This song by Woody Guthrie epitomizes what it is to be American. My first grade teacher in Florida played a lot of Woody for us in the late 1950's. I especially like the fifth verse: "As I went walking I saw a sign there. And on the sign it said "No Trespassing." But on the other side it didn't say nothing, That side was made for you and me."

The unlimited political spending unleashed by Citizens United is drowning out the voices of voters. But there are bridges over these troubled waters – full disclosure on political ads, and Fair Elections public funding of campaigns. The exciting news is that public funding has a chance to pass in the third largest state in the country, with New York Governor Andrew Cuomo having just introduced a Fair Elections bill that would make big-money fundraising in New York a thing of the past. But time is running out, and many are questioning how serious the Governor is. In two weeks the Governor is planning to host a $50,000-per-person fundraiser featuring Paul Simon. Paul Simon -- a philanthropic leader -- can help make sure that Governor Cuomo really means it by saying that he'll only play at the fundraiser if the Governor passes this vital reform. Please tell him that people across the country will love him like a rock if he helps bring Fair Elections homeward bound.

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Lessen the time and bureaucracy of homeowners receiving insurance claims and mortgage lenders doling out the proceeds in 3 payments.

Perjury is a crime and Clapper is not above the law. This serious crime must be acted upon by this administration if we are not to allow total mockery of the rule of law.

The new Staars test is leaving our children behind from grades 3-12. Our motto was once no child should be left behind. In Texas more than 50% of students from 3-12 grade failed half or all of this test. Schools all over the world are full this summer for retaking of the test. Our children are being left behind, we as parents must stand up and do something before its too late.

Just read your example . Dont be HYPOCRITES. Hard working tax dollars can be spent here where it should be spent instead of a foreign country that calls us their enemy,Eygpt A piece of the 1.2 BILLION ,Im sure there is so much more money sent we dont know about , could help pay down some bills here instead of raising taxes higher to fund them over there .

Please, Governor Cuomo, don't try to raise money from he Paul Simon concert. it offends me. I have always held you in high regard. Nona Young New Portland, ME 04961

Please, Governor Cuomo, don't try to raise money from he Paul Simon concert. it offends me. I have always held you in high regard. Nona Young New Portland, ME 04961

Cell towers are dangerous! They can cause cancer to those living around them and are responsible for more bird deaths EACH YEAR than the entire Exxon-Valdez oil spill! Please help us keep an unnecessary cell tower out of our neighborhood and away from the Appalachian Trail! Last year, Berks County PA requested relief from the Bethel Township's local zoning rules to erect a 255 ft emergency communications tower. Usually this would not have been a big issue BUT unfortunately: + this tower would be placed in the very center of a thriving residential community, + is a 5 minute walk from the Appalachian Trail, + is atop the Kittatinny Ridge- the most important endangered migratory bird pathway in the eastern United States. After eight months of testimony, where it was revealed that there is a perfectly good tower already in the area which could hold ALL of the necessary equipment (with room left over), the zoning officers decided that this tower was just too big and not justified. Instead of then working with the American Tower Corporation, who have offered their services, the Berks County Commissioners decided that they would not collocate on the existing tower. Instead, last month, all three Berks County Commissioners, Brian Gottschall (head of emergency management), and all their lawyers descended unannounced on our local Bethel Township Supervisors monthly meeting and berated them for TWO hours. They threatened that if we do not give them what they want, they will exclude Bethel Township's citizens from the County's emergency system- putting thousands of lives at risk! Finally our supervisors capitulated and have drawn up a Tower-By--Right clause which will nullify the zoning boards decision. This clause will allow our Environmental Protected District to be permanently rubber stamped for future towers!! They will vote on this proposal this Monday, June 17. Their decision will be final. Please! Help us stand with our local boards who do NOT want to do this, but are being strong-armed by the county. Tell Berks county to use the existing tower, abide by the legal ruling- and save our community, Trail, and endangered birds! Thank you!!

Disturbingly, the Obama administration has criminally prosecuted more whistleblowers under the Espionage Act than all other past administrations combined. The tactic of criminalizing the messenger is timeless, however. For decades, truth-tellers have risked not only their careers but their reputations and freedom to disclose abuses of power that betray the public trust. Government abuse of power is peaking. Thanks to whistleblowers we know that Big Brother has moved into every American’s smart phone and computer. Now more than ever these whistleblowers need your support, and we need theirs. Demand that Congress pass legislation banning retaliatory criminal investigations and prosecutions against whistleblowers! Ironically, while criminal prosecutions are at record highs, the Obama administration has demonstrated unsurpassed leadership in whistleblower protection against job-related retaliation – as demonstrated by passage of the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act (WPEA) last Congress. The point of whistleblower laws such as the WPEA is to encourage employees to report waste, fraud, abuse and substantial threats to public health and safety. Unfortunately, as seen in the recent documentary War on Whistleblowers by Brave New Foundation, criminal prosecutions create a far greater chilling effect than merely demoting or firing a whistleblower. Tell Congress: It should not be legal to prosecute whistleblowers because of activities for which it is illegal to fire them! Whistleblowers who change the course of history are frequently criminalized in the process, even when they act lawfully, only disclosing unclassified information. Thanks to their courage, we know that the government has engaged in: - Extensive domestic surveillance, allowing big brother to tap into your phone lines and email accounts; - Gross misspending (in the billions!) to conduct illegal domestic spying, employing taxpayer dollars to target whistleblowers and media outlets such as the Associated Press; - Torture of prisoners of the "War on Terror” under official U.S. government policy; - Systemic race and gender discrimination within the Department of Energy; - The cancellation of U.S. air marshals on flights during a confirmed overseas terrorist hijacking more ambitious than the 9/11 attacks. Whistleblowers should be rewarded – not faced with jail time – for alerting the public to such threats. Congress must respond to the disturbing abuse of power by the Obama administration. Otherwise, it is the public that loses. Tell your elected leaders today: Ban the criminalization of whistleblowers!

For more than 8 million Floridians, the harsh reality of sequestration is about to hit home. As a direct result of sequester cuts — the across-the-board federal budget cuts that Congress enacted in March — the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is being forced to close offices throughout the country, and they have zeroed in on Tampa and Orlando. This state has the number one foreclosure rate in the nation, with the Tampa Bay area consistently ranking in the top 10 for the highest rates of foreclosures in the country. As Florida has barely begun to recover from the housing crisis, it’s astonishing that the Tampa field office would be put on the chopping block. Not only does it serve the second-largest number of people out of all four of Florida’s offices, but it also serves one of the largest populations in comparison to HUD field offices across the country. A report released last year by the Continuum of Care, led by the Homeless Coalition of Hillsborough County, indicted that Tampa has one of the nation’s highest populations of homeless families with children. HUD brought together eight committees made up of stakeholders, community leaders, and government officials to help address this problem. This is an office that services approximately one-third of Florida’s population. But closing this office will leave Central and Central West Florida citizens, as well as agencies that depend on the local HUD field office and its most valuable assistance and resources, in the dark. We may be able to save the Tampa office, but quick fixes will only work for so long and for some programs. It’s time for our lawmakers on Capitol Hill to act responsibly and pass a fair and responsible long-term budget plan so that communities such as Tampa are able to keep these much-needed resources. HUD should unquestionably remove the Tampa field office from its closure plan or risk seriously jeopardizing the health and welfare of citizens in this region. Help us save the Central West Florida HUD office by signing this petition and asking at least 10 others to join in this campaign for fairness to the citizens of our state.