Dear Gov. Quinn, We, concerned residents of Illinois, have determined that the draft rules for fracking, recently published by the IL Dept. of Natural Resources (IDNR), are insufficient to protect the public health and the environment from the many dangers of fracking. There are at least a “Dirty Dozen” significant problems with fracking that must be addressed by a state-sponsored Council - consisting of members of several state agencies, front line community members and independent scientific advisers. We ask that you step in and extend the First Notice Period for these draft rules and convene this state-sponsored Council immediately to oversee the rewriting of these rules. We ask that this state-sponsored Council consist of representatives from IEMA, ILGS, IDPH, IEPA, the IL Water Survey, the IL Dept. of Agriculture, the IL Dept of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the IL Department of Labor, the Pollution Control Board, the State Fire Marshal, the IL Dept of Transportation, the IL State Police, front line community groups who will be directly impacted by fracking, and independent scientific advisers. We have the time and the duty to make these rules the most protective of the public health and the environment as possible, we ask that you intervene to get this accomplished. Many of the residents of Illinois have been following the documented problems with fracking in other states and we are very concerned that the same mistakes will be made here. We refuse to take lightly the many dangerous impacts of fracking that are poorly addressed in the draft rules, including but not limited to this "Dirty Dozen": 1) toxic radioactive waste, 2) induced seismicity, 3) chemical disclosure rules that protect the industry rather than the public health, 4) insufficient fines, penalties and permit revocations, 5) inadequate chemical and water testing procedures, 6) dangerous allowance of open pits for waste water storage, 7) an unfair public hearing process with permits that are allowed to be modified to the benefit of the industry over the rights of local residents to be fully informed, 8) rules that override local control by the counties, 9) insufficient handling of non-water fracking operations, 10) ill-advised allowance of fracking on flood plains, 11) public health dangers from fracking related air pollutants including volatile organic compounds, 12) exemptions for fracking operations that have already begun. Please use your power as the Executive Officer of the State to extend the First Notice Period for the rules for fracking and to convene a state-sponsored Council to oversee the rewriting of these rules. We, the undersigned, will not support a Governor who does not make the protection of the public health, safety, and welfare, and the water and environment of Illinois a first priority. Petition generated by Frack Free Illinois, ww.facebook.com/FrackFreeIllinois Please send daily comments to the IDNR about the rules by going to www.ilagainstfracking.org until Jan 3rd.

President Obama: Please Close the Medicaid Expansion Gap by a Presidential Executive Order. The Affordable Care Act was designed to provide health insurance to most Americans by expanding Medicaid to cover people with incomes up to 138% of federal poverty level, and compelling those with incomes above 138% of federal poverty level to purchase health insurance (with subsidies available for incomes from 138% to 400%). However, the Supreme Court decision which upheld the Affordable Care Act made the Medicaid expansion a state by state decision by preventing the federal government from tying the Medicaid expansion funds to the funding of the preexisting Medicaid programs. So far, 22 states have rejected the Medicaid expansion funds despite the fact that the Federal government will fund the expansion 100% for the first 3 years, after which the level of federal funding drops gradually to 90% in 2020 and then stays at 90%. As a result of the decision of these states, the uninsured poor people living in these states will have no realistic options for obtaining health insurance despite the Affordable Care Act. These are people earning under 100% of federal poverty level who do not qualify for Medicaid under the current eligibility criteria in those states. People earning under 100% do not qualify for subsidies under the ACA. There are about 5 million people who fall in this category, mostly in the Southern states because the current Medicaid qualification eligibility criteria in those states are stringent. These are Americans who remain at risk for avoidable death, disability and financial ruin despite the Affordable Care Act. The state of Arkansas is expanding Medicaid by using the federal Medicaid expansion funds allotted to it to buy private insurance for the newly eligible individuals. The President can use this model to provide insurance for the newly eligible citizens living in other nonexpanding states. The Secretary of Health and Human Services should be directed to assist the newly eligible individuals living in the nonexpanding states to obtain private health insurance through the federal exchange or with the assistance of the navigators and the hospitals in those states. The federal government will then pay the premiums using the funds already allocated for Medicaid expansion in those states. The hospital associations in the affected states are ready to provide whatever assistance is necessary to help this population gain health insurance. This should be done by Presidential Executive Order. There are some decisions that are too important to be left to the states. That is why the Emancipation Proclamation was a Presidential Executive Order. The poorest people in the poorest states in the richest country in the world should not be left without access to health care. This situation is a moral tragedy and a stain on the conscience of the nation. This is about the content of our character and the values of the nation. It is about the struggle for a more perfect nation. It is about the fight for the dignity of all people. The Medicaid expansion gap must be closed and it can only be closed by a Presidential Executive Order. President Obama should act now.

