We need a government of, by, and for the people–not bought and paid for by wealthy donors. Citizens United unleashed a flood of special interest outside spending, and candidate fundraising is also dominated by the wealthy. For example, 2012 U.S. Senate candidates got 64% of the money they raised from individuals in contributions of at least $1,000—from just 0.04% of the population. These big money donors largely determine who runs for office, who wins elections, and what issues make it onto the agenda in Washington. When candidates dial for dollars or attend high-priced fundraisers, they are hearing from a narrow, rich slice of America—donors who don’t share the same priorities as the rest of us. The very wealthy, for example, are less likely to support policies that give working families a fair shot at economic security—like investing in jobs, a strong minimum wage—and more likely to focus on reducing the deficit. The result is a Congress with warped priorities that favor the donor class and neglect the rest of us. The Government By the People Act helps put our government back in the hands of ordinary Americans in three key ways: • My Voice Tax Credit: This $25 tax credit ($50 for joint returns) for small political contributions will help millions of ordinary citizens support candidates who share our priorities, not just those of the donor class. • Freedom From Influence Fund: This fund will amplify our voices and change candidates’ incentives by matching small contributions, making a $50 check worth $350 or even $500 to a qualified small-dollar candidate. This makes door-to-door fundraising and house parties with constituents as valuable to candidates as high-dollar fundraisers run by lobbyists. • Fight-Back Fund: This fund will give small-dollar candidates a fighting chance against Super PACs and dark money groups who flood the airwaves in the final days of an election. Qualified candidates can get a last-minute match of up to $500,000 to fight back in a close race. Together, these provisions can change the game. Candidates can run for office in a new way, We the People can have our voices heard, and wealthy donors can start paying their fair share of taxes rather than paying for politicians who will write them special breaks.

Cameras in special needs classrooms are necessary. Cameras WILL prevent teachers from becoming Ogres and Monsters and beasts because they have proven that they will behave ONLY when the paycheck signers are watching them. Let me take a step back and say not all teachers are this way. But for those who are not this would help them prove that they are good teachers, and help the parents to see what is going on. My reason for wanting camera's is very easy my child is nonverbal and can not tell me what is going on. When he comes home with bruises with no explanation of why, yes it upsets me. Other children in the class room as well have limited vocabulary or could easily be manipulated. They can not say or may not even understand what is happening to them. My son started acting out and trying to run away from school, never a problem before. Came home with bruises and several times with scratches. I started making reports of every mark my child came home with, and then suddenly he was acting out home. Trying tell us in his own way to communicate there was something wrong. He then came home with bruising on his gentile area and I was aghast and horrified. Made a doctors appointment and to my horror she said the one thing I wanted to deny sexual abuse. I felt like i was being sucked under and about to drown. How, why, when, I has so many questions circling in my head. I felt like the worse mother in the world. I would like to make certain that this never happens to another child again. Going through the justice route and the school board did no good. It is a sad day when a child has to suffer due to the fact he is non verbal. I would like to help protect our children to the best of my ability. Cameras protect our most vulnerable members of society from our most depraved and evil monsters. Once again this will also help the good and caring teachers out there as well. Cameras should be MANDATORY in ALL special needs classrooms.

There is no reason to undermine current negotiations with Iran by threatening new sanctions. If we want a peaceful negotiated solution this is the only way forward.

To stop people going to jail for child support. My deadline is to get this changed as soon as humanly possible. I will do whatever it takes to change this. I have been personally effected by this issue because my fiance just got picked up 3 days ago and taken to jail for child support what is putting them in jail gonna make them do. The ones who want to pay it struggle every day to pay it and get sent to jail lose their jobs and have to start all over from scratch. The ones who refuse to pay it go sit there time and get out and still don't pay it. So why make them sit in jail. It is not a crime. It's not a felony and it's not a misdemeanor so why treat it like they committed a crime? Please help me change this to help people stop missing out.

