In Support of our Neighbors Devastated by the August 2011 Flood We the undersigned petition our legislators in support of our friends and neighbors in Rotterdam Junction, Middleburg and all of Schoharie County who have suffered devastation of homes, businesses and communities as a result of the August 2011 flooding. Their suffering continues because of the lack of action by government agencies and our representatives. We, the undersigned, will no longer stand by while our neighbors in Up-State New York face hunger, sub-standard living conditions, and the denial of basic necessities. Federal dollars and government support promised six months ago still have not been delivered. The $93 million allocated and needed to re-build homes, business and communities and to purchase food supplies is held up in a process of political in-fighting while church groups, private donations, and food pantries struggles to assist the thousands of families by providing bare necessities. Petitioners know the following facts and hold our elected representative responsible for these conditions: * $93 million has been allocated but not released for use! Who is responsible for this political stalemate? * Breakabeen’s food bank has run out of food to distribute to victims of the flooding. How has political inaction resulted in the inability to feed our own citizens? * Property taxes and mortgage payments are still required on devastated property that has not been rebuilt because of a lack of funding. Who in government ignores the plight of these our neighbors and will not even return calls? * Private citizens, church groups, businesses, and regional food banks continue to share donations, food and supplies with our neighbors to the extent possible. Who in government agencies should have but did not organize the necessary relief for these citizens? We, the undersigned petitioners, are now frustrated by the inaction from our political representatives to accomplish the following: * Free up the $92 million designated for immediate use in Schenectady and Schoharie Counties by those devastated by the flood of 2011. * Establish a plan to organize the delivery of resources necessary to rebuild homes, communities, and businesses so that our neighbors can return to a decent living arrangement. We, the undersigned, hold our representatives responsible to address the concerns herein listed and to respond to the needs of their constituencies in Counties impacted by flooding in 2011.

Stop the reclassification of yoga teachers. Keep our teachers independent and keep the state out of our teachers' wallets!

STOP the proposed cuts in funding for Port Washington School System including after school programs ie sports clubs and PEP programs

Send a message to our state legislators and our Governor -- Legalize medical marijuana in New Hampshire NOW!

I am against the merger of Rutgers/Camden with Rowan University

Public school teachers support teacher evaluations and the implementation of a fair and accurate program to determine teacher effectiveness. As educators, we believe that teachers in need of corrective measures should be identified and assisted in order to maintain the highest quality of education possible. We also believe that under no circumstances can we allow our children’s futures to be compromised by political agendas. The current APPR legislation is not based on any validated research or empirical data, and, as professional educators, we believe that implementation will be detrimental to all educational stakeholders. The harm caused by administering evaluations as currently proposed will be irreparable and felt for generations to come. We firmly believe this APPR legislation that implements the governor’s teacher evaluation program is not good for public education, teachers or children. It is therefore resolved that we, the undersigned, urge the New York State United Teachers leadership (NYSUT) to aggressively: 1. Reconsider its currently supported evaluations policy and promote implementation of APPR legislation that allows for consideration of the accurate empirical data based on validated research; and 2. Seek the implementation of a 2-year pilot plan to determine the validity of any program designed to evaluate teacher effectiveness in the classroom; and 3. Determine, together with all stakeholders, whether the pilot plan implemented is an accurate reflection of whether a teacher is in need of remedial measures; and 4. Seek to prohibit publication of composite scores for teachers; and 5. Seek adjustment of the scoring ranges so that test scores cannot solely determine a teacher’s rating; and 6. Seek to provide for student absenteeism as a mitigating factor when considering student test scores in the calculation. In any matter so important and with such far-reaching consequences, it is imperative that political agendas have no place in the negotiations, as every child deserves a teacher who has been determined effective by a fair and accurate methodology. We request that these considerations be addressed as expeditiously as possible as we believe this is the only way to ensure fairness for all. We thank you for your efforts.

The family and friends of Stacey Keane Burns are infuriated over the lack of movement related to her case. Stacey's life was taken from her on May 10, 2009. And the person who took her life remains AT LARGE. Stacey deserves for her murderer to be put behind bars so that this perpetrator isn't free to do the same thing to some other mother, daughter, sister, or friend. Please sign this today (and pass along) so that SUFFICIENT resources can be dedicated to SOLVE this horrible crime!!!

It is time to change the composition of the NJ Div fish & Game which presently consists only of hunter/wildlife murderers. The general population of NJ has absolutely zero representation on this board. The animal protection group has zero representation on this council.

Over 30 states have passed voter id laws that disenfranchise minorites, the elderly and college students. This is a problem that rightfully deserves the attention of everyone since we "claim" to live in a democracy.

Ulster County Schools are in trouble. Highland is among just one of the school districts struggling under the current system. Despite having developed budgets at or below contingency levels for the past five years, negotiating contracts below the regional average, and running the district with a cost per pupil more than $4500 less than the Ulster County average, our taxpayers continue to shoulder increased taxes driven by the cost of mandates and loss of State Aid. Our Ulster County schools cannot survive under this model. It is time for accountability in Albany for the continuing expenses of mandates. It is time to reform the way schools are funded. It is time to restore and maintain levels of State Aid so schools can control the cost of taxes on the local level.