politicians get huge paychecks even when they fail, more often than not..they get health benefits no one else has, the people didn't vote on this they gave it to themselves..time to redress this error. as a vet my health care lags way behind the fat cats who did not offer their lives in combat...why?

Florida’s Corporate Tax Credit Scholarship Program allows companies to redirect a portion of their tax liabilities to fund scholarships for low-income students and only means that the rest of us, the taxpaying citizens of Florida must pick up the tab. The Program is designed to divert funds that would otherwise go to public schools and use those funds to create scholarships, sending children and millions of dollars to private, largely religious schools. These schools generally have little oversight and are responsible to no one.

Reference to President Obama's speech today 12/10/12 in Michigan, regarding the "right to work" not necessarily implying low wages, I am crying out against staffing agencies which rip off poor and desperate workers seeking to come back to the workforce. For example, if a person works for a staffing agency that has a contract with the Federal government, the staffing agency can make a mark-up (profit) of up to or more than 41% off what it is paid by the federal agency. In turn, from the worker's sweat, he or she is only paid only 51%! This happens to many poor, recently unemployed folks and it is exploitative and equal to modern day slavery. It needs to stop. Contractors of Federal agencies must be held to a higher standard.

Nearly 70 years ago Franklin Delano Roosevelt outlined a bold new strategy in the war on poverty. In his broadcast of the State of the Union Address on January 11th, 1944 he argued that the political rights outlined in the Constitution had "proved inadequate to assure us equality in the pursuit of happiness," and that it was time to add a new economic Bill of Rights. Those rights are even more necessary in the shadow of the Great Recession. Millions of Americans have lost their jobs and their homes. Our small business economy has been crushed by big box retailers, our middle class is shrinking, and the economic gains of the last century are being rolled back. That economic frailty has allowed big business interests to push for lower wages and less workplace protections even as corporate profits continue to soar. Our children are faced with overcrowded and underfunded schools, and have to submit themselves to a lifetime of student debt in order to attend college. Our elderly, our poor and our sickly depend on social security programs that have been weakened by budget cuts and austerity measures when they need them the most. This is unacceptable for any country claiming to be the greatest nation in the world. It is time that we recognize the economic needs of our citizens, time to stop leaving them at the mercy of Walmart and the big banks. It is time to codify a new set of rights to ensure that our middle class is not erased, and that our lower class is not enslaved to debt. As FDR said, "true individual freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence. Necessitous men are not free men."

Congressional salaries, benefits and pension plans should be in line with what the majority/average of the citizens of United States have. We do not need "career" politicians. Congress serves the interests of the people, not partisan political parties.

Over 13 million American kids will be bullied this year, making it the most common form of violence against children. Bullying Statistics: • 1 out of 4 kids is Bullied. • 1 out of 5 kids admits to being a bully, or doing some "Bullying." • 160,000 students stay home from school every day for fear of harassment and bullying • 9 out of 10 LGBT students experienced harassment at school • 43% fear harassment in the bathroom at school. • A poll of teens ages 12-17 proved that they think violence increased at their schools. • 282,000 students are physically attacked in secondary schools each month. • More youth violence occurs on school grounds as opposed to on the way to school. • 80% of the time, an argument with a bully will end up in a physical fight. • 1/3 of students surveyed said they heard another student threaten to kill someone. • 2 out of 3 say they know how to make a bomb, or know where to get the information to do it. • Playground statistics - Every 7 minutes a child is bullied. Adult intervention -4% Peer intervention - 11%. No intervention - 85%. Cyber Bullying Statistics: •43% of teens, 97% of middle schoolers and 47% of older teens 18-24 are cyberbullied.• 35% of kids have been threatened online. Nearly 1 in 5 have had it happen more than once. • 21% of kids have received mean or threatening e-mail or other messages. • 58% of kids admit someone has said mean or hurtful things to them online. More than 4 out of 10 say it has happened more than once. •53% of kids admit having said something mean or hurtful to another person online. More than 1 in 3 have done it more than once. • 58% have not told their parents or an adult about something mean or hurtful that happened to them online.

My petition is to take issue with Democratic talk about compromise, which involves both sides giving back something that they have gained. But the Republicans have gained everything--tax breaks, loopholes, lowering of rates for eight years, business benefits and then proceeded to use that money to make more money, resulting in the failures of 2008, which were predicated on greed and self-interest. We on the other hand did nothing but lose, we lost our houses; we lost our jobs; yet, we paid back their debts and now they say we should give more. But we have gained nothing over the last eight years, we've even lost our senior SS increases for two years. Why should we compromise when the other side got everything; moreover, in our case the benefits we earn we paid into. They are not "freebies" or gifts. And your perks were add-ons to your already swollen accounts; while what is being asked of us is our life's blood!....

Law Enforcement Against Prohibition has said that "you can get over an addiction, but not a conviction". So many people are punished for life due to a criminal record. Support the forgiveness of a conviction over time.

There are too many restrictions to early voting in KY. Other states allow it for a month prior to election day. So many people have unpredictable schedules and if we really want to "Help America Vote" we should be more open to early voting for all!

With the election of 2012 behind us, the results prove that America obviously wants cooperation and compromise in our government. The mandate is not a Democratic or Republican agenda, it is for a progressive one. This can only be accomplished by both parties working together.

Our 300 tree apple orchard, with30 varieties has been lost to the use of herbicides on roadsides and by power providers. It took 25 yeasr to build an agribusiness which produced 500 to 800 bushels per year. Even more serious, the quality of all Missouri water is affected by the fact that every road and every right of way in this state gets chemical treatment, sometimes several times a year.

Limit all Members of the US Congress and Senate to TWO TERMS TOTAL.