Right now, the childhood hunger problem in America is inexcusably big – affecting more than 1 in 5 children. We know that adequate food and good nutrition, particularly in a young child’s life, has a very important impact on a child’s capacity for future learning and on their lifelong economic productivity. But our leaders are not giving this problem the attention it warrants. In the name of deficit reduction, members of Congress are considering deep spending cuts to anti-hunger programs as part of this fall and winter’s budget debate. (In reality, cutting funding for programs like SNAP that alleviate hunger and poverty for children won’t make much of a dent in reducing our deficit: right now children receive less than 8% of federal funding. ) That debate provides and important opportunity for us to demonstrate public support for our vision of a country where everyone gets a fair shot in life. Hunger in America is big and is getting worse as income inequality becomes more extreme. This is a trend that we need to reverse now. Sign this petition to urge our state legislators to work together to end childhood hunger in Arizona. Thanks for your help!

Right now, the childhood hunger problem in America is inexcusably big – affecting more than 1 in 5 children. We know that adequate food and good nutrition, particularly in a young child’s life, has a very important impact on a child’s capacity for future learning and on their lifelong economic productivity. But our leaders are not giving this problem the attention it warrants. In the name of deficit reduction, members of Congress are considering deep spending cuts to anti-hunger programs as part of this fall and winter’s budget debate. (In reality, cutting funding for programs like SNAP that alleviate hunger and poverty for children won’t make much of a dent in reducing our deficit: right now children receive less than 8% of federal funding. ) That debate provides and important opportunity for us to demonstrate public support for our vision of a country where everyone gets a fair shot in life. Hunger in America is big and is getting worse as income inequality becomes more extreme. This is a trend that we need to reverse now.

The United States now has the greatest inequality of wealth of any developed nation. Almost all productivity gains from computer automation and off-shoring are going to the top one percent, while more and more of the rest of us are being thrust into poverty. Restoring top marginal income tax rates to those of the Eisenhower administration and enforcing tax laws on international corporations will provide the needed revenue.

Home Depot is the World's largest home improvement retailer, operating more than 2,200 stores throughout the United States (including the territories of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands), Canada, China and Mexico. Home Depot is the fourth largest retailer in the U.S., and the fifth largest retailer in the world. Yet, Home Depot is not and does not have plans to install solar panels on their rooftops. I received the following e-mail response from Home Depot on 12/26/13: Good Afternoon, I contacted our Building Services department and they stated that there are currently no plans to install solar panels on the roof of our stores. If you need any further assistance or have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at the number below or reply to this email. Have a great day! Sincerely, Warren A. Ray The Home Depot Resolution Expeditor- Email Resolution Team 2455 Paces Ferry Road / B-3 Atlanta, GA 30339 Yet, other Big Box retailers are installing rooftop solar panels: Walmart is the largest retailer in the U.S. and in the world by revenue, with 4,423 U.S. stores and over 10,000 stores worldwide. Walmart has 200 solar installations across the USA, Walmart plans to have 1,000 solar installations by 2020. Walmart’s goal is to eventually supply 100% of its energy needs with renewable energy. Costco is the fifth largest U.S. retailer and seventh largest in the world, with 425 stores in the U.S. Costco has installed solar panels in approximately 60 stores, with an average size of 500 kW per store. Solar power supplies about 22% of each store’s energy needs. Kohl’s is the 20th largest retailer in the U.S. and the 44th largest retailer in the world, with 1,127 U.S. stores. Kohl’s has solar panels installed at 139 of its stores, and will have solar panels at 200 stores by 2015. IKEA only has 38 U.S. stores, but its buildings can accommodate larger solar installations. By 2020, the company plans to meet 100% of its energy needs with renewable energy. So, why is Home Depot not installing rooftop Solar panels???????

Healthcare needs more provider options to lower cost and increase access. Pharmacist can be a positive disruptive force in lowering cost and increasing access now.

When Yesenia volunteered for President Obama's campaign, she never imagined his Administration would also tear her family apart. Yesenia's husband, Jorge, was undocumented. But the couple tried everything they could to fix his situation. They filed all the right paper work. They took all of the proper steps -- or so they thought. At the last minute, during Jorge’s interview in Ciudad Juarez, immigration officials in the Obama Administration denied Jorge's appeal. The family was devastated, and Yesenia and their U.S. citizen son were forced to leave Jorge behind in Mexico. The Obama Administration has effectively made Yesenia a single mother. Now, financial hardships could cause her to lose the family's home. Yesenia has even considered dropping out of graduate school. Her medical condition has aggravated to the extent that she is unable to perform her job and has put her at risk of being hospitalized any minute. When Yesenia met President Obama at a reception in 2012, he personally thanked her for her work to keep him in the White House. But now, the Obama Administration is denying her husband a chance to return to the country he loves. It truly is tragic! Yesenia and her family need your help getting reunited. Tell immigration officials in the Obama Administration to expedite Jorge's case so he can return home to his family where he belongs!