@ TREES DECATUR PETITION @ September 14, 2013 PLEASE SIGN OUR PETITION ASKING THE CITY OF DECATUR TO DO MORE TO PRESERVE AND PROTECT THE HEALTHY TREE CANOPY IN OUR COMMUNITY 1. Trees benefit our community in many ways, such as: aesthetics; decreased urban noise and air pollution; energy and soil conservation; minimize flooding; food and cover for healthy urban wildlife; and economic value and stability to business and residential neighborhoods. 2. Tree canopy cover in Decatur has decreased 4% over the last 17 years. This loss is due to more and larger commercial and residential developments in recent years. A reversal of this trend is essential to the quality of life in our community. 3. Decatur’s tree ordinance and administrative guidelines are weak and need revision to improve clarity, consistency; and strength including: tree canopy conservation requirements; updated standards and a recommended tree species list. 4. The capacity for program administration is inadequate to meet current community forest management goals. Decatur should hire a full-time City arborist and utilize a Tree Preservation Board (Environmental Sustainability Commission) for a more cost-effective administration and an improved Tree Protection Program. 5. Community Education and Involvement is a critical component of the Tree Preservation and Protection Program. The City should help educate homeowners and businesses about benefits of tree proliferation/preservation; use of good practices to ensure trees remain healthy; local requirements and more. 6. Tree Protection Plans and resulting tree fees from new development and redevelopment projects must result in actual tree protection. Swift enforcement should be taken against developers or other individuals who impact trees previously designated as protected. Repeat offenders should be publicized and not be granted additional development in Decatur for a specific time period. 7. Tree Bank Funds must be used exclusively for tree protection and canopy preservation purposes with emphasis on preservation, protection and/or replacement of trees in immediate neighborhoods affected by significant canopy loss due to development activities. 8. Decatur must evaluate and publicize the recent comprehensive tree inventory and designate historic and specimen trees for recognition and additional protection. 9. Decatur should create an incentive plan for builders and renovators to keep existing trees in buildable lot areas rather than removing them. Incentives may include (but not limited to) yard signs/flags recognizing tree-friendly site development plans; discounted permit fees; fast track permitting and variance request privileges; and special taxation considerations. 10. We concur with the conclusions and recommendations of the City of Decatur Community Forest Plan (November 2012) that support the statements presented above. We believe improvements should be made now, not later, to slow down the on-going destruction of the City’s urban forest.

Petition: Protect the Quality of Education at UC Santa Cruz! Reduce Class Size! The quality of education for undergraduates is being sacrificed in order to manage the fiscal crisis. As a result of ballooning class, section, and lab sizes, undergraduate students are receiving an inferior education. The curriculum for many classes is being altered to include more quizzes and scantron tests to accommodate larger class sizes. As Teaching Assistants, Graduate Student Instructors, Lecturers, and Faculty are being overworked because of ballooning class size, it becomes increasingly difficult to provide the kind of individualized attention students need. As class sizes increase, moreover, Teaching Assistantships are being cut and course offerings reduced. The loss of TAships means that graduate students must go deeper into debt to stay in school or drop out of school entirely. Additionally, tuition increases have restricted access to higher education for underrepresented communities, as well as working-class and middle-class communities. We must protect the accessibility and quality of a UC education! Key Problems Excessively Large Class Sizes: At UC Santa Cruz, Teaching Assistants in more than 10 departments across the campus report having been assigned more than 60 students, which is linked with overwork and degraded learning environments. Job Insecurity: Grad students at UCSC face decreasing funding guarantees. Many graduate students are forced to deal with last-minute notification of TA appointments, resulting in job insecurity and financial anxiety, while other graduate students who aren’t able to find work as TAs go into debt to stay enrolled in graduate school, go on leaves of absence, or must drop out of graduate school. Demands: We, the undersigned, find these conditions unacceptable and demand: 1. Place a mandatory cap on the student-TA ratio set to 50:1 for classes that require discussion and/or paper writing. For sections that do not require discussion or writing, a mandatory cap based on an analysis of the hours of current or recent TAs who have assisted such courses. 2. Abolish the 18-quarter rule limiting the maximum number of TAships for graduate students to 18. 3. Guarantee funding, including TAships and GSRships for every quarter enrolled, and provide stronger appointment security by requiring year-long minimum appointment guarantees, and aiming at multi-year appointment guarantees. 4. Post all TAship openings promptly and campus-wide and guarantee that graduate students are offered TAships and given a chance to show their qualifications before the jobs are downgraded to Readerships or Course Assistantships, underpaid and de-benefitted, and offered to other folks. 5. Base future budgeting and classroom policy changes on the needs and recommendations of instructors and TAs, not the other way around.

