The Topanga Creek Watershed is a fragile and important ecosystem, home to over 8,000 people and a rich variety of native plants and animals, including endangered species. For many years community members have tried to stop the dispersal of toxic chemicals designed to kill unwanted plants and animals, and to urge the adoption of non-toxic methods of pest control. Despite our efforts, in April and May of 2012 Caltrans resumed spraying herbicide along the side of Topanga Canyon Boulevard, and California State Parks, along with our elected officials, have continued to allow herbicide to be dispersed in Lower Topanga. We are now calling for all citizens, elected officials, and entities operating in our watershed to finally respect the will of the community, and to end their participation in or support for this antiquated, short-sighted, and dangerous practice. For more information about the Topanga Creek Watershed Committee and non-toxic methods of weed and pest control, please go to www.TopangaCreekWatershedCommittee.org.

Processing errors, or delays in their renewal process cause their rents to be hiked tremendously despite their eligibility.

It's a new Celebration of Food. Annaprashana. On the 6th Day of the 6th Month of Every year, we relish our beautiful Earth in all her life-giving beneficence, by Pledging to eat and feed our families ONLY Organic* food for the entire day. The name Annaprashana comes from a Hindu ceremony (adapted from an earlier Buddhist tradition) which celebrates, after 6 months of life, an infant's first bite of "real" (solid) food. We celebrate our first bite of "real food" when we eat the way Nature intended- without pesticides, herbicides and other harmful chemicals. Realizing that we can change our diet for even one day empowers us to realize that we can change our lives. Organic food means better health, better soil, respect for the environment. It means distancing ourselves from the Chemical/ Pharmaceutical corporatocracy that now rules our world and our food choices. Tell everyone you know to pledge to eat organic food all day for one day. We can change the world. It starts at the table. Take the ANNAPRASHANA PLEDGE! *By organic, we mean food that is known, by you, to be untreated by chemicals. It is not necessary that it be certified. Created by the author of "WORSHIP YOUR FOOD."

Why not provide jobs for Americans by bringing 'call centers' back to local people. Everyone complains about the fact that call centers are in foreign countries, causing great difficulty in understanding what they are saying, and their inability to understand what we are saying. Let us have call centers in our own country and employ the locals. Calls will then be shorter and clearer.

Steve King is using Twitter to campaign on tax payers' time. This isn't just outrageous -- it's a direct violation of House ethical standards. For example, on Wednesday, May 30th, Steve King sent a tweet from the house floor calling out his opponent, Christie Vilsack by name. Congressional ethical standards clearly state that "House rooms and offices are not to be used for events that are campaign or political in nature." Congress put these important regulations in place to protect our tax dollars from being wasted on non-stop political campaigning. But Steve King doesn't really seem to care. In fact, this is just the latest example in a long string of violations. Last winter, Steve King used his Congressional Twitter account to bully Rep. Shelia Jackson while she was speaking at a congressional debate. From his Congressional Twitter account he tweeted that he was so bored by her remarks that he was killing time by surfing the internet. This action wasn't just outrageous; it was embarrassing for voters across Iowa. And it doesn't stop there. Just recently it was revealed that a few months ago, Steve King retweeted a racist joke that was quickly deleted and covered it up. But lucky for us, Congress states that, "The misuse of the funds and other resources that the House of Representatives entrusts to Members for the conduct of official House business is a very serious matter. Depending on the circumstances, such conduct may result in not only disciplinary action by the House, but also criminal prosecution." It's time the House Committee on Ethics investigate Rep. Steve King. If he is violating these provisions in public, who knows what he's doing behind closed doors.

I think it is the worst show of a lack of respect for servicemen & women to have Taps played on a boom box and no Military Honor Guard to render a 21-gun salute. You give your all in the name of freedom and democracy and all you get at your grave side is a boom box? How utterly disrespectful!!!

Every time the US kills "suspected militants", the US is pouring fuel on the fire for "Blowback". When the polls show that a majority of US Citizens oppose these obscene strikes on potentially innocent peoples, something is wrong.

Big Money and its attendant corruption have taken over our elections and legislation. Please act to take back our government.

Let's get the money out of politics. It's no doubt that our entire political system has been corrupted by the vast sums of money flowing through every campaign. It's time to stop it! Our politicians obviously pander to their special interest groups and vote on issues, not for the benefit of the country, but rather to "keep the cash rolling in". Let's create a system where anyone can donate any amount they choose, but the money doesn't go to fund a specific campaign, but rather into a pool where every campaign will receive the same amount for the same position. Another words, the Presidential camaign, which this time around will probably surpass two billion dollars being spent, each candidate will receive the same amount to fund their campaign. No outside donors, no emails trying to raise cash, no fund raisers, no dinners. Just the money provided by this pool. Maybe in this way, our politicians will care more about their constituents and less about their donors. Maybe we will even get something accomplished in congress.

Even conservative columnist George Will recognizes Donald Trump as a "bloviating ignoramus" who has used television celebrity to intrude into American politics. We citizens should not permit him to use the public airwaves to spread malicious and misleading lies about President Obama. The most effective way to stop the lies will be to convince NBC and its advertisers that the public will not watch his program or patronize its advertisers so long as Trump continues to spread distortion and misinformation in an effort to influence electoral politics.

The President is conducting a War on Terrorism that uses inaccurate, unethical and inhumane drone strikes, that are killing too many civilians along with their intended terrorist targets. There are better, more effective and moral ways to deal with terrorists, that by the way don't create future terrorists from the friends and family of the civilians killed in drone attacks. Please ask the President to stop his current use of drones in the War on Terrorism.

Every decade, people of color have strived to overcome difficult challenges and thrived in the midst of adversity. Today, our greatest challenge is ourselves: the food we eat, the habits we’ve learned, the information we spread. We are a coalition here to advocate for more resources to build stronger, healthier and more involved communities.