Please share widely! The drill site is only 1000 feet from family homes and adjacent to the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge and Western Everglades. If it's legal, it shouldn't be. No one should have to live in an emergency evacuation zone, only feet from a hazardous drill site and 145' oil rig. Concerns include public safety, emergency evacuation, fresh water contamination, fire threat, oil and toxic brine spills, sinkhole hazard, risks to wetlands, consumptive water use, encroachment on panther habitat, traffic danger, and pollution of the watersheds that feed our state and national parks The drill site and entire lease area is one of the most ecologically sensitive regions of the nation. It is surrounded—east, south, west, and north—by a vast array of wetlands, acquired at great public cost, to protect native plants and animals and safeguard vital watersheds. Consider the Everglades National Park, directly downstream. Congress authorized a 30-year Everglades Restoration Plan dedicated to restoring the South Florida ecosystem. Why allow oil drilling to endanger that $13 billion dollar project? The Everglades is a national treasure on par with the Grand Canyon and Redwoods. It’s far more valuable than even a major oil play. It's our life-blood, fueling everything from agriculture to Florida’s multi-billion dollar tourist industry. A major concern is the real danger drilling poses to our fresh water. It’s crucial to protect the aquifers that supply South Florida with its drinking water and safeguard watersheds that sustain wetlands. Accidents happen. And over time, pipes leak. And injected fluids surface. And, as in the BP disaster, cement casings crumble. One accident could ruin our fresh water and wetlands for generations. The risks are too great and benefits too small. Oil drilling is not in the public interest.

The Medford City Council will meet on Tuesday night, 10/1/13. The Council resolution below would add 50% more funding to the Medford Arts Council in 2014 to support community arts and cultural activities. Every year, the Medford Arts Council allocates STATE funding to events including concerts at Wright's Pond; the Community Read and school vacation performances at the Library; West Medford Open Studios; Circle the Square arts performances; CACHE and the Mystic River Celebration in October; dance and music performances for seniors and in nursing homes; field trips, afterschool and in-school enrichment programs for students; Dance in the Fells/Dance at Wrights Pond; and much more. The city has not contributed to this funding, although the events serve a varied and large community audience and engage dozens of volunteers to bring activity and foot traffic to our commercial areas and arts venues. Sign this petition and show Mayor McGlynn and the City Council your support for CITY funding for these events! Offered by Marks and Penta #13-689 "Be it resolved .. that in light of all the wonderful citizen driven community arts activities that have branched out throughout our City during this past year, a sum of $10,000 be added to the 2014-2015 City budget to be earmarked for the Medford Arts Council in support of our community art activities."

Living with asthma and concerned about respiratory health issues, we can not allow frack sand mining and transfer until it is proven to be safe for the health of our citizens and the environment. We also feel that it is critical that it does not negatively impact the farming and tourism industries in Minnesota. A balanced business environment is important to all Minnesotans.

I am starting this petition out of a sense of duty to help shape the strategy of this nation's LGBT movement, focusing it on the issues and actions that are legally and morally justifiable rather than those that verge on propaganda or bullying against those of another viewpoint--actions that make this movement just as bad as those militant opponents. Yes, in-your-face political movements are necessary for times when human rights are at stake, but what makes America great is that our major shifts in cultural awareness have come not from "counter-bigotry" and other excessive actions but from reasonable people making reasonable demands and thereby helping other Americans see the logic of their positions.

It's about time we move on to term limits because they really don't care any more what the people who have voted for them want. We don't want shutdowns--we want progress, not fighting. There are too many politicians who have been in too long. They get great benefits--better then the general public--and with their actions we get nothing but trouble.

It is unfair for our players to play their hearts out for Matt Schaub to continually throw it away with interceptions and all around poor plays. We can no longer stand by and witness these atrocities. If Schaub can not be fired because of contractual reasons, then by all means BENCH him.

The Spinning Monkey Bars on Fox Meadow's playground is dangerous for our children as more than one child has been injured badly on this equipment. Children falling from several feet in the air with centrifugal force and speed have no ability to control their fall when they lose grip and can and have been seriously injured. The child of a close friend was severely injured by a fall from this equipment. The safety and security of the lives of our children while at school on school property is the number one concern of parents when they send children to school. This piece of equipment severely compromises the safety of our children who are enticed to ride it by its "fun" appearance. Even when used properly, children's legs dangle at an angle such that a child who loses grip while moving with centrifugal force and speed cannot land straight on his or her feet and might instead land on one leg, an arm or even a shoulder or neck while moving in a circle which could result in a severely broken bone (which we have already seen twice) or a spinal cord injury or paralysis

Congress takes no responsibility for their actions. If their pay was tied to their irresponsibility, they might reconsider.

Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Defense of Marriage Act, Any Same-sex couple can now file joint tax returns, have the same names on their passports and Social Security cards..... The couple also wants their driver’s licenses to reflect their new last name and complete the same equal level of happiness in making a public statement about who they choose to spend the rest of their lives with. Please support me in letting our officials in charge know that this must change and we as equals support this, no I mean insist this CHANGE sooner than later.

SR 146 and Fox Run Rd is a dangerous intersection!

If 80% of Americans are pro-ACA, then who do these politicians represent? As Robert Reich so aptly put it: "What is the proper term for those who are determined to get their way by threatening to otherwise close our government or default on our nation's debts? They are not legislators because they eschew the normal processes of legislation. They are not statesmen because they are willing to sacrifice the governing institutions of our nation. They are not leaders because they cower to a fanatical minority. They have chosen instead to get their way through extortion -- holding the United States hostage to their weapons of mass economic destruction. What, then, are they? Would it be unfair to consider them traitors?--Robert Reich, September 28, 2013.

I know many people that can not afford health care and either just stay sick or go to the emergency room because they can't afford to go to the Doctor. It is unacceptable that we are one country that cares nothing for its citizens and thinks that people are expendable.