The Department of Education is paying $1 billion dollars a year to collection agencies to collect on defaulted student loans when the reality is that almost no one should default if adequate default prevention and aversion counseling strategies were put into effect and adequately funded. Unemployment remains stubbornly high with a national rate of 8.2% and among young adults (16- to 24-year-olds) it’s over 18%; delinquencies and default rates are rising as indebted student loan borrowers struggle to repay hefty student loans that averages $25,000 upon graduation. With $67 billion of student loans in default, the Department of Education has turned to private debt-collection companies to pursue borrowers. Debt collectors in general received almost 181,000 complaints last year, which has led to intervention from the FTC, which is cracking down on agencies that aren’t obeying the rules. It has been reported that they are violating federal laws by insisting on stiff payments, even when student loan borrowers’ incomes make them eligible for leniency. According to Harvard Law Professor Elizabeth Warren, “Student-loan debt collectors have power that would make a mobster envious.” Three companies that work for the Department of Education settled federal and state allegations of abusive collections, according to Bloomberg. Unfortunately, college debt isn't just taking a financial toll on millions of borrowers. It's also inflicting staggering costs on the health, careers, emotional well-being and personal relationships of those burdened with big college loans. What Happens If You Default on Your Student Loans The following are consequences of what can happen when you Default on a Federal Student Loan: 1. Administrative garnishment of wages 2. Seize federal and state income tax refund 3. Ineligibility for additional financial aid 4. Heavy penalties & high collection charges 5. Derogatory credit rating to all major credit bureaus 6. Loss of Credit 7. Withholding of professional certifications 8. Loss of professional business license 9. Refer loans to Dept of Justice for Litigation 10. Ineligible for FHA and VA loans 11. Courts rarely discharge student loans through bankruptcy Surging above $1 trillion, student loan debt in the United States has surpassed credit card and auto-loan debt. This debt explosion jeopardizes economic recovery and possibly sets the stage for a new economic crisis. We urge you to sign our petition and share it with everyone you know to protect student loan borrowers from collection agencies and provide students with highly experienced counselors to guide them through the loan repayment process and restore their dignity. Sources: Bloomberg, Department of Education, Bureau of Labor and Statistics

Ballot Summary: By December 31, 2020, 20 percent of electricity sold at retail by an electric utility shall be generated from renewable energy sources. Renewable energy sources include solar, wind, ocean, biomass, hydroelectric power, manufacturing waste heat and non-fossil hydrogen fuel. Compliance records with this renewable energy requirement shall be maintained by the Florida Public Service Commission and can be enforced by any citizen or the attorney general. Fossil and nuclear fuels are not eligible. Article and Section being Created or Amended: Article X of The Florida Constitution is hereby amended to add the following as Section 28 Full text of the proposed Constitutional Amendment: Section 28. USE OF RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES. (a) PURPOSE. A specified commitment to increasing the use of renewable energy sources by the year 2020 encourages the use of more environmentally sustainable and natural sources of energy instead of traditional sources, such as fossil and nuclear fuels, and encourages job creation within the state resulting from development and use of new and innovative energy technologies. (b) USE OF RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES. By December 31, 2020, 20 percent of the electricity sold by an electric utility at retail shall be generated from renewable energy sources. (c) DEFINITIONS. For the purpose of this section: (1) “electric utility” means every person, corporation, partnership, association, governmental entity, and their lessee, trustees, investor -owned utility, or receivers supplying electricity to or for the public at retail within this state, or operates an electric generation, transmission or distribution system within the state. (2) “renewable energy source” includes electrical energy produced using one or more of the following fuels or energy sources: solar energy, wind energy, ocean energy, geothermal energy, biomass, hydroelectric power, waste heat, or non-fossil hydrogen fuel. Fossil and nuclear fuels and their derivatives are not eligible resources. (3) “biomass” means a power source that is composed of, but not limited to, non-toxic plant matter, combustible residues or gases from forest products manufacturing, slash, brush, waste byproducts, or products from agricultural and orchard crops, waste or co-products from livestock and poultry operations, waste or by products from food processing, urban wood waste, municipal solid waste, municipal liquid waste treatment operations, and methane produced at landfills. (4) “waste heat” means waste heat from sulfuric acid manufacturing operations. (5) “ocean” means tidal, wave, current and ocean thermal energy. d) ENFORCEMENT. The requirement for utilization of renewable fuels in subsection (b) of the section is self-executing. Compliance records shall be maintained by the Public Service Commission and can be enforced by actions filed by the people directly or by the attorney general independent of or on behalf of the people. (e) EFFECTIVE DATE. This section shall become effective immediately upon approval by electors of Florida. For Official Use Only: Serial Number: 11-03 Date Approved: 3/3/2011

