Ankylosing Spondylitis(A.S.) is an auto-immune arthritis that affects 1.7 million people in the United States of America and over 33 million people in the world. This disease needs to be better understood by the government, healthcare professionals and general public. There is currently not a cure for A.S., but through more government funded research studies and education, the people who it affects and their families can enjoy more comfortable lives. Please visit www.helgiolafson.org to contact the leader of this petition. The Helgi Olafson Foundation is a non profit organization. My name is Helgi Olafson and I have Ankylosing Spondylitis. I am a health activist, educating and inspiring people around the world to live healthier lives and take control of this disease through my involvement in endurance sports.

We just want to be in American was it thank you.

We need innovative government policies to create good jobs now at the local, state and national level by establishing long overdue government policies in energy production. By establishing a well developed feed-in-tariff pricing system, which has been proven and implemented in over 80 jurisdictions around the world, the country will have the ability to make the changes necessary to be a leader in clean energy production and development which is so vital to our world right now.

SSDI was not set up origanlly to tax at the end of the year.

Because of the clause in the Illinois State Constitution mandating that the state personal income tax be flat, low income people in Illinois pay a far higher share of their income in state and local taxes than wealthier people. Illinois has one of the most regressive tax structures in the nation. The Illinois Constitution should be amended to permit the state legislature to levy a graduated personal income tax.

I want to initiate a radical change to the presidential election process to try and reduce the effect of party politics. It was so obvious to me this past campaign season that party politics does not work in the best interest of our nation and its people. I am so tired of the way the main stream parties manage campaigns and I feel we need to change the process so the people have more power in the decisions regarding our leadership.

Life long politicians only concern is being re-elected. Therefore, they act in their own best interest and cater to whomever is providing the most money for their re-election. The 22nd Ammendment sets term limits for the President of the United States. The time has come for Congress to have term limits as well. I have taken the 22nd Ammendment and modified it to apply to the Senate and House of Representatives.

Minimum wage has been frozen for decades. Instead of $7.25 per hour, $11.00 per hour is more appropriate. If 5.2% of our working population is at or below minimum wage, this would be a win, win, for everyone--even those who are paying more for their minimum wage employees would see an increase in their sales volumes, and the country would see an increase in tax revenues available for public works. I propose the change start on the local level--by the city and by the county. Incentives for local employers to pay more could be encouraged by local cities, for example, stating there will be an increase for business license fees, or perhaps, building permits and others except for those employers who are willing to increase their minimum wage employees to $11.00 per hour. It would be good PR for the big box stores within the city to lead the charge.

PEOLPE DEPEND ON PUBLIC DEFENDERS TO DEFEND THEM,THE LAW STATES INNCCENT UNTIL PROVEN GULITY,WELL THE MOMMENT YOUR GIVEN ONE YOUR CHANCE OF WINNING IS OVER THEY WORKING HARD AT A PLEA OR HAVING U LOCKED UP

The 2008 meltdown is attributed to the deregulation of the Glass Steagall Act > Also called The Banking Act was instituted in 1933 to separate the workings of commercial and investment banks. In 1999 under Bill Clinton it was deactivated so banks could enlarge without oversight. The reinstatement of this bill is the single most important step toward a balanced economy..

The so-called Arab Spring is part of a broader Global Spring, where the people of the world are taking note of what governments are doing and having the courage to stand up for what they believe in. President Dwight Eisenhower said that "I think that people want peace so much that one of these days governments had better get out of the way and let them have it." He was right. At the very least, the U.S. government should make it a crime for any American leader to authorize armed force in violation of our commitments under the U.N. Charter and relevant international law, so that the people of the world will know that that's not what America and Americans are about.

A lot of senior citizens have little or no health insurance, going with the federal government will make it easier for all senior citizens.