Our pigs are like family to us. We love them dearly and spend a lot of time outside with them. They are a small breed, and will not grow to be any larger than a medium to large sized dog. Our pet pigs are always taken care of and are very loved in our community. We understand that technically we are out of the zone to legally own them, but we have the appropriate space and shelter, which is not super visible since it is in our backyard. We also live in the corner of the town where our immediate neighbors are legally allowed to own livestock that we can see and hear regularly, but we technically are not able to.

The City's swim program activities had to rebuild after being unavailable during the COVID-19 pandemic when pools were closed, followed by a shortage of trained and certified pool guards, swim instructors, pool managers, and coaches. There was also broken pool infrastructure that took months to fix. City pools provide: • Swim lessons/classes for youth and adults at various skill levels • Year-round youth swim teams and water polo • Year-round access to recreational and lap swimming sessions for the community at large • Local high schools use city pools for their swim and water polo programs Importance of recreation swim and water polo teams: • Affordable for all • More inclusive of all swim levels; providing greater opportunities for individual swimmers - as young as age 6 • Kids who swim on recreational swim and water polo teams advance to high school aquatic programs • Neighborhood camaraderie and building community Cutting year-round recreational swim and water polo team programs: • Negatively impacts the recreational swim teams and swimmers • Large breaks in training, causing a loss of continuity, hinder progress and competitiveness in these sports, fracturing the swim and water polo programs • Families may turn to clubs or private facilities that cost significantly more and are further from their neighborhood and community Families may stop participation altogether because they are unable to find competitive aquatic programs that are budget-friendly and close to home • Creates a greater disparity in the quality of City athletic swim and water polo programs and creates a larger inequity among all residents Result in lost revenue opportunities for the City Water activities may be less top of mind for families, and there could be an increased risk of water-related accidents and drownings Deprive young people of positive recreational opportunities and social interactions San Diego boasts 26 miles of shoreline, 15 pools citywide, and a climate where residents can swim year-round. The City’s Parks and Recreation Department should invest in its swim and water polo team programs, not cut staff and resources, and continue to let pools fall into disrepair. The children learning to swim today will be more confident in the water creating a safer community. They could one day be the City’s next generation of instructors, lifeguards, first responders, and City leaders. Sign this petition to send a message to our City's leadership to preserve our youth's swim and water polo team programs.

It would change the way we act and it would make a lot of money for the University.

Our taxes are currently being allocated without our input, often towards issues that some of us may not believe in or support.

This could be deadly to those who ARE photosensitive. It furthers the idea that bullying is okay and our disability (epilepsy) is something to laugh about. We have faced stigma since ancient times, but if the world is so inclusive these days, why is there an entire community that is able to be targeted and attacked?

Women's sports are winning BIG right now. The 2024 NCAA women's championship game between Iowa State and South Carolina was the most watched basketball game in history. Yet, women basketball players aren't getting properly rewarded for their excellence. After this year's tournament—for the first time ever—the NCAA will award $65 million to participating women's conferences based on the performance of their teams. That's less than HALF of the men's teams $220 million in payouts. While $65 million may seem like a lot, it's a drop in the bucket when compared to some estimates that put the women's team's valuation at $112 million. These payouts provide critical funding to team operations throughout the year for things like scholarships for student-athletes, upgrading training facilities, covering team travel expenses and more. Gender inequality has been baked into the NCAA from the very beginning with media rights agreements and revenue models that have always prioritized men's basketball. A gender equity report in 2021 revealed the NCAA spent a whopping $35 million more on the men's basketball tournament than the women's. And for decades women's teams couldn't even use "March Madness" branding for their tournament. The current system perpetuates the sexist myth that women's sports are less valuable. Women players are showing the world that they are powerful, talented athletes that deserve the same recognition and attention that male athletes have been receiving for decades. We have to show institutions like the NCAA that women deserve to be paid for their talent. Sign the petition to demand that the NCAA address gender pay inequity NOW and increase payout amounts for women basketball players.

Short term rentals offer a unique way for visitors to experience our beautiful town, supporting local businesses such as restaurants, shops, and attractions. They also provide homeowners with supplemental income that helps them afford their homes and stay in the community they love. We recognize the importance of maintaining the character and integrity of our neighborhoods. However, we believe that with proper regulations and responsible hosting, short term rentals can coexist harmoniously with long term residents. We urge local authorities to consider alternative solutions that balance the needs of all stakeholders involved. Instead of imposing blanket bans or severe restrictions, we encourage the development of fair and reasonable guidelines that address any legitimate concerns while preserving the rights of property owners and the benefits of short term rentals. By signing this petition, we express our support for the continuation of short term rentals in Excelsior, MN, and call upon decision-makers to protect this vital aspect of our community. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

The Child Tax Credit (CTC), a cash assistance program for working families, has been one of the most effective policies for helping families meet their most basic needs like food, housing, and child care. In 2021 alone, the CTC cut child poverty nearly in half. But since it expired, millions of children have been thrown back into poverty. Earlier this year, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed bipartisan legislation to expand the Child Tax Credit, which would help 16 million children and their families deal with rising costs and boost local economies. But it's currently stuck in the Senate, so we need to do everything we can to demand they pass it as soon as possible! A majority of voters support the Child Tax Credit because it's good for families, our communities, and the economy. The CTC has proven to keep kids fed and safe at home, help parents with everyday expenses like utilities, groceries, and rent, and assist parents in paying for child care. Sign the petition to demand that the Senate swiftly pass the Child Tax Credit expansion so families can get the urgent support that they need right now. Photo credit: ALEX WONG/GETTY IMAGES

