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. 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. 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!

Wendy Klein, Sales Manager and spokesperson for The Palm Restaurant, testified before the Denver City Council in May 2012 in favor of the Urban Camping Ban Ordinance which essentially makes it illegal to sleep outside anywhere in Denver with so much as a blanket. She stated that The Palm’s staff and their clientele feel “intimidated by ‘those’ who gather in groups for safety” and made NO statements of concern for nor in support of helping the homeless in ANY WAY. Services for the homeless are woefully lacking in Denver and have not been increased in decades despite ever-increasing need. Rather than working with existing organizations that work with and help the homeless daily, like the Denver Homeless Commission, the Palm backed a punitive ordinance that replaces a safe, warm place to sleep with no sleep, an $85 ticket or jail time. Apparently the PalmCares program does NOT care about the homeless. In essence, The Palm Restaurant felt the homeless were cutting into their bottom lines and, rather than try to find constructive ways to help people out of homelessness by working to increase services and opportunities, they backed a law that criminalized acts of survival while homeless. Please join the ongoing protest every Friday evening from 6PM to 8PM at: 1672 Lawrence Street in the Westin Downtown Hotel Denver CO, 80202 (Arapahoe St. between 16th St. and 17th St.) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ***Please also sign the Petition asking the Denver City Council to repeal the Ban*** http://signon.org/sign/stop-criminalizing-homelessn-1 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bill in the Texas legislature allowing college students to carry concealed weapons.

It has been a year since the Urban Camping Ban was passed, and it has had devastating effects on the homeless as demonstrated by a survey conducted by Denver Homeless Out Loud. The callous, "kick 'em when they're down" attitude demonstrated by the Denver City Council, Downtown Denver Partnership and Colorado Restaurant Association is unacceptable and beneath the caliber of our compassionate Denver community. We need to let them know that the Urban Camping Ban is a cruel law that punishes the homeless for trying to survive. BACKGROUND: o In May 2012, the Denver City Council passed the Urban Camping Ban Ordinance which essentially makes it illegal to sleep outside anywhere in Denver with so much as a blanket. o The ban was supported by the Downtown Denver Partnership (DDP), of which Tamara Door is President & CEO. o Wendy Klein, is the Sales Manager for The Palm Restaurant. She testified before the Denver City Council representing The Palm Restaurant and the Colorado Restaurant Association. o She stated that The Palm’s staff and their clientele are intimidated by the homeless. o She also stated that the Colorado Restaurant Association voted unanimously to support this ordinance. o In essence, The Palm Restaurant and all members of the Colorado Restaurant Association felt the homeless were cutting into their bottom lines and, rather than try to find a way to help people out of homelessness by working to increase services and opportunities, they backed a law that criminalized acts of survival while homeless. HOMELESS FACTS: o Nearly 13,000 homeless in Denver at any time o No shelter beds for 90% o 11,000+ HUMAN BEINGS - Men, Women AND CHILDREN with nowhere to sleep o 130 homeless men, women AND CHILDREN died in 2011 o 33% of the homeless in Denver are working, 64% are families with children and 42% are women o 1 in 4 Veterans is homeless (Is this how we care for them?) o Instead of helping the homeless, this ban has pushed them further to the margins of our city. Sleeping more hidden, they face increased risk of violence, including rape, and lack of sleep (a leading cause of psychological disorders). o Reasons for homelessness – low wages, job loss, lost home to foreclosure, being a victim of domestic violence, mental illness o Getting arrested under this ban leaves them with a criminal record, making it even harder to get a job and climb out of poverty.

I have many homosexual friends that are being denied the same right to marry the person they love that I have been afforded. Times changes and we as educated human being need to change with those times. It's an old argument but still has meaning. There was a time when people of different faiths and skin coloring were forbidden to marry. That changed with the times and so should it be for LGBTQ couples.

Illegal HOA foreclosure practices in Florida at the hands of Attorney Robert L. Tankel of Dunedin, Florida

Protecting animals and wildlife

The middle class and lower class need jobs. Put some effort into creating these.

I received a response to a letter I wrote to President Barack Obama in 2010, concerning the immigrant visa application of my husband, Roberto Cerda Mendez, who is in Mexico. When I initially wrote to the President, I was in search of help in clearing out my husband’s case. He was unjustly accused of reentering or attempting to reenter the U. S. illegally, which never occurred, and with that allegation, he was denied the opportunity to waive the 10 year penalty. After researching and trying to find a way to clear this matter, my sister advised me to request my husband’s FOIA records. After months of awaiting a response, I finally received an encouraging response. There are no records that show that my husband was ever apprehended by any immigration or border patrol official. Therefore, with this I can prove that what was stated by the consular officer that interviewed him at the U. S. Consulate in Ciudad Juarez on September 3, 2009, is false. However, to my disappointment, the officer affirms that my husband stated that he entered, departed, and re-entered the U.S. without inspection under oath. So pretty much there is nothing that can be done although this is plain false. Please help me with this matter. It’s not morally correct for our family to be paying for a consular officer’s mistake and for the government to let him get away with it. I want my husband back in Houston, Texas with me and our children.

Radioactive waste left over from the Manhattan project that is buried in an unlined landfill in Bridgeton, Missouri.

Connecticut Department of Transportation has proposed doubling the fares on the Chester-Hadlyme and Rocky Hill-Glastonbury ferries as of July 1. Such a dramatic price increase will undoubtedly discourage use of the ferries and result in decreased ridership, possibly to the point of actually reducing total revenues. DOT should give serious consideration to other alternatives.

For same-sex binational families like mine, America's immigration system tears families apart. Gay and lesbian Americans cannot sponsor their husbands and wives from other countries for immigration and green cards. Until DOMA, Defense of Marriage is gone, UAFA, Uniting American Families Act is our solution. Please support this legislation! Thanks