The past few weeks have been deeply trying ones for New Yorkers, with scores of lives and thousands of homes lost. The storm exposed not only our vulnerability as a city, but widespread inequality as well. Wall Street reopened one day after the storm, but many in public housing waited three weeks for heat, and many others remain without adequate shelter. But we’ve also seen extraordinary acts of generosity and courage, as people have come together to provide food, blankets, money, helping hands, comfort, and hope on an incredible scale. As we turn from relief to recovery, we face a stark choice. Will we simply rebuild what was there before – a city riven by inequality and poverty, vulnerable to climate change, with government decisions too often driven by corporate interests rather than the public interest? Or will we build on the remarkable spirit of organized compassion we’ve seen – to try to create a city where everyone is protected, and no one is homeless? Will we rebuild two cities, or one? Mayor Bloomberg should make this a recovery that genuinely works for everyone. Let’s rebuild by creating forward-thinking infrastructure and good jobs, while including residents in the decisions about the future of their communities. After Hurricane Katrina, rebuilding policies focused on corporate tax breaks rather than public housing. Here in New York, the 9/11 recovery ensured a resurgent Wall Street, but created a Lower Manhattan that was even less affordable for most New Yorkers. We must invest significant public resources to rebuild our city and create the sustainable infrastructure we need. While we do that, we must also insure genuine economic opportunities, affordable housing, a healthier and safer city for everyone. Let’s reject a trickle-down recovery. Mayor Bloomberg should invest in New Yorkers and their neighborhoods, so New York City’s recovery creates a more sustainable, equal, and democratic New York. • A more sustainable recovery will invest in infrastructure we needed long before Sandy - like neighborhoods and environmental systems that are sustainable in the long term and help protect New York from extreme weather. We need to focus on preventing climate change by expanding our mass transit system, promoting energy efficiency and green buildings, and accelerating regional alternative energy projects like solar, tidal power and wind farms. • A more equal recovery will create good jobs for those impacted by the storm. Let’s make sure that publicly-funded rebuilding jobs go to low-income communities, and pay workers enough to lift them out of poverty. And let’s not just rehouse people made homeless by the hurricane – but also the 46,000 people who were in NYC homeless shelters before Sandy. • A more democratic recovery will empower regular New Yorkers – especially those in hard-hit communities – to help envision the city we rebuild, so that rebuilding creates stronger neighborhoods and doesn’t concentrate risks in low-income communities. We should strengthen the community organizations that were first on the ground in Hurricane Sandy’s hardest-hit neighborhoods, giving them a central role in rebuilding their neighborhoods and setting them up to be even stronger in the next crisis. Hurricane Sandy can be an opportunity, to rebuild a more sustainable, more equal, more democratic New York City.

Palestinian death toll in Gaza reaches 100: Health Ministry On his Facebook page, a ministry spokesman said the Palestinian dead included 24 children and 10 women. The soldiers from 'The Outpost' tell their story [Israel says prefers diplomacy but ready to invade Gaza] - Reuters via Yahoo! News - 24 minutes agoGAZA/JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel bombed dozens of targets in the Gaza Strip on Monday and said that while it was prepared to step up its offensive by sending in... full story Gaza assault raises anger in changed Arab world - Reuters via Yahoo! News - 2 minutes ago Tears breed defiance at funeral for Gaza family - Reuters via Imported or homemade, Gaza's rocket arsenals bedevil Israel - Reuters via Yahoo! News - 2 hours ago more Gaza news...

Encourage Chevron/Standard Oil to update their Richmond refinery for safety and health of their neighbors and their employees.

The election of 2012 in Ohio will be remembered for one thing: the arrogant and unbridled efforts of the Republican Party, led by Ohio Secretary of State John Husted, to suppress the voting -- and the constitutional rights -- of the proven majority of the Ohio Citizens. From the appalling gerrymandering of congressional districts to the reduction in early voting opportunities, from "accidentally" removing thousands of qualified voters from eligibility to the last minute rule changes for provisional ballots, Husted -- along with Governor John Kasich and the Republican dominated Statehouse -- has proven time and time again that he could care less about his sworn commitment to serve and protect the rights of ALL Ohioans; all under the guise of "combating fraud," a complete fabrication to justify his crimes. The very day after the election, did Husted realize that his unsuccessful and unconstitutional efforts to force Ohio to throw its electoral votes to the Republicans was misguided? No. He actually said that Ohio and Ohioans HAVE TOO MUCH INFLUENCE in electing the President. He now plans legislation, eagerly awaited by Governor Kaisch and the Tea Party Statehouse to change the way our electoral votes are allocated. Instead of listening to what the majority of Ohioans voted for, and allocating all our electoral votes to the winning candidate as we have done throughout history, he wants to divide them up between the candidates piece meal. As with gerrymandering, Husted and Kasich plan to advance the Republican national agenda with a strategy of divide in order to conquer. This petition may not effect Husted's ability to stay in office, but, with enough OHIO VOTER signatures, it can certainly put a public spotlight on how he, Governor Kasich and the Statehouse Republicans are actively taking steps to unconstitutionally gut the voting rights of the majority of Ohio Citizens. That alone may be enough scrutiny that the Ohio media will undertake a much-needed, public investigation of this travesty and stop these unAmerican efforts. Please sign and share this. BUT PLEASE, ONLY IF YOU ARE A RESIDENT OF THE STATE OF OHIO. The media is not doing its job, and Husted, Governor Kasich and the Republican Party have such a stranglehold on state government at the moment that their arrogant and sneaky efforts will never be stop unless THE PEOPLE TAKE ACTION!!!!! Please Sign NOW!

It's the end of November and my azaleas are blooming in NE Kansas, for the 5th year. Also our temperature will reach 70 degrees this week. Something is wrong. Could it be climate change caused by man's use of fossil fuels?

The Mormon Church, among others, own enormous amounts of valuable real estate, pay no tax, and use the commons like any other tax-paying businesses. They've taken a stand on issues affecting women's health and equal rights for all Americans regardless of their sexual orientation. If they continue to preach political ideology from their tax-free organizations, it's time for them to pay to play, like the rest of us.

No one has been able to explain to me why young men and women serve in the U.S. Military for 20 years, risking their lives protecting freedom, and only get 50% of their pay as pension. Politicians hold their political positions in the safe confines of the capitol, protected by these same men and women, and receive full pay retirement after serving one term. It just does not make any sense.

The Voter ID Law is contradictory to the Voting Rights Act of 1965. This “act to enforce the fifteenth amendment to the Constitution” was signed into law 95 years after the amendment was ratified. We should not be taking steps backwards, we should be encouraging voting.

Our fiscal cliff is affecting businesses hiring and the stock market, which affects me and millions like me.

Insurance for those of us who are on SSA. This has been done to me and I cannot get Health coverage now because I would have to wait one year for the preexisting label to remove itself from my file, in that length of time I could be dead.

Gov. Perdue vetoed such legislation last year. Now I'm afraid nothing can stop incoming Gov. McCrory--unless it's us.

Govener Bentley approve OBAMACARE,for the disabled people that you serve. Stop thinking about fatting the states pockets and think about the HEALTH of others.