At a time when the City University of New York (CUNY) pays an adjunct faculty member carrying a full course load as little as $25,000 per year, the university has offered former CIA Director David Petraeus $150,000 to teach a seminar next year. That is just 15-20 students. These funds surely could be better spent – to help students who cannot afford to pay the 30% tuition increase that CUNY has been implementing over five years. And it is outrageous to spend so much on one class, when some CUNY classes are so over-subscribed that students sit on windowsills and radiators because all the seats are full. CUNY has been underfunded for decades – a sad sign of our under-commitment to higher education. That means the CUNY administration needs to make every dollar count toward educating the young people of New York. CUNY’s mission is to provide a college education to the “children of the whole people,” and these expenditures of funds are an insult to the people of New York, especially those most connected to CUNY, and that mission.

Now that the Supreme Court has overturned Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), it’s time for Congress to completely repeal it. The Respect for Marriage Act (RMA) repeals DOMA. Under RMA, if someone is legally married in any state, the federal government must recognize that marriage. It means that same-sex couples will get all of the federal benefits afforded to opposite-sex couples. Once they are married, same-sex couples will be able to get these benefits no matter what states they live in or travel to. It is common sense legislation that will clarify and legally codify the recent Supreme Court decision that overturned Section 3 of DOMA. Urge your Members of Congress to support the Respect for Marriage Act today.

Foreign nationals who risk their lives to assist the United States when we are conducting military actions in their country deserve our protection, both during and after their service. We have an obligation to do everything possible to ensure their safety and that of their families. With respect to Iraq and Afghanistan, we have not yet done enough to protect those who assisted us and some of them have already been murdered by anti-American groups. We cannot allow this to continue. Thousands of Iraqi and Afghani individuals who assisted American forces and civilian contractors are still in harm's way in their respective countries despite requesting asylum in the United States. In many instances, they've had visa requests in process for years without concrete progress or conclusion. In a recent episode of the radio show This American Life (episode #499 entitled "Taking Names"), the plight of these individuals and their families was described. Despite trying to the best of their ability to comply with U.S. visa requirements, many of them have been stuck in limbo for extended periods which has left them vulnerable to reprisals from anti-American elements in their respective countries. The episode relates the particularly heartbreaking case of an Iraqi referred to as "Omar" (not his real name) whose repeated attempts to obtain visas for himself and his family dragged on until June 2012 when he was found beheaded by unknown assailants. According to U.S. military sources and the civilian contractor who employed Omar from 2004 to 2006 in construction work, he was an excellent employee. Yet, he was abandoned and ultimately died a horrible death because he chose to assist Americans during the Iraq War. It is unconscionable for the United States to request locals to assist us and then leave them and their loved ones exposed to reprisals from anti-American groups. It should be part of the deal that we guarantee protection for them and their families both while they are working for us and afterward. Failing to provide such protection is not only morally indefensible but also poor foreign policy. If America becomes known as a country which doesn't protect those we ask to help us, how can we expect locals to assist us in future conflicts?

No modern humans have ever seen a Dodo because they are extinct. let's make sure that future generations will not be saying the same about the elephant. This report in the National Geographic Magazine reveals the facts about the ongoing slaughter of these wonderful animals: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2012/10/ivory/christy-text. Please lobby the White House and Congress to work with the governments of Thailand, China and the Philippines to educate their people and stop the ivory trade and industries, which threaten to bring elephants to the brink of extinction.

FROM: Dorothy Copp Elliott - mother of slain Archie “Artie” Elliott, III TO: THE OFFICE OF PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY STATE’S ATTORNEY On January 19, 1994 the grand jury in Prince George’s County released its report of no indictment against Officer Jason Leavitt of District Heights and Officer Wayne Cheney of Prince George’s County Police Department for fatally shooting Archie Elliott, III on June 18, 1993. Archie Elliott, III was acutely intoxicated, had failed simple sobriety tests, was frisked, handcuffed with his hands behind his back, secured by a seat belt and placed in the front seat of a police patrol car. Archie Elliott, III was shot 14 times for allegedly “POINTING” a handgun at the officers. Whereas, the grand jury found no criminal charges against the officers, YET the grand jury recommended standard training and additional training of municipal officers. Whereas, the Prince George’s County Police Department simultaneously declared the officers’ actions were justified; HOWEVER, the Internal Affairs Division stated “an improper search precipitated the events” in the fatal shooting of Archie Elliott, III. We, the undersigned citizens, formally register our strong protest because justice was denied in the police killing of this handcuffed 24-year old young black male who was in no condition to lethally or otherwise harm the police officers or anyone else. We petition the State’s Attorney to reconsider this case on the merits of all the facts. We further petition the State’s Attorney to thoroughly examine the guidelines the lead prosecutor used in presenting the information and evidence to the grand jury for their deliberations. We demand accountability from the police department and the grand jury for the use of unwarranted and excessive force in the death of Archie Elliott, III. The public is entitled to expedient, aggressive and professional scrutiny by the police department and by the grand jury in police related killings the same as they would in violent deaths that are not police related.

