We have lived with danger and blight on the corner of 16th and Mission for too long. Our neighborhood deserves better access to safe, clean and walkable transportation corridors.

California is getting ready to strike a blow against Citizens United by passing SB 52, the California DISCLOSE Act, a bill that would shine a bright light on the shadowy interests who depend on secrecy to influence elections. The full Senate just passed it on an overwhelming vote of 28-11. SB 52 (authored by Senators Mark Leno and Jerry Hill, sponsored by the California Clean Money Campaign, and endorsed by over 300 organizations and leaders) would mandate clear and prominent disclosure of who is behind political TV, radio, print, and mass mailer ads - on the ads themselves. SB 52 will stop special interests from hiding behind fake committee names by requiring ads to show their actual original contributors. SB 52 now moves to the Assembly, where Assembly Speaker John Pérez was one of 44 Assembly co-authors of the previous California DISCLOSE Act (AB 1648 authored by then-Assemblymember and now-Congressmember Julia Brownley) that passed the Assembly before running out of time to reach the Senate last August. Our elected officials deserve praise when they stand up for transparency and disclosure as powerful as SB 52, so sign the petition to thank them today!

The Oregon State Board of Higher Education will vote this week on whether to raise tuition again, but tuition is already too high. If the Oregon University System approves the hike, tuition at the University of Oregon next fall will be DOUBLE what it was 10 years ago. Oregon students are deep in debt, and many are being priced out of a degree altogether. That's too steep a price for Oregon to pay. Oregon students need debt-free higher education now!

The interest rate on federal subsidized Stafford student loans is set to increase from 3.4% to 6.8% on July 1st. If Congress doesn't act soon, millions of college students will see their student loan payments jump. Some argue that it's too expensive to keep government loans at low interest rates, but the federal government makes low interest loans all the time—just not to everyone. Big banks can borrow money through the Federal Reserve discount window at a rate of about 0.75%. Wall Street banks—the ones that wrecked our economy—should not be getting a better interest rate on their government loans than young people trying to go to college. Support Senator Elizabeth Warren's Bank on Students Loan Fairness Act to let students take advantage of the same low rates offered to banks for one year while Congress finds a fair, long-term solution on student loan interest rates.

The San Francisco Bay Area emits 100 million tons of greenhouse gases (GHGs) per year. Scientists tell us that to avoid catastrophic warming and climate change we must cut GHG emissions to 80% below 1990 levels by 2050. California aims to reduce GHGs to 1990 levels by 2020. It's a start, but not nearly enough. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) has the power to regulate over 50% of all the GHG emissions in the Bay Area, but they're not doing it yet. They need to lead the way to bring those emissions down to safe levels. If the progressive, environmentally aware Bay Area can't lead the way, who can? Read the RESOLUTION we want them to adopt: http://www.350bayarea.org/baycap_resolution_for_air_district

As a young widow, and single mother trying to complete my degree in order to support my child without my husband, the increases in student loan interest rates will have a huge affect on my future. I am trying to make a decent life for my family, and already have a lot of student debt to pay off. The pending rate increases will keep me, and many others, struggling even after finally getting an education that will lead to a viable career.

Hundreds, maybe thousands of beloved pets have died. Cocoa bean shell mulch can be lethal to animals, but nowhere on it's packaging does it state this, nor do any retailers take it upon themselves to inform their customers. Cocoa Mulch is manufactured by Hershey’s. They claim that “It is true that studies have shown that 50% of the dogs that eat Cocoa Mulch can suffer physical harm to a variety of degrees (depending on each individual dog). However, 98% of all dogs won’t eat it.” These numbers are quite possibly a gross under estimate because many don't have an autopsy preformed on their pet, even when it's death is sudden and mysterious. IF Hershey's statistics are correct, it adds up to 156 thousand dogs that become ill or die due to ingestion of cocoa bean shell mulch, and that's 156 thousand too many. Most dogs will eat it. Most dogs love chocolate, and many cats will eat it as well. Hundreds of pets have already died from ingestion of this product. Cocoa Mulch, which is sold by Home Depot, Foreman’s Garden Supply, Menard’s and other garden supply stores contains an ingredient called ‘Theobromine’. Theobromine is in all chocolate, especially dark or baker’s chocolate which is toxic to dogs and cats. The mulch is made from cocoa bean shells, which contain potentially toxic quantities of theobromine, a xanthine compound similar in effects to caffeine and theophylline. Every pet owner knows not to give their animals chocolate, but they need to know that Cocoa bean mulch, containing the same chemical as chocolate, could potentially kill their animals or neighborhood animals.

The US government has entered into contract with a real estate firm owned by Senator Feinstein's husband to sell 56 former post offices. His firm will earn 6% commission on each sale. Why weren't these buildings being put up for bid as it always has in the past?

This petition is to stop religious practices in state funded shelters in Albuquerque, NM. The First Amendment-Freedom of Religion is violated when homeless and day shelters force the Christian religion onto shelter residents. Some shelter residents are of other religions which do have different practices. Even if only $1 is donated from a government entity, the shelters should recognize the religious freedoms of its habitants.

SNAP effectively and efficiently helps 47 million low-income Americans put food on the table. As unemployment and poverty have remained high, the number of families at risk of hunger has not increased since 2008.

The US Chamber of Commerce is conducting an email survey regarding the role of the IRS in the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.

Senator Bennett from the state of Colorado has re-introduced the (inappropriately named) Growing Excellent Achievement Training Academies for Teachers and Principals (GREAT) Act, a bill to reshape teacher preparation, drastically lowering the standards for those doing this crucial work. This bill would allow anyone to open a "teacher preparation academy", regardless of his or her expertise or credentials and would require states equate this training with a Masters Degree from an accredited institution of higher education. Supporters include New Schools Venture Fund, Democrats for Education Reform, Stand For Children, Teach For America, TNTP, NCTQ and many more "reformers." Stand against S. 1250 (112th): GREAT Teachers and Principals Act- our kids deserve better.