I know many young people in New Mexico who feel the best days of our country are over. Their chances of having a good life by hard work and saving are out of reach because most jobs available even to college graduates pay below poverty level. Its sad to see their depression and sense of defeat. For that reason, I'm asking you to join me in petitioning our Senator Tom Udall, Congressman Steve Pearce and candidates for Congress this fall to support raising the minimum wage. People who work hard should be rewarded by fair pay and safe working conditions. New Mexico is in the depths of a recession and working people are hurting. Many are working two jobs to make ends meet because a minimum wage job pays below Federal poverty level. No one wants a handout, just a fair shake. No matter what big business and anti-labor groups say, minimum wage increases don't result in lost jobs or cause a recession, just the opposite.

When Yesenia volunteered for President Obama's campaign, she never imagined his Administration would also tear her family apart. Yesenia's husband, Jorge, was undocumented. But the couple tried everything they could to fix his situation. They filed all the right paper work. They took all of the proper steps -- or so they thought. At the last minute, during Jorge’s interview in Ciudad Juarez, immigration officials in the Obama Administration denied Jorge's appeal. The family was devastated, and Yesenia and their U.S. citizen son were forced to leave Jorge behind in Mexico. The Obama Administration has effectively made Yesenia a single mother. Now, financial hardships could cause her to lose the family's home. Yesenia has even considered dropping out of graduate school. Her medical condition has aggravated to the extent that she is unable to perform her job and has put her at risk of being hospitalized any minute. When Yesenia met President Obama at a reception in 2012, he personally thanked her for her work to keep him in the White House. But now, the Obama Administration is denying her husband a chance to return to the country he loves. It truly is tragic! Yesenia and her family need your help getting reunited. Tell immigration officials in the Obama Administration to expedite Jorge's case so he can return home to his family where he belongs!

I am hoping to protect our Great Lakes from a tragic environmental disaster . When Enbridge oil crossed our Great Lakes 67 years ago they were transporting regular crude that floats. Tar sands oil sinks. The largest fresh body of water in the world needs to be protected from transport of tar sands. I am requesting a full environmental study and the halt of transport under this body of water that supplies fresh water to over 40,000,000 people . A spill into our Great Lakes would prove fatal! On July 26th 2010 the largest inland oil spill in our country was from Enbridge oil company into the Kalamazoo River just a 1/2 mile from where I live. Line 6b is apart of a large pipeline that extends from Alberta Canada. When it ruptured sending over 1,000,000 gallons of tar sands 26 miles down the Kalamazoo River into Marrow lake it changed everything I never knew about oil companies Enbridge knew of over 250 sites needing repair on the pipeline that criss crosses many waterways in Michigan and had just asked for another extension when the pipe ruptured. Enbridge attempted to cover up the oil (see on u tube Jon Bolenbaugh videos Kalamazoo River oil spill and cover-up) It has been 3 1/2 years and 1 billion dollars and they still have not recaptured all the tar sands from the river bottom. The current pipeline that goes under the Straights of Mackinac should of been replaced 34years ago. This aging pipe that lays under the largest fresh body of water in the world, our Great Lakes, was granted permission to transport regular crude. Tar sands oil is much different than regular oil Enbridge has already proved they cannot clean a tar sands oil spill once it has entered the waterway. I believe there needs to be an halt to the transport of tar sand oil under the Great Lakes. Enbridge oil company needs to find another route for this tars sands oil!

A hate crime is usually defined by state law as one that involves threats, harassment, or physical harm and is motivated by prejudice against someone's race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, or physical or mental disability. Laws vary by state and if hate crimes are provided for by statute, the definitions of hate crimes and penalties imposed vary. States that have hate crime statutes provide harsher penalties for such offenses. The underlying criminal offenses that are designated in hate crime laws include, but are not limited to, crimes against persons like harassment, terroristic threats, assault and crimes against property like criminal trespass, criminal mischief and arson. The current federal law regarding hate crimes deals with crimes where the offender is motivated by bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or ethnicity/national origin.

