This is an insidious and egregious type of theft that especially harms the poor. Such a system incentives arresting and criminalizing people for no reason but profit. This is part of a disturbing pattern of a privatized corrections industry and our city and county should have no partnerships with companies that profit from arresting people. http://www.numifinancial.com/ https://securustech.net/ (primary contractor that brought in Numi to Portland)

Yes, some members of our family and close friends have been affected by this. This is a regular conversational issue in many meetings of our ethnic group.

Graduate employees at the University of Oregon have been bargaining for a year. These graduate students, employed by the school as research assistants and teaching fellows, are asking for paid sick leave and parental leave. At a time when Oregon is expanding access to basic workplace fairness like paid sick days, the University of Oregon should be a leader. Instead, it’s fighting to deny graduate employees these basic rights. The graduate employees have been on strike since Tuesday, Dec. 2. Tell the university that you stand with these workers, and demand the university expand paid sick and parental leave to graduate employees.

My 37-year-old son, who was 7 months away from graduation as a radiology technician, was hit head on and killed by a 91-year-old who was driving the wrong way on I-26 in Hendersonville, NC in October. The state had recently renewed his driver's license and this should never have happened. I want no one else to experience the pain we are going through right now.

A New York City Grand Jury tragically refused to indict Eric Garner's killer — NYPD Officer Daniel Pantaleo. In a horrifying video capturing the brutal killing, Garner can be seen screaming out in pain, "I can't breathe. I can't breathe," as he is strangled to death. If you've had enough of the NYPD's brutal killings and abuse of Black and brown New Yorkers, join us in demanding Attorney General Eric Holder and President Barack Obama set a higher standard of policing in New York City and across the nation. Call on A.G. Eric Holder and President Obama to do everything in their power to indict Officer Pantaleo on federal criminal charges and conduct a full and thorough investigation into the discriminatory NYPD policies and practices that lead to these tragic but avoidable killings time and time again.

Dear Mrs. Toomey, We the parents of students at P.S. 195 Manhattan Beach Elementary in Brooklyn NY petition that the school's playground be re-opened to student after school hours. The benefits of re-opening the playground to students after school are enormous: an important step to combat obesity and promote fitness in children would be for our school to leave outdoor playground open. Playground also promotes social skills and friendships in children. Our children look forward every day to playing in the school's playground. We ask that you kindly re-open it.

The cottages on the 600 block of South Dubuque St. tell a unique and interesting story of Iowa City's history. They are currently scheduled for needless demolition. Rather than bulldozing these properties, I would like to see Iowa City and our City Council designate them as historical landmarks so that their owners and tennants can invest the care and love into these properties that they deserve rather than further adding to the senseless destruction of our city's past institutions and landmarks.

The cottages on the 600 block of South Dubuque St. tell a unique and interesting story of Iowa City's history. They are currently scheduled for needless demolition. Rather than bulldozing these properties, I would like to see Iowa City and our City Council designate them as historical landmarks so that their owners and tennants can invest the care and love into these properties that they deserve rather than further adding to the senseless destruction of our city's past institutions and landmarks.

Senator Elect Tom Cotton hasn't started his term yet but already he's trying to undermine diplomacy and drag us down a path that could lead to military action with Iran. Fortunately, Tom Cotton's one of the first senators to come out with such inflammatory statements. If we come together and show that there is a strong public backlash to his words it will make others in Congress reconsider before taking similar positions. We know that our voices matter on this issue - when Congress tried to torpedo the talks earlier this year we froze the bill in it's tracks. One senate staffer even told MSNBC the incredible turn around was because: "of more voters contacting the Hill with phone calls and emails, voicing opposition to the bill." References: References: Sen.-Elect Tom Cotton: 'Put an End' to Iran Nuclear Talks Sen elect Tom Cotton put an end to iran nuclear talks, ABC News radio online. Menendez pushing new economic sanctions on Iran before session ends, New Jersey News. MSNBC, Support for new Iran sanctions wanes, Steve Benen, January 17, 2014.

The Republican held congress isn't even in session and already they're threatening to "end the Iran talks" and considering strikes on Iran. Sadly these aren't fringe ideas - one Democrat, Senator Menendez has already publicly supported such moves. We know diplomacy works - it's already meant that Iran has agreed to daily inspections and frozen their nuclear program. The good news is we can stop this train before it's out of the station by ensuring that Democrats don't support any such moves. Democrats are already under huge pressure from pro war lobby groups to undermine the talks and the President. If even a few of them go down this path we could be facing a veto proof bill that would torpedo the talks and drag us into another senseless war in the Middle East. We know that our voices matter on this issue - when Congress tried a similar tactic earlier this year we froze the bill in it's tracks. One senate staffer even told MSNBC the incredible turn around was because: "of more voters contacting the Hill with phone calls and emails, voicing opposition to the bill." References: Sen.-Elect Tom Cotton: 'Put an End' to Iran Nuclear Talks Sen elect Tom Cotton put an end to iran nuclear talks, ABC News radio online. Menendez pushing new economic sanctions on Iran before session ends, New Jersey News. MSNBC, Support for new Iran sanctions wanes, Steve Benen, January 17, 2014.

Georgia’s outdated law preventing local craft brewers from selling their product to brewery visitors is hurting Georgia’s fledgling craft brewing industry. The restrictive law -- a remnant of the Prohibition era -- is still on the books in only four other U.S. states. Modernizing state laws to allow our craft brewers to sell directly to brewery visitors will: -Support small businesses -Create jobs in Georgia -Encourage new small business start-ups -Attract out-of-state craft brewers to Georgia Currently, only about 2.2 million of the 6.2 million cases of craft beer Georgians drink each year are actually made by the Peach State’s 34 craft brewers. Giving Georgia’s craft brewers the ability to earn extra revenue will allow the companies to reinvest in their business and in the local economy. Georgia winemakers are allowed to sell wine directly to vineyard visitors, so the same freedom should apply to Georgia’s brewers. Updating Georgia’s brewery laws will help small businesses and the communities they serve.

There may have been too much conflicting evidence to indict Darren Wilson for the shooting of Michael Brown, but the refusal of a New York City grand jury to indict Daniel Pantaleo for the video-taped chokehold death of Eric Garner reveals a systematic denial by our legal system of oppressive police policies and practices, especially against people of color. As a white man I have never been stopped by a police officer except for traffic violations of which I was guilty. I am ashamed of the gratuitous harassment and injury inflicted upon law-abiding people of color for my ostensible protection. I believe it's time for the nation to recognize the extent of this problem.