I am starting this petition because Congress is handling America's business recklessly. Congress is not managing the budget in an effort to keep all Americans working and progressing during these tough times.

As a US Citizen who works and pays taxes, there should be no-one above the law, no government officials, or big buisiness should be exempt from the ACA Law. if it is good for the citizens then it is good for the lawmakers and their financial contributers.

Kauai, Hawaii's state lands should not be used as a testing site for R&D seed production by chemical corporations. An unexplained massive die-off of over 52,000 sea urchins and subsequent large-scale deaths of bees and birds reported by residents, are speculated to be results of the toxic biocides used by the local GMO companies and are causing great concern from the community. Additionally, over 150 residents are suing Pioneer/DuPont for unlawfully allowing pesticide drift into their homes for over a decade, and there have been several incidences at a local middle school where children and teachers got sick. One incident resulted in at least 10 children being taken to the hospital. In September, over 3,500 residents marched in support of the bill and thousands more have submitted testimonies to the County Council in support of bill 2491, which is aimed to protect the community and fragile environment from pesticide abuse.

To whom it may concern at Block Communications: This is not a threat. I understand my words and few dollars cannot hurt you. I understand your position, as a company, in this community is not going to be immediately knocked down by the opinion, or even actions, of a few. However, please do not disregard what I am saying because long term, it will matter. Your lawsuit against Toledo Free Press is a frivolous one on many levels but I'd like to point out the main ones. Firstly, our courts are already bogged down with people and/or business suing other people and/or business for gain, financial or otherwise. You are tying up the courts in an attempt to shut down a business that is not even a competition to your daily newspaper. The frivolity is a waste of tax payers dollars that would be better spent on other things in this community. Especially when you truly don't care if you win this or not, which brings me to my second point. Secondly, suing a small business for the sole purpose of financially burdening them into shutting down is not the ethical way of doing things. I understand that what you're doing is becoming fairly common, but that doesn't make it anymore acceptable. You don't care about winning this lawsuit and collecting your “damages;” you care about making sure this lawsuit costs the Free Press too much money to go forward. Your “I will crush you, little guy” mentality isn't doing you any favors. No one likes a bully. If you think people (your customer or potential customers) aren't going to realizing what you're doing, you have greatly underestimated the intelligence of your demographics. We see what you are doing and we don't like it. You may think because your paper is the largest daily paper, or your cable company is the only option in this city, that you are infallible. However, I can make this promise to you: When another option comes along (and it will), we will choose it rather than you. We will choose a company that doesn't bully with dollars. We will chose the one that embraces the American hub of small business. We will choose the ethical and moral company rather than you. Your fall from grace wont be today with the dollars I will no longer be giving you. Nor the hundreds of others that will also no longer be supporting Block Communications or it's affiliates. Nor will it be our very loud boycott of your advertisers (believe me, they will know why we are no longer giving them our money). Instead it will be a slow death of your company as others move in and take over because your company is known for it's unethical tactic of using wealth to suppress small business. And I am one person that is looking forward to watching it happen. I once heard someone say that it was a losing battle to fight with a newspaper or other media outlet. That may be true, but it's one I am willing to fight on principles, loss or not. Consumerism is a beautiful thing. My dollars will loudly go to businesses not affiliated in anyway with Block Communications or its affiliates. Sincerely, All of the signed Small Business Supporters First Amendment Supporters Toledo Free Press Supporters

Marblehead, Mass., made U.S. history more than a decade ago by becoming the first town to ban lawn and garden pesticide use on public property. We would like to see Door County do the same at all levels, in schools, towns and county government bylaws. According to a Yale University study, children who live in homes where lawn and garden pesticides are used are up to four times more likely to develop leukemia, brain cancer and soft tissue sarcoma. Lawn and garden chemicals are more dangerous to children than adults because their immune systems have not yet fully developed to protect their bodies from the toxins found in pesticides and herbicides (anything with the word -icide at the end, by the way, is chemically designed to kill living things). And yet, at the age when they’re most susceptible to health risks, children are out in yards and parks in more direct contact with lawn and garden chemical residues than adults. Pets are also highly at risk. The entire nation of Canada, and two U.S. states, Connecticut and New York, have enacted laws that just say no to toxins like Weed 'n Feed, Roundup and Sevin in parks and on playing fields used by kids. Connecticut has taken the bold step of removing them from all school grounds in grades K-8. We ask you to do the same!