The Port of Baltimore is a major U.S. port and the national economy—and all Americans—will suffer unless immediate action is taken to repair the bridge and reopen the port. The government intervening to quickly repair the Baltimore bridge is not only what is right; it’s what is good and necessary for the entire country. Congress can provide the necessary funding needed to quickly and swiftly repair the bridge—as it has done in the past. In 2007 a bridge tragically collapsed in Minnesota, killing 13 people and injuring more than 145 people. Congress took swift action, and in just three days authorized emergency funding to repair the bridge. And in 2013, the Skagit River Bridge collapse in the state of Washington resulted in $15.6 million in emergency funds. Instead of focusing on this tragedy and what they can do to help relieve some of the burden, MAGA Republicans in Congress wasted no time to use the Baltimore bridge collapse to push their own corrupted agenda—going so far as to blame diversity and DEI for the bridge collapse. Why? Because Baltimore’s mayor, Brandon Scott, is Black. It’s blatant racism, and they are using that racism to stoke their most extreme base, all while refusing to take necessary action that the people in Maryland and across the country desperately need. Republicans in Congress, putting their own political careers above the public good, are digging in their heels—insistent on resisting and undermining President Biden every step of the way. They need to be reminded that they answer to constituents, and that constituents are demanding Congress pass funding to repair the bridge NOW!

People with asthma and COPD should not have to suffer through Teva’s price-gouging just to access the inhalers they need to survive. There is absolutely ZERO excuse for Teva to be the only major inhaler manufacturer that hasn’t capped out-of-pocket costs at $35. There is no cure for asthma or COPD, which means that people with these diseases need their inhalers to survive. But because of the corporate greed of inhaler companies like Teva, many have had to ration their doses due to the costliness of inhalers. Families should not have to choose between food, shelter, and electricity or their lifesaving medication while corporate executives line their pockets, but that is the reality that many Americans are facing. And in the midst of the pandemic, the worst public health crisis in the U.S., and while one out of five Americans cannot afford the medicine prescribed by their doctors, Teva has made $1.7 BILLION in revenue on their inhalers in the past five years alone. Teva has used profit from that revenue to provide huge multimillion-dollar compensation packages to the CEO and other top executives at the company while their patients ration their inhaler doses (if they can even afford them to begin with). Teva Pharmaceuticals still hasn’t, but Sen. Sanders says that Teva Pharmaceuticals is considering joining the other three major inhaler manufacturers in capping their inhaler costs at $35. That’s where we come in. We have to keep up the pressure to ensure that they listen and follow through. Together, we can make it happen. Will you sign the petition and send it to three friends to spread the word?

Ron DeSantis, Florida Republicans, and Vertol Systems didn’t stop with the Martha’s Vineyard flight. In June, 36 Latin American migrants were deceived and promised work, housing, and food if they agreed to be flown to California on a chartered flight organized by Vertol Systems. And just last month, DeSantis floated the idea of flying Haitian migrants to Martha’s Vineyard. Enough is enough! We have to stop these flights before it’s too late. The migrants who were trafficked to Martha’s Vineyard have since sued Vertol Systems, and a federal judge has allowed the lawsuit to proceed and said that there was evidence to support that the migrants were targeted because they were Latinx. The federal judge recognized these sham flights as a political stunt asserting that DeSantis was exploiting migrants "in a scheme to boost the national profile of Defendant DeSantis and manipulate them for political ends,” and ruled that the treatment of these migrants was "extreme, outrageous, uncivilized, intolerable, and stunning.” It’s shameful that instead of treating asylum-seekers with the due process, dignity and care they deserve, Vertol Systems and Republican governors like Ron DeSantis are exploiting them and using them as political pawns. These are not isolated incidents. They are deliberate actions relentlessly carried out by anti-immigrant Republicans. It’s completely unacceptable, and there is no excuse for Vertol Systems to continue profiting off of deceived migrants. They must stop organizing the flights NOW. Will you take action and sign the petition?

The wealth gap in America is getting wider and economic inequality in our country is getting worse. As wages stagnate and costs of living rise, everyday people are struggling to make ends meet. Meanwhile, greedy and corrupt Republicans in Congress divert taxpayer dollars away from the social programs we desperately need—like public education, health care for all, housing, paid family and medical leave, public transportation, and more. The reality is that we have enough resources in America to fully fund our communities—but only if everyone pays their fair share. Right now the top richest families are projected to owe 3.2% of their wealth in federal, state, and local taxes this year—while the bottom 99% are projected to owe 7.2%. That is unfair and has to change. Senator Elizabeth Warren, Representative Pramila Jayapal, and Representative Brendan Boyle have a plan: The Ultra-Millionaire Tax Act. The bill is projected to bring in $3 TRILLION in revenue over 10 years, without raising taxes on households with a net worth below $50 million. The current tax system is rigged to benefit the wealthy few, and they’ve been exploiting the system in their favor for decades. Together, we can rewrite the rules to finally make our system more fair and equitable. And by demanding the ultra-wealthy pay what they owe, we can fully invest in working families who are the foundation of our economy and country.