Hurricane Sandy exacerbated NYC’s affordable housing shortage. Before the storm, 48,000 people, including 20,000 children, were already sleeping in City shelters and thousands more were made homeless by the storm. Nearly 4 months after the disaster, more than 2,000 displaced families are still living in temporary hotels, SROs, and shelters paid for by FEMA and the City of New York. Thousands more remain in their affected communities, living in dangerous conditions or double-up with family and friends. The majority of these families were struggling to survive on low-incomes even before the storm. New York City established a “housing portal” to help Sandy victims find permanent housing, but three-quarters of applicants did not qualify, because their incomes were too low. After Hurricane Katrina, the federal government established the Disaster Housing Assistance Program, which provided affordable housing vouchers for low-income people made homeless by the storm. They were originally issued as temporary rental vouchers, and later converted to permanent Section 8 rental housing choice vouchers. New York City and other communities that were hit hard by Hurricane Sandy need similar support -- vouchers to get people out of shelters immediately and into permanent housing. These "DHAP" vouchers were authorized by the federal recovery bill (H.R. 152), but HUD and FEMA have yet to issue them. As Secretary of the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, we call on Shaun Donovan to immediately issue affordable housing vouchers for Hurricane Sandy victims.

Coal-fired power plants are the largest source of global warming pollution in Massachusetts. In addition, these power plants release mercury, a potent neurotoxin, as well as smog and soot-forming emissions that threaten public health. We should be shifting away from dirty, dangerous energy sources like coal and embracing clean, renewable energy to power our lives.

As pedestrian fatalities continue to rise, the New York Police Department has focused on ticketing more bicyclists, even while deadly drivers continue to speed and threaten the lives of pedestrians and everyone else on the road. Until New York reduces its car-on-pedestrian fatalities by at least half, the police should stop ticketing New Yorkers who are using one of the safest and cleanest transportation options around. If we can get enough signatures, I'd like to do some kind of bike-powered delivery to City Hall together -- so please share!

COLORADANS SUPPORT RATIONAL GUN LEGISLATION

I did a Save BadgerCare petition about 16 months ago. Now WI Gov. Scott Walker has refused to take federal dollars to expand medicaid/BadgerCare, and we have until June to change his mind.

I am going to be affected by this cuts as wel as millions all over the world. I am ddisablied. I do get Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Food Stamps, I have a free transate card for tranporation. It breaks my heart to think Ill be and milllions will be affectd by these cuts.

My husband has many food allergies/sensitivies such as wheat, dairy ( cheese, milk, butter,whey), corn (frusctose corn syrup] and other foods that gmo elements are present in. He needs to know any of these are present in the food he eats. It is essential to his health.that foods components are labelled for him to be healthy. Many people have similar problems. The bill is being considered by the Environment and Agriculture Committee in the House now.. They need to hear from you.

Glenbrook North and Glenbrook South High Schools should have their own high school musical. By combining the student populations of these two large high schools, students are not given a fair opportunity to participate in a high school musical production during their years in high school. Would we combine the athletic teams of the two schools to produce one fantastic team? Of course not. Every surrounding school manages to produce their own musical, and are just as proud of their smaller scale production because it is their own students who are performing.

In the here and now, 8-15% of the American public remain in a state of unemployment, underemployment, foreclosues, shrinking revenue and now forloughs - while our politicians continue to rant on about cuts to save some mystical tomorrow. People are hurting and its time our elected officials share in the pain.

The Sequester

When I was 6 years old, my aunt, Dr. Deborah Saiki, was brutally murdered by her husband, Russell Franklin Stone. While I can't do anything about the past, I can prevent this dangerous man from hurting anyone every again, and that's why I'm asking you to sign this petition. Please urge the Board of Parole Hearings to deny Russell Stone (CDC #H-00697) parole. He has never shown any signs of remorse or responsibility in my aunt's brutal murder and is a continued threat to the public safety.

My oldest daughter was raped by her step father at the age of four. I called in Child Protective Services, the prosecutor, and took my daughter for counseling. Now I'm learning that the man that raped my oldest daughter may still end up with visitation for the daughter we had together, my youngest. How can this man's parental rights outweigh my innocent child's rights to safety? Please help me protect Cassie and children in positions similar to Cassie's. https://www.facebook.com/cassieslawnj https://twitter.com/cassieslaw