A new bill has just been introduced in the Virginia General Assembly that could rob Virginia students of a quality science education. If passed, students could lose out on a science education that includes climate change and evolution. This legislation is bad for our kids and must be stopped. State Delegate Richard Bell’s legislation says teachers would be allowed to “help students….critique and review….the scientific strengths and scientific weaknesses of existing scientific theories covered in science class.” This is well-known code for “teaching the controversy” of climate change instead of the facts about climate science. If this legislation passes, school boards, superintendents, and principals will be unable to hold teachers who cite fringe climate deniers and other crank theories accountable. Tennessee and Louisiana have already passed bills that call out climate change as an example of a “scientific theory” subject to debate rather than understanding. Unless we speak up now, Virginia could be next. According to a story in Climate Progress, “the bill is part of a national trend of legislative proposals, led by creationist organizations like the Discovery Institute and climate-change deniers such as the Heartland Institute.” (1) While the Virginia Assembly considers Bell’s anti-science bill, other states across the country have begun adopting 21st century science standards that include solid climate science education. The Next Generation Science Standards -- developed by the National Academy of Sciences and 26 states -- teach the known and accepted facts of climate change, rather than treating it as a debatable theory. Virginia should follow suit. At a time when Virginia is already experiencing climate impacts such as rising sea levels that threaten Hamptons Roads and other sections of the Virginia coast, our kids deserve to be taught the truth about climate change so that they can be part of the solution. Thank you for taking action for our kids and grandkids! Aimee Tavares, Mom Arlington, VA (1) Climate Progress story: http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/01/06/3124961/virginia-teach-controversy/

I am concerned about the lack of funding crippling school districts around the state, especially the large urban school districts. Lack of counselors, libraries closed and locked in the schools along with the lack of full time nurses in every school is disturbing and unfair to the students.

We want to see a Starbucks/subway in our High School. We think it will create a calm and relaxing place for students to work in during school ours.

Voting is a constitutional RIGHT. I'm sick and tired of the fights about who can vote, and when they can vote. Having one month available for EVERYONE to vote will reduce the opportunity for voter suppression.

We are all affected by loss of voting rights in our democratic republic. The people are the United States of America, and their unimpeded secret ballot is the source of their power.

The arguments in favor of limiting enrollement are fallacious. The new policy states: Active participatory courses (such as physical education, visual arts, and performing arts) that are related in content are limited in the number of enrollments. Most individual courses that were previously repeatable no longer are and further restrictions apply. The new policy extends retroactively to your entire academic history. Community colleges used to be about the community and life-long learning. With the obesity epidemic should we really be prohibiting people from taking P.E. classes? I am not allowed to take swimming classes because 20 years ago I swam at our community college when I was on the high school swim team because my high school did not have a pool. There is no way one can learn an art or any physical skill in one semester. Atheletic and creative activities can help one stay physically and mentally healthy into old age. Obviously students who need the classes to transfer to four year institutions and those who have not taken the classes before should have priority, but these people are not getting to take the classes now either, because without people like me re-taking classes, there is not enough interest and the class gets cancelled. If there are 30 students taking the class instead of 20 because 10 of them are repeating, how is that not bringing in more money? Is it the goal of California to just keep all these campuses empty without classes? The cost of maintaining the campus and administration are better supported by more people paying tuition than they are when students are denied the opportunity to enroll. The institutions are more sustainable with fuller enrollment.

Everyone needs to know their rights!

As part of Disney World’s new FastPass+ system, Disney will be getting rid of traditional FastPasses at all WDW parks by the end of January. The pros of this system are the ability to schedule FastPasses before your trip, and of course not having to deal with all of the paper of traditional FastPasses. But let’s look at some of the less known cons… Only 3 per day: Gone are the days of grabbing pass after pass as soon as they are available. With the new system you pick three… and done. Tiered system: Want passes to Soarin’ and Test Track in the same day? Nope. What about Rock N’ Roller Coaster and Toy Story Mania? No way. With FastPass+ you can pick one big ticket ride and two small rides per day. So if you want to go on Soarin’ you can use your remaining passes on rides like Captain EO and Turtle Talk (yes they are both options now) One park per day: Once you use your first FastPass of the day you are stuck in that park. You can still hop to other parks, but you will have no ability to obtain a FastPass there. While I love Disney, this seems like a major downgrade from their current system, and I feel like most Disney fans don’t even know that it’s happening. As always, the only way that things like this change is by people speaking out. Please sign this petition to voice your concern before it’s too late. And for Disneyland fans… it’s only a matter of time.