We are all affected by the drought and we all pay for it in so many ways. We cannot drink oil or oil our crops. One of the solutions is so simple and can be implemented quickly and easily in all new construction without too much, if any, increase in the cost of the building/home.

This is to thwart bank efforts in trying to foreclose on those effected by Hurricane Sandy. I have personally been effect, unemployment does not cover all expenses and while I am looking for a job, the added stress of losing a home that I have had since '88 should not have to be on my plate. Sign the petition if you, a family member or friend are in the same situation.

My issue concerns college students who currently have a felony. I believe that if a person has done their time, and has completed probation with no further charges, that a person's felony charge should automatically be erased if they have completed a Bachelors Degree. Of course some charges will not be considered, depending on the level of the offence, but people like me who has done everything in society to reinvent themselves deserve a second chance in the workforce. I have been offered good jobs, but with my felony, I was not able to be employed. With enough signatures and lots of people who suffer from these old mistakes, we should have the right to prove ourselves in society as a changed person.

Every day we are being reminded about the dire state of mental health in our country. Mental health hospitals, services in schools, aftercare facilities, and rehabs have all had funding cut and this trend must stop. As a counselor in Texas, every day I work with clients that need more care than is currently available for them. Why spend more money? The key here is actually we would save more money in the long run. People who are in crisis often get sent to hospitals and then mental health hospitals. The hospitals try to help get these people in and out as quickly as possible because funding and the number of beds are inadequate. Many times these people are then released back to the community with little or no support and they go into crisis again and potentially take their own life and possibly others as well. This means increased costs by another trip in an ambulance, police support, ICU, and another stay at a mental health hospital. How do we stop this? Other states and countries have helped curb this cycle by thoroughly revamping their mental health systems. One vital piece that would help Texas is aftercare facilities for those who recently are released from the hospitals. This would give them a place to recover, adjust to medications, and be in a place where they can be monitored and supported as a medical and therapy team works to correct what has been going wrong. More funding would also aid to help those agencies that help to support those in need before they go into crisis. The State of California has found that for every $1 they spent on rehabilitation facilities, they saved $7 in incarceration costs. So, sign here to help save Texas money, to help save the lives of Texans in need, and to help mental health be a top priority!

Gov Fallin constantly FALING the seniors of Oklahoma! By refusing Obamacare, Fallin will heap a lot more taxes on the NON Seniors and overload the hospital Emergency Rooms! Don't be fooled by her lies of the Obamacare cost to the State! She is vying for a slot in the GOP race for PRESIDENT! BEWARE OF HER FORKED TONGUE!

The gun laws must be changed to protect us from those who own guns. We have the right to LIFE, that is primary. We need common sense that allows people to protect their homes if they wish, hunt if they wish, but no guns in public places.

I think the governor and the Mayor need to take a closer look at the MTA operations. Instead of Governor Coumo going after LIPA for one incident his efforts will be better spent looking at the MTA. After 100 years of service it seems the MTA is still catching up instead of being a leader in the transportation industry. Constant delays, excessive construction projects going on at the same time, and some of these projects will not result in a better system but possibly another constraint on the already strained and ineffective system that is the MTA. 2/14/13 Update: On the news today (WNYC) there was more news on how ineffective and managed in the most wasteful way. the news program mention how the MTA had about 90 Million sitting in bank accounts with no purpose and not being used. It went one to imply that maybe the MTA didn't even know this money was there and available for use because those in charge of accountability are not doing their job! We all need to speak up and tell the Governor and Mayor to look at this organization more closely.

Every parent that has or had a child in the NYS school system can identify with this issue. The current system is a closed system with no outside or parental oversight. There is no accountability except in house and that is like having the fox guard the hen house. Bullying, favoritism, partiality, crappy food, deaf administrators busy hanging on their own little power seats are rampant.

I have worked for the state of Illinois for over 20 years. Forget the Interest 90 billion in pension debt. The citizens of Illinois want to know. Where did the money go???

OBAMACARE is needed in Oklahoma. Fallin is lying about the state's cost. Her political aspirations to be a Presidental hopeful will send every poor person to the Emergency room which will bankrupt Oklahoma for sure and create a HUGE burden on hospitals!

The investors and loan service provider must negotiate with the Shadrick family so they can keep their home. Reduce principle to current market value, forgive penalties and fees created by their litigation, re-negotiate mortgage terms. They must be accountable for their part in creating the financial crisis, and give relief to all the mortgagees caught in these pooling and servicing agreements. They must disclose the names and addresses of all the mortgagees that are part of the pooling and servicing agreement (Deutsche Bank National Trust Company, As Trustee Under Pooling And Servicing Agreement Dated As Of July I , 2003 Morgan Stanley Abs Capital I Inc. Trust 2003-NC7). We want the investors and Ocwen to pay punitive damages for the pain and suffering they have caused in the lives of hundreds of families with their fraudulent financial practices.

Extreme legislators in Raleigh are pushing a bill that would make the most draconian cuts to unemployment insurance in the country. The bill would reduce the number of weeks workers are eligible for unemployment insurance, drastically cut the maximum amount of weekly benefits unemployed workers can receive and require workers to wait longer to receive unemployment insurance. With the unemployment rate in North Carolina still greater than 9%, the last thing we need to be doing is asking workers who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own to take another hit. This bill has already advanced in the House. Tell North Carolina senators and Gov. McCrory to oppose this extreme, anti-worker measure.