As a parent with children in public school, I've watched my town struggle to balance its budget to cope with rising enrollment, health insurance, energy and special education costs. The only options are to cut other services or raise property taxes. Congress passed legislation to mandate special education but never appropriated enough funds to pay the 40% federal share, pushing the cost down to the state and local levels.

From the time I was a child, I can remember visiting relatives in nursing homes on field trips and with family. Perhaps some others can relate to the feeling of helplessness that one always seems to find in these places... I grew up and went into nursing as a career to try to face my fears. I have to say that overall, it really didn't help that much. After having worked in nursing homes, I still had that same helpless feeling...people I couldn't save from falling down, breaking bones, hitting and injuring each other because they had Alzheimer's/other behavior disorders, feeling like there would never be enough minutes or hours in the day to properly care for everyone, hygienic messes left and right, not enough aid staff, not enough coping/communication strategies taught for all staff to work together, etc. I feel there needs to be continued work at all levels to improve these situations, perhaps smaller group homes with plenty of staff..instead of large facilities with skeleton staff in comparison to client work load, (I have heard of small adult foster homes in Michigan that sound much more ideal than what I have encountered in Northeast Indiana). I don't believe an aid should have to take care of more than three or four people on a shift, whether working in a hospital or nursing home...nurses, perhaps not more than six clients. I think the pay rate needs to go up...no way it's high enough for what these people put up with even in the best of conditions. Thank-you for reading.

In 1964, after the release and success of the film, "A Hard Day's Night," it was accompanied by a novelization, written by John Burke and released by Pan Books. However, it has never been re-published, making it a rare and barely-known-of gem.

I was head of a large media company starting in 1955 and am shocked at the disregard of the original intent of the Federal Communications laws. Big money now controls the basic platform of free speech in America.

Increasing Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 67 would cause severe hardship for millions of seniors, who would be forced to deplete their savings or delay health care and suffer permanent damage to their health. This would be a terrible and inhumane price to pay for a barely noticeable decrease in the federal budget deficit. Moreover, individuals and businesses would find their health care costs increasing by more than the government spending would decrease, so any savings would be illusory. Not only would people age 65-66 have to pay for their health insurance, but everyone's premiums would increase as those older, less healthy people were added to the private insurance pool. At the same time, Medicare would lose its youngest and healthiest beneficiaries, so its cost per beneficiary would also increase. In summary, the society would gain absolutely nothing in return for the heavy burden imposed on people age 65-66.

Post offices all around me are scheduled to close, and lots of working class folks are about to lose their jobs. Tell Congress to support the U.S.P.S. - First class mail is the best bargain we have. In addition, pledge to send one card, postcard, or letter a week to support USPS and its workers. Everyone likes "real" mail, and hardly anyone sends it any more. Contact your politicians and also do your part!

The volatility of markets hurts the little guy, who does not have instant information or trading ability and is whip-sawed by violent swings that follow rumors and insider information. A tiny tax on each transaction would tend to dampen impulsive bulk trading and stabilize markets, while providing significant funding for oversight and policing of our market system to prevent fraud, abuse, and to decrease the risk of market collapse.

The need to amend or repeal prop 13 is greater than ever; unless and until we get this done, the state`s fiscal problems will continue regardless of the state of the economy. We need to do this A. S. A. P. By keeping property taxes artificially low, the State is denied the funding it needs to carry out its functions effectively.

Enough of the chess game being played by both political parties. . We, the people, need a government that functions in the best interest of its citizens I have a proposal to consider

PAY ING MORE IN TAXES WILL INCREASE THE COST OF MY FAMILY PAYING MORE FOR HEALTHCARE AND MEDICINES!

We are in a paradigm shift on this planet and need to work together to create the new jobs, products and services that have no harmful side effects.

I am a little concern because after every Election members are sometimes cut whether it is Hours or Losing their jobs .