Tax Increment Finance (TIF) districts extract billions of dollars in property taxes from property owners across the USA and channel money to large corporations and private developers with little or no public input. Chicago (where this effort is located) has 163 TIF districts that extracted $454 million in 2011. Over the years hundreds of millions of dollars have been showered on such companies as Coca-Cola, United Airlines, UPS, Home Depot, Target, Hyatt Hotels, and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. This is a time of repeated cut backs in public education, mass transit, public health and other essential services. We simply call on all state legislatures to pass a "Truth in Property Tax Bill" law that would place the amount of property taxes that are taken by a TIF district on your property tax bill if your property is located in one. Right now, for most jurisdictions, this NUMBER IS NOT SHOWN. Let's not let our property tax bills LIE to us. If you are in a TIF District (sometimes these special taxing zones have different names) and some of your property taxes are being diverted to this body - therefore NOT going to the units of government that rely on property taxes that rely on them for operation - then we want that amount clearly stated on all property tax bills. For more information: http://www.tifreports.com

While working in ptrivate industry money was taken from my paycheck and put into the social security system. Mr. Reagan decided that because I started to work in the government later in life and retired from the government I would be "double dipping" to get my own money from social security and he passed a law disallowing me to get my own money when I retired. Think about how it affects me in this day and age when 80% of my social security is stolen from me and I either pay rent, buy food and get my medicine or pay gas and electric. .

The US worker is the most productive in the world, ahead of Germany, Japan, and leaving China in the dust, with the average GDP of $70,000 per year ($33.65/hour)! Raising minimum wages to $12/hour would generate added revenue into the economy, without greatly affecting inflation. And costs would only rise between 0.5% and 3%, meaning those on the lower income brackets would find less need for social programs, and have room for more purchases. Think tanks and pundits from both political sides agree (the American Conservative Magaizine, and Demos, a progressive think tank) that at least $12/hour would be appropriate for a real benefit to society. A wage increase of 27%, for average low income or minimum wage earners, translates to an estimated $11.8-15.2 billion per year in extra spending. "This move would also reduce the number of people on programs such as the Earned Income Tax Credit, Food Stamps, and Medicaid as well by raising their standards of living to the point they no longer needed the programs. This would reduce the federal budget by several billion per year without painful cuts to programs which hurt people directly. As it is right now, these programs effectively subsidize lower wages, an unintended consequence of the stagnation of the minimum wage for decades." This change would not affect those in high earning fields, but those on the lower end of the socioeconomic ladder

ThyssenKrupp CSA has over 100 environmental complaints and has been fined millions of euros by the Rio de Janeiro government for its poor environmental record. In November 2012, after failing to comply to environmental standards, ThyssenKrupp CSA showered nearby communities with toxic graphite dust for the third time. Since the opening of the plant in 2010, locals have suffered from severe dermatological and pulmonary effects including lung disease and cancer. ThyssenKrupp CSA denies this dust is toxic. Our priority is environmental justice. We believe ThyssenKrupp CSA's poor human rights record proves that the plant should be stopped from going into full production and should shut down permanently TKCSA should also provide full compensation to those adversely affected by the plant.

The current Federal Reserve system, fractional reserve banking, and Debt Based Money has created chaos in the financial markets worldwide. End the Federal Reserve and change the monetary system to take away the ability of bankers to create money "out of thin air". Change the monetary system so that the government "spends" money into existence instead of the current system of private bankers "lending" (at high interest rate) money into existence. Require "full reserve" banking.

Proposition 13 was advertised originally as a means to let people keep their property It rapidly morphed into a method to allow business to put their business properties into a ongoing way to keep their properties forever in the Proposition 13 benefits program.

Current filibuster rules allow a minority of Senators to block action by the majority. This is wrong. In the two years of the current Congress, there have been 110 filibusters. In the 1950's, the average number of filibusters was one every two years. The will be a tiny window of opportunity when Congress convenes in January; on that day only, a simple majority of Senators, 51 of the 100, can change the rules.

There is a major shortage of narcotic pain pills in Florida due to multiple excuses being told to patients! I have advanced stage Breast Cancer with 14 herniated disc, a crushed sciatic nerve and fibromyalgia and reoccurring Shingle outbreaks due to previous cancer treatment and I have already had to have my script changed due to one script becoming obsolete and now my current med is going through a statewide shortage. Patients with true conditions should not have to live in pain or not have access to their pain meds for days due to those number of people who may abuse the medication. No one should have to live in pain such as cancer or bone pain, AIDS, etc......

Tax payers have a right to expect scrutiny and accountability in all social programs being funded by their tax dollars at state and federal levels. For example, each one of has witnessed misuse of food stamps. Who is on our side? We want more transparency and be able to vote programs out that are wasteful. Have to take some of the power back and not be silent spectators.

Senator Patrick Leahy has written a proposal for a bill that will allow access to the private e-mail accounts as well as social media pages of all Americans without warrant, just a subpoena. This is a violation of our Fourth Amendment rights as US citizens and should be blocked. Please sign my petition and urge others to sign. The vote is happening on Thursday! Yahoo News Article: http://news.yahoo.com/senate-bill-rewrite-lets-feds-read-your-e-mail-without-warrants-191930756.html

Walmart has joined with American Express in a banking, credit, partnership all without being responsible to normal banking regulations. Walmart is already known for unfair employment practices and now is flying under the radar acting as a bank without being responsible to our banking laws.

Anonymous donations from corporations and individuals.