As President Obama meets this week with business owners and Union representatives in preparation for his meetings with House and Senate leaders, we the American people need to let our representatives in Washington know that: Taxes, NOT TAX RATES, MUST be on the table in order to realistically deal with our fiscal issues. Right now: Spending is at about 24% of GDP. Taxes are at about 15% of GDP. Right now the most conservative Republican proposal is to cut spending to 19% +/- of GDP which will still leave a gap of 4-5% which leaves the fiscal budget 100s of billions of dollars in debt. Please let your representatives know that taxes (not tax rates) MUST be on the table.

Community residents in the Kingsboro/Bulluck neighborhood and neighboring communities in Tarboro and Rocky Mount, NC are demanding that the Edgecombe County Board of Commissioners vote NO on the sale of county-owned land in Kingsboro Business Park to Energy Storage Solutions for a $6 billion, 300-megawatt data center, citing a lack of clarity about community economic benefits, projected impact on resident energy costs, and concerns for long-term environmental and health risks. Edgecombe County economic development must prioritize its own residents -- not big technology companies, not the exploitative AI infrastructure that helps them grow even bigger -- and focus on protecting our rural community resources and quality of life. Signed, Edgecombe Neighbors for Data Center Accountability

1. No Tenure / No Pension. 2. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security. 3. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do. 4. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise.Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3% 5. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people. 6. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people. 7. All contracts with past and present Congressmen/women are void effective 12/31/13. The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen/women. 5. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people. 6. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people. 7. All contracts with past and present Congressmen/women are void effective 12/31/13. The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen/women.

Congressional Reform Act of 2012 1. No Tenure / No Pension. A Congressman/woman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they're out of office. 2. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security. All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the American people. It may not be used for any other purpose. 3. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do. 4. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%. 5. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people. 6. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people. 7. All contracts with past and present Congressmen/women are void effective 12/1/12. The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen/women.

Congressional Reform Act of 2012 1. No Tenure / No Pension. A Congressman/woman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they're out of office. 2. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security. All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the American people. It may not be used for any other purpose. 3. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do. 4. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%. 5. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people. 6. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people. 7. All contracts with past and present Congressmen/women are void effective 12/1/12. The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen/women.

Congressional Reform Act of 2012 1. No Tenure / No Pension. A Congressman/woman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they're out of office. 2. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security. All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the American people. It may not be used for any other purpose. 3. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do. 4. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%. 5. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people. 6. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people. 7. All contracts with past and present Congressmen/women are void effective 12/1/12. The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen/women.

This bus driver admitted to raping a 14-year-old girl who reported the crime. The judge, Mr. James P. McClusky, stated he gave Shane M. Piche the lower-level designation because “he had no prior arrests and there was only one victim.”

In October of 2011, President Barack Obama quietly signed into law a spending bill that would restore the horse-slaughter industry in the US. There was a domestic ban on the mass horse homicide, but it didn't end it altogether, instead just relocated it. IT shifted the site of butchery to Mexico and Canada - which meant increased abuse or neglect as the horses were shipped out of the country and beyond the reach of U.S. law. The ban had been imposed in 2006 when Congress defunded the government’s ability to inspect plants that butchered horses for consumption. Without inspections, the meat couldn't be sold, and the industry withered. Strong legislation banning the slaughter of America's wild and domestic equines needs to pass swiftly. The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act bill numbers are Senate Bill S.1176 and House Bill H.R. 2966. Now is the time to contact your two US Senators and your US Congressional Representative in the House to push for the passage of these two bills during the current Congress.

Revise taxes so that those with million dollar incomes have to pay at the same rate as middle income people, and not get by with paying taxes at a rate less than 20%, such as Romney who bragged about paying 13%, while middle income people face a 28% rate.

We have the right to know if our food contains GMOs. We urge you to support your customers' right to know what's in their food by labeling GMO ingredients found in Safeway store-brand products.