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Petition Tag - congress
121. Gender Equality - Fair Pay 
March 15, 2006
In 1987, the Center for Creative Leadership concluded that women as a group are kept from advancing not because of their individual abilities but because they are women.
Some people think the glass ceiling from 1987 still exists, others think it has been shattered, and yet others think it is more a plastic ceiling; that you can never really break through, as in being taken seriously, but you can advance.
Female athletes don't sign the multi-million dollar contracts men do,
In American factories in the 19th century, men got paid $3 and women got paid $1 a week for the same hours.
On March 7th, 1860, women workers at a shoe factory in Lynn, Massachusetts, went on strike, and wages rose that April.
NOW (National Organization of Women) was formed in 1960, one of its goals being equal pay for the same job.
In 1964, congress passed a civil rights amendment originally intended to gain the equality of black people.
o A senator from Virginia added "sex" to race, color and religion so it would look ridiculous and not pass.
o This addition was what made it pass, and under the amendment came the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Many employers exercise "tokenism." This is when an employer will hire women (etc.), in a number that the hiring of them is merely symbolic. This creates on-the-surface, but not true, integration.
Where tokenism or integration isn't present, women mainly work in pink-collar ghettos.
o In service occupations, 7 million men and 10 million women.
o In elementary and high schools, 1.5 million men and 3.5 million women.
o As doctors, 715,000 men and 245,000 women, yet as nurses and lab technicians, 403,000 men and 2.4 million women.
In 1997, Patty Abramson founded the Women's Growth Capital Fund to help women start their own business. However, out of 1,200 high risk business loans, only 30 were owned by women.
Women seeking executive jobs know that companies like Reebok (executives are 44% women) will be the best to join.
Out of 830 executives in the fortune 500 companies, 5 are women.
The glass ceiling keeps women in pink-collar ghettos too. It affects women in non-traditional unskilled labor jobs.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, full-time working women receive 75-77 cents for every $1 earned by a full-time working man.
Female university professors earn $6,500 less a year than male university professors.
According to a worker at a consulting firm named "Pam," women are usually hired as assistants while males are usually hired as associates. Associates generally earn more money that assistants, which makes it seem fair.
In the WNBA, stars earn $50,000 a year, while in the NBA stars can earn $20 million a year.
Three quarters of women work in pick-collar ghettos with lower pay. These women are "firmly entrenched;" not receiving pension or life insurance in addition to being paid lower or being hired part-time or temporarily and being paid minimum wage.
o Good News for Working Women: More and better jobs in nearly every employment field; less discrimination in the mere hiring.
o Bad News for Working Women: What they find after being hired and while working. Fewer benefits, lower pay and slower promotions as compared to men.
The toughest challenge can be balancing work and family. Women, stereotypically, have more family responsibility than men, so pursuing a career while having children can be seen as greedy for the woman, but not the man. Some women even quit their jobs to spend more time with their children.
Many women face prejudice in jobs that require physical strength. Women may also face prejudice because they are assumed to be mentally weak, due to the assumptions that they are caring, kind and loving.
There is just overall negativity against women that carries its way into the workplace. Men are called leaders, women are called bossy. While women are no less likely to get angry than men, the way women express anger is seen as too emotional, while the same behavior is perfectly acceptable for a man. (Banging a fist on the table while screaming).
The glass ceiling has not become a cement ceiling. More women are breaking into traditionally male dominated jobs. Women receive perks and promotions and in some cases, in record numbers.
The glass ceiling has not been shattered either. Tokenism is prominent in the hiring of women in traditionally male dominated fields. They are promoted slowly and seldom, they struggle to balance home and family, they do not receive equal pay for equal work, they are stuck in pink collar ghettos, they earn three quarters of what men earn.
Thirty or forty years ago, the wage gap was excused as being a result of equal merit. Now, women have all but caught up with men in education and the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act have only helped them, but the pay gap has persisted. The reason for this is sex based discrimination.
122. Act Urgently - Do Not Let Opponents Block Civilian Nuclear Cooperation Between the US and India
The time has come for you to act now and make a forceful statement of your support to the historic transformation in U.S. - India relations. We are witnessing a shifting of paradigms, and you can play a critical role at this juncture when the entire world is watching the outcome of the civil nuclear agreement between the U.S. and India.
You can act and make a difference. A difference that will be remembered by generations to come. Or you can choose to do nothing.
President Bush's visit to India has brought the story of India to the fore of global attention like never before, and opponents of enlightened U.S. - Indian interests are out in force and trying to change the opinions of individual Congressmen and Senators. We cannot afford to let them scuttle the visionary path of U.S. - India relations. Those who oppose the civil nuclear deal oppose the rise and development of India.
We urge you to act. We urge you to act by signing the following petition to U.S. Congress.
The Issue
The U.S. and India have resolved to progress on civil nuclear power cooperation between the two countries on March 2, 2006, during President Bush's visit to India. This agreement requires certain laws to be changed and amended in the U.S. Congress, for which the Bush administration will soon approach the Congress. The Congress has to give its approval to the deal. By signing this petition you will convey to the Congress that you strongly support this deal.
