On the first day of the new Congress, Republicans quietly introduced a rules change that would force Social Security into a manufactured crisis. The new rule puts a new restriction on the routine transfer of funds between the Social Security trust fund and the Social Security disability program, an action so normal that Congress has approved it 11 times. Unless Congress approves new revenues (which they won't), disabled Americans or seniors will see huge benefit cuts as soon as 2016. The Republican Congress might want to spend their times playing games with our retirement. But as long as you are in the White House, President Obama, you have the power to veto bills that cut Social Security retirement benefits or disability insurance.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is a trade deal currently being negotiated between the United States and 11 other countries in Asia and the Pacific. If finalized, it would be the largest trade deal in history. In a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman, co-signed by Sens. Tammy Baldwin and Edward Markey, Elizabeth Warren warned that the deal could allow foreign companies to challenge United States financial regulations designed to prevent another financial crisis. They wrote: "Including such provisions in the TPP could expose American taxpayers to billions of dollars in losses and dissuade the government from establishing or enforcing financial rules that impact foreign banks. The consequence would be to strip our regulators of the tools they need to prevent the next crisis.” Warren has also spoken out forcefully against the secretive nature of the negotiations behind the deal being written by lobbyists from America’s biggest corporations and Wall Street’s biggest banks. Speaking at Public Citizen, Warren said, “From what I hear, Wall Street, pharmaceuticals, telecom, big polluters and outsourcers are all salivating at the chance to rig the deal in the upcoming trade talks. So the question is, ‘Why are the trade talks secret?’... I actually have had supporters of the deal say to me ‘They have to be secret, because if the American people knew what was actually in them, they would be opposed.’” Sources and more information: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/18/elizabeth-warren-trade-deal_n_6350312.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/elizabeth-warren-other-democrats-raise-concerns-about-free-trade-pact-with-asia/2014/12/17/19de1c48-8632-11e4-b9b7-b8632ae73d25_story.html http://www.commondreams.org/news/2014/12/18/senator-warren-takes-tpp http://www.warren.senate.gov/files/documents/TPP.pdf

Last year, North Carolina ranked second only to California in terms of solar capacity added. Our recent report, Star Power, showed that we can reach 20% solar by 2030 at a fifth of our current growth. Our challenge now is to keep the surge in solar power growing strong! We know that the cities with the most solar power aren’t just the ones with the most sunshine; they’re also the communities with smart pro-solar policies. That's why we're asking Raleigh to commit to a bold yet achievable goal of 15% solar by 2030!

The housing crisis is tough on all of us, but for low income elderly and disabled Californians it has become almost impossible to get by. In 2008, then-Governor Schwarzenegger used his line-item veto power to eliminate a small tax rebate, just up to $347.50 per household, for elderly, blind and disabled renters making less than $44,096. Nearly 500,000 households relied on the “Renter’s Rebate” to pay the rent, buy groceries and get crucial medical coverage. With rents skyrocketing all over the state, the lack of such basic assistance is an outrage. California has its first budget surplus since the program was cut. And Governor Brown and the California legislature can immediately restore the Renter’s Rebate by funding it in the new state budget. But they’ll only do it if you demand it. Elderly and disabled Californians have been suffering in this housing crisis. Senior and disabled tenants need this basic lifeline back. We need to act right now while the budget is being written and debated in Sacramento. Tell your state representatives and Governor Brown to restore the renters rebate and bring relief to struggling California renters today.

Through recently passed zoning and the imminent construction of a 384 unit condo project, this neighborhood could add over 500 new residential units in the coming years. The City of Poughkeepsie should not alienate Wheaton Park to sell it to a private developer. Do we really need 40+ more condo units, including private parking for them near our riverfront instead of Wheaton Park? We have plenty of empty housing, why keep building more at the price of a outdoor recreation? Parks are more, not less, needed than ever before. Wheaton Park's scenic vistas and premier gateway location next to the train station are a major community asset that should not be "for sale."

