Our families' futures aren't up for negotiation. American workers, retirees, and families have sacrificed enough. Please drop out of the CEO coalition to cut Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security.

Change how we redistrict for Representatives in The House of representatives

For the past 5 years i have presented presentations to several banks in the Pitt County/Greenville, NC area, for a loan to construct a Psychaitic Residential Treatment Facility (PRTF) for children and adolescent who have mental illness, also serve children or adolescents for whom have been remove from home or a community-base residential setting. The banks explained that we have a great business plan, but can not do this loan at this time. The banks want the SBA guarantee, and another guarantor beside the owners, for the same loan, 15% from the owners, and the $180,000 skin already in the project.. I think this is wrong. The PRTF will be the first in Pitt County. Where is the $46.1 million for small business signed by President Obama in September for North Carolina.

I have volunteered in Far Rockaway and Coney Island after hurricane Sandy destroyed many homes in these areas, over two months ago. I saw the devastation first hand. It has been over 2 months and 11,000 people still don't have food, water, electricity and heat. They are living in houses infested with mold. Temperatures have dropped to subfreezing. Why is the money for Sandy relief still being withheld?

While the media is publishing that guns are the reason for tragic violence the research piles up showing prescription drugs are tied to school shootings and other gun violence tragedies. Lawmakers will be more effective at stemming the tide of unpredictable gun violence if the correct cause is reported and the FDA and legislative bodies hold the pharmaceutical companies accountable. See examples of prescription drug gun violence at http://www.ssristories.com/index.php

A sperm donor in Kansas is being taken to court for child support by the state of Kansas against the request of the child's family. They have tried to get the courts to drop the case, but the courts are refusing.

Those seeking to abolish the death penalty in Maryland are one or two votes short in the State Senate. But MoveOn endorsed a State Senator for Congress this year who has not committed to support death penalty abolition. We need MoveOn members/supporters and progressives to tell Senator Rob Garagiola to pledge to support the end of legalized murder by the government.

There is too much violence related to the violence our children are exposed to through various media outlets. After watching hours and hours of games and movies, where people are killed without regard to the hurt caused by the killings, our kids are placing themselves in the same situations and are using whatever means to act out the scenes played over and over in the media. We need to step up and show our children how life is not a game and how taking another's life causes pain for not only the deceased individual's family, but also causes pain for their family.

When corporations pay civil or criminal settlements, these are treated as legitimate business expenses. Should oil companies and other polluters be allowed to recover criminal and civil settlement expenses as legitimate tax deductions?

Our current Congress is the worst in the history of the United States. They do nothing. They obstruct. They gerrymander districts. They submit stupid bills suggesting to deprive Americans of their basic rights. Enough ! Until these guys start earning their pay and benefits, paid for by the American people, we will petition to cut them.

Between ages 62 and 65 years old, Social Security (SSA) places a limit on the amount a person can earn when receiving SSA retirement benefits. If you earn more than the allowable amount, you have to pay a penalty. You have to pay back a part of the retirement benefits you have already received. The problem is that the SSA retirement check is not enough to live on in many cases, Therefore, a person might have to get another (retirement) job to suplement the Social Security retirement income. I might add that while working the "retirement job", one is still paying into the Social Security System and to my knowledge, that money is not being used to increase the person's retirement check in any way! What happens to this additional money? At age 66, there is no limit to the amount a person can earn while receiving a SSA retirement check and there is no penalty to pay. It appears that this policy was instituted some time ago with no good reason. It also appears that retiree's within the age group of 62 through 65, still working may not be receiving the appropriate amount of benefits based on the money they are still paying into the system. I would like to have the policy changed. I would like it if retired people between ages 62 and 65 could be allowed to earn as much as they can without having to pay back money that they have already paid into the system and earned the right to retire. Reasons for early retirement may vary from one person to another and therefore, the question of why a person retired early should not be a factor in having this policy changed. Mr. President, I thank you for your assistance in this situation.

We have wonderfully farmers in Kentucky and hemp is a good cash crop. Let the crop get a good start and take its share of the future market!