Taxpayer controlled citizen banks. Remove Corporate Bankers. The primary goal of a Taxpayer Bank of NM (my State), is to promote educational opportunities for the children of NM. These banks will be controlled by elected positions (4 years maximum service) which will provide loans to NM (your State) to students who borrow student loans to further their education. As Congress does not move to further progress in creating jobs, extending unemployment benefits to the working poor or provide any subsidies for the poor to further their careers or provide child care, then the taxpayers need to do what is best for the people in their States. The skinny is this: Taxpayer bank provides loans to residents of NM (your State). The lending process would have provisions on paying the loan back if a student is faced with inability to find a job, a hardship, or extensions for repayment of loans at a 3% interest rate. If students are unable to find work or are in a hardship position, they would work 4 to 8 hours a week or more with their City/County or State office to reduce their payments. Family members, retirees and community members can all volunteer to work at any of these agencies to help reduce a students debt as well. It is a community and a country dedicated to maintain a free and democratic republic. We cannot control Congress, but we can control State governments. We can control what goes on close to home and finally remove K Street, Wall Street, and DuPont Circle from dictating the rights of the people of the United States of America. We fight back reinventing the citizens lobby in our own backyards. The White House is occupied by Banksters, Mobsters, Thumpers and Liars....time for Democracy to come back home, regroup and take back our house. Taxpayers (corporations) who pay less in taxes have control of the banks. You and I pay double and sometimes triple in taxes what they do.....have you had enough?

Children of all colors could learn and draw inspiration from the noble struggles, positive experiences and unique achievements of the descendants of slavery in America, many of whom rose to become some of the nation's trailblazers in science, literature, commerce, technology and the arts.

Promoting recycling takes education and incentives. You spend money to make money. I'd like the state legislative branch of our government to invest in an incentive program to promote recycling.

It is time for change. The laws of New Jersey in their current form are more harmful than good. The lifetime bans on those with criminal convictions eliminate the chances of rehabilitation and employment. In our post 9/11 world, more and more industries have turned to background checks to filter out possible terrorists and those who may be involved in current criminal activity. However, there is a negative side to this practice. Two weeks ago in the borough of Leonia NJ volunteer fire chief David Bohnert was fired after a background check showed a 15 year old conviction for lewdness. Lt. Arnold Davenport was also fired in the same process for a twenty plus year old marijuana conviction. Here are two men who cared so much for their fellow man that they routinely put their lives on the line FOR NO PAY to help strangers. And their reward? They were dismissed for dated criminal convictions that had absolutely NO bearing on their current positions. In the case of first degree violent crimes, i.e. murder, rape, arson, kidnapping and anything involving the use of a firearm or other weapon that resulted in harm to another or property, the lifetime bans and background checks may well benefit society and more closely meet the principles the framers of the law meant in its writing. But to place a wholesale moniker of "Criminal" and having all convicted suffer collateral consequences and lifetime bans is cruel and unusual punishment, especially in our current economy. In the National Employment Law report "65 Million Need Not Apply" a study by Shawn Bushway and Gary Sweeten is cited that showed that an offender who has been released from custody or parole and has not re-offended for 7 years after release has the same risk factor to offend as someone who never committed a crime. By ending lifetime bans and limiting background checks to 7 years, we are increasing fairness in hiring, bringing more qualified and willing workers into the workforce, instilling pride, introducing more volunteers who just want to help their neighbors and reducing recidivism by allowing people to honestly provide for themselves and their families and not return to crime out of desperation to survive. By signing this petition, you are helping people who may have made a mistake by poor judgement or the foolishness of youth. You are helping someone who was convicted of a second degree or lower non violent offense, and that has lived a law abiding life for at least 7 years, obtain and keep honest work, or provide volunteer services to their communities. The NJ Rehabilitated Criminal Offender Act and the Ban the Box movement don't go far enough in helping our citizens. An employer allowed to discover a 20 year old minor conviction will just be more creative in finding an excuse not to hire an otherwise qualified and willing worker. Please sign and help 65 million people get a fair chance at work.

Wages have been stagnated for decades! Enough is enough we need to at least raise the minimum wage in this state. Individuals and families are struggling! Sign this petition to urge our law makers and politicians to do something about these poverty wages.

Where does Governor Christie get the right to spend "our tax dollars" to defend himself with his Park Avenue lawyer! He continues to make budget cuts in vital services and cut state funding to pensions, but doesn’t thinking twice about creating a “publicity paper” in his own defense with public funds. We deserve access to the information of the 70 people interviewed since we paid for them. The people of New Jersey need to let Governor Christie know we are tired of his self serving fiscal waste…WE WANT OUR MONEY BACK as well as ACCESS TO THE INTERVIEWS!

All people deserve the chance to afford housing, food and medical needs. Too many people are working but still unable to make ends meet. Raising the minimum wage from $8.00 to $15.00 is a necessary step for people to be able to support themselves.

A realistic minimum wage is crucial. With Wall St. bonuses up 15% in 2013 its not a time to be frugal.

I support raising minimum wage to $10.10 per hour.

Sign the petition to raise minimum wage in New Hampshire to $10.00 an hour.