We need to be able to tell where any product originally is made, not just “Distributed by” so we can chose to buy American Produced products and bring jobs back to America! If we could tell where the product originated rather than the worthless “distributed by” we see on 75% of the products AND preference buying “ American”, manufacturers would have to move factories back to America! BUT, we can’t buy American if we don’t know where it was made!

A provision in the National Defense Authorization Act just passed in the Senate would authorize the military to jail anyone it considers a terrorism suspect — anywhere in the world — without charge or trial. The measure would effectively extend the definition of what is considered the military’s "battlefield" to anywhere in the world, even within the United States. From Freedom to Fascism indeed. Who's to say what "terrorism" is? Is it Occupying government institutions? Is it surrounding the White House in protest of a pipeline? Is it sending money to a cousin in a foreign country whose neighbor is a member of a group our government doesn't agree with? Everyone deserves the right to the due process of the justice system. Locking people up indefinitely without them being convicted of any crime is already happening to foreign citizens, and now they bring it to us.

It will stop all the illegal drugs problems coming from south of the border. Also will provide many needed jobs and income.

In 2008 all those people who brought a house with a mortgage helped our economy, yet they have to pay that $7500 back at a rate of $500 per year out of the tax refunds of those people.

Some members of Congress (both the House and Senate) have signed a pledge to lobbyist Grover Norquist--a pledge about not raising taxes under any circumstances. The result has been virtual road bock to the development of any reasonable solutions to many of our nation's economic problems. Let's tell the ones who have signed the pledge that we expect them to renounce their allegiance to Grover Norquist.

Preventing commercial development in residential neighborhoods.

Siri, iPhone's new voice assistant, won't tell you where you can get an abortion or even emergency contraception--instead she'll promote anti-abortion pregnancy "crisis" centers. But let's say you need an escort service? Siri can help you with that, no problem.

USPS management is proposing a drastic downsizing and service reduction. In part, it is due to an unreasonable requirement instituted by G.W. Bush through the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006, which requires the prefunding of retiree health benefits for 75 years within ten years. H.R. 1351 will relieve the some of the most unfair aspects of this legislation and refund to the USPS part of the current overpayment.

As a result of spending bill H2112, slaughterhouses in the United States will be able to resume slaughtering horses for human consumption. We are not a nation that raises horses as food animals or one that consumes horse meat. Rather, horses are largely considered companion animals, more similar to dogs and cats than to animals raised for consumption. They should therefore be treated as such, and not subjected to mass slaughter. "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." - Mahatma Gandhi

The President recently signed legislation that would allow Americans to slaughter Horses for food. 70% of Americans disagree with this bill and yet it was still passed. Americans enjoy riding horses and it is known to be very therapeutic in relieving stress.

The WSJ reports that a final settlement could be reached as early as the week of Dec. 18! Along with sharing this petition, please contact AG Gansler directly: (410) 576-6300 or 1 (888) 743-0023 toll-free in Maryland TDD: (410) 576-6372 email: [email protected] The size and scope of the proposed "settlement": Fraud and illegality lie at the heart of the mortgage and financial crisis. The list of questionable practices by banks and mortgage servicers is long: Risky subprime loans were issued without proper documentation or underwriting; subprime loans were "bundled" and sold to institutions in securities designed to conceal their high risk; land registry records were manipulated to avoid paying taxes. After the crash, many mortgage servicers failed to help homeowners receive government mandated loan modifications. There have been widespread cases of fraudulent foreclosure, using unverified mortgage documents (so-called "robo-signing"). The FBI found that ‘mortgage fraud is a growing crime threat that is hurting homeowners, businesses, and the national economy.’ The FBI and other law enforcers have increased resources to address these crimes, focusing on fraud related to loan origination, mortgage loan securitization, and mortgage servicing. Multiple Federal and State investigations and lawsuits are just now beginning to connect the dots in the mortgage fraud picture. Unfortunately, this drive for justice may be thwarted. A proposed settlement between the State attorneys general, the Federal Government, and mortgage servicers may put a halt to State investigations and prosecution in this area. It could also hinder individuals and institutions hurt by fraud from uncovering the truth and getting their day in court. Current reports mention a $20 billion settlement pool for compensating fraud victims. If true, the amount is laughably inadequate- victims of such widespread fraud have surely lost much more than this. And, while compensation is important, so is accountability. As Representative Tammy Baldwin (WI) puts it: "This entire tragedy reinforces the perception for average Americans that they play by one set of rules and everyone on Wall Street plays by another. While banks and other financial institutions were deemed too big to fail, they are now seen as too big to prosecute. If blanket immunity is granted to mortgage servicers their appalling behavior goes unpunished and they will continue to behave as if they are above the law. The American principle of equal justice under the law must apply to all, not just to some." Our petition to Attorney General Gansler is simple: Investigate fully, prosecute where appropriate, and do what is possible to see that victims are compensated fairly. Any settlement that hinders these goals is no settlement at all, and should be rejected. Thanks for signing!

Warren Buffett, in a recent interview with CNBC, offers one of the best quotes about the debt ceiling: "I could end the deficit in 5 minutes," he told CNBC. "You just pass a law that says that anytime there is a deficit of more than 3% of GDP, all sitting members of Congress are ineligible for re-election"