I am very alarmed by the amount of gas produced by fracking because it destroys the natural environment and produces noxious toxins in the water supply. I can help curtail this by blocking the pipeline coming through MA.

There is nothing more American or Patriotic than paying taxes. We The People (aka Taxpayers) should now have a say as to where a given % percentage of our individual tax dollars go. I propose a multiple choice tax election where a designated % of our tax dollars be spent according to our wishes: -If you're a fan of smart kids, chose education. -If you don't want a bunch of sick people around, chose healthcare. -If you can't get to work, chose public transportation or infrustructure. Etc... Etc... You get my drift. We should be able to elect a governement sector of our choice where a designated % of our very own tax dollars must be allocated to. For those of us who are sick and tired of helplessly paying substantial portions of earned wages without any accountability...TIME TO PUT OUR MONEY WHERE OUR MOUTH IS! Forget the chickenhawk blowhards who ciphon our national wealth to private defense contractors and nation-building abroad or the corporations who hide overseas to shelter their profits or the largess of the rich who bemoan paying their due, it's our turn to tell policy makers where they must spend America's taxpayer fortune...or, where NOT to spend (for all you Tea Party Libertarians out there).

I am starting this petition because I have been discriminated against because of a criminal record I have. I've been trying to get employment for almost 2 yrs. to no avail. No one will hire me because of my criminal background. I am on the verge of being homeless. I have no income to pay my bills and I'm currently in school. I have been released from jail since 2008 and have worked in Washington, PA area. Also before my arrest I obtained my associate degree in Business. I have education and work experience and great work ethics. But no one can see that past this criminal record which has crippled me. I just want a fair chance like everybody else and not have to keep paying for my past mistakes over and over again. And especially all the charges that were dismissed or I was found not guilty of are on my criminal record. Employers should not see charges that have been dismissed or thrown out. They should only see charges that you have been found guilty of. Because when they see all the charges, they're not looking at the fact that they was dismissed. They are discriminating according to charges, not convictions. And they don't care about the good work record you have with other employers in the past, or references.

The representatives of our Fort Wayne City Council are not listening to the concerns of the local taxpayers and are trying to rush through passing an ordinance to strip public union workers of collective bargaining.

Yesterday, Speaker Michael Madigan announced that he could not organize enough Illinois House Democrats to vote to extend current income tax rates for corporations and individuals in Illinois. Instead, he directed House members to craft a new budget with $4 BILLION in CUTS! That’s what Republicans do…Republicans cut corporate taxes and gut funding for schools, roads, parks and other things that matter to real people. Speaker Madigan is the most powerful person in Springfield, and we can’t afford for him to govern like a Republican!

Freeing some for a non-violent crime while punishing others for the same thing is morally wrong. It would not be fair if the Fair Sentencing Act is not retroactive. It's time to free those who have been wrongfully sentenced.

We need renewable energy to be built as fast as it can be built in IL, and throughout the US, to mitigate climate change! We need new green jobs to bolster our economy! Here in IL our Renewable (Energy) Portfolio Standard, (RPS), is broken and Springfield is planning to slide out for the summer without fixing it - SB103, HB2864 are the vehicles for that fix. Corporations are standing in the way, and once again Springfield is bowing to the corporate influence. We can not let them, climate change is on the agenda now, not whenever they get around to it, but now! More info at Frack Free Illinois on FB and www.ilikecleanenergy.org

HELP! What President Obama and Secretary of State Kerry should do about the US Marine in Mexican prison. What should President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry ask of the Mexican government? Accelerate, really accelerate the judicial process (akin to our Constitution right to a speedy trial.) Don’t make this marine languish in prison — give him due process…and now.  This marine did two tours in Afghanistan for us (even got struck by an IED and suffers from PTSD) — so it is our turn to help him.   Secretary Kerry, on his trip to Mexico, should ask the Mexican authorities to accelerate the judicial process for our US Marine. I know we all want the Marine home today. There is an easy solution to this.  We just have to do it and get it done.  What we can do, and what is minimally reasonable under these circumstances, is use our political and diplomatic muscle (and yes that can include some economic warnings) and demand an accelerated judicial process, meaning that a judge or prosecutor review his case fully right now, not later. A fair and complete review of the facts of this marine’s case will lead one to the obvious conclusion: he accidentally drove into Mexico. He never intended to bring weapons unlawfully into Mexico.  Our marine has been in the Mexican prison system since March 31. The Mexican judicial process is piecemeal and can drag on and on and on – from months to even years. It is different from our system of justice and often poisoned by bribes and corruption. In the meantime, as the Mexican justice system plays out endlessly, our marine sits in the prison. If the marine were in the American judicial system, he would have been released on bail (8th Amendment / Constitutional right to bail) and the minute a fair prosecutor reviewed his case, the case would be dismissed. The case is not close – the facts are simple. Just listening to the 9-1-1 call placed by the marine at the Mexican checkpoint at the time is itself convincing that there was no intent to bring weapons unlawfully into Mexico. And if an American prosecutor for some unusual or even vindictive reason thought the matter should proceed to trial, I am as certain as you can get with predicting trial results, that this marine would be found not guilty, not guilty of intending to bring weapons into Mexico unlawfully.

We don't abandon our own. SGT Tahmooressi is an honorable man who has faithfully served his country. His service, earning him a battlefield promotion, resulted in PTSD. Having recently arrived in San Diego to receive treatment from the VA, he was not familiar with the area. He was living out of his truck, and had all of his possessions, to include legally owned guns, in his vehicle when disallowed to turn around at the border. SGT Tahmooressi has been held in a Mexican Prison for over 50 days. Attention from the Secretary of State and President Obama could easily resolve this matter. Bring SGT Tahmooressi home NOW! We do not abandon our own.

The current medical marijuana law is great for people that are on the list of approved illnesses and not-so great for other people that are not on the list. Those people are being discriminated against. We know very well that marijuana can cure more than what is currently outlined by the bill.

Blue Ridge Biofuels produces biodiesel from recycled cooking oil in Asheville, NC. The EPA proposal threatens to reverse positive growth that has been made by Blue Ridge Biofuels and other biodiesel producers. The EPA proposal is also a retreat from their commitment to combat climate change.

On May 15, 2014, Jessy West exercised his federally-protected right to go on strike from his workplace, Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken, a global fast-food chain. He was illegally retaliated against and was fired. Jessy went on strike because he works hard but still struggles paycheck to paycheck because he only makes $7.40 an hour. Nobody who works as hard as Jessy should live in poverty.