USINPAC has been working in support of civil nuclear cooperation since its beginning stages, including meeting with key Members of Congress in both the House and Senate, and also senior officials from India, in support of this cooperation. By signing this petition you will add significantly to U.S. - India relations.
123. Bush must resign or be Impeached
March 08, 2006
The time has come where America must face what is true and demand action. Bush has done many bad things in office that most people have not noticed. However, the sale of our ports to Dubia is the most treacherous act of treason against the American people.
After 9/11 our need for Homeland Security is very real. The sale of our ports will put our security in the hands of middle easterners who agree and sympethize with Bin Laden. Just the possibility of such danger to all of America should end this sale.
Not only is our security at risk, but all those jobs are going to be lost. This deal has nothing to do with foreign policy. We do not need to open up our country to attacks in the name of foreign policy.
This is a greedy treacherous act, the will end with the deaths and suffering of thousands of Americans. It is a prelude to another 9/11 only on a larger scale since we will not have any security at these ports.
The sale of these ports means the sale of our security and safety.
124. Remove the Electoral College
February 28, 2006
For the last 200 years this country has elected presidents via the electoral college.
This system made sense in a nation not yet fully populated and, for the most part, unregulated.
The time has come to eliminate the distinction between Blue and Red states and move to a system of popular vote. A system where every vote actually counts.
contact: mim@gomimco.com
125. Reduce communication costs for our deployed soldiers
Feb 01, 2006
Deployed soldiers are being charged outrageous rates to call home to their families and for use of the internet.
Some soldiers are not able to afford to call home or use the internet.
This petition is designed to ask Congress to help reduce those rates for the Morale of the soldiers deployed and their families.
126. Abolish Harassment in Schools, Work and outside work
December 5, 2005
Well I thought about doing this because there are people getting harrassed included me.
But, what made me do this was listening to the news about people shooting in schools.
How would you feel if you were teased or harassed for a reason you can't control. If you've been in that same position then you know how it feels. Let's stop it before anyone else gets shot or hurt.
This petition is to stop teasing and harassing in schools, work and outside of work.
127. Yes to Same-Sex-Love
Same sex marriages should be allowed. What gives the government the rite to tell people to how they can and can not married? Our country is being run in a Christian life style.
Just because a percent of the country thinks it is "not proper" it does not give them the rite to make others suffer, for there differences. America is county of the free this is a country were it is not your race that determines you life but how hard you work and how bad you want it.
Well I want it to be an equal country as well, and let me tell you if you have not realized it is not. I am not saying people can not disagree with me but if you believe that it is wrong for a man and a man to love each other, that's your opinion. If I said it was wrong for you to love your wife or your husband, how would that make you feel? Not very good I presume.
Think about it you were taught from the day you were born that it should be a man and a woman. Well times change.
128. Defend Your Right To Blog
Democrats in the United States congress defeated a bill that would immunize bloggers from federal campaign regulations.
What does this mean?
The internet is a powerful communications tool, and one of the last truely free medians to express yourself. Many have chosen to U.S. blogs to voice their views on politics, and other issues concerncing society and government.
Without recognizing that blogs are free speech, and thus are protected by the 1st amendment, we are jeopardizing everything freedom and America stands for. Bloggers could be fined and arrested simply for voicing their opinion.
129. Oppose HB 3773, The Mother Of All Anti-Life Bills
HB 3773, The Mother Of All Anti-Life Bills: PLEASE OPPOSE IT!
Dear healthcare workers, citizens of the Philippines, and concerned friends around the world,
As medical workers and/or people who care about our country (the Philippines), we encourage you to help us in the fight against a frightening population control bill that has been proposed in our Congress: House Bill 3773, "The Responsible Parenthood and Population Management Act of 2005".
The time is short, since there will be a vote for the bill very soon, and the stakes are high. Many people are outraged by this proposition, and by educating as many citizens as possible about the dangers and exposing the deceit, we might have a chance to defeat it. If you agree that the situation is dire, you are strongly encouraged to examine the following petition AGAINST HB 3773. Then, please sign your name and forward it to as many people as possible.
The petition and list of names will be sent to our Filipino Congressmen on behalf of healthcare workers, concerned citizens, and ALL people of faith -- Catholics, other Christians, and Muslims alike. The congressmen have been bombarded with misinformation, and many of them are being led astray. Help them to realize the dangers that the bill poses to the life, health, and soul of our people, particularly Catholics and healthcare professionals. Help them to see that the world is watching and that knowledgeable, highly-respected Christians both here and abroad are deeply troubled by this development. And most importantly, please keep praying that we can defeat this insidious bill.
For more information about the bill, please see the following resource:
http://www.prolife.org.ph/article/articleview/525/1/87
Also, see how our friends in the USA are joining their voices for this cause:
http://www.filipinofamilyfund.org
Thank you for reading, and God bless you!
