-In 2009, health care costs reached $2.5 trillion.[WTVQ.com] The United States is the only wealthy, industrialized nation that does not have a universal health care system. Source: Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences In 2006, the percentage of Americans without health insurance was 15.8%, or approximately 47 million uninsured people. [Source: US Census Bureau] Among the 84.2% with health insurance in 2006, coverage was provided through an employer 59.7%, purchased individually 9.1%, and 27.0% was government funded (Medicare, Medicaid, Military). (There is some overlap in coverage figures.) [Source: US Census Bureau] The primary reason given for lack of health insurance coverage in 2005 was cost (more than 50%), lost job or a change in employment (24%), Medicaid benefits stopped (10%), ineligibility for family insurance coverage due to age or leaving school (8%). [Source: National Center for Health Statistics] - More than 40 million adults stated that they needed but did not receive one or more of these health services (medical care, prescription medicines, mental health care, dental care, or eyeglasses) in 2005 because they could not afford it.[ Source: National Center for Health Statistics] And yet, one in three precious American health care dollars is wasted on profit and administration. [HuffingtonPost.com] In fact, CEO salary compensation packages. They ranged form $717,000+ to $24 million. [DailyKoz.com] The unemployment rate for January 2011 was 9 percent. For many, job loss not only means no income, but also a loss of health insurance coverage. Even many of those who are employed can’t afford the monthly premiums for health insurance. Researchers report about 58.7 million people in the U.S. had no health insurance for at least part of 2008. [Bureau of Labor Statistics via WTVQ.com] - Most health insurance plans for women have an additional cost for pregnancy; worse yet, if a woman opts out, her medical expenses related to her pregnancy don't count toward her deductible. [SingleMindedWomen.com]

Missouri's legislature is continuing its wholesale assault on working people by attempting to gut Missouri's civil rights statute, the Missouri Human Rights Act. Under SB 188, corporate reactionaries have: 1. Removed harassers and discriminators from any personal responsibility for their acts. 2. Placed outdated and unfair caps on damages, including economic damages. 3. Lessened protection for private and governmental employees who blow the whistle on illegal conduct. 4.Made it more difficult for employees to prevail or even reach a jury of their peers in employment discrimination cases.

Everyone is born dependent on others for the vital needs to develop the mind and body. Everyone is born with automatic reactions of fear and anger. End Psychiatry. Save Untold Lives and Dollars. The 12 Steps of Humans Anonymous empowers the development of the adult mind, curing mental illness.

Last week, HS Global Insight revealed that China has passed the United States as leading manufacturing output. While Germany, China, South Korea and every other industrialized nation have an implemented strategy to promote domestic manufacturing, the U.S. stands by and allows our jobs to be outsourced overseas.

American families are being robbed of their homes to bankers and mortgage companies. Let's put a freeze on foreclosures and have modifications fairly and respectfully put into place on these loans. Why are banks taking huge loses of hundreds of thousands of dollars on upside down houses rather than work out payments? They are being bailed out somehow. Until this is fixed NO MORE FORECLOSURES!

Tell Arizona legislators that you don't want guns on college and university campuses! The Arizona legislature is considering legislation (SB 1467) that would prevent universities from prohibiting the carry of concealed weapons on campus. College presidents, police chiefs, and a large majority of faculty and students oppose this bill. Sign the petition to show Arizona legislators that you oppose allowing guns on college campuses.

To limit the terms of Congress and have them receive the same benefits and healthcare as the Citizens of the US.

On March 10, 2011, five members of the Second Amendment Task Force/Alaska Peacemakers Militia were arrested on charges of conspiracy to commit murder and kidnapping. The group, led by Francis “Schaeffer” Cox, 27, had stockpiled firearms and munitions and was planning to kill multiple Alaska State Troopers and a federal judge. Cox had previously stated that “our government is sliding into tyranny, a police state” and boasted that law enforcement authorities “know we’ve got ‘em outmanned and outgunned.” A YouTube video was recently uncovered that shows Rep. Don Young (R-AK-At Large) signing an insurrectionist "Letter of Declaration" drafted by Cox on April 13, 2009. You can see the video at http://donyoungmilitiapledge.org

South Haven Township ( and other municipalities) notified residents that when water and sewer service was made available, hooking up would be mandatory. Since the regulation was not enforced for many years, and home building has stopped, the townships find that revenue to pay for the bonds involved isn't there. Now, the townships want all affected owners to pay current enormous fees to help get them out of the mess they created.

A large amount of pollution and waste is caused by paper and plastic bags as well as disposable utensils that are often used for only a few minutes, if at all, and then thrown away. Many restaurants will put your takeout food into a plastic or paper bag and give you disposable utensils and condiments without even asking you if you want them first. Then, often if you then tell them that you don't need the bag on your food they will take the bag off of your food and just throw it in the trash. The same goes for disposable utensils and such. If restaurants are required by law to first ask people if they want a bag before putting their food in it or other disposable utensils, it will cause people to think about whether or not they really want their food in a bag or need disposable utensils. This will result in many cases where the people will refuse these items when they are not really necessary. This will cut down on a large amount of waste and possibly even save the restaurants some of the money that they spend on supplies.

Last year, Missouri citizens who are tired of our state's reputation of "Puppy Mill Capital of America" circulated a petition to place a proposition on the November ballot that would set humane standards for the treatment of dogs and puppies in dog breeding facilities. They collected twice the required amount of signatures, and Proposition B was placed on the ballot. It passed statewide with 51.6% of the vote. Republican legislators immediately began the work of repealing the measure, claiming that it was the beginning of an attack on the freedoms of farmers, that urban voters didn't understand the proposisiton, and that, even though it was passed by a majority of voters, it was defeated in the majority of counties. The state house and senate passed the repeal. The repeal bill (SB113) now heads to the governor for his signature. This is a blatant attempt to overturn the will of the voters as expressed in a free and fair election. We MUST convince Governor Nixon to veto this repeal, to reinstate democracy, and to give dogs the protection from puppy mill cruelty they deserve.

Citizens vs United must be overturned. Corporations cannot be deemed to have the same rights as people. If we want to get our democracy back, we must not allow Corporations to have the right of unlimited spending on political campaigns.