I Believe I May Be among the Youngest of the First Victims of The War on Drugs Enacted by President Reagan , I was 17 and Stationed at Ft. Irwin (80-81)the Biggest Drug store I had and Have ever seen Not to long after arriving I was Discharged as a Drug Rehabilitation Failure without having Received any Treatment of any Kind .

MoveOn.org and various other progressive and environmental organizations endorsed Hanabusa in the 2010 House election based on her promise not to join the Blue Dogs (like her opponent). She betrayed (in spirit) that promise by joining the Blue Dog successor organization, New Democrat Coalition (NDC). NDC has been called "The Coalition Pharma and Wall Street Love" by Pro Publica who says its "close relationship with several hundred Washington lobbyists has made their organization one of the most successful political money machines since the Republican K Street Project"

In July, 2011, as a NYer, I filed a formal complaint with Ct. Gov. Dannel Malloy against Ct. Workers Compensation Chairman John Mastropietro and Fairfield, Ct attorney, Scott Wilson Williams, for their numerous criminal actions concerning my 9-1/2 year medical nightmare there. Why did the Gov.then forward all my evidence that implicated Chairman Mastropietro, right into Mr. Mastropietro's hands? Since 2008, he has totally ignored the formal complaints, placed on my behalf, by former Gov. Jodi Rell, and my former US Senator Hillary Clinton, and the fact that he seems to have no "checks-and-balances" over him in Ct., since they removed their Ct. Dept of Insurance as his oversight in the early 1990's, is deeply disturbing and unethical. Since his predecessor, Jesse M. Frankl, resigned because of his treatment of helpless, injured American workers, and the man who appointed him, former Gov. John Rowland , recently served a ten month federal prison sentence for corruption, we can't think of anyone in America that needs to be watched more than the Ct. WCC Chairman. They have stolen from Medicare and Social Security, and as the Top-Gun of Ct., it is Gov Malloy's duty to protect ALL citizens from predation! Please click to sign my petition to convince Gov. Malloy to end the predation of helpless, injured citizens, especially out-of-staters, and reinstate the oversight jurisdiction of his state Dept. of Insurance over Ct. WCC. My lawyer was pulled from my case, and no one will take it over, because I have charges pending against their big boss, Mr. Mastropietro. Not only unethical, but unconstitutional as well. And they call themselves "The Constitution State?" With the info I gave to Gov. Malloy, he needs to order an immediate investigation of Ct WCC, because it seems nobody else in Ct seems to have jurisdiction over Mr. Mastropietro, but him. Please click to sign the petition, so we can get him to start immediately!

Imperial Valley neighborhood & FM969 Woodland Hills HOA residents are unprepared to support Austin's homeless right byside our homes. We have no jobs, bus lines, grocers, libraries, M.D. clinics, pubs, and Sheriff deputies don't protect our chilren. We can't fund downtown Austin needs nor bare demands that hurt families, property values and credit ratings. It's forced FOR SALE signs to go up. Texas Penal Code 39.03 (a)(2) defines this as oppression.

We must not let the radical republican Supreme Court judges dictate who can or can't vote.

The Corker-Hoeven "border surge" amendment to the Senate immigration reform bill is uncalled for in a region where we are not at war, and it will put border community citizens’ constitutional rights to physical safety, property, peace, and privacy at risk further solely for corporate profit. The Corker-Hoeven "border surge" amendment is nothing but a giant pork-barrel project created by Senators Bob Corker (R-TN) and John Hoeven (R-ND), two self-professed fiscal conservatives. During this time of sequestration, where automatic budget cuts amounting to $85 billion will force layoffs of teachers and first responders and will reduce or cut many vital programs and jobs, it is unthinkable that this amendment was added to the bill in the eleventh hour, ostensibly to garner Conservative votes, but in reality, to give large defense contract campaign donors obscene profits at the taxpayers' and border communities' expense. The current cost for Customs and Border Protection has doubled from $5.9 billion in 2003 to $12 billion per year now, while spending for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has grown from $3.3 billion over a decade to $5.6 billion today. With a total price tag to the American taxpayer of $17.6 billion, border residents today already say the current program is ineffective, lacks accountability, and has been implemented with no input from border-area officials. To add $46 billion more - including $38 billion in military expenditures - is virtual overkill, as Senator Corker himself commented. We agree. American citizens should be very concerned that such huge, unwarranted expenditures were added to a bill that already has $17.6 billion in military expenditures for a branch of law-enforcement that historically has very little accountability, spends more than all branches of law enforcement combined, and uses its money in a region where there is no war or threat of war. Do we really want to spend $46 billion more to militarize our southern border and obliterate citizen privacy? Just say NO to the Corker-Hoeven pork barrel amendment!

He is using US taxpayer money to open and operate Medreses ( Moslem indoctrination) schools. He also is not paying sufficient taxes due to having a farm which is being used to help Moslem extremists around the world. He helped to establish an Islamist government in Turkey and put thousands in Jail and help infiltrate police. Now trying to take over military which is a true US ally.