130. Combat Veterans Tuition Waiver
Young Men and Women are sent to war protecting the "American Values" Their hope is to return home and reintergrate and pick up where they left off. Soon these young enlisted men and women find themself fighting another personal battle; how to intergrate and how to complete their Education.
This petition request that the State Of Florida takes care of these veterans before they become homeless.
131. The removal of "In God We Trust" from currency of the United States
Looking at the world around us, the last thing we need to do is take God out of the mix.
We live in a world of drug abuse, murders, and chlid abuse (just to name a few). The foundation this nation was built on has withstood the test of time.
To remove "In God We Trust" now would be a travesty. The Untied States of America seems to transform it self to try and please everyone. However people of other nations come here because of what we stand for. Why would we change now?
132. Ban Smoking in Cars With Children
It has come to my attention, that a goverment that requires us to buckle children in car seats for their own safety will let parents drive these cars while smoking.
Second hand smoke kills. And these helpless children sit there in their car seats, getting their lungs filled with smoke.
133. PROSECUTE PERSONS NAMED IN THE NANAVATI REPORT!
When is a riot not a riot? When is a massacre not a massacre? When is a mass murderer not a mass murderer? And when is public outrage to be muted if not entirely suspended?
When the Congress is the culprit. And when the victims are Sikhs.
That, at least, seems to be the attitude of much of our so-called secular establishment. The publication of the Nanavati report into the 1984 Delhi riots should have served to remind us of the horrors of that bloody week. It should have led us to recall how completely the administration failed and how innocent Sikhs were murdered in front of their own children.
Instead, the secular response to the report has been curiously low-key. It was a long time ago, we are told. What is the point in raking up old memories? Justice Nanavati doesn't conclusively blame anybody anyway, does he? And anyway, all secularists must unite to fight Hindu fundamentalism, so let's not get sidetracked by an old riot.
There is something sad and shameful about these responses. Listening to them yesterday, I had some sense of why secularism has fallen into such disrepute. It has become a flag of convenience for anybody who wants to oppose the BJP. And we have forgotten that all communal violence no matter who it is directed against is equally bad.
It wasn't always like this. Those of you with long memories will remember the horror with which most educated people reacted to the riots in 1984. Then, they became a Great Secular Issue in much the same way that the Gujarat riots later became a defining issue for a new generation of politicians.
Certainly, it was impossible not to be outraged by the massacres. They took place in the immediate aftermath of Indira Gandhi's assassination. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the early violence was spontaneous, sparked off by public anger against Sikhs and by simmering Hindu resentment at the Punjab violence. Then, somebody spread a rumour that Sikhs were distributing sweets to celebrate Mrs Gandhi's death. Even though there was no substantiation to this story, small-time local Congress leaders gathered their followers and went in search of Sikh homes to burn.
What happened next is the subject of some dispute. Eyewitnesses claim that they saw senior Congress leaders Jagdish Tytler, Sajjan Kumar, H.K.L. Bhagat and Dharamdas Shastri either leading the mobs or organising the violence. Naturally, the leaders have since declared their innocence, but there is little doubt that some of their followers were involved.
It did not help that the police force failed. The Delhi Police disappeared from the streets of the capital and Sikhs were denied the protection they needed to save their lives. The administration delayed calling in the army and, in the interim, hundreds of poor Sikhs living in the resettlement colonies on the other side of the Yamuna were murdered. In a pattern that would be repeated in Gujarat nearly two decades later, the mobs resorted to extreme cruelty: fathers were killed in front of their daughters, women were raped in full public view and, in some cases, thugs drove electric drills into the heads of defenceless Sikhs.
By the time the riot was over actually, I don't know why we call it a riot, it was a massacre three things were clear. One: the Congress was involved. Two: the police and the administration did nothing to protect the Sikhs. And three: there was an unforgivable delay in calling in the military.
The dispute was over other issues. What was the level of Congress involvement? Were people like Bhagat and Tytler really involved? Did the policemen run away because they were scared? Or was it because they did not want to act against workers of the party that was in power? And why did it take so long to restore order? Was it because the government was in a state of chaos following Mrs Gandhi's assassination? Or was there a more sinister design? Was it true that Arun Nehru, the Congress strong man of that era, had said, "Let Delhi burn for three days"? Had Rajiv Gandhi's administration allowed the massacres to go on because they tapped into a vote-rich Hindu backlash?
Over two decades and many commissions of inquiry later, we have some answers. Yes, senior Congress leaders were involved. There may not be enough evidence to prosecute Tytler, but Justice Nanavati suggests that he played some role. About Bhagat, the report is vague: no purpose is served in investigating him further because of his advanced age and declining health. Sajjan Kumar and Dharamdas Shastri seem to have had some involvement.
On the more substantive issue of whether the administration allowed Delhi to burn, all the commissions have been unanimous: yes, it did, but this was because of incompetence and negligence, not because of any sinister design.
