In the 1990's the Department of Education allowed married couples to consolidate their student loans. They stopped the program when couples would get divorced and the Department of Education would not sever the loans back to the responsible parties. The Department has a "Loan Summary" sheet that clearly shows which loans are owned by whicch ex-spouse and the capitallized interest on each loan. If you refuse to pay your loans they will go after each spouse separately. They will not honor a judgement or any kind of judicial order to sever your liability from your ex-spouses liability. This affects thousands of families. Responsible people across the country are paying debts of the irresponsible with no remedy. The Department of Education could easily fix this and make those who borrowed the money pay it back.

Every night there are around 650,000 people, some 75 percent are families with children, without a roof over their heads. But for 80 percent, these crushing weeks will be the only stint of homelessness in their lives. Most have some money a strong work ethic, but are just unable to find work and secure low-cost housing. Providing short-term housing and support services to help the homeless back on their feet is not only the right thing to do morally, it also saves money in the long run by cutting down on other costs to the community.

Discontinue Rush Lumbaugh's radio talk show

7 million-pound order of connective tissue and beef scraps doused in ammonia, set to hit school lunch trays in coming months. Need we say more? This is also said to be in ground beef we buy in stores, but we have no way to know because IF there is an ingredients labels, it states, "lean beef trimmings", which we all know it is anything but.

The USDA continues to purchase "pink slime", or ammonia treated beef scraps, for the nation's school lunch program. Lunch foods for children should be nutritious, whole foods, and not "food-like" substances. Mandating a healthier federal school lunch program and using ammonia laced connective tissue as a food additive is hypocritical, wrong and potentially harmful.

Right to work law. Republicans are trying to bust the Unions.

Since it seems state law isn't able to handle the current financial crisis the Fed should step in and rewrite the state constitution such that their are no taxpayer funded pensions and no elected official gets benefits. Term limits probably would not be necessary but that should also be included in the new constitution. Also judges should not be elected or at least nothing less than the Supreme Court.

Remember when the minimum wage was worth enough that a family with two wage earners could live adequately on it? Yeah, me neither. Because that was back in 1968, when the Federal $1.60 rate was worth $10.04 in 2010 dollars. These days the Federal rate is $7.25 and the wage in Arizona is $7.65, thanks to a ballot initiative Arizonans passed back in 2006 with 65% of the vote. But even that $7.65 is too much for the politicians doing the bidding of the 1%. The Commerce Committee in the Arizona House of Representatives just passed a bill that would cut the minimum wage by $3 for teenagers and $2 for tipped employees. This takes money directly from the hands of the people who need it the most, disproportionately hitting women and youth. Sign the petition and tell the 1%ers in the Arizona legislature that we won’t give back anyone’s paycheck. We support a strong minimum wage as part of a sensible pro-99% economy that works for everyone. An adequate minimum wage is a critical part of an economic growth strategy because it targets the people most likely to spend the money immediately and locally. This triggers a “multiplier effect” which helps everyone: businesses small and large see increases in demand for goods and services, leading them to hire more people to keep up with demand. The pro-1%ers in the Legislature are saying that they have to take money away from minimum wage earners in order to save jobs. But the unemployment rate in Arizona is now 8.7%, the lowest it has been since March of 2009 and the minimum wage went up $.40 on January 1. This clearly isn’t about jobs, but about the naked greed of the 1%, emboldened to raid the paychecks of the lowest-paid, even as the rest of us still struggle. Sign the petition to tell the Legislature “Hands off the minimum wage.” With the economy making small, fragile improvements, now is not the time to cut the earning power of anyone, especially those workers who will immediately spend their wages directly at local businesses. Stand up to the 1% and tell the Legislature to invest in low-wage workers, not steal their paychecks. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ¿Recuerda cuando el salario mínimo tenía un valor suficiente que una familia con dos asalariados podía vivir adecuadamente? Sí, yo tampoco. Porque eso fue en 1968, cuando la tasa federal de $1.60 valía $10.04 en dólares del 2010. En estos días la tasa federal es de $7.25 y el salario mínimo en Arizona es de $7.65, gracias a una iniciativa electoral que pasaron los arizonenses en el 2006 con el 65% de los votos. Pero incluso $7.65 dólares es demasiado para los políticos que siguen los ordenes del 1%. El Comité de Comercio de la Cámara de Representantes de Arizona acaba de aprobar un proyecto de ley que reduciría el salario mínimo en $3.00 para los adolescentes y en $2.00 para los empleados que reciben propinas. Esto toma el dinero directamente de las manos de las personas que más lo necesitan, y golpeara de manera desproporcionada a mujeres y jóvenes. Firme la peticion para decirles a los del 1% en la legislatura de Arizona que no vamos a devolver el sueldo de nadie. Nosotros apoyamos un salario mínimo fuerte como parte de una economía razonable y pro-99% que funcione para todos. Un salario mínimo adecuado es parte fundamental de una estrategia de crecimiento económico porque se dirige a las personas más propensas a gastar el dinero de inmediato y local. Esto provoca un "efecto multiplicador," que ayuda a todos: pequeñas y grandes empresas ven el aumento de la demanda de bienes y servicios, llevándolos a contratar más gente para mantenerse al día con la demanda. Los que apoyan al 1% de la legislatura dicen que tienen que tomar dinero de las personas con salario mínimo para poder salvar empleos. Sin embargo el índice de desempleo en Arizona en la actualidad es de 8.7%, el índice más bajo desde marzo de 2009 y el salario mínimo incrementó $.40 el 1ro de enero. Es claro que esto no se trata de empleos, sino más bien tiene que ver con la codicia descarada del 1% que tratan de sacar ganancia de los cheques de pago de los peor pagados, aun cuando el resto de nosotros seguimos batallando. Firme la peticion para decirle a la Legislatura "Manos fuera del salario mínimo." Con la economía haciendo mejoras pequeñas y frágiles, ahora no es el momento de reducir el poder adquisitivo de nadie, especialmente para aquellos trabajadores que inmediatamente gastaran su salario directamente en los negocios locales. Únete para hacerle frente al 1% y exigirle a la Legislatura que invierta en los bajos salarios de los trabajadores, en lugar de robar sus cheques de pago.

Stop Mitch Daniels from takeing away Medicare and Medicaid from the state of Indiana

Are we going to tolerate the denigrating language that Rush Limbaugh uses to describe women to a national audience of millions every day? This crosses every line beyond our healthy national debates on the freedom of religion and access to contraception. Say NO to Clear Channel Communications and other radio stations that have given this woman-hating man his platform for too long.

Any reduction in T service will effect poor people the most. It will also effect shop owners and commuters.

The use of cellular phones AND texting, while driving is hazardous to the driver, passengers, pedestrians, and all who may come in proximity to a vehicle driven by someone using any such device. Fines should be administered and this practice should stop. The state of Hawaii has such a law, why not the state of Florida?