On 60 Minutes (Dec 18) thousands of homes are being abandoned by owners who can no longer afford the mortgage payments. The bank takes possession and let the houses rot to the point they are no longer marketable. This is due to: 1. banks will not keep the property in in marketable condition (it costs money to do that) and 2. Scavengers break into the abandoned homes and take anything of value including copper wiring, plumbing fixtures, appliances, cabinetry, even aluminum siding. It seems to me that the banks, rather than causing folks to abandon their homes due to high mortgage rates, should refinance at the current market value to lower the payments so the folks can stay in their homes. This results in banks taking a lost in the equity, but when a home is abandoned and not cared for, the banks loses 100% of their loaned amount instead of 50 %. Homes in Ohio are being demolished, and banks are losing the entire cost. It was banks that caused the problem in the first place - even after TARP and another 7.7 trillion dollars loaned out to Wall Street/Banks at 0.01% interest.

Money is killing American politics because of campaign finance contributions by corporations and special interest groups. Congress passed campaign finance reform legislation, but the Supreme Court invalidated it. A Constitutional Amendment is needed to bypass the Supreme Court and enable reform.

We, as employers of the American Congress, should be the ones to determine the income, how it is acquired, and the healthcare, of our members/employees.

The post office in many communities is a place of necessity; the place where you get your mail and your local news.

CA legalized medical marijuana and put hundreds of people to work, as well as raising huge revenues to address our multi-billion budget shortfall. Federal agents swooped down and raided dispensaries recently -- leaving patients stranded without much-needed relief from a long list of problems. President Obama had indicated he would have the Feds leave States alone on this issue.

We, the ordinary people of this country have paid in to these programs all our working lives. It is ridiculous to think the Republicans in Congress want to cut these programs without taxing the wealthiest Americans one penny more!

Ending the so-called 'War on Drugs.

My petition is about reducing corporate power by eliminating the idea of corporate personhood.

In 1819, the Supreme Court decided, in a case entitled Dartmouth College v. Woodward that corporations had the same rights as people. That decision has been at the root of a lot of the more recent rulings which allow corporations to run roughshod over our democracy, using their almost unlimited money to fund anything they want in government, and leaving ordinary citizens with very little voice in our own government. It's time for this to stop.

Members of the House and Senate receive subsidized services, such as food, health club, etc. They should pay fair market value for these services. In turn any member who wishes to reside in their office should pay fair market rent. They are trying to ax jobs and benefits for their constituents, why not start with themselves.

That a law is enacted that prevents Senators and Representatives from enjoying any health care or retirement benefits that are not enjoyed by all citizens. They pay into and utilize Social Security and not pensions for retirement and buy into the same health services that are available to the citizens without citizen contributions.

Because those responsible are still at their desks at Wall Street and will continue to create toxic instruments of mass destruction.