If there is a parallel, it is with the 1993 Bombay riots rather than with Gujarat. In Bombay too, the police failed to protect Muslims. And the local administration failed to ask the army to restore order till it was much too late. Then too, there were political workers involved except that they belonged to the Shiv Sena which was in opposition, and not to the ruling Congress.
I suppose it offers secularists some comfort that the riots in two of India's greatest cities Delhi in 1984 and Bombay in 1993 were not engineered by Congress governments. But this is little comfort to the victims and their families. We elect governments to protect us and when they fail to do so, it is hardly reassuring to be told, "At least they didn't set out to murder you."
Besides, the distinction between a party and its government is not always clear. We accept now that the central government did not intend Delhi to burn in 1984 and that it did not ask the police to let Sikhs be murdered. But nevertheless, there is no denying the Congress's role in the massacres. Even if Rajiv Gandhi and his aides did not want the violence to spiral out of control, and even if the failure to protect the Sikhs was due to the government's state of paralysis following Mrs Gandhi's assassination, it was still local Congress leaders who led the mobs, who committed the murders. And if Justice Nanavati is to be believed, it wasn't just local leaders; some national figures were also involved.
In the Eighties, nobody was afraid of saying this. But Indian politics has now become so polarised between the so-called forces of secularism (i.e. the Congress and the Left) and the so-called communal elements (the Sangh parivar), that every event is now reassessed through the prism of this polarisation. So Congress supporters and communists are willing to forget the horrors of 1984 lest they weaken the secular case against Narendra Modi and the mass murderers of Gujarat.
But the truth is that a murderer is a murderer. A massacre is a massacre. A victim is a victim regardless of whether he is Hindu, Sikh or Muslim. When somebody comes to kill you, it does not matter whether he does so in the name of Hindu fundamentalism or Congress extremism. If we forget the murders of 1984 and allow those who committed them to get away with it, then we lose the moral right to criticise Narendra Modi or to ever speak out against communal violence.
It saddens me that the secular establishment has forgotten basic morality. Its failure to stand up for the victims of the 1984 massacres shames us all.
134. Tax credits for former convicts
To The United States Congress:
While quadrupling the number of people in correctional facilities over the past 30 years has played a major role in reducing crime, America's problematic prison system has done a poor job of ensuring that convicts who leaves the prison gates are ready to lead productive lives.
America releases about 550,000-600,000 each year, and does little to prepare them for work or school and-not surprisingly re-arrest most of them within three years after being released. Few released convicts find full-time work and many abandon spouses and children. People who have already spent time in prison or jail move back to some of America's poorest neighboorhoods to terrorize neighbors who can ill afford the cost of crime.
This must stop. I am asking The United States Congress to pass a law that would give employers tax incentives if they hire former convicts.
We need to send a strong message that former convicts deserves a second chance in life. If we as a civilized society cannot give them that chance, then i say we are partly responsible for them being re-arrested for not receiving a fair chance like the rest of us.
135. Feminism should be taught in schools
We continue to take a stand against companies and members of congress who do not support womens rights. One thing we are not doing enough of is educating our children about women's rights.
Perhaps if the ceo's and members of congess who are not standing up for womens rights were educated about sexual equality at an early age maybe, we wouldn't continue to have to fight for them.
President Bush just made a statement that intelligent design should be taught in schools. His reasoning was (direct quote from msnbc):
"I think that part of education is to expose people to different schools of thought," Bush said. "You're asking me whether or not people ought to be exposed to different ideas, the answer is yes."
Bush is right we should learn about many different schools of thought and many different ideas. Therefore feminism should also be taught in schools. Both men and women have a right to know about the many issues women have to fight for.
136. End the war in northern Uganda
Sign this petition to pressure President Bush and the U.S. Congress to take action and help end the war in northern Uganda that has already led to the abduction of more than 25,000 children.
Tell President Bush, Senators and Congress Members You Want the United States to Take the Lead in Ending the Worst Abuse of Children in the World.
Tell Them to Step Up and Lead Efforts to End the War in Northern Uganda.
For 19 years, a war has flared in northern Uganda between a rebel group called the Lord's Resistance Army, led by Joseph Kony, and President Yoweri Museveni's government. The war's main targets are not the combatants. The targets are children.
Over the course of the fighting, an estimated 25,000 boys and girls have been abducted and forced into being soldiers and sex slaves. Thousands of children and their families have been killed; hundreds of thousands live in squalid, unsafe camps.
President Bush has directed some dollars and programs to assist the people of northern Uganda. But he could be a decisive leader in promoting an end to this conflict in 2005 if he made it an American moral priority.
This could be ended if the United States - one of Uganda's top foreign aid donors - gave sustained political and diplomatic attention to it. The White House and Capitol Hill lawmakers should take these actions:
-- President Bush should allocate finances and appoint a high-profile envoy to support Ugandan attempts to hold peace talks. Bush should invest a small amount of his time by personally talking to Museveni and letting him know the United States has made a moral priority of protecting children in northern Uganda by ending the war there. He also should call Sudanese leaders in the capital of Khartoum and in the south to get a pledge from them to fully end support to Joseph Kony and his LRA.
