On Tuesday April 8, 2014, in Warwick, a childhood friend of mine was found dead in a ditch; he was homeless. It saddens me no end to realize that Joey Graham had laid there in that ditch while dying and he had no help or resources to aide him. Such an injustice for all humanity.

Corporations and the wealthy must pay their fair share of taxes. We must demand that Gov. McCrory and the General Assembly rescind the tax breaks from the 2013 Legislative session that will cut $2.4 billion from the state budget over the next 5 years. Workers speak out about why they need real raises now: "We go through hardships after so many years without a raise. Light bills in Wilson keep going up, and I don’t really have enough money for food. ”- Betty Howard, Food & Nutritional Services, Longleaf Neuro-Medical Treatment Center “Besides my full-time job with the state, I have to work 2 other jobs just to pay my bills. My wife is out of work on disability and I am struggling. We need a big raise! ”

- Johnny Askins, Durham, State Department of Transportation


 “Everything has gone up but the wages. The cost of our parking and insurance has gone up a lot. We can’t afford the out-of-pocket expenses at the doctor, so we don’t go. Since Duke Power has taken over, our power bills have almost doubled. I can hardly buy food in the grocery store because that’s gone up too. We need a serious raise now! ” - Evelyn Hill, Housekeeper, N.C. State University

It is TIME for those who TRULY love, respect, appreciate and have Gratitude for NATURE to HOLD the VISION strongly, reflecting to those who would create drama and war ONLY for private profit and gain that Life NEEDS to be WHOLESOME and healthy to support/sustain all. me ke aloha

Howard Bailey is a veteran who served his country honorably, and built a family and a business after his service. But because of a 15 year old drug conviction, the government deported Howard from the United States - without a fair hearing and without the chance to rejoin his family. Veterans, like Howard, are deported all too often. Please sign and share the petition calling on our leaders to allow Howard to return home and reunite with his family. Be sure to note if you are a veteran. Howard Bailey is one of the two million people that President Obama has deported during his presidency.

Just yesterday we learned of another tragedy in the Philadelphia schools, a young boy dying in a school without a full-time nurse due to Corbett-inspired budget cuts. At least there are roving nurses; with more cuts even they may go. My kids are now adults but graduates of a proud public school system that Corbett has brought to its knees. We cannot tolerate any further blows to our schools and call ourselves a civilized society.

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