race to the bottom. Communication Workers President Larry Cohen has said “We have one message: No more fast Track. We need Fair Trade, ” In the wording of the current treaty, the corporations address the notion of an investor state that would have the right to sue any level of government for regulations while bypassing our judicial system through a corporate tribunal like Judge Judy. Any community which would attempt to uphold safety standards which corporations see as hindrances to their profitability and want to sue for lost future profits ( opportunity costs) would be a target. Already, Corporations should not get exemptions from disclosing the toxic chemicals used in their hydraulic fracking process (Haliburton exemption) we know fracking fluid includes Benzene compounds but the exact compounds are not required to be disclosed so when fracking fluid runs into public drinking water and destroys the underground aquifers there is not enough proof to win a suit against the frackers. We need to maintain our ability to strengthen safety and environmental standards. We need our elected officials to pay attention to our interests. Representative Alan Grayson (D-Fla.) was quoted “Having seen what I’ve seen, I would characterize the TPP as a gross abrogation of American sovereignty,” he told The Huffington Post. It is unforgivable that under Fast Track, elected Representatives of the US Congress would be granted only limited access to view sections of the document and then only after abiding by restrictions being 1) prohibition from taking notes or photos 2) prohibition from bringing assistants 3) prohibition from viewing the entire text and 4) with one hour time limits as well to view ! Considering Pres. Obama’s campaign promises of transparency , it is truly bizarre that the President would ever ask Congress to consider accepting a treaty or trade agreement without adequate time to study the corporate draft and allow for the usual debate process associated with representative democracies, republics or constitutional monarchies . The TPP corporate draft may well be characterized as the antithesis of the Declaration of Independence and Magna Carta. It does not deserve Fast Track, we the people deserve representation, TPP corporations have shown countless examples of disregard for citizens right’s to safe food, water, air to breath, environmental standards, health , jobs , living wages, medicine, internet accessibility ,alternative energy production, energy distribution and our financial stability . For over 240 years we’ve presumably elected officials to look after our interests. Although President Barack Obama originally ran for office on a platform of improving government transparency and lambasted Hillary for Bill Clinton's signing of NAFTA, the contrast between reality and those earlier promises are startling. Many Democrats and some Republicans have either signed or voiced their opposition to Fast Track. Fast Track calls for a yes or no vote by the legislator without the usual debate process and no amendments allowed. Congresswoman DeLauro of Connecticut and 150 House Democrats took the bold move and signed a letter to oppose Fast Track. Corporate giveaways must end now.

The Utah Department of Education is proposing excellent new science standards for students in grades 6-8 that include scientifically accurate climate change education. While the new standards are overwhelmingly supported by science teachers and scientists, including our own local researchers and university educators, vocal anti-science activists are working to thwart them. These opponents are trying to create the impression that parents in Utah don't want students taught the evidence about human-caused climate change. If they are successful, Utah kids will be kept in the dark about the latest climate research from top scientists. As a climate researcher, an instructional designer, a university educator, but most importantly as a mother of a 5th grader at a Utah public school, that would be simply unacceptable. The Utah Board of Education will vote soon on whether to adopt the new standards. Can you help make sure our students and future decision makers are not denied a world-class science education? Please join me in asking the Utah Board of Education to adopt new school science standards that include climate science! Sincerely, Maria Groves M.A (Science and Instructional Technology), Geography PhD Candidate (Paleoclimatology), Mother, and member of Climate Parents

To give Greenpeace and other "tree-huggers" my complete support and thanking them for fighting to expose the truth and save the planet from destruction.

We members of Rockford Area Realtors (RAR), hereby request that our Board of Directors call a membership meeting prior to June 30, 2015 for open discussion and member presentation of the comparative value of available Multiple Listing Service (MLS) providers so member-driven action can be taken prior to the August 2015 deadline for continuation or cancellation of our present vender. Rational: Buyers and Sellers of real estate properties in our market want and are entitled to receive from their RAR Realtors® the most current and accurate information available. A single multiple listing service database, MRED, enhances our service and reduces legal liability, pursuant to the Code of Ethics as established by NAR. We believe RAR has the finest training and enjoys an excellent reputation in the community, which we want to perserve. In maintaining our current MLS Fee Structure the member would enjoy one all inclusive MLS (MRED) and only one single fee for MLS services. In signing this petition the member is requesting a REALTOR membership Meeting to be held as stated above.