-- The Senate and the House of Representatives should prepare a plan for tying further U.S. military aid to human rights monitoring and Government of Uganda's commitment to peace talks; the latter demonstrated by the convening of negotiations attended by top officials from both sides of the conflict.
With these actions as a start, President Bush and members of the House and Senate could demonstrate that the United States seeks to help children in need wherever they are. Please sign the attached petition and urge our elected officials to act immediately.
Add my voice to Americans of all political and personal backgrounds who want you to make resolving the war in northern Uganda a priority, and begin by taking the above actions.
137. Ask the US Congress to invite Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to address a Joint Session of Congress
UPDATE JUNE 27, 2005
USINPAC thanks everyone who signed this petition and supported this petition drive.
House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill) confirmed today that Prime Minister of India Dr. Manmohan Singh will address a Joint Session of Congress on July 19, 2005 at 10:00 AM when he pays a state visit to the United States. Dr. Singh is the first Prime Minister of India on a state visit post 9/11. This makes this visit a very special occasion and is of great significance to the growing strategic relations between India and the United States.
House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) in a discussion with USINPAC mentioned that he is excited and delighted that Prime Minister Singh is paying a state visit to the Capital and looks forward to welcoming him.
US India Political Action Committee (USINPAC) is delighted that the Joint Session of Congress for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is now confirmed.
Thank You
June 27, 2005
.......................................................................
Fellow Indian Americans, we must come together as a 2 million strong community in the United States and urge the US Congress to invite Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to address a Joint Session of Congress during his visit to Washington in July.
THE ISSUE
Dr. Manmohan Singh is the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Washington after September 11, 2001. This will also be Dr. Singh's first official visit to Washington as Prime Minister of India.
Dr. Singh represents a nation that is the world's largest democracy, has the second largest population in the world, has the second fastest growing economy in the world, and has the fourth largest purchasing-power parity in the world. Furthermore, India and the US have shared values of Democracy and rule of law .
Our grassroots message, therefore, to the US Congress is that India is no longer just a regional power, but indeed is ready to be, as President Bush has recently suggested, a global partner of the United States.
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
The most recent world leaders who addressed a Joint Session of Congress have been Mexican President Vicente Fox, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Spanish President José Maria Áznar, Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Interim Iraqi Prime Minister Ayyad Allawi, and Ukrainian President Viktor Yuschenko.
The Indian American community must come together as an active and united voice to urge the US Congress to invite Prime Minister Singh in this prestigious list of strong allies of the United States who have had the privilege of addressing a Joint Session of Congress.
THE SOLUTION
Support USINPAC - devoted to defending the interests of the Indian American community. USINPAC will be submitting this petition with your signature to the Congressional Leadership in the Senate and the House. So make your voice heard and sign the petition! ACT NOW to extend your valuable support to USINPAC and contribute. Any contribution from you would enormously strengthen our efforts.
138. SSI Reform Act
This petition is to instruct the Congress of these United States Of America to pass legislative law, that would collect a 2% tarriff on all goods coming into this county made by American Off Shore Companies. This Tarriff would then be deposited into the Social Security Trust Fund.
This action would more than save Social Security - it would ensure the safety net of life for all our Seniors for as long as the program remained in exsistance.
139. Stop barbaric "War On Drugs" law
Do you really want to be forced to narc on your kids and neighbors, or serve prison time? If not, then you need to get active in letting the government know you will not tolerate Natzi tactics! There are currently over 2 million people in U.S. prisons. The majority are non violent, drug offenders. If Congressman Sensenbrenner, R,WI. gets his way, you will. Please sign this petition in total oposition of this very Anti-American of handling a situation!
Senior Republican Proposes ³Draft² for the War on Drugs.
New Bill Would Require All Americans to Spy on Their Neighbors, including Going Undercover and Wearing a Wire or Face Jail Time.
Instead of Dismantling Draconian, Unpopular Mandatory Minimum Sentences, Legislation Would Also
Establish ³Mandatory Minimums² for Every Federal Crime.
A Senior Republican in Congress has proposed what would essentially be a draft for the War on Drugs. The legislation would require all Americans who witness or learn about certain drug offenses to report them to the police within 24 hours and go undercover and wear a wire to catch the offenders if ordered to do so even if the offender is their son or daughter. Introduced by Congressman James Sensenbrenner (R-WI), the ³Safe Access to Drug Treatment and Child Protection Act² (H.R. 1528), would also overturn a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision by making all federal sentencing guidelines essentially mandatory and enacting new draconian penalties for a variety of non-violent drug offenses.
³It¹s frightening that a senior member of Congress wants to draft every American into the War on Drugs and make them agents of the state,² said Bill Piper, director of national affairs for the Drug Policy Alliance. ³This totalitarian legislation forces citizens to spy on each other and pits family member against family member.²
Under the legislation, any American who witnesses or learns of certain drug offenses taking place would have to report the offenses to law enforcement within 24 hours and provide ³full assistance² in the investigation, apprehension, and prosecution of the people involved. Failure to do so would be a crime punishable by a mandatory two year prison sentence and a maximum of ten years.
