Climate scientists around the world are virtually unanimous in telling us that climate change is real, and serious, and nearing tipping points, beyond which we may never regain a livable climate. Climate change deniers are virtually unanimous in getting their information from those who profit from the current situation, and who are trying to perpetuate American confusion about climate. We need leadership from President Obama now, to end climate confusion, and to get Americans focused on climate progress.

1911 was the last time Congresspeople were added to this body. Since then we have almost tripled our population. To have a representative government we need a reasonable ratio between those making the laws and those being governed. This is a graphic of the ratio over the last century: https://scontent-a-lga.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash2/405470_343792848966205_1186479552_n.jpg

As noted in a recent report of the Children's Defense Fund, U.S. children and teens are 17 times more likely to die from a gun than their peers in 25 other high-income countries combined. In 2010, children and teen gun death rates in the U.S. were over four times higher than in Canada, nearly seven times higher than in Israel, and nearly 65 times higher than in the United Kingdom. [CDF, "Protect Children not Guns Overview," p.1] The events in Newtown, CT in December 2012, were unimaginable, and yet, thus far, our nation has been unable to make legal and cultural changes to sufficiently protect children from the effects of gun violence. A campaign to develop awareness is necessary. We must never forget the horrible massacre of school children and staff at Sandy Hook Elementary in December of 2012. We must also be mindful of the children we may or may not hear about but whose death by gun violence most assuredly is felt deeply by their families, friends and communities. The proclamation of December as "National Children and Gun Violence Awareness Month" will honor the memory of those we have lost and build the awareness needed to create lasting change.

We support a return to excellence in California Schools. Top performing states spend $16,000 - $22,000 per student per year. California’s goal - for 2021 - is to spend less than half that amount per student. Meanwhile, California spends $60,000 per year per prison inmate, and one-half of our inmates are high school dropouts. Since 1980, we’ve built 19 prisons and 1 university.

I recently visited a sanctuary for abused farm animals. There I found cows, chickens, sheep and goats who had once been subjected to horrendous conditions, and were fortunate enough to be rescued and transported from hell to heaven. The animals which affected me the most, though, were the horses. Never before had I seen horses running free in a field. They looked so alive, flowing in a setting that was natural for them; they were in their element. When I returned to the city later that day, I again saw horses - but this time in a very different situation, drawing carriages full of people on a sweltering hot day. I looked at their heads hung low, their eyes full of sadness, their bodies full of pain. What I saw were broken spirits. There's nothing worse in life than a broken spirit, a living creature who has lost all hope. No one - human or animal - should be subjected to living out a life of such pain. And why are they in this position, anyway? Because some people think of horse-drawn carriages as quaint, romantic. Because some people capitalize on this imagery and make big profits off of it. We can't just stand by and allow this practice to continue. Please don't take horse-drawn carriage rides, don't add to the profits of cruel and exploitative carriage companies. E-mail City Councilman Mark Squilla today ([email protected]) and tell him and Philadelphia City Council to ban horse-draw carriages - for good. Let's help these horses to live out the rest of their lives in a sanctuary where they, too, can run free in the fields.

STOP FAST TRACK LEGISLATION ON THE TRANS-PACIFIC-PARTNERSHIP TRADE AGREEMENT

Can you imagine when it's time to retire or get sick and you can't vote for Medicare or Social Security expansion or reform? There are people who have fought for our country, fought in our country and died for the security of our nation and the right to vote and are at the age where they are on Medicare and Social Security, but are not going to be able to vote because they don't have the proper ID. How can that be? I'm begging you to stop the suppression Governor Corbett.

In 2010, the Pew Foundation published a report on the state of children's dental care in the US. PA earned an "F" on that report. In response, then governor, Ed Rendell, pushed for the creation of the Public Health Dental Hygiene Practitioner license, to create a mid level provider who is licensed to provide dental cleanings, fluoride treatments, sealants and education in schools, nursing homes, and other places where citizens have not had access to care. There are now >400 licensed PHDHP's in PA who want to provide care to our most vulnerable citizens. However, there is no provision for these PHDHP's to submit a claim to an insurance company for payment of their services. The claims must be submitted with a dentist's license. This creates a restriction in the PHDHP's ability to provide care they are licensed to provide, creates a middle man that adds cost to the provision of these services, and keeps children from getting preventive dental care. We need your intervention to change this silly restriction. Dentists haven't wanted to treat these citizens. The restrictions should be removed to allow PHDHP's to provide important preventive dental services to children.

My father taught me fairness, justice and opportunity is the bedrock or our society. He said we are our brothers keeper. But our Republican Governor does not subscribe to these ideals. His decision to stop Public to Assistance to single unemployed people , his reduction to educational funding of public schools, his refusal to extend MA to to the working poor, his push to restrict a citizens right to vote and his lack of protecting our environment has caused pain and suffering to millions of our citizens. The good news is he has to run for reelection and we can say NO. It's time to change to a Democratic Governor. Volunteer to help defeat Tom Corbett.

The aftershocks of the 2008 financial crisis continues to impact families all across the country. By acting now, we can create a new source of funding that will get our fellow Americans back to work and grow our economy. Working poor and middle-class Americans, the backbone of this great country, deserve nothing less.

Countless times in our nation's history, we've seen the amazing power of democracy - how ordinary people, often without much money, joined together to bring about lasting change. In Citizens United, the Supreme Court opened the floodgates to unlimited corporate money in elections by declaring that corporations are people and money is speech. Now, our democracy is at grave risk of becoming nothing more than an auction-one in which the We the People will always be outbid. Corporations are not people. They do not breathe or eat or sleep. They do not dance or fall in love or raise children. They do not go bowling or fight in wars or get cancer. They do not vote. Yet now they threaten to trample democracy by claiming constitutional protections that were intended only for actual people. The ruling must be overturned, and a constitutional amendment is the best way to do that. Millions of voters across the country have expressed their outrage at the Citizens United decision by voting on ballot questions and it's time for Philadelphians to get the chance to express our outrage too. Right now the Citizens United ballot question is bottled up in the Law and Government Committee. Please sign this petition so we can convince City Council to let Philadelphia voters have our say.

Recently Cheasapeake city jail has changed the photo policy from five photos of children/loved ones per inmate to now, not allowing photos to be sent in anymore. What they have is what they get. Some of these men/women will be spending a great deal of time behind bars and regardless of the crime committed I dont think its fair they have to go without photos. Visitation only allows children to visit who are age 12 and older. To some of the inmates photos are the only way for them to see thier children.My Husband is one of the inmates at Cheasapeake city jail. We have a 10 month old son together. His son was born wile his Father was incarcerated. He has some time to go before they will get the chance to meet. He looks foward to photos as they show his baby boy growing into a young man. Please help me and others by sighing this petition so the inmates of Cheasapeake city jail (who are people too) can still recive photos. Thank you for your time and effort.