Winds of Change.... Warren Buffet is asking each addressee to forward this email to a minimum of twenty people on their address list; in turn ask each of those to do likewise. In three days, most people in The United States of America will have the message. This is one idea that really should be passed around. _*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 12/31/12. The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen/women. Congressmen/women made all these contracts for themselves. Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, so ours should serve their term(s), then go home and back to work. If each person contacts a minimum of twenty people then it will only take three days for most people (in the U.S. ) to receive the message. Don't you think it's time? THIS IS HOW YOU FIX CONGRESS!

The American politician now seems to care more for re-election than governing. I’m trying to end that. My problem is I am not a constitutional scholar or writer. I’ll try to outline my thoughts. 1. An amendment to the US Constitution would be made. 2. All federally elected or appointed officials would be subject to the amendment. 3. An independent office for enforcement of this amendment would be created. We’ll call it the Dept. of Conflict of Interest. The C.O.I. 4. All individuals or organizations donating, in one calendar year, more than $25,000 to any one candidate, officer or appointee must register with the C.O.I. This amount could grow with some measure. 5. The C.O.I. would investigate each applicant to determine the applicant’s affiliation. If applicant was a labor union in the timber industry, then all their donations of $25,000 and more to one candidate, officer or appointee, would cause the candidate, officer or appointee to recuse1 themselves from voting on or making decisions having an impact on issues the C.O.I. felt applicable; labor, unions, timber, etc. 6. Individuals who are partners or shareholders or investors in a $25,000 and more to one candidate, officer or appointee, would also be studied by the C.O.I. 7. So, every donating individual or group would have affiliation baggage attached before donations could be made. 8. Every candidate, officer or appointee would be informed of this affiliation baggage before accepting donations. 9. The C.O.I. would make available every donor providing donations of $25,000 and more to one candidate, officer or appointee and to whom donations were made. 10. So, the candidate, officer or appointee could still perform their assigned tasks, but would, on occasion, recuse themselves because of conflict of interest. 11. A candidate for any office would be held to the same law.

We the People of the United States of America are demanding that the Congress do the following: Pass a law that says that anytime there is a deficit of more than 3% of GDP, all sitting members of Congress are ineligible for re-election. In addition We the People expect the following changes be implemented without any hidden attachments to these changes that would be passed without full disclosure and consent of the American people. 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 1/1/13. The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen/women. Congress made all these contracts for themselves. Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, so ours should serve their term(s), then go home and back to work. If each person contacts a minimum of twenty people then it will only take three days for most people (in the U.S.) to receive the message. Don't you think it's time? THIS IS HOW YOU FIX CONGRESS!

Dear President Obama: Earlier this year, the National Education Association, the nation's largest teacher's union made the unprecedented early decision to endorse your reelection candidacy in the 2012 election. This endorsement was given so with the faith that you are the best candidate to protect the interests of the nation’s students, teachers and schools. Yet YOUR actions, rhetoric, and policies advanced by YOUR Secretary of Education are frequently at odds with the faith the NEA gave you. The recent passage of H.R. 2218, the Empowering Parents Through the Quality Charter Schools Act by the House of Representatives is equally troubling. The nation’s teachers are not alone in their condemnation of this potential federal mandate to implement Charter Schools in every state. The Association of School Administrators has also raised concerns that H.R.2218 will harm the commitment to properly fund public schools by siphoning money through the voucher system to private charter schools falsely labeled as “Public Charters”. While some effective charter schools exist, significant fraud and abuse of the public trust has occurred across the nation among charter schools and their operators. We are witnessing a re-segregating of our nation’s schools in the areas of: 1. Race 2. Class 3. Ability 4. Sexual Orientation 5. Language We are equally concerned that the interest of corporations and wealthy individuals has corrupted education policy in a way which will irreparably change the focus of education from one of success, learning, and accomplishment for children; to one designed merely for profit by corporations. We the undersigned feel that a unique opportunity exists for you to reaffirm your commitment to education for all of America's children by vetoing H.R. 2218. Your veto will be a clear signal that you are not taking the side of corporate money and Wall Street hedge-funders. It will be a firm gesture that indicates your genuine concern for the nation's children, teachers and schools. Sincerely,