An example of an offense that would have to be reported to the police within 24 hours is finding out that one¹s brother, who has children, bought a bag of marijuana to share with his wife. Another example is finding out that one¹s son gave his college roommate a marijuana joint.
In each of these cases one is forced to report the relative to the police within 24 hours. One would also have to assist the government in every way, including wearing a wire if needed. Taking 48 hours to think about it could land one in jail. In addition to turning family member against family member, the legislation could also put many ordinary Americans into dangerous situations by forcing them to go undercover to gain evidence against strangers.
Despite growing opposition to mandatory minimum sentences, the bill also eliminates federal judges¹ ability to give sentences below the minimum sentence recommended by federal sentencing guidelines - essentially creating a mandatory minimum sentence for every federal offense (including both drug and non-drug offenses). It also mandates a 10-year minimum sentence for anyone 21 or older who gives marijuana or others drugs to someone under 18 (i.e. a 21-year-old college students shares a joint to his 17-year old brother). A second offense would carry a mandatory sentence of life in prison. Anyone at a party who passes a marijuana joint at a party to someone who has at some point in their life been in drug treatment would face a mandatory 5-year minimum prison sentence.
³Our country¹s prisons are already overcrowded with people serving massive sentences for non-violent drug offenses,² said Bill Piper. ³The recent Supreme Court decision provided a perfect opportunity for legislators to do the right thing and untie judges¹ hands. Instead, they¹re trying to handcuff the judges completely.²
The bill has been put on the same legislative fast-track as a recent controversial anti-gang bill that the U.S. House of Representatives passed in less than two month¹s time.
140. Universal Healthcare in the USA
Single payer health insurance is standard in most of the developed world.
The United States, its companies and its workers cannot compete against nations where health care is standard infrastructure.
Whereas: The escalating costs of health insurance and health care are creating unprecedented strains on our economy;
Whereas: our businesses function in a global economy where healthcare is provided as infrastructure for the competition;
Whereas: there are presently 45 million uninsured Americans;
Whereas: healthcare costs are a leading cause of corporate and personal bankruptcies; and
Whereas: our spending on Medicare and Medicaid alone exceeds per capita spending for universal coverage in other developed countries;
Whereas: the federal, state and local governments of the United States already spend 45% of all healthcare dollars;
Whereas: healthcare costs continue to grow at a rate in excess of three times the Consumer Price Index, growth which cannot be sustained.
We, the undersigned, do hereby petition the Congress of the United States to establish a system of Universal Healthcare for all Americans.
Such a system would embody the following features:
(a) Care and coverage universally available for all;
(b) Freedom to choose service provider;
(c) Single-payer insurance similar to other developed nations.
141. Protect Veterans Benefits and Removal of Rep Steve Buyer as Chairman of House Veterans Affairs Com
The intent of this petition is to protect veterans' benefits and have Rep. Buyer removed as the Chairman of House Veterans' Affairs Committee.
Rep. Buyer seeks to redefine who is a veteran. We must not allow Congress to redefine who is a veteran. We cannot allow Congress to restructure veterans' benefits and reshape the definitions of disability. Redefine at a time when over 10,000 young men and women have been wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan, at a time when young men and women have become disabled while training to serve in Iraq and Afghanistan. Veterans and veterans' organizations have worked too hard for too long to not receive proper recognition for our service to our country.
Title 38, Veterans' Benefits, United States Code defines a "veteran" as: "The term "veteran" means a person who served in the active military, naval, or air service, and who was discharged or released therefrom under conditions other than dishonorable."
Also defined in Title 38 is "in the line of duty": "An injury or disease incurred during active military, naval, or air service will be deemed to have been incurred in line of duty and not the result of the veteran's own misconduct when the person on whose account benefits are claimed was, at the time the injury was suffered or disease contracted, in active military, naval, or air service, whether on active duty or on authorized leave, unless such injury or disease was a result of the person's own willful misconduct or abuse of alcohol or drugs."
Rep Buyer would like to redefine who is a veteran at a time when America shows a gratitude for her veterans, a time when America respects and treats her veterans with dignity. He is attempting to segregate our veterans, "the disabled and indigent veterans" (his core constituency) and then all others. Rep. Buyer is seeking to make these changes while our country is sending their servicemen and women world wide to fight the war on terror. He must realize that not everyone can serve in the war zone and that some stationed in the United States and other areas are working in direct support of Iraq, Afghanistan and the war on terrorism.
Recruitment of our all volunteer force is falling short of its goals. The Army fell almost one-third short of its recruiting goal in March, its second consecutive month of shortfall amid concerns that the Iraq war is discouraging young people from enlisting. The Army's goal for March was to enlist 6,800 recruits, but it fell short by 2,150, or 32 percent. That was slightly worse than in February when a goal of 7,050 enlistees was missed by 1,936, or 27 percent. The target for April is 6,600. The Army Reserve did even worse in March than the regular Army. It recruited barely half the 1,600 soldiers it wanted for the month. It has not met a monthly goal since December 2004, and for the period from October 2004 through March it has met only 82 percent of its goal. Rep Buyer's "visions" will only add to already existing recruiting shortfalls.
