The politics surrounding the definition of "marriage", causes significant diversion from critical issues. The institution of marriage pre-dates the US constitution and hence the government should not be involved in defining it. All that the government needs, is to define when two people belong to the same "household unit".

Please tell Randall Kline and SFJazz, the largest jazz festival on the West Coast, to stop their decade old practice of excluding women instrumentalists (not vocalists--there is no discrimination in jazz against women vocalists!!) from their programming. This season again they have hired only two women instrumental headliners out of 35+ acts for the 2011 Fall Season, Mimi Fox and Esperanza Spaulding. Historically, SFJazz hires 7% or fewer women instrumentalist headliners, despite tremendous opposition in the community. This is blatant gender discrimination by a nonprofit organization which solicits and uses public money.

Why are all our homes banked owned? Why do we borrow from "commercial" banks for our home loans at a much higher rate of interest than what the banks pay to the Fed? Why do we have commercial banks acting as "middle men" to access our country's money supply for profit and abuse?

Vashon Thriftway gives free cookies to children, but many children are allergic to gluten, eggs, and dairy. Let's extend the inclusivity and healthfulness of Vashon to our children by giving them fruit instead of cookies.

The Veterans Administration Claims Adjudication Process is totally unresponsive to the needs of disabled american veterans. It takes on average 10 to 20 years for a veteran to obtain benefits from disablities incurred on active military service. The present VA Claims Adjudication Process is extremely adversarial and veteran hostile. A system more human and amendable to the needs of veterans and their families needs to be implemented.

Spending more on Clean energy initiatives will generate investment returns to taxpayers in the form of cheaper overall energy costs. In the future with solar energy ascendant and fossil fuels in decline we will change our nations energy profile to one of a clean unlimited resource as opposed to our existing one of a dirty harmful limited resource.

Repeal Citizens United.

People of America should fight and let it be known that the news media is falsely making the Presidential race bias. People let it be known to stand and vote and boycott the New media Fox and CNN and others who leave out polls of the people running. Why isnt FAIR & BALANCED reporting happening instead of one sided views from the head of these new media companies?

Members of Congress simply have to put the well-being of the country ahead of the political interests of the party. They need to actually listen to the will of the people rather than their big donors and special interests.

St. Joseph, Michigan's red brick streets are one of the signature features of this charming town. Over the years, many of these streets have been dismantled and paved, and the bricks sold off. Those that remain need maintenance. In order to preserve our historic streets, the grass growing between the bricks needs to be removed, and the joints need to be filled and compacted. If nothing is done, we will soon lose these beautiful, historic brick streets that add so much to the ambience of our city.

CVS is proposing to build an uninspired big-box store and parking lot at the gateway to Sebastopol (kitty corner from Screamin' Mimi's). Their current location in an existing shopping center works for the community. If they build the new big box store, we won't buy!

Stop the phased withdrawals and bring the troops home from Afghanistan now.