Seniors need to have more respect. When we retire we loose much of our income, we cannot stay in the homes we loved because of the high property taxes. The economy has been awful for many years now. We have lost our savings because of the greed of others and the government that is unwilling, or unable to do anything about it. They are either in it for themselves or they are inept. Either way we have lost out and the least they can do is stop taxing us.

Social Security is not driving the deficit, therefore it should not be part of reforms aimed at cutting the deficit. The chained CPI, deceptively portrayed as a reasonable cost of living adjustment, is a cut to Social Security benefits that would hurt seniors. There are several sensible reforms to Social Security that should be considered to help make it sustainable, including lifting the ceiling on income subject to Social Security from $113,700 to $200,000 or more, as well as instituting a 1% raise in the payroll tax rate, a rate that hasn't changed in over 20 years. Both of these reforms would go a long way toward protecting the long-term health of Social Security, but neither should not be conflated with efforts to reduce the federal budget deficit. President Obama needs to stand by his Democratic principles and fight to protect Social Security benefits.

Now that the federal government has failed to pass basic, common sense gun laws, it is up to the states to act. Governor Shumlin has said that Vermont's laws are adequate, but Vermont actually has some of the weakest gun laws in the country. We are currently lacking some of the most basic gun regulations, and the safety of Vermonters is at stake. - Vermont has the highest rate of gun deaths in New England – mostly by suicide. - Vermont has the 12th highest suicide rate in the country and the highest the northeastern U.S., the majority of which are carried out with a gun. - Vermont, despite its small size, is 16th in the nation in exporting guns later found in crimes throughout the country, and has the highest rate of exported guns per capita in the northeast. - Vermont does not require gun owners to make guns inaccessible to children, despite the clear correlation between accidental shootings and unsecured guns. - Over past 10 years, 50% of Vermont’s homicides have been domestic violence-related. In states that require a background check for privates sales of handguns, 38% fewer women are shot to death by their intimate partners. Vermont has lots of responsible gun owners, but as our laws stand now, there is hardly anything keeping an irresponsible person from acquiring a firearm and harming themselves and/or others. If the governor truly believes in a 50-state solution, he should help put Vermont on the map as yet another state willing to prioritize its citizens' safety ahead of the gun lobby's agenda. More statistics and our sources can be found at: www.GunSenseVT.org. To join the GunSenseVT e-mail list and be part of growing coalition of Vermonters in support of sensible gun laws, e-mail [email protected] with your NAME and TOWN.

Abolish Fastrak, Yes I have been affected along with a million other commuters.

Did you see the 60 Minutes episode. If you did sign this petition now. If you didn't, Louis Taylor, was railroaded for a crime he did not commit and now over 40 years later he was released only after 60 minutes exposed the injustice. The continuing injustice is that the district attorney threatened to drag him through court again all the way to the supreme court unless he pled no contest and promised not to sue for restitution. That is not justice but a Second injustice imposed on this man by a system that claims to uphold justice. This is sickening and cannot be allowed to stand.

The New York SAFE Act is a draconian gun control package that was passed without public debate or input. It infringes the Constitutionally protected rights of law-abiding citizens, interferes with commerce, deprives people of their right to use and transfer personal property, and creates unfunded mandates on taxpayers--all without preventing violent crimes or reducing their severity. The Putnam County Legislature rightly enacted a resolution opposing the NY SAFE Act, which resolution we now support with this petition.

Animal abuse is a big problem in Oregon and there is not a big enough punishment for it to be threatening to abusers. We want to make the punishment bigger so that there is less abuse. We want this for the animals, but this is for the people too. Studies show that some animal abusers go on to do abusive and destructive things that can affect the people, for example setting fires. So if we put a stop to animal abuse everyone will be safer. The law itself allows five years in prison but there is a sentencing grid that limits the punishment to 120 days maximum. We want to change the grid and make sure that the grid matches the law so abusers get the proper punishment. This is part of what Senate Bill 6 says.

Sign my petition to implement a 20% emergency pay cut, effective immediately, for all members of the Legislative Branch of the Federal Government until the Sequester is ended. Congress should cancel the sequester, but if they aren't willing to, then they should share the pain by taking the 20% pay cut. If we are taking a pay cut for their lack to responsibility to the American people, so should they.

UPDATE: VICTORY! James, whose story is below, personally delivered the petition to Texas' legislature. And on 4/4, this amendment was WITHDRAWN from the bill. THANK YOU for your signatures and comments! ***************************************** Growing up in Rio Grande Valley Texas, University of Houston student James was taught that being gay was wrong. "It wasn’t until I stepped into my college resource center and found other students like me that I finally found peace with myself. The Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (LGBT) Resource Center at the University of Houston changed my life." Now one Texas Representative wants to take away that center, and every other one in Texas. Rep. Bill Zedler has added an amendment to the Appropriations bill that would ban funding for all LGBT, Gender, and Sexuality centers in Texas universities. Please tell the Texas legislature to oppose the Zedler 1 Amendment!

Indiana could become the first state in the nation to require an employee in every public and charter school to carry a loaded gun during school hours. Rep. Jim Lucas, the freshman Republican from Seymour who is responsible for this proposal, called it a “common-sense approach to a horrible situation.” Nothing could be further from the truth. A resource teacher in Shelbyville Central Schools told the Indianapolis Star that having an armed teacher in school poses several logistical challenges. “I can’t imagine trying to manage 28 to 30 children by myself and manage a loaded weapon on my body somewhere, and be able to deal with a potential intruder and keep the kids safe,” she said. Even NRA-endorsed Gov. Mike Pence opposes this measure, stating that “decisions about school safety and security should be made by local schools," and not by politicians. The Indiana House Ways and Means Committee will consider the bill on Monday. Many believe it will be approved. Teachers, students, parents and community members -- now is the time to signal to state legislators that you oppose a mandate for guns in every school.

37 liberal Senators have endorsed Jessica Rosenworcel, a junior commissioner as the next Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Chairman but not FCC Senior commissioner, Mignon Clyburn, a highly qualified person who is currently serving her second term as a Democrat, who began her service in 2009, after spending 11 years as a member on Public Service Commissioner of South Carolina. Request you close the Gender and Racial Gap endorse and nominate Ms. Mignon Clyburn as the First Black Woman FCC Chairperson.

My petition is about having citizens in our state to take part in enforcing strict gun laws in Hawaii. Yes I have, my friend's mother has been shot by a mentally ill person.