Fellow veterans, it's time to take action. It's time to let our Congressional Representatives know we will not allow Congress to redefine who is a veteran or restructure veterans' benefits and reshape the definitions of disability. It is time they understand veteran's care will be our priority in voting in the next elections, congressional as well as presidential.
142. Save Wisconsin Cats from Hunters
On April 11, 2005, the Wisconsin Conservation Congress had their annual spring meeting. One of the issues addressed was whether or not to adopt a law to make feral and domestic cats an "unprotected species" meaning that cats could be shot on sight if they were not wearing a collar. As anyone knows, a collar on your cat will NOT prevent someone from shooting it if they want to. They will merely destroy the collar after they have killed the cat.
The meetings were primarily attended by hunters and, thus, those FOR the proposition exceeded those of us against it.
The meeting of April 11th did not reflect the opinions of the majority of Wisconsin taxpayers as the majority of the persons attending the meetings were hunters, not the average citizen.
We are opposed to a law making feral and domestic cats an "unprotected species" as this will not only endanger our pets, it will also make it legal for people to do anything they want to these defenseless animals.
We need to let the Governor and our legislators know that the Conservation Congress does NOT speak for the majority of the citizens of this State. We cannot allow the hunters here to make our laws.
143. Opposition to Oil Drilling in ANWR
Alaska hosts one of America's last remaining wilderness areas, ANWR. This 19-million-acre refuge was set aside for protection by President Eisenhower in 1960, but Congress in 1980 said its 1.5 million acre coastal plain could be opened to oil development if Congress specifically authorizes it. Recently, the Senate, by a 51-49 vote, rejected an attempt by Democrats and GOP moderates to remove a refuge drilling provision from next year's budget, preventing opponents from using a filibuster -- a tactic that has blocked repeated past attempts to open the Alaska refuge to oil companies. The budget is immune from a filibuster, meaning drilling supporters will need only a majority --not the 60 votes required to break a filibuster -- to succeed when the issue comes up for final action later this year. President Bush has deemed the issue vital to national security.
However, the United States' continual reliance on foreign oil is believed to be linked with global climate change and other environmental hazards. Environmentalists contend that while new technologies have reduced the drilling footprint, ANWR's coastal plain still would contain a spider web of pipelines that would disrupt calving caribou and disturb polar bears, musk oxen and the annual influx of millions of migratory birds.
What's more, speculations are that the United States will not reap the benefits from drilling for another decade, and only at a minimal rate of 1 million barrels a day (1/20th of current US daily consumption) at peak drilling. Relying on middle eastern oil is also a pertinent national threat. We believe more resources should be placed in renewable energy instead of reliance on coal, oil, and natural gas supplies.
We urge Senator Dole and Senator Burr to reconsider their stance on drilling in the Alaskan Refuge.
144. NEW LAWS FOR SEXUAL PREDATORS
THIS PETITION IS ASKING CONGRESS TO CHANGE EXISTING LAWS CONCERNING CHILD SEXUAL PREDATORS, TO REQUIRE A CONVICTED CHILD SEXUAL PREDATOR TO WEAR AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE AT ALL TIMES FOR LIFE...
145. Support Freddie Mac Fannie Mae for the poor.
Granted large corporations with noble cause and some cash gets to attract not so honest officials. But given the original cause and its effectiveness, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac has allowed millions of under previleged Americans to own a roof over their head in their lifetime, without falling into debt trap laid by Freeworld finance companies.
While the erring officials need to be tackled and process need to fixed following current (Feb 2005) disclosure scandals, this should not be used as a partisan gain to further divide people of America & deny them for ever the chance to own their home.
From us the undersigned representing the millions like us of low income group people, this is a call for you President to further strengthen the cause of affordable Home ownership, organisations Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac engaged in this asset creating noble cause for underpreileged Americans.
146. Make National Native American Day a holiday
In recognition of the Suffering of and the contributions by Native American people, I wish to see National Native American Day become a federal holiday.
The US recognizes other holidays in honor of great men and groups of people so why not Natives?
147. CONVICTED SEX OFFENDERS MUST REGISTER!!!
This Petition refers to Convicted Sex Offenders. Currently, these Pedophiles have to register for 10 short years from the time of their conviction. THIS IS INSANE!
Please sign this Petition & forward to as many people as possible. A little bit of insight---my son was 3-1/2 years old when I found out he was being victimized!?! So, these people MUST register for the duration of theIr life. Pedophiles CANNOT be rehabilitated and it is up to us to get ths Bill enacted in Congress! Once I receive what I hoe to be a significant petition, I am headed to Capitol Hill to fight to have this Bill passed immediately! The Petition is named "Gage's Law".
