I work in the health care field and observe daily the negative impact of not expanding Medicaid is doing to our communities form an economic standpoint and a health standpoint.

This proposal would most effectively get special interests out of our government. Our elected officials are there to serve the common good of this country, not just the wealthy and powerfull. It would also make it possible for any citizen to run for public office based on good ideas and not on their ability to get financing.

Gasoline powered leaf blowers are noisy, negatively affect our health, and pollute our precious environment. Many are powered by two-stroke engines which can emit 30 percent of their unused gas and oil as exhaust according to the California Environmental Protection Agency. The American Lung Association states that leaf blowers "can pollute the air even more than cars." For more information, go to banblowersseattle.wordpress.com.

We condemn the Dominican Republic’s constitutional court ruling of Sept. 23, 2013, stripping citizenship from anyone born in the country to parents who were undocumented. Further more we condemn the use of violence against Haitians now living in the Dominic Republic. We are requesting that the United States intervene on behalf of Haitians who have already suffered greatly.

My husband passed away earlier this year thus leaving my two college students and me without health insurance. Cobra offered me continued coverage, at an approximately cost of $2,000 per month. I am a 57 year old self employed woman with college tuitions, a mortgage and extremely limited income. Almost anyone could find him/herself without affordable care insurance at anytime in their life.

I dislike that I can't spend Thanksgiving Day with my girlfriend. We have to make dinner early so she can be able to eat. She has to juggle having dinner with my family and her family in 3 hours. She has to go in at 5 PM to 7 AM and only rest 2 hours then go back for 4 more hours. Only so people can get deals. Black Friday should be on Friday not Thursday.

All people of concience have a moral responsibility to stand up for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Russians who are under attack.

Everyone is affected by the right to see and feel what art is about. We the people can't keep creditors taking things away from us for their own powers and pleasures. No matter where they are from, creditors take your assets in order to "fill in" for the bankruptcy. In reality, you don't owe anything to these creditors. They are just here to steal from you. If they were to give you a "bond" or "credit", they would make up the money out of thin air and type a number in your bank account, which is what you call MONEY. That's actually -- nothing. You don't ever see the money, you see the number typed on your account. So, what will Detroit get for the treasures at the DIA? NOTHING!!!! Nothing can replace the DIA the way it is!!!!! We will lose the right to go and see real art, get educated about what it looks like, and enjoy our time at this beautiful place! Please rethink before you grant the right to creditors to do whatever they want! ACT NOW AND SIGN THIS PETITION IF YOU CARE!

Crime happens 24/7. The sheriff and most other officers in the county are full-time. The job requires and demands a full-time devoted prosecuting attorney.

On Saturday Nov. 16th, the contract for at L&M Hospital expired. The nurses and techs have filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board and will be going on a 5 day strike, starting Wed. Nov 27th. These nurses and techs, represented by AFT Local 5049 and 5051, have provided quality care for thousands of patients, and have worked tirelessly ensuring L&M Hospital is the place where families can get the care they deserve, and when they need it. In return, the management of Lawrence + Memorial is transferring positions covered by collective bargaining agreements to newly created L&M owned-and-operated entities with no union representation. This is a blatant legal maneuver designed to avoid providing the wage rates and health insurance agreed to in existing union contracts.

 All the while, L&M has built enormous cash reserves and over $250 million in assets. Compensation for Executives has grown to well over 4 million dollars a year. These underhanded legal maneuvers and high salaries sound more like Wal-Mart than a community hospital.
 The hospital has hired paid strikebreakers. They’re investing resources to stand up to the nurses and techs, rather than work to make sure the contract is settled. This is not acceptable. Take a moment to stand up for the nurses and techs at L&M.

The minimum wage has remained stagnant in the District of Columbia at $8.25 an hour for years. Washington, D.C. is one of the most expensive cities in the country, and thousands of workers are struggling to make ends meet. The Business, Consumer, and Regulatory Affairs Committee of the D.C. Council passed a bill raising the minimum wage to $11.50 over three years and tying it to inflation. The full council is expected to vote on the measure on December 3, 2013.

The Morning Joe segment started with coverage of an Op-Ed by Stuart Stevens, Romney's former campaign strategist, but quickly evolved into a one-sided discussion of fracking and renewable energy, which praised the growth of fossil fuels, supported the Keystone XL Pipeline, and ridiculed the feasibility of renewable energy sources for the next few decades. While it is not surprising Joe Scarborough always takes the pro fossil fuel side of any discussion, neither his co-host Mika nor any of his guests offered balance to the discussion and merely nodded in agreement for the majority of the conversation. One-sided media coverage is one of the reasons the public is not more aware of the dangers of fracking and natural gas production in the US, and both sides of the issue should be presented in any intelligent discussion of fracking and renewable energy.