I find that the $8.55 per hour wage for care providers who work at homes of people with disabilities and seniors to be below the realistic cost to survive in the modern community. Because of the much work of care providers, lifting clients; cooking; cleaning, should be respected and thus paid more. I am asking that the wage increases to $12/hour. I had a friend who did this for a person, being a care provider, and hardly made the cut in paying bills or buying food.

Montana legislators are trying to block federal family planning money from coming into the state! This is money serves over 25,000 low-income Montanans and saves taxpayer money by preventing unplanned pregnancy and STDs.

I live in a town that flourishes because of the university students. Many of them make their homes here permanently. Others live here for several years. Their presence makes this a better place. Yet, our elected officials keep making it more difficult for them to vote. Now they want to stop many of them from voting at all. If Indiana seriously wants to stop the brain drain, this is not the way to do it. If we allow the legislature to take voting rights from students, who will be next--women, blacks, the disabled? We must stop it NOW.

Every year, Chicago Public Schools pays $35.7 million to Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase, and other Big Banks in interest - money that those same banks got for free when they crashed the economy and WE bailed them out. The proposed school closings largely impact black schools, at a time when our communities need more support, not less. 1400 homeless youth are facing school closings. 2400 special-ed children with IEPs will be affected. 1/3 of all schools will be fed into lower-performing schools. CPS and Rahm Emanuel, stand with Chicago children, not with Wall Street. Paying Big Banks $35.7 million in interest every year is immoral. Demand the Big Banks renegotiate these toxic interest rate swaps, invest in our children, and keep our schools open!

I have seen the affects of alcohol has on a drunk driver who killed someone, and left him severly hurt, devestated, and in jail. I also have seen a drunk driver kill a friend of mine.

Currently Nevada does not have mandated nurse-to-patient ratios. SB 362 is a bill that will set a minimum standard for safe staffing in hospitals. Research has proven that setting safe nurse-to-patient ratios prevents patient deaths, decreases medication errors, and decreases hospital length of stay. Research has also shown that Registered Nurses are more effective in providing safe patient care when not overburdened by unmanageable patient assignments (NYSNA's Education, Practice and Research Program, 2013). This bill will improve patient outcomes, patient and nurse satisfaction, and contribute to the provision of superior care for our local community by our healthcare facilities. This bill affects everyone, not just nursing staff. We all know a family member or friend that is or has been in the hospital and they deserve the best care possible. Nevada nurses need your support to pass this bill. For more information regarding this bill, please go to the provided link below. http://legiscan.com/NV/text/SB362/2013 References NYSNA's Education, Practice and Research Program. (viewed 2013, 03 26). Role of the registered professional nurse in staffing effectiveness. Retrieved from http://www.nysna.org/practice/positions/position13_a.htm

Comprehensive Immigration Reform

If we are going to allow for critical unskilled labor as a part of immigration reform, let’s ensure their children have a fair shot at the American dream. In 1938, child labor protections were exempted for agriculture. As a result, today an estimated 400,00 to 500,000 children legal work in agriculture. These kids are NOT the children of farmers; they are hired help whose health and education are compromised. They work in conditions most adults can’t physically tolerate. An estimated 65% of these children will not finish high school, a waste of potential. We are creating a permanent underclass of citizens. Each generation is supposed to do better but, if your children work instead of study, it’s rare. A child born to a farm worker is treated separate and unequal, denied protections from pesticides, arduous work and denied basic protections of non-agriculture children. Let’s take this opportunity to end a double standard. Agriculture is a profitable business. ADM boasts 62 billion in net sales in 2010. Cargill #1 Private Company with 109.84 billion in revenues. Agriculture doesn’t need to survive off the back of children.

End, once and for all the "deregulation" of electricity in TX. Electricity is not a competitive market, we don't have to be "sold" on buying electricity--thus every add that's run is a waste of resources. The real monopolies were not dissolved, but were insulated by deregulation.

I'm a MA level counselor to-be, looking forward to starting my career. Yet I can't look forward to the long hours, low or no pay situations of most jobs in my state. I put together a 3 year degree complete with an already 700 hour practicum experience, offering free work for mental health facilities. Our profession may be the only one requiring such a challenging education, while expecting us to live and start careers without pay. How are we to survive and pay back school loans? Do we work 80 hours/week and still try to offer compassionate, competent care to our clients?

I am a 71 year old disabled senior woman who was illegally evicted 10/2010 from my apt at 1000 S. Glendora Ave, Glendora, CA. I became homeless and lived in tents in campgrounds in the mountains for over two years. I lost my city rental subsidy for three years while I fought the illegal eviction and finally won in the appeals court 4/23/12 The 3 judges ruled my apt and city rental subsidy be reinstated. On 11/18/12 the city of Glendora gave me a Federal Tenant Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) subsidy with a notice it will end 6/30/13 which means I will again be homeless and have to move back to the campgrounds and live in tents. I am not alone, the city is ending the TBRA rental subsidies for 63 households 6/30/13 and many of them will be homeless. I am asking for an investigation of the city council, Affordable Housing Agency for misappropriation of city, state and federal money (funds) as far back as 2004. Please sign my petition asking the President and Governor to order a thorough investigation of the City of Glendora for misappropriation of city, state and federal money?

You should be concerned about this issue because this bill is an unfair and outrageous gift to the off-road vehicle (ORV) lobby. The bill would abolish the National Park Service's Final Rule to manage ORV use on Cape Hatteras National Seashore. In the one year of management under the Final Rule, visitation to the Seashore increased, tourism set record highs, and wildlife in the Seashore continued to rebound. The Final Rule is fairer to all parties than the Interim Rule; the public process informing the National Park Service’s Final Rule management plan included numerous public meetings and a negotiated rulemaking process that included opportunities for public comment. Most of the over 20,000 comments received supported even more stringent restrictions than those included in the Final Rule. This bill could threaten to overturn reasonable restrictions on ORV use that protect wildlife, landscapes, and people in other National Parks and Seashores because it would set a precedent. To read more about wildlife in the seashore and how opponents of unrestricted ORV use have been threatened, see: http://www.audubonmagazine.org/articles/conservation/battle-over-north-carolina-beach-continues