Lastly if anyone is interested in joining me in Washington, D.C. - please let me know! Thank you! Dee Dee...
148. Politician 40 Hour work week
Politicians should be require to work in office a minimum 40 hour work week like every other American. In addition to the responsibility to the United States, they should be required to do their duties, such as voting on issues, signing laws, and have the time they are spending in the Captial Accounted for.
149. Keep the Promise to the Coal Miners
In 1946 a promise was made by Congress to the coal miners, as a direct result of the sweat and blood of generations of coal miners whose toil carried this Nation through war and peace, through the Industrial and the Technological Revolutions.
A promise of cradle to grave health care that manifested itself into the 1992 Coal Act. And a promise made in 1977 to coalfield citizens and communities as a result of the ravages of past abuses, and on the souls of the 118 individuals who perished in 1972 at Buffalo Creek in Logan County, West Virginia.
A promise to reclaim their devastated landscapes, to return their land to productive uses, and to protect their health and safety that is part and parcel of the landmark Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act.
The Abandoned Mine Reclamation Program has been a success. Unlike the Superfund, this program has a track record of real, on-the-ground progress in restoring lands and eliminating health and safety threats. And since 1992, through the transfer of just the interest which accrues to the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund to the Combined Benefit Fund, it has provided health care for tens of thousands of elderly retired coal miners whose former employers can no longer be identified.
The nexus is there. The welfare of abandoned miners and of reclaiming abandoned mines, you see, go hand in hand. To date, the promise has been kept.
Yet, in June of 2005 the fees assessed on the coal industry which finances this effort expire.
If legislation is passed it will keep the promise to some 50,000 retired coal miners that their health care will continue uninterrupted.
Recently the passage of such legislation has shown dire importance, especially in the states of Kentucky, West Virginia and Illinois where On Aug. 31, 2004 in Lexington, KY, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge William Howard finalized the decision allowing Horizon Natural Resources to file bankruptcy, thus voiding union contracts providing health care coverage for nearly 3,000 employees, including 2,300 retirees -- many of whom suffer from black lung as a result of their working years at Horizon. For many of these miners their only hope for health care coverage will be the passage of such legislation.
I urge you and your constituents to move promptly and vote for the passage legislation that would KEEP THE PROMISE TO THE COAL MINERS and to fully understand that thousands of coal miners and retirees futures are hanging in the balance of your decision.
Coal miners and their families, along with countless others who support those miners, will use this issue to evaluate your commitment to working families in America. I await your prompt response.
150. Save the Abandoned Mine Land Act
Sept. 30 could be the beginning of economic doom for our coal producing states if Congress does not take action to extend a federal program that mining reclamation supports 45,000 retired miners benefits.
The Abandoned Mine Land, or AML, is a program created in 1977, when it passed the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act.
Under the program, coal operators pay 35 cents tax per ton of surface-mined coal and 15 cents per ton of underground-mined coal. The money is used to clean up coal mines that were abandoned before 1977.
If that happens, thousands of abandoned mine sites mostly in West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Kentucky would go unreclaimed.
Currently the AML is languishing on capital hill and set to expire at the end of September
Without congressional action, the coal tax that funds mine cleanups would expire Sept. 30.
As a result, more than $2 billion worth of high-priority coal reclamation will remain unreclaimed, leaving millions of people who live, work and recreate in the nation's coalfields to continue to be exposed to the many dangers these areas represent.
Tax payers of coal producing states could be forced to pay for the clean-up, instead of the coal operators. The state is already in a budget crisis and paying for this would sink the Bluegrass in to a much deeper deficit - one that potentially we would never find our way out of.
Lawmakers and Interior's Office of Surface Mining have showed great humanitarianism by allowing AML money to fund infrastructure projects like health-care benefits (UMWA Orphan Funds) for retired miners who have fallen between the cracks by coal corporation bankruptcies.
On Aug. 31 in Lexington, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge William Howard finalized the decision allowing Horizon Natural Resources to file bankruptcy, thus voiding union contracts providing health care coverage for nearly 3,000 employees, including 2,300 retirees -- many of whom suffer from black lung as a result of their working years at Horizon. Many of these affected by the decision are Kentuckians who's only hope for health care is for the AML to continue.
Cutting off the health care benefits provided by the tax could not only devastate thousands of retired coal miners lives, but also be detrimental to the state's local economies who's doctors and pharmacies main source of income is treatment of these miners.
Congress Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., with support of House Democrats, took the first step Sept. 14 to stave off the end of the federal program. Sen. Byrd won Senate Appropriations Committee approval to extend a tax that funds the cleanup program for another nine months, but so far no outward support has been shown by House Republicans to save the issue.
The current extension calls for 9 months, but House Republicans have agreed to this measure by cutting the tax 75% - a drastic reduction in the amount of money to fund the miners health care plans and for money to repair the environmental damage done by the coal operators.
The far reaching effects of letting the AML languish and die could spell disaster for the all coal producing states if an extension is not granted.
I will use this issue to evaluate your commitment to working families in America. I await your prompt response.