Religious groups are granted the right to have the freedom to practice their beliefs without government persecution and are exempt from paying taxes. However when they influence federal or state policy they are extending their belief system on all citizens of the country or that state. This act obliterates the lines between the separation of church and state, and we are all personally affected by this religious overreach. Lately, religions have become more vocal and claiming they are the ones losing their freedoms but that is not true. What is happening is they are lobbying for the federal and state governments to enact their beliefs on all citizens regardless of their personal beliefs or values. This is a theocracy and has no place in the USA. Tell them to stop! BECAUSE WE ARE LOOSING OUR FREEDOMS AS CITIZENS.

One of the most sure-fire ways to ensure a better future is a college education. For many fields, this includes post-graduate studies. For several years, the first $8500 of a graduate student's loan was subsidized, meaning that no interest accrued until six months after leaving college or graduating. As a doctoral student at Temple University, I expected this when I went to sign for this year's student loan. However, thanks to an act of Congress, all graduate student loans are now unsubsidized. With several graduate students losing scholarships and teaching opportunities due to budget cuts, this hits us on both ends. It is time to reinstate subsidized graduate student loans. Do we want a society with fewer doctors, lawyers, librarians, teachers, professors, social workers, and librarians? The time has come to stop making it more difficult for students to afford college.

There is no acceptable reason why assault weapons are legal in the United States. For granting this right, we in return get slaughtered in houses of worship and movie theaters, in public parks, in our own homes. If politicians would finally stand up to the NRA, we can begin undoing the damage guns have inflicted. Ask your legislators to strap on a spine and stand up for you and your family.

Congressmen are supposed to be elected by and represent the citizen residents of each individual state. However there are no limitations on persons resident in other states or countries for that matter, to give funds to help elect persons out side their own jurisdictions. Allowing this interference distorts the fact that Congress is elected to represent their constituents, not the will of people anywhere in the world.

House Corporate Mouthpiece John Boehner recently blamed the American people for the devisiveness in Congress, a gross act of political cowardness and hypocracy and certainly a pathetic abrogation of leadership. In marked contrast the U.S. Olympic athletes have shown the power of teamwork. They have also exemplified the ideal of sportsmanship, enthusiastically congratulating the winning athletes of other countries.

Almost 5 years after the mortgage banking meltdown truly began, Banks are still requiring that a homeowner is behind on their payments in order to be considered "in need of any help". These Banks require and encourage said mortgage homeowner to be behind in their mortgage payments with promises of the loan modificaiton that never comes OR in the matter of a Short Sale. Aug 3rd of 2007-My nearly 10 year career as a Senior Mortgage Banker abruptly ended with the Nationwide Mortgage Bank I worked for in 23 HOURS in one of the very first mortgage banking meltdowns. 10, 0000 employees nationwide without work, salaries,sick or vacation payouts and of course none of received our "guaranteed continued benefites". I had something added to this very stressful time. July 2006 I moved my entire single life from Santa Cruz, CA to the island of Hawaii to open an office for the company and as well my lender employer was more than willing to put me into a mortgage loan for a new home - my first in 16 years after a really bad divorce - I was thrilled. A container over the ocean, 2 cars, me by myself with cat in tow. And now I found myself literally stuck on an island. At age 53, forced to leave my new home behind (and the nearly $20K in new furnishings, etc.) and return to my business base in CA. to see what I could salvage of my career. I went without a paycheck for two years! I emptied my retirement and savings in an attempt to hold everything together. June 2008, my mortgage bank let me know that I needed to be behind in order to get a loan modification. Of course as a mortgage banker this was so wrong in our business and by Dec 2008 I was forced into defaulting before EMC/Chase would help me or say they were helping me. While reinventing myself into a Realtor/Senior Short Sale Negotiator - (I have negotiated nearly 280 short sales now-where I have learned a great many things) I was denied over and over again for a loan mod. 32 Months later - I gave up as the loan mod of course never came. At the beginning of 2011 I needed a new car and my credit is SO severely damaged due to this I had to rent a car on a month to month basis until I could pay all cash for one. July 2011 I was once again denited - I have worked some 70 plus hours a week for nearly 5 years and I have come to the conclusion about why no loan mod has come which is another story. Bottom line - I am left now at age 57 with no retirement, savings living paycheck to paycheck trying to rebuild my life working way more than someone my age should - but so many people need help.Life is dimishedin so much when you lose job and career without site of another one. It is hard enough financially and certainly emotionally as documetaries continue to demonstrate - must we also give up what is left of our dignity to these giants that can not fail by surrendering our credit as well? Loan Modifications are NOT the banks plan. Only 11% across the board have been issued and most fail again after that. It isn't their agenda. You end up selling short or foreclosing. I SAY NO MORE!!! NOTE: Nearly 79 Million Baby Boomers in this country are cleaning out their retirements AND kids college funds to make payments they CAN NOT AFFORD in order to have a place to live AND hang onto their clean credit. Picture this: 10-15 years from now there maybe NO Medicare, NO Social Security and certainly NO Retirement for these Baby Boomer Seniors to live on. As well, if they spent their kids college funds paying mortgage payments on home loans worth twice what the property was and still lost the home....who will be running our country with all of their children without higher educations?

establish a public bank to refinance all consumer debt......mortgages, auto, education....all interest paid to this bank will be used IN LIEU OF TAXES.....ALL TAXES......local, state, federal..........a typical american family pays 50% of its income in interest to private bankers......this must come to an end....these monies will now finance government.....when this is done, government will now answer to the people, not to the bankers and the corporations.....the stranglehold these institutions have on our government must be broken !!!!

establish public banks, state by state....these banks will refinance all consumer debt......mortgages, education, auto......all interest paid on these loans will be paid to the state, IN LIEU OF TAXES......ALL TAXES.....state, federal, local.....a typical american family pays 50% of its monthly income, as interest, to PRIVATE bankers....this money will now be as revenue by the states

This legislation aims to criminalize millions of legal California gun owners by making the bullet button ( a plastic button which makes removing the magazine from any rifle with use of a tool, which is compliant to all CA laws.).

As more people lose their jobs and homes, government punishes the least empowered while enriching the upper class. Instead, let's have a stimulus that works: pay every mortgage in the country for a year. Don't give it to the banks, give it to the people, and let it trickle down to the banks. Homeowners can buy pay off bills, buy new floors, new landscaping, new cars, and more, creating jobs on the ground, where they are needed. It will cost far less than directing a trillion dollars to the banks, and benefit every sector of the nation.

My opinion is that the Federal Government should fund all Federal Election Candidates. In essence, each candidate for election for President, Senator, House of Representatives would each receive equal funding based on the office the individual was seeking. This would accomplish the following, (a) the playing field would be leveled, (b) each candidate would have equal amounts such that they would have to campaign on their own merits, and (c) corporations and wealthy idividuals would no longer be able to buy elections.

Payroll deductions were taken from my salary at the applicable rate when I worked in Corporate America. The last 10 years of my employment before retiring were teaching with no SS deductions. Upon retiring, my SS benefits were reduced by 40%. My retirement benefits collectively are very meager and the 40% reduction does not leave me enough money to live on so I must continue to work even though I am over 70 years old.