The American people are still suffering from the impact of the 2008 financial crisis. With their lucrative, risky gambling, big banks may trigger another crisis requiring a taxpayer bailout to save the economy from total disaster.

I am not personally affected with my right to vote being stripped from me after committing a crime. As a nation this issue effects all of us. It is similiar with ecomonic slavery and keeping an unfair balance in the voice of our nation. I believe a person who has owned up to their mistakes and paid their debt to society should not lose the right to vote. Being a voice in our democracy and moving forward with our nation is something that should never be taken away from a citizen of the United States.

One of the horrors of the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision is the lack of transparency it allows in the untold millions that flow into presidential and congressional elections through superPACs. Even foreign governments like Saudi Arabia and China have access to congressional races. By mandating that transparency after the election season has begun, these corporate sources of donations can be used against their recipients. The breadcrumbs of corruption and quid quo pro will be visible to all, and their existence will be useful ammo in ads even when a candidate is being outspent 8 to 1. President Obama has, through the executive order process, the power to require all companies, nations, and private entities that have contracts with the US government to make political donations public. Now is the time to make this happen so this information can best benefit the underdogs in this political cycle.

I just CARE

Keep a good, hard-working, Commissioner on the job for all of us! Good Government is Responsive, Efficient, Accountable, Transparent and Local. It takes dedication, creativity AND common sense to Do More With Less. www.LynnPadgettForOurayCounty.org

Everyone uses hot water for bathing, cleaning, etc, yet less than 1% of homeowners use solar energy to heat that water. This low participation is costing 80 million homeowners about $43 billion each year. This petition is to our federal lawmakers to provide a 20 year loan to any willing homeowner to purchase a solar water heating system with no up-front money required. The savings would be double the loan payment. In other words homeowners make money even during the payback period. Based on 60 million homeowners and 5 hours of sunshine per day, some of the benefits include creating a million jobs, save homeowners over 1/4 electric bill, lower coal consumption by 1/8 US yearly output, reduce CO2 pollution equal to removing 25 million cars, offset 120 power plants of 250 megawatts each. This will start a culture of real solar energy use as our economics and environment demand.

Groups like Karl Rove's Crossroads GPS and the Koch brothers' Americans for Prosperity have escaped disclosing their donors by disguising their democracy-damaging groups as so-called "social welfare" organizations–meaning they can keep their donors completely secret. A group of Democratic senators asked the IRS to step up enforcement on these groups, and the tea party and extreme right wing are not happy. We all need to take a stand with our fellow progressives to build public support now. Sign our petition to Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner to direct the IRS to rigorously enforce the law regarding political groups masquerading as "social welfare" organizations.

My petition is about the food safety in America. Almost everything we eat today is Genetically Engineered, without any study having been done on its safety or lack of! 5o countries, which include all the European countries, India, Africa amongst them, have either banned the sale of these foods, or they have laws to insure that the consumer is aware of these foods. However in U.S. majority of people aren't even aware of this issue, and it is even effecting the so called "organic foods", because of the seeds farmers use, and many other factors. I am not a scientist, but I know when I hear that they are working on an apple that will not turn brown once it's cut, it is time to speak up and say we have the right to know! thank you

The difference between society and jungle is the health care and how the health care works. If the health care is only for the reach, this is human jungle. If the health care is for every one and the doctors don't look at you as at piggy bank, this is society. The health care is necessity as air and water. It's basic human right part of the right of life.

In 1999 I ran for city council in Indianapolis with a friend who was running for mayor. A principal plank in the platform was to have the city of Indianapolis enact an ordinance requiring the city-county governments to pay living wages to all its employees. Although our party (which we called Our Party) was not elected, we were effective in raising awareness of the issue in Indianapolis and the successful candidate for mayor did raise city workers' wages as much as $4,000.00 a year for some employees and later raised county workers pay and equal amount.

Seeking to extend Debt and Tax Forgiveness legislation to help protect homeowners attempting to modify or settle on existing home loans or through the Short sale or foreclosure processes. Many of these protections, both Federal and State are set to expire at the end of 2012. Allowing this to happen with only extend the recession and keep the Real Estate market deflated and stagnant. There are an enormous number of people in this country who are still caught up in underwater properties and our economic recession will not improve until something more is done and allowing these to expire will most certainly have a negative affect on any recovery. This legislation makes it more feasible for homeowners facing tough decisions to attempt to work with lenders to find acceptable terms and protects the homeowner from unfair and often unknown tax liabilities when trying to better their economic situation caused by the Real Estate collapse. My wife and I own a severely underwater property in Ventura, California and are seeking to modify our loans or possibly obtain a Principal Reduction on the first and/or a settlement on the Second so we can stay in the home we love. I was laid off from a job in the Architectural community almost three years ago so my income dropped by roughly 75% and we have been struggling to make or mortgage payments ever since then. If we are able to get a principle reduction (after 2012) we will face a Tax liability from the Government (in the form of a 1099) which seems like adding insult to injury as we have been so negatively affected by the role the banks played in this collapse and our household income was so drastically reduced. We are left with few options other than short sale or foreclosure, however if the Legislation is not extended we face the ominous threat of a civil action to attempt to collect after that process as well. It is nearly a no win situation for homeowners like us if we allow these protections to expire. Everyone who owns a property is affected if we allow this trend to continue. The Real Estate market affects the entire economy, regardless of if you are underwater on a property or not; this affects your homes value.

Pe' Sla, a part of the Black Hills that is the sacred center of the Sioux people, is slated to be divided into five 300-acre tracts and sold to developers at an auction. Urge the owners to sell it to the Sioux people to maintain their holy site.