I'm behind the American Jobs Act and here's why. The argument that continuing the tax cuts on the rich and corporations will create jobs doesn't seem to be working. Those cuts have been in place for many years now, and where are the jobs? I’ll tell you where they are. They are overseas. Our American corporations have shipped them overseas. Should they be rewarded for this? Should they continue to receive precious tax cuts for this? I think not. If and when they return jobs to the U.S., then they should be rewarded with tax cuts. Furthermore, I believe that we should all be feeling the pinch of having 2 major wars that are draining our coffers, not just the middle and lower class. Everyone should be sacrificing. The rich and major corporations are not feeling the pinch, as much as the rest of us. I’ve heard the stories from my parents about the long lines they had to wait in for food during the great depression and during WWII. During the war, there were certain foods that were not even available to most Americans because the choicest foods were reserved for the military. If we all felt that pinch, everyone would be working more urgently to try to find a solution to our economic plight. We would all be working towards bringing our troops home sooner. Unfortunately, unless you have a loved one fighting in either of the wars, you’re more apt to forget the danger and the intense conditions they find themselves in. We have two wars going on, we all need to make sacrifices. There are a lot of good things in the Jobs Act that we can all get behind. 1) Cutting the payroll tax cut in half for 98 percent of businesses, 2) Expanding Small Business Administration backed loan limits, cutting red tape and reforming our patent system, 3) Offering tax credits to encourage businesses to hire unemployed veterans, 4) Preventing up to 280,000 teacher layoffs, and keeping cops and firefighters on the job, 5) Modernizing at least 35,000 public schools across the country, 6) Making immediate investments in infrastructure, 7) The most innovative reform to the unemployment insurance program in 40 years, 8) A $4,000 tax credit to employers, 9) Cutting payroll taxes in half for 160 million workers next year, 10) Allowing more Americans to refinance their mortgages at today’s near 4 percent interest rates, 11) Cutting payroll taxes in half for 160 million workers next year I implore Congress to take a cue from the heroes from Utah that banded together for the sake of a fellow human being, not caring about each of their affiliations, nor whose fault it was that he was lying there, nor for the danger they found themselves in. They put their differences aside and did what was best for one human life. Imagine what you can accomplish for the many that find themselves in desperate times. Don't do the popular thing, do the right thing.

Demand that Bezos match every dollar spent on Amazon Prime Day with a dollar contribution to community foundations. As much as $10 billion could serve community needs across the country instead of sitting in his $200 billion bank account. During Amazon Prime Day, Americans spend billions on goodies like Crest 3D Whitestrips, the most popular item sold on Amazon Prime Day in 2020. It is hard to tell how effective this teeth whitener is because most people have not had much to smile about this last year. Of course, not true for Jeff Bezos, whose wealth increased by nearly $90 billion during the pandemic, and that’s even after the $1 billion he gave away. Wait – made $90 billion and gave away $1 billion?! Bezos'' smile will get even brighter in a few days when Amazon Prime Day bumps Amazon’s worldwide revenue by more than $10 billion over just a two days, with 70-80% of the revenue coming from U.S. consumers. Contrast that with Giving Tuesday–the opportunity for Americans to assuage their guilt for the amount of shopping they did Thanksgiving weekend–which generated $2.5 billion in charitable contributions last year. It’s very possible that Bezos, too, is experiencing a lot of guilt: hoarding inconceivable amounts of money during a pandemic; plopping down $500 million on a yacht; being miserly with his charitable giving while his ex-wife lights the philanthropic world on fire with a $6 billion charitable spending spree in 2020, about 10% of her wealth, followed by a couple of billion this year. Perhaps that’s why he’s getting out of town on his private spaceship? Here’s an obvious suggestion for him to begin to deal with his guilt. Not unlike retailers who offer buy-one-give-one, Bezos could personally give one dollar to charity for every dollar spent on Prime Day. The $10 billion plus charitable donation would be a good downpayment–5% of his net worth–for charitable giving at a level commensurate with his wealth. A Giving Tuesday for the richest man in America! It is imperative that those who have hoarded wealth, largely by avoiding taxes, voluntarily make the public investments needed for a healthy and thriving country. And no one if more capable of doing so, and setting an example for others, than Jeff Bezos. Of course, there is a danger that Bezos’ game-changing gift we’re suggesting could generate such great publicity and goodwill that it would further whitewash the role of excessive wealth in our society. However, until politicians step up to the plate and tax the rich, increased investment by community foundations in local nonprofits is something that should make everyone smile.