Virginia Congressman Randy Forbes is VERY proud of his Christian faith. He even founded the Congressional Prayer Caucus. But there's nothing prayerful about the event Rep. Forbes is scheduled to appear at next month. He's going to be the guest of honor at a luncheon organized by the American Family Association. The American Family Association's spokesman has blamed gays for the holocaust, claimed that black people "rut like rabbits," and said that "the jihadists on 9/11 were the agents of God's wrath in order to get our attention." The Southern Poverty Law Center has officially recognized the AFA a hate group. Rep. Randy Forbes needs to hear immediately that appearing at the American Family Association's hatefest is no way to demonstrate his Christian faith.

The political tactics of government shutdown imposes an undue burden on citizens and taxpayers while Congress uses these manipulative tactics and our livelihoods as pawns to their ideological differences. Intentional government shutdown should be deemed illegal. We must leverage our power as citizens to speak to balancing the power of privilege; it will be an uphill battle of true leadership. Congress should not get paid for a failure to work on behalf of the people, nor should a shutdown be a political strategy.

On May 30, 2012 Manuel Juarez Cortez was returning home from work when his car broke down. After pulling off to the side to check the vehicle, a policeman stopped to help, but then arrested Manuel for driving without a license. He cannot get one - the state of North Carolina does not issue driver licenses to undocumented immigrants. Despite having no criminal record, and his strong ties to the Charlotte community, Manuel still faces deportation. Please Make a call and Sign the petition to Keep Manuel Home! Call Charlotte ICE @ (704) 248-9605 Call DC ICE @ (202) 732-3000 or (202) 732-3100 Sample Script: “Hi, I’m calling in support of Manuel Juarez Cortez (A#205-208-677). Manuel has no criminal history, and is the sole bread winner for his family which includes 3 US citizen children. Manuel has lived in the US for over 12 years and is an outstanding member of the Charlotte community. Please keep Manuel home!"

Domestic violence is an epidemic that affects women, children and families in communities across our nation. Firearms play a special role in increasing lethality rates in domestic violence incidents. More than half of women murdered with guns in the United States are killed by intimate partners; in 2010 alone, more female homicides were committed with firearms than with any other weapon. Additionally, the mere presence of a gun in a domestic violence situation increases the risk of homicide for women by 500 percent. Yet domestic violence offenders who are federally prohibited from owning or accessing firearms routinely avoid the background check system by purchasing weapons through unlicensed private sellers at gun shows and online. This can have a devastating and lethal effect on victims of domestic abuse and Congress must directly address this issue. By requiring a background check for every gun sale, we can reduce violence against women and save innocent lives. In states that require universal background checks for every handgun sale, 38 percent fewer women are shot to death by intimate partners.

We all need preventative health care and the ability to see a doctor when sick, and many of us cope with ongoing medical conditions. It's crazy to waste time trying to repeal and delay a law that simply wants to make buying health insurance easier and cheaper. It's time for sensible Kansans to tell their U.S. Representatives: Get out of the way of Obamacare and just see what happens!

1). The new guidelines allow students to use cell phone at the high schools during lunch and between classes, a significant change in policy from previous years. With complete disregard for a due process, the portion of the guidelines describing this drastic change was amended to the publication just days before school started without any attempt to make a public announcement or solicit feedback. 2). The new guidelines were approved as a result of a pilot program that ran in three Howard County high schools last year. The Board failed to demonstrate clear and convincing evidence that this pilot program provided any benefit to students’ learning and educational outcomes. 3). Another pilot program is in place right now to further expand the use of these devices in the classroom. Personal communication devices can be a powerful educational tool. However, without a thoughtful approach, allowing the devices in classrooms will run the risk of becoming a distraction to the students, actually disrupting education. 4). Not all students have a smart phone or any cell phone or other device at all. A haphazard attempt to promote digital citizenship will accomplish little in achieving educational excellence if it cannot be evenly applied to all students. It will only deepen the digital divide and possibly increase the achievement gap in our schools. 5). Many high school students spend considerable time outside of school using their electronic devices. It is critical that they have time during the school day when they’re “unplugged”.

Because there are plenty of good-hard working families that deserve a chance of success and prosper like I had.