My name is Nathaniel Smith. I am 22 years old and I live in West Philadelphia. I work as a baggage handler for PrimeFlight Aviation Services, a contractor for US Airways at the Philadelphia International Airport. I make $7.25 an hour with no meaningful benefits. I don’t make close to enough to provide for my family the way I’d like to. I have a 3 year-old daughter and a son on the way. Like any parent, I want to buy my children the world but sometimes I can barely afford to get them toys or take them to lunch. I am constantly juggling bills and my phone has even been cut off. Most of the time, I make sacrifices that affect me, and not my children like working more hours or going without eating. There are many workers at the Philadelphia International Airport who are in the same boat as I am. My coworkers and I get little or no health care. Most of us don’t get paid holidays, vacation time or sick days. Some of us even experience unsafe and unhealthy working conditions. This is no way to live. We deserve human dignity and respect. For nearly three years we have been speaking out for better wages and conditions. Philadelphia voters have heard our cries for help and overwhelmingly supported a wage raise to $10.88. Yet eight months later, we have yet to see the raise in our paychecks. It seems that our dream is delayed. Dr. King died supporting Memphis sanitation workers who were working under deplorable conditions and making what would be $11.41 per hour today. 46 years after Dr, King’s death, most airport passenger service workers work under deplorable conditions and earn just $8 per hour with little or no benefits. Dr. King’s dream—our dream—of good jobs and equality for all should be delayed no more. That’s why it is more important than ever that we celebrate Dr. King’s legacy as we demand a better future for our families and for our city. We demand and declare that MLK Day 2015 will be a paid holiday for all airport workers. Join me and pledge to stand with PHL airport workers to make MLK Day 2015 a paid holiday. Thank you. Nathaniel Smith, PHL Airport Worker

I feel that our government officials have forgotten who they are. They feel that they have the right to make cuts to everyone besides themselves. If we didn't have to pay them their salary and medical benefits forever, they wouldn't need to cut Social Security or Medicare or retirement funds for those who need it the most.

Justin bieber does nothing but embarrass this country and causes problems for the locals in California. He spits on his fans and is a danger to other people when he is behind the wheel. We are not safe with him around.

NJ voters across the political spectrum are angry that so much money - especiallyundisclosed money from outside the state - is being spent in our elections. In ademocracy, it is our right to know the amount and source of money spent either in favor or against a candidate or ballot proposition. These bills state that all aggregate contributions of $2,500+ and expenditures of $1,400+ must be fully disclosed. Free and fair elections require a voter’s ability to follow the money. If donations are not disclosed, any subsequent act of intimidation or “quid pro quo” corruption is likely to go undetected. Dark money in elections tempt interest groups of all stripes to engineer the outcome. Our NJ Legislature is already on the record in support of Constitutional Amendment to overturn Citizens United, the ruling that allows for free and unlimited spending by corporations in our elections. Since it will take a constitutional amendment to remedy the Citizens United Supreme Court decision, we must reduce the harm NOW by bringing all campaign contributions and expenditures into the light of day. Pass A227 and the companion Senate bill (which was S2616 in the last session) in time for our next election November 2015.

Numerous members of the New Democratic Coalition, an organization of pro-Wall Street and anti-middle class Democrats led by U.S. Representative Ron Kind of Wisconsin, recently launched attacks on progressive Democrats for opposing legislation to repeal many of the regulations in the Dodd-Frank bill that were designed to protect consumers who use our country's financial institutions. The New Democratic Coalition is one of the most influential organizations that compromise the Republican Wing of the Democratic Party. The New Democratic Coalition supports much of the same corporate agenda that the Republicans do, most notably deregulating Wall Street to put American consumers at the mercy of predatory banks even moreso than they are now and enacting free trade agreements to drive down wages, ship American jobs to foreign countries, and further destroy what little of our country's economic sovereignty remains. The fact that New Democratic Coalition members are openly attacking progressive-minded, pro-middle class Members of Congress for standing up for the American worker and consumer proves that they are more interested in dividing the party and serving special interests than making America a better place to live. Since U.S. Representative Ron Kind of Wisconsin is the Chairman of the New Democratic Coalition, it is his responsibility to denounce the divisive attacks on progressives from the members of his group. We, the signatories of this petition, are calling for Representative Kind to publicly denounce the New Democratic Coalition's War on Progressives.

Texas Government Code 437.208 states, “A body of persons other than the regularly organized Texas military forces, the armed forces of the United States, or the active militia of another state may not associate as a military company or organization or parade in public with firearms in a municipality of the state.” The extra-judicial armed groups now patrolling several areas on our state’s southern border are manifestly organized “as a military company or organization” outside the control of Texas military forces and the armed forces of the United States. We call on you to enforce Texas Government Code 437.208 against these private militias and disperse them.

This is to improve the quality and impact of Moveon.org petitions. This seems to be the only way to get read by anyone at Moveon.org -- assuming there is someone at Moveon.org that takes any responsibility for petitions they distribute. I am sick of petitions from Moveon.org and other organization, which do not fulfill these seven standards. Please do not follow the petition signing with a request for a donation as this degrades the petitions importance, making it seem like only an excuse to ask for money. Send an independent request for donations. It would be nice to get a response from the team!!! Ya sign a petition regarding an important issue and never know what happened. And too many petitions of the same issue are presented. We don't want the same people signing 5 petitions for the same thing and we don't want to sign the same petition twice making the petition worthless.