Hidden agendas have caused aweful decisions to arise: the FDA approving GMO's as safe; SOPA being passed; congress deciding pizza is a "vegetable;" the supreme court deeming corporations as "individuals." We need to stop letting our politicians be bought, and instead let them work for PEOPLE'S rights, not corporate interests.

This petition seeks to stop Seattle Public Schools from "repurposing" existing space at Whittier Elementary into a 4th Kindergarten Classroom. Whittier does not have room to accommodate another classroom through the grades.

We are Apple consumers (and shareholders), some fairly loyal, some prospective buyers. iPods, iPhones, iPads, etc. have captured our imaginations, and the general feel of Apple products has inspired us to think Apple is a special company that cares about people. Though, we are appalled and disturbed by the fact that these products are being manufactured, in some part, by children working 16-hour days, by workers living in factory farm or prison-like dormitories, working inhumanely long hours, under immense pressure to produce, being injured without medical attention, then fired. Meanwhile, Apple makes record profits and shareholders enjoy the freedom to not work at all if they so choose. As Apple consumers, we believe Apple Inc. must take responsibility for reforming its labor practices, committing to transparent and fair labor standards; standards acceptable within the borders of the United States. We enjoy Apple's technology, but if we don't see real, tangible, evident reform and transparency on the part of Apple Inc., each of us will have to decide whether Apple is a company we want to support at all - especially when its products are already more expensive than competing products, which grow more competitive and attractive each day. *Note that Tim Cook, whose net worth is estimated at $400 million, new CEO of Apple, recently received a $376 million signing bonus - just to accept the position.

Fracking is the process that companies use to remove natural gas from shale. Fracking is dangerous because it releases chemicals into ground water which we drink.

On Jan.17, 2003, the VA disenfranchised thousands of veterans from receiving Veterans Administration Medical care by establishing a new classification of category eight for veterans that exceeded an income and net worth threshold. Veterans who applied prior to this arbitrary and capricious date REGARDLESS OF INCOME were enrolled. Those veterans (thousands) who are and were eligible but had not taken the formal enrollment steps became catagory eight casualties.There can be no justification for this unequal treatment of like veterans. Individual veterans were not told of this illegal and discriminatory action either by letter or even wide spread media coverage.Those who served our country the same as those prior to the Jan.17,2003 black day of discrimination SHOULD BE ENTITLED TO THE SAME VA BENEFITS.

Last year at town meeting , the town overwhelmingly passed article 17, Municipal Buildings. The Board of Selectmen(BoS) appointed a committee the Municipal Building Committee (MBC) to come up with plans for to renovate Town Hall and the Hildreth House. The Hildreth House is less controversial so we are leaving it out of this petition. The MBC has done an excellent job of soliciting public input over the last 9 months and is coming close to picking a design. Two Selectmen continue to try to pressure the MBC to scale down their proposal for town hall. The main point of contention is what to do with the second floor. The history here is: up until 1985 the second fl was used for performances, town meetings and many community functions. In '85, "Temporary" offices were put up there and are still there today. By restoring the 2nd fl to a useable space we would fill a huge void in our community, an intermediate size meeting room, that could hold up to 250 people, and be used for town government, civic and community space. We’re calling upon the Board of Selectmen to instruct the MBC to develop a design that upholds the intent of Article 17; a plan for renovating town hall that would provide for town government and a public assembly space for the citizens of the town. An excellent video on the history of town hall can be found here(sorry you may need to cut and paste the website url): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJ6A5fJYf0M

The ditactor Kabila's militaries have surrounded Etienne Tshisekedi's residence and they should leave him alone and protected by UN guards.

According to Rep Moura (RI) Fanny Mae and Freddie Mac have been making it impossible for homeowners to keep their homes. Fanny and Freddie are asking for more bailout money and pushing up foreclosure rates using federal programs. Expose the federal programs that are hurting homeowners instead of helping them.

Recently, Longfellow Middle School has asked Kate Dunn to leave school for up to a month because she "scares people" when she faints. If this claim was true, we would have no protest. But, nobody minds in the slightest and we all think it is very unfair to not let her come to school for something that is totally out of her control, nothing should get in the way of a person wanting to learn.

This section of the National Defense Act allows an unprecedented loss of civil liberties for American citizens. The ability of the military to detain and hold an American to GITMO without due process is a dangerous act. and a violation of the freedoms our country holds dear.

Foreclosures and abuses by the Big Banks are crippling our economy. In many cases the Big Banks broke rules, falsified paperwork or defrauded home buyers—and gambled with our homes to enrich themselves. They have yet to be held responsible. Our attorney general has the power to hold the big banks accountable and to provide restitution to homeowners who have lost their homes or whose mortgages are "underwater."

The proposed Keystone XL pipeline poses a test for all of us in the US. Are we truly committed to develop cleaner sources of energy or will we continue down the path of dependence on fossil fuels. President Obama has said that we can "be the generation that finally frees America from the tyranny of oil." Now is our chance to begin this process! Stop the pipeline!