We should all care about this issue because it affects every single American that has & will ever pay into them. They are not entitlements.

As students, parents, teachers, administrators, and community members who are concerned about the re-segregation of public schools through the promotion of Charter Schools, we oppose H.R. 2218 - Empowering Parents through Quality Charter Schools Act . We demand that you, as a Senator of the United States of America VOTE NO on H.R. 2218 - Empowering Parents through Quality Charter Schools Act to protect the civil rights of ALL public school children in America.

As students, parents, teachers, administrators and community members who are concerned about the civil rights of students and the re-segregation of America's Public Schools through privatization; we petition President Barack Obama to use his power to VETO H.R. 2218, Empowering Parents Through the Quality Charter Schools Act .

As a result of the Citizens United U.S. Supreme Coust decision it will take a Constitutional amendment to get special interest money out of our federal elections. We must do this in order to to keep our politicians and elections free of the bribes proferred by wealthy individuals, corporations and PACs in their efforts to influence every decision most of elected representatives make.

A recreational exercise facility - The S.S. Skatepark "bowl" was filled with dirt by the city 1.5 years ago without public comment but with public funds for seemingly no reason. We would like this reversed by excavating the dirt which we have offered to do for free.

Stop hydrofracking for natural gas because it pollutes the water.

LFTRs (Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactors) are safer, cheaper, more efficient than what we use, and we have a huge storage of Thorium in the USA right now. See http://thoriumenergyalliance.com/

New Mexico's tax code favors multi-state coporations over our local businesses. We are the last Western state with a corporate tax that allows multi state companies to shift profits earned in New Mexico to a state like Delaware which has no corporate tax. Requiring "unitary combined reporting" would level the playing field for New Mexico businesses and recoup lost revenues that are needed for our schools, healthcare and public safety.

Teachers who have served in Urban schools for more than five years ought to have their entire student loan forgiven.

Paul LePage would never have become governor if we were allowed to vote by ranking candidates in order of preference. Most of the votes for Libby Mitchell would have gone to Eliot Cutler or vice versa, and one of them would have won. Within the past few years, instant run-off voting (IRV) has been successfully used in several municipal elections across the nation. IRV enables one to vote for his/her true first choice, while indicating a second and third choice candidate. In the event that no candidate garners 50% plus one vote, the candidate with the least number of votes is eliminated, and voters who ranked that candidate first have their votes recast to their second choice candidate. This process is repeated until one candidate garners 50% plus one vote. IRV avoids sequential run-off elections and enables the voter to cast a "single transferable vote," ensuring that the winning candidate has a majority.

Early settlers came to his country to escape debtors’ prison, yet we have recreated this situation here. While the Department of Corrections’ stated mission is to protect the public, our prisons are filled with people who commit minor crimes, suffer from mental illness, owe child support or even unpaid traffic tickets. While substance abuse treatment costs about half of what imprisonment costs taxpayers, we are still putting people in prison for using drugs. Yet we let out dangerous criminals who commit violent crimes after short terms in prison. People who are not a danger to the public should not be imprisoned. Money owed the state can be collected from their tax returns, pay checks, or welfare checks. Prisons can be converted to substance abuse programs, mental health facilities, housing for the homeless, or sheltered workshops to put low functioning and mentally ill people to work rather than paying them disability payments, and thus providing jobs for the corrections workers who would be laid off with prisons closing.

Our country's representatives should show their solidarity with the American people in this time of economic downfall by taking a pay reduction. By signing this petition, we would send a message to Congress that we want to see more than just an intellectual identification with the American people. Congress will most impact the American people's faith and trust in our system with tangible sacrifice. This reduction in salary must be made immediately for optimal effectiveness.