Whereas: 1. With a failure rate of between 2 to 8 percent, horizontal drilling and hydrofracking pose an unacceptable risk to our drinking water and the quality of groundwater, aquifers, lakes and streams 2. Drilling will introduce over 250 chemicals into our air and water, placing local residents, wildlife, and critical agriculture and watershed areas at risk 3. Communities where hydrofracking has occurred have experienced explosions, fires, spills, stream contamination, and well pollution as well as degradation of aquifers and other water supplies 4. Local emergency services, including volunteer fire departments, EMS units, and healthcare providers, will be severely stressed and placed at considerable risk from accidents 5. Gas drilling will involve construction of a massive infrastructure of wellheads, pipelines, compressing stations, and processing centers. 6. Infrastructure development will involve extensive clearcutting, 24-hour noise and light pollution, huge increases of truck traffic, and the permanent altering of existing landscapes 7. Industrialization is incompatible with agriculture, tourism, recreation; drilling and related development will significantly alter existing use patterns of rural areas 8. Compulsory integration of neighboring landowners to allow gas extraction against their wishes is an unlawful seizure of land and an unconstitutional abuse of power 9. Extensive drilling will undermine property values and increase tax burdens on local citizens, creating boom and bust economic cycles in local communities 10. Recent preliminary assessments reveal that “natural” gas is not “clean energy” but rather just another polluting, non-renewable fossil fuel contributing to global warming We call on you, and your staff, to put the people first and protect our health, environment, communities, and future by banning horizontal drilling and hydrofracking to release gas from low-permeable stone formations in our states and country.

We support the rights of the disability community and vulnerable seniors to adequate life safety with continuous electrical power with emergency back-ups for medical and health devices. To secure these rights, we request the Governor and Commission do three things: 1.  Reform Power Shutoff (Grid De-Energization) programs.  Grid De-Energization threatens the health and life safety of vulnerable seniors and people with disabilities who depend on consistent electricity to operate medical and mobility equipment that keeps us alive and functioning.  Approximately two years ago, the Commissioners voted 5-0 to allow PG&E and other electric utilities to de-energize their grids without any mitigation measures to protect the state's most vulnerable during those events.  2.   Correct the Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP) .  The CPUC/PGE SGIP  residential battery program is riddled with problems and obstacles in helping people with disabilities obtain battery back-up systems.  Of primary concern are up-front costs, uncertain reimbursements, lack eligibility for people with disabilities, many of whom have low-incomes. 3.  Retain Executive Director Alice Stebbins. She and her staff are working consistently to resolve these issues. They are responsive our community. They recognize the health and safety threats power shut-offs and the lack of back-up systems create for the elderly and people with disabilities. We, the following people listed, ask that Ms. Stebbins be recognized for her work to protect the most vulnerable populations of California.  We demand that Ms. Stebbins continue in her position so she can complete her efforts to mitigate electric utility de-energization. Changing management in the middle of a crisis - de-energization without mitigation - is irresponsible. It threatens health and life safety.

Allowing business for beauty salons and services to be reopened. We know we must work together and open at the right time and safely. We want to get the ball rolling for all licensed professionals in California in hopes that we can be deemed essential business when the time is right. Allowing one licensed beauty professional to work on 1 client per appointment. Following all guidelines for safety and sanitation that are in place for “essential” workers currently will be adhered to on top of our safety and sanitation that we have in place required by the state of California. we CAN do this. Our standard is already set above the rest. The following additional items can be implemented by each professional in each facility. 1. Masks and gloves will be encouraged to be worn by client. Licensed beauty Service provider MUST wear mask at all times, gloves encouraged. 2. No clients in waiting area and no food or beverage service for clients. (If applicable) 3. Complete sanitation of chairs, sinks, counters, stations, tools, (door handles and bathrooms (if used by clients)) in between clients. This particular item is already established in our industry, per our requirement to follow established state guidelines. Hand sanitizer provided for each professional and client at time of each appointment. Serving one client at a time poses lesser (or no) risk of spreading the virus, as compared to grocery and big box stores being filled with 10+ more people at a time or even restaurants doing curbside orders and take out. 4. Washing hands before and after each client 5. Social distance yourself from client when possible. Example while client is processing with color on their head keep 6 feet distance between yourself and the client.