What are your priorities? Stop private profiteers from commercializing our clean drinking water reservoirs. Stop rewarding those linked to blatant dumping and disregard environmental law with Marina permits. Take private corporate marinas and gasoline storage out of our, by deed, no-commercial neighborhoods and off of our central Texas drinking water reservoirs where they do not belong. PROTECT WATERS OF THE USA. Do not let ALEC right-wing superPAC, in their Jan. 2016 resolution to Congress, undermine the EPA, Clean Water ACT and Army Corps of Engineers on a state by state basis in order to deregulate water protections! Water knows no boundary. Protect ALL waters of the USA under the ground and above the ground Federally as CLEAN WATER IS A HUMAN RIGHT! Please, protect the legacy we leave our children and protect all waters of the USA because clean water is a human right!

The properties of Massillon, Ohio resident and Viet Nam veteran Jim Huebner and 14 of his neighbors were mandatory pooled into a drilling unit in November, 2013. Everflow Eastern Partners, LLC requested a pooling order from the Ohio Department of Natural Resource’s (ODNR) Technical Advisory Council (TAC). Everflow’s Leasing Manager, Les Dunics, told TAC that he had Massillon City property leased when in fact the city had not yet signed a lease for 8.10 acres of city-owned roadway within the drilling unit. The chief of the ODNR Division of Oil and Gas Resources Management approved the pooling order on December 10, 2013. On the same day Everflow was issued a permit to drill, though they did not have the necessary acreage under lease and had knowingly given false testimony to the TAC. The fact that TAC nor The Chief took the time to review the evidence provided illustrates the way in which the ODNR merely serves as a rubber stamp for the oil and gas industry to do as they please. To further demonstrate the way in which ODNR acts as a rubber stamp for oil and gas: by law (ORC 1509.38) the TAC must have eight members, six of which represent oil and gas producers, one to represent landowner royalty interest, and one member to represent the public. Effectively, seven of the eight council members represent the oil and gas industry. The public representative’s seat has not been filled for several years because the Governor of Ohio has not appointed anyone to that position. What the Stark Summit Coalition want to know is: Why didn’t the TAC or the Chief review Everflow’s leases before issuing the mandatory pooling order and permit? And why are the legal proceedings weighted so heavily in favor of oil and gas? Had the TAC and the Chief reviewed the leases, an order would have never been issued and neither would the permit. Had there been a balanced process and representation, evidence would likely be reviewed. Mr. Huebner had thirty days to file an appeal with the Ohio Oil and Gas Commission and he did. Since Everflow had the permit, they could technically drill if they wanted to. Mr. Huebner also had to file a request for a Stay of Execution of the Mandatory Pooling Order to attempt to prevent any drilling from occurring while he was going through the appeal process. As the primary basis of his appeal and request for a Stay of Execution, Mr. Huebner alleged that Everflow provided the TAC, and consequently the Chief, false information regarding their lease agreements with the City of Massillon, as Massillon’s City Council had not approved the lease agreement, and backed up the allegation with documentation. As a result, the Chief revoked the drilling permit and the pooling order. Mr. Huebner is still working on his Stay of Execution and appeal because Everflow Eastern now has 30 days to appeal the revocation order. MANDATORY POOLING HAS TO STOP: 1. A Mandatory Pooling Hearing takes place in front of a biased and pro-drilling panel; the TAC. This procedure is not consistent with due process rights and undermines the judicial practice that is meant to ensure justice in a free society. The Ohio and U.S. constitutions protect due process rights, which brings the constitutionality of this law into question. 2. Pooled person(s) do not have representation on the TAC when the request is made to pool. It is unjust to force a person into a drilling unit without fair and equal representation with independent, knowledgeable council members who have no ties to the oil and gas industry. 3. Being forced to surrender an asset violates a person’s right to form or decline a contract. 4. Current oil and gas law does little to protect Ohioans from impacts that emerge over a long period of time or affect their health in ways that are difficult to prove with the high standard of certainty required for legal proceedings. The law is unclear about the liability the mandatory pooled person(s) have in the event of an accident that occurs as a result of the presence of a drilling operation or well and the associated activities when they have been forced to participate. “Owners” of the well may be liable for future problems. Those currently forced into “ownership” should not be held liable for any damages that occur. Furthermore, the company should have to remediate damages incurred on the property fully and promptly.