I see mile-long Bakken oil trains⎯each carrying approximately 3 million gallons of volatile crude oil⎯roll through my small Skagit Valley community nearly every day. If all oil-by-rail permit requests are approved, many more potentially explosive oil trains will travel through Washington state every day. The dangers to the health and safety of our communities and our environment of transporting oil by rail, given the flammability of Bakken crude oil, the poor safety record of the tank cars currently carrying the oil, and the increased number of derailments as more trains transport oil, need to be studied and addressed before allowing more oil-by-rail trains to travel through Washington state.

Engineering Technologists are sometimes subjugated to the level of Technician in many organizations effectively reducing the salaries of the individuals. This has a profound effect on their livelihoods. This is especially apparent with young graduates. When this occurs it nullifies the junior and senior years of academia and the individuals are left with student loan payments that command a higher percentage of their paycheck. The individuals are paid at the Associate degree level rather than if they have achieved a Baccalaureate degree.

Since September 11, 2011, over 30,000 service members have been discharged for mental conditions that do not amount to a disability. Research supports that some of these conditions can be directly related to their military service. Currently service members discharged for medical conditions not amounting to disability can have their status reviewed. This right should also be extended to those with mental conditions.

I believe that our civil rights are being abused by the "for profit" prisons. We are all personally affected by this issue even if it has not touched us personally.

The United States has the highest documented incarceration rate of any nation.When prisoners(Known as Residents at the Tacoma Facility) are a source of revenue for private companies this rate is only going to increase. Our tax dollars should not be wasted on this failed for profit prison(Detention Center).

We can't let the 2014 elections be marred by robbed voting rights.

If we keep letting schools ignore students' rights and work with politicians to silence young critics, we can't call ourselves a democracy.

Natives aren't costumes white people can take on and off.

The PubBoard is a committee that supervises student publications at Seattle Central Community College. It is currently chaired by the Dean of Student Leadership: the same department that controls funding and personnel management of Seattle Central's student publications. Such concentration of authority over student press is an unacceptable threat to the press' public mission. We urge President Killpatrick to appoint a neutral faculty member (i.e. someone who is acceptable to both student journalists and to Student Leadership) as chair of the PubBoard, so that student publications will be supervised in a fair, transparent, and accountable manner.

Because common sense doesnt PING the heads of those who are suppose to care.

to raise the pay in this State

After 40 days, Ramon Mendoza Pascual and Jesus Cipriano Rios are the two remaining hunger strikers at the ICE Detention Center in Tacoma, WA. Ramon and Jesus have decided not to stop the hunger strike, even though they have told Ramon that his kidneys may fail if he continues. The GEO Group has systematically attempted to silence these two brave individual's efforts. Instead of listening to the protesters, the GEO Group has threatened to force-feed them, and sentenced participants to solitary confinement. At this time information provided by Maru Mora Villalpando from Latino Advocacy reports: Both are receiving milk with vitamins and are in medical isolation and segregation (but Ramon was released after his 20 day sentence, and now it seems he has been placed in “administrative segregation” which means also isolation). Jesus has about 8 more days to go in solitary confinement but we are afraid he will be placed in “administrative segregation” as well when his sentence is over. Ramon was told his kidneys can fail at this point (close to 40 days of hunger strike now all together). Cipriano has been told he is still doing ok." No one should have to starve themselves to be heard. Especially for demands like these: – Improved food quality – Improved treatment (including medical treatment) – Increased pay for work in the facility (the current pay is $1.00/day) – An end to exorbitant commissary prices – Fundamental fairness and justice Stand up to the GEO Group, don't allow them to silence the brave efforts of Ramon, Jesus, and all the detainees at the ICE Detention Center in Tacoma, WA. Help put an end to the use of For Profit Prisons! For more information about the hunger striker's demands and news articles covering the strike, you can find some here: http://www.notonemoredeportation.com/2014/03/17/breaking-hunger-strikes-spread-to-texas-detention-center/ http://www.thenewstribune.com/2014/03/19/3105791/hunger-strike-down-to-2-detainees.html http://truth-out.org/news/item/22586-from-tacoma-to-texas-hunger-strikers-challenge-private-immigration-detention-centers-federal-deportation-policy In Solidarity, Renee Hamilton