Dear City Council Members, We're asking you to establish a Reparations Task Force to support: 1. NEW GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROGRAMS 2. WOMEN OF COLOR SEEK REPARATIONS TO REPAIR THE HARM DONE TO THEM BY POLICIES IN NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, AND THE UNITED STATES WHICH DEPRIVE THEM OF SOVEREIGNTY OVER THEIR BODIES AND ACCESS TO EQUITABLE HEALTH RESOURCES 3. COMMUNITY-BASED PUBLIC SAFETY PROJECTS 4. RESTORATIVE JUSTICE SERVICES FOR VICTIMS OF GUN VIOLENCE 5. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO MUSICIANS AND OTHER CULTURAL WORKERS AND INSTITUTIONS 6. GRANTS FOR HOUSING AND NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENT ORGANIZATIONS Reparations Task Forces (RTF) have been put in place in California, Detroit, MI, Providence, RI, Amherst, MA, San Francisco, CA, Evanston, IL, and other cities to address the disparities in health, housing, criminal justice, and educational outcomes between Black and white residents due to racially discriminatory policies and practices, past and present. To remedy this situation, Reparations Task Forces and “Community Reparations Funds” have begun to repair the damage to African American individuals, families, and communities. Black New Orleanians have often been targeted for discriminatory housing, criminal justice, and other racially-biased policies in the past, they should now be targeted for assistance through the RTF’s Community Reparations Fund that would receive donations for its activities from both public and private agencies and institutions. This proposal is sponsored by: Justice & Beyond Louisiana, Ashé Cultural Arts Center, National African American Reparations Commission, Think504, Blacksourcemedia, A Community Voice, Broadmoor Community Church, Community Mediation Services, Ubuntu Village, People's Institute for Survival & Beyond, N.O. Musicians Assistance Fdn, The Guardians of the Flame, REMILA and Queens of Nation.

1. Clear park spaces along Marine Drive and public sidewalks under DLSD from tents, propane tanks, trash, portable toilets, chairs, fixtures, pallets, wood frames, appliances and any other debris within 24-hours of identification. 2. Enforce applicable codes and regulations, including Chicago Park District Chapter VII, Section B. 2., re: Park Hours and Injury to or Destruction of Park Property: • “No person shall be or remain in any part of any park not fenced in or provided with gates, between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. on the following day” • “Homeless persons may keep only portable possessions with them … portable personal possessions do NOT include: non-air mattresses, potted plants, crates, large appliance boxes, carts, gurneys, wagons, or furniture, including, but not limited to, chairs, tables, couches, and bed frames” • “No person shall in any park: destroy, cut, break, deface, mutilate, injure, disturb, sever from the ground or remove any sod, earth or growing thing including, but not limited to, any plant, flower, flower bed, shrub, tree, growth, or any branch, stem, fruit, or leaf thereof” 3. Respect school zones by enforcing laws that pertain to alcohol consumption, loitering, speeding, and illegal drug use. 4. Restore park areas along Marine Drive where tents have destroyed green space to date. Re-seed grass, re-plant trees, and install "No Loitering" signage. 5. Remove tents, bikes, chairs, mirrors, fixtures, pallets, wood frames, appliances, propane tanks, etc. within 24 hours of identification. 6. Provide weekly progress report via newsletter on action steps that refer to all points above.

PETITION TO REPEAL TX HOUSE BILL 2127 INTRODUCTION: Communities in Texas are uniting to fight against polluting industries who want to move into areas experiencing population growth and multiple housing developments. It only makes sense that we should be able to prevent industries that endanger our health, natural environment and property values from moving into our communities. Dorchester, a small town in the south part of Grayson County, is fighting against the approval by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) of the Black Mountain Cement Plant in the middle of town. At the same time, the Cottonwood housing development of 2156 residential lots is set to begin construction in Dorchester. Meanwhile, North Texas Natural Select Materials has applied for a permit from TCEQ to operate a cement crusher plant on a one-acre spot in an unincorporated residential area between Sherman and Denison. This one acre is approximately 5 miles from downtown Denison and downtown Sherman. A large housing development is planned nearby at the former Woodlawn Country Club golf course. In 2023, Texas House Bill 2127 was signed into law, barring cities and counties from creating local ordinances to restrict the types of businesses and business practices that harm our communities. It is our position that Texas House Bill 2127 should be repealed, and local control be returned to the cities and counties in Texas. PETITION: We the undersigned, being registered voters in the state of Texas, do hereby petition the Texas Legislature to repeal Texas House Bill 2127. HB 2127 restricts the ability of local governments from regulating industries within their territories undermines the ability of cities and counties to make choices about our safety, health, and well-being at the local level.