In Washington State, the middle class and poor pay a higher percentage of their income in state taxes than do the rich, due to a reliance on the regressive sales tax to fund state government. Even the Business and Occupation tax is regressive: it taxes revenue, not profit, and so it favors profitable corporations over struggling small businesses. Another cause of unfairness is the existence of tax loopholes for certain wealthy corporations. In fact, according to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, Washington State has the most regressive tax system in the nation. The poorest 20% of non-elderly Washingtonians pay 17% of their income in state taxes; the richest 1% pay under 3% of their income in state taxes. (Source: http://www.itep.org/pdf/wa.pdf .) The state desperately needs a reliable source of funds to pay for education pursuant to the State Supreme Court decision in the McCleary case, which declares that the legislature is underfunding K-12 education. Additionally, in recent years the state has had to slash funding for social services and for higher education, causing real suffering among vulnerable people, threatening our prosperity and safety, and drastically raising the cost of a college education. Voters in 2010 rejected I-1098, the initiative to establish a high earners' income tax in Washington State. Most voters were voting against their own self-interest, because only the richest 2% of citizens would have seen their taxes rise. But up until now, only a few advocacy groups have spoken up about this issue. Our political leaders should make the effort to educate the public about all the ways we need government and about progressive taxation. In other words, our political leaders should actually lead and not just follow. There are proposals afloat to raise the gas tax and to pass a carbon tax; both of those are regressive. A capital gains tax and a tax expenditure budget are also under consideration. These changes to our tax system deserve thorough discussion and analysis. The proposed high level commission, hearings, speeches and essays will help move the state towards a sustainable and equitable funding model. Note: this petition was co-authored with Steve Zemke of TaxSanity.org . For discussion of this effort, please visit: https://groups.google.com/d/forum/wafairtaxes http://fairtaxesnow.us/ To see the list of signers and their comments, please visit: http://waliberals.org/WATaxFixers.html Here is a resolution which your political organization might pass: http://waliberals.org/resolution-in-support-of-fixing-washington-states-unfair-tax-system/2013/11/19/

I was offended at being asked to support an anti-choice charity, also known for it's questionable financial management.

This is a catastrophe for the Japanese people and potentially for the rest of the world, certainly for those who border the Pacific Ocean. We must help the Japanese prevent a worse disaster.

Tier II members are being robbed by the Legislature. They are paying more for their benefits that their benefits are worth. If this problem is not addressed, our pension systems could loose their tax exempt status and members' salaries would be subject to Social Security Withholding as well as Retirement System contributions.

I'm starting this petition because the evidence is there that provides justification and clarity that this is simply not a state's issue. In time, all states will have marriage equality for all loving couples. The federal government is already recognizing same-sex couples by way of the benefits it has already authorized. States or people living in those states are being given the power to choose for others for what is already a constitutional right. It is appalling to me that unreasonable people are being given this power. It's time to recognize that a constitutional right should not be in the hands of unreasonable public officials or unreasonable citizens who don't agree with someone else's definition of love and marriage. Thank you, Jimmy - National Coalition for Marriage Equality.

Hydraulic fracking has terrible environmental consequences: depletion of fresh water, adverse effect on agriculture, inducing silicosis in workers involved in fracking process, releasing toxic substances into the air, admixture of radioactive cancer inducing radon with the extracted natural gas, and also inducing earthquakes. Even more seriously, fracking releases into the atmosphere green house gas methane (major component of natural gas) which is 100 times more potent than carbon dioxide over a 20 year period in destabilizing the climate resiliency. Ensure no public funds are used to finance any further fracking for natural gas on federal lands.

Many of us have married friends or family who are impacted by federal and state tax laws and other benefits. Same-sex couples can legally marry in 14 states: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. ALL families should be able to have access to the same benefits. This is coming up for a vote in November. Please sign this petition urging our legislators to do the right thing. Vote for marriage equality.

This document was reviewed during the Reagan administration and signed by President Clinton, but never ratified by the U.S. Senate. One hundred ninety-three members of the United Nations have ratified this treaty. Only Somalia, South Sudan and the United States have not! What an embarrassment for our country -- the country of the document’s origin! Join the United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY) in support of assuring rights for every child.

To support the Governor's effort to expand Medicaid in Ohio.

There is a strong feeling among workers today that they would be willing to support a union and even join or organize one in their workplaces. It is a known fact that the business lobby and their GOP allies have met Labor with resistance and pushback over many decades, eroding hard-won rights that have proven beneficial to everyone who works. Therefore, We the People, in order to form a more perfect Union, call upon You, Mr. President, to issue three (3) separate Executive Orders, the first of which would prohibit the destructive so-called Right to Work laws in all states across the country. The second request is for an order mandating the all-but forgotten EFCA bill, and the third would mandate the posting of workers' rights under Section 7 of the NLRA. The troops are ready to go.

Our system of government, and our economy, indeed our democracy itself, are all threatened by a strategy of using a government shutdown or, even worse, default, for any cause, left, right, or middle. This is not the way our system of government should work. Steps must be taken to prevent this from happening again, next year, or ever. We should only elect candidates of either party who will pledge to pass legislation that will prevent this kind of strategy.

Alejandro's nightmare began in January of 2012. While looking for an address for his construction job, he was pulled over, after a neighbor called the police to report a suspicious van. After the officer determined that Alejandro was innocent of any wrong doing and telling him how to get to the house he was looking for, the officer arrested him for not having a driver's license. Alejandro spent 4 days in jail. Even though all charges have been cleared, he is now facing deportation. Since arriving in Charlotte in 2005, Alejandro has gotten married and has 2 U.S. born daughters. He is the main provider for his family. This case is unjust and Alejandro deserves to stay with his family. He should never have been arrested to begin with.