State Senator Diane Rosenbaum and Oregon Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian met recently with some unions and nonprofit organizations in Portland to strategize about getting the minimum wage raised by Oregon's legislature. The Legislative Director of the Oregon AFL-CIO, Elana Guiney, stated that “the minimum wage is never going to be a living wage,” and suggested the state legislature should raise the minimum wage to more than $10.10, but less than $15 (http://nwlaborpress.org/2014/08/will-minimum-wage-movement-come-oregon). Unfortunately, rent in Portland and other parts of Oregon are increasing at more than three times the national rate of inflation. According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition's "Out of Reach" report, in 2013, single parents in Oregon needed to work 72 hours per week at minimum wage, or make at least $16.38/hr at 40 hours per week in order to afford adequate housing for them and their children. Clearly $10.10, $12, or even $13/hr is not enough. Oregon needs $15 NOW!

The California Supreme Court has blocked voters from directing Congress to overturn the Citizens United ruling by removing Proposition 49 from this November's ballot. The Court may allow it back on the ballot when they consider the case in September. The courts are telling us that corporations are people and their campaign spending is free speech. Now they are telling us that real people are not allowed to speak back with our votes.

Every year, millions of sharks are killed every year only for their fins. US tuna brands that hire these vessels, like Bumble Bee, aren't taking any steps to stop it.

A Ferguson, Missouri police officer racially profiled and fatally shot 18-year-old Michael Brown as the teen stood with his hands in the air. Mike Brown's father — Louis Head — and community members are calling it an execution. Racially-motivated police violence has no place in law enforcement and represents the systemic police abuse against Black communities in Ferguson and Missouri at large. Enough is enough. Please join us in calling on federal and city officials to rigorously investigate, prosecute, and fire all officers involved.

Michelle Rhee has a long history of implementing and endorsing educational strategies and reforms that have no basis in research. She has led the charge against public education and as such has hurt students and teachers. She has attempted to change the landscape of education for her own benefit and the benefit of her millionaire and billionaire friends. Her character is questionable and therefore she does not belong on Miracle-Gro's board. Miracle-Gro's products need to be boycotted until she is removed.

I live in the condo across the street. My bedroom is less than 300 feet from the proposed tower site. As a home owner, I cannot get out of this tower's path. I already suffer from electromagnetic radiation poisoning, with daily headaches when I talk on a cell phone for longer than 5 minutes. If this tower is constructed, I might as well stick my head in a microwave!

Kids and teenagers are getting killed around the world by law enforcement and they have no weapons. We should make it a mandatory law just like the healthcare plan was and all the effort that no law enforcement can shoot or kill any kid of teenager under the age 19 if they do not have a gun for a weapon.

This genocide cannot be allowed to be continued by the Islamic State (aka ISIS) and we need to go to the UN and formally get these actions declared a genocide. So the world will remember and understand these atrocities and crimes are true and will not be tolerated now or in the future.

I know that no matter what happens to Lisa Graham, it won't bring my best friend back. But Shea was a once in a lifetime type of friend, she was always there for me. Right before she was shot from behind multiple times and left on the side of Bowden Road to die, she accepted Jesus Christ. She was turning her life around , she had her whole life ahead of her. Please help me get justice for my friend!

Colleen Hanabusa is losing the Democratic primary by a slim margin. Apparently, despite common sense, she thinks she can get enough votes from the two Puna districts hit by Hurricane Iselle if she can delay their make-up election or force them to vote by mail (we'll leave it to your imagination how she could change the results if they vote by mail.) Rumor is that Hanabusa is hoping for the Attorney General position when she loses her ambitious attempt at the senate. Let's nip this in the bud!

Uber and Lyft provide affordable alternative transportation for residents and visitors to Salt Lake City. Currently, the city is sending secret shoppers to “catch” Lyft and Uber drivers to fine them for not having the proper license to be a taxi. The city claims that it is enforcing these antiquated laws to ensure a level playing field between new companies and old cab companies. The real issue is that these old cab companies have provided such low service that a need for new companies is needed, and has been embraced. Companies like Lyft provide safe, easy, convenient transportation that is far superior to that of any of the cab companies that service Salt Lake City. Under Utah law these drivers are not breaking any laws, only that of the City. We believe that the Mayor and Council-members of Salt Lake City should embrace the new sharing economy and remove the ordinances and restrictions on drivers in the sharing economy and align with the laws of Utah. These drivers should not be under any regulation beyond that of a regular licensed driver in the state of Utah.

I'm tired of having neighbors move because of huge rent hikes --$400 -700