Hi my name is Melissa Harwell I live in 1 of the most dangerous cities in Tennessee.Memphis I'm 49 now a felon before 2016 I never had a record owned 2 business and a mother of 5 son's doing well for myself feeding the less fortunate,adopted an elementary school giving back to my community and paying my taxes I took pride in being a citizen of Memphis til 12/24/2016 my car was stolen I went looking for it after police told me they don't have enough staff to look for my vehicle I was licensed to carry for 6yrs so I went looking worst mistake of my life my sister and I see my car pull up behind them we get out I yelled give me my car back yes we had our guns drown because we was told they carry we had No intention of harming anyone just trying to make an citizens arrest but they fired at us and we returned fire killing 1 injured 1 we had it set for trail loss my oldest son to an car accident 3 weeks later prosecutor come to me with a plea deal as they always do dangled deals very low rates of trail so I took the plea deal I was loosing my mind then my other 4 sons needed me I'm a great mother my children had Never been without me NOMORE then a day or 2 with Family I've been home 4yrs in September and haven't been able to find a job not even a temp job so my son's bought me a food- truck thank God but it doesn't change the fact that I'm still living in this dangerous city without any protection and only now the entire city is tired and feed up and the so called prosecutors oh now they handing out self-defense like candy while my life is destroyed not to mention I can't protect myself in this dangerous city where everyone can carry a gun without a permit NOT even any training but wonder why our crime is over powering our city not to mention Memphis is 85% black citizens and over half of them are felons most of them forced to become felons like myself and yet I've completed all the requirements that the judge ordered me to complete 400 hours of community service,anger management, high school diploma and criminal thinking so I see no reason why I shouldn't have my Rights Fully Restored please and thank you

Dear Town of Camden and Town of Camden Select Board It has become increasingly apparent that the parking policies enforced at Camden's Public Landing are more focused on generating revenue than serving the public's best interests. The current system disregards the needs and livelihoods of residents and workers who contribute to our town's charm and viability, especially during the off-peak months. The Public Landing is named for its intended purpose - a space for public use. However, the stringent enforcement of parking fees, often amounting to high fines for slight overtimes, have made this space less accessible to the very public it is supposed to serve. From the perspective of local workers and residents, the parking situation feels punitive rather than protective of their interests. For example, during the off-peak months, when workers are busily preparing for or wrapping up the tourist season, the Public Landing's parking fees and strict time regulations often create a logistical and financial hardship. This is felt keenly by those who must park, run errands, and often return to find the lot fully occupied or risk being ticketed for overstaying a mere few minutes past the enforced time limit. The consequence of this is a financial toll that many residents and workers struggle to bear, along with the inconvenience and stress of scrambling for parking in a town that should be serving them just as they serve the town. A review of the parking enforcement measures seems not only fair but necessary. To this end, we are proposing changes to the current parking regulations: 1. Change the Parking Enforcement Season: We propose to shorten the parking enforcement season to July 1st through August 30th, coinciding with the peak tourist season. During off-peak months, residents and workers should be able to park without paying fees or worrying about time limits. 2. Adjust the Parking Enforcement Hours: We suggest limiting parking enforcement to between 11 am and 4 pm. This provides much-needed flexibility for local workers and residents needing access to parking spaces in the early morning and late afternoon hours. 3. Removal of Paid Parking System: We advocate for the removal of the paid parking system, replacing it with a more equitable two-hour parking rule. This will help preserve the public use of the landing, while still maintaining order and turnover in the parking lot. 4. Amend Parking Code for Over Limit Parking: We propose an amendment to the parking code that prevents parking tickets from being issued for over-limit parking if there are other vacant spots in the lot or on the street. This would protect residents and workers from unnecessary fines when parking is available. 5. Refund of Parking Fees and Fines: We are seeking a provision for the town to refund all parking fees and fines collected from the harbor parking lot from its inception to date. This would help to rebuild trust in the town's commitment to its residents and workers, rather than focusing solely on revenue generation.