Petition Tag - emergency

NSW Ambulance Paramedics, the most trusted profession, are sick of getting to people too late.

Let's demand that the Government finally commit to provide more fully qualified Paramedics and stations to service our communities.

View petition

Currently, Shirley, NY is isolated from public transportation into New York City. The only trains arriving in the area after morning rush hour which ends at 11:15am are the 4:49pm from Jamaica and 5:09pm from Penn Station. MTA is trying to cut the earliest afternoon service (4:49pm LIRR) and increase the price.

View petition

Fair Treatment for All Patients. Recently whilst my partner was admitted to the emergency ward of our local hospital, i was disgusted to find him in severe pain and having no other alternative than to lay on the floor within the emergency dept (not wait room) due to the lack of care by nurses and staff.

Clearly beds were empty yet from 7pm to 2am my partner had to endure severe stomach pain and vomiting whilst sitting up in a recliner when the only way to alleviate his pain was to lay. Since I sent this to the News I have had hundreds of comments to me about others experiences and i start this petition to encourage more people to voice their comments and concerns.

You can view the video footage and blog here
http://invisiblechildrensupporter.wordpress.com/2009/10/14/hospitals-treat-patients-like-animals/
Channel 10 Report here: http://ten.com.au/ten-news.htm

View petition

Due to a unique and potentially precedent setting misapplication of several extensive liquor licenses for Sushi Hai/Hai Bar, a large nightclub with entrances on residential Lowell Boulevard south of Highlands Square, we are experiencing a serious deterioration in the quality of life and basic moral values of our neighborhood.

Thru this petition, we are hoping to raise awareness of this issue with fellow residents, businesses and government officials. We hope this effort not only helps remedy the current situation via revocation of the licenses in question, but also serves as a marker to other businesses of this type attempting to place themselves in similarly inappropriate locations and unacceptable configurations throughout the wider Highlands neighborhood.

Not a Coincidence

Since Sushi Hai was granted a wide array licenses to expand to a two-hundred seat nightclub with entrances on a residential section of Lowell Boulevard south of 32nd Street (the so-called Hai Bar) we have witnessed a dramatic increase in disturbances and acts of vandalism. These incidents include, but are not limited to: assaults; persistent noise ordinance violations; littering; public urination and defecation; destruction of gardens; beer bottles thrown against homes; trespassing; patrons smoking and drinking alcohol in front of Sushi Hai against city ordinances. On Saturdays and Sundays since expansion, residential properties adjacent to Sushi Hai are and are now often littered with cigarette butts, partially filled liquor bottles and half eaten containers of sushi. A recent survey of the residents revealed that since Sushi Hai expanded to become the largest club in Highlands Square, over fifty calls were made to DPD emergency and non-emergency line concerning Sushi Hai and it’s patrons.

We stand certain that the dramatic increase in these incidents was made possible by the extensive and irresponsible liquor licensure of this business in its current inappropriate location. Due to these shortsighted policies, Sushi Hai is now one of the largest establishments of it’s kind in all of west Denver. Most offensively to us, its two entrances are located well down on residential Lowell Boulevard, it shares an interior wall with an eighty-year resident, and it has been licensed for liquor sales until 2 a.m. – keeping them open a full two hours later than all other establishments on the square.

Disturbances and Violence

According to the letter of the law and due to their close proximity to residential homes, Sushi Hai and their patrons violate city noise ordinances on a nightly basis. On Friday and Saturday evenings, the situation becomes oppressive. By 11:00 pm noisy patrons can be seen and heard loitering on the sidewalks on their way to Sushi Hai, often with open liquor containers. By 2:00 a.m, after all the other neighborhood establishments have been closed for two hours, it’s usually at it’s worst. Over served patrons yell, scream, and carry on loud conversations without regard to residents sleeping just a few feet away. We are also regularly awakened to the sights and sounds of Sushi Hai patrons returning to their parked cars to drink, listen to loud music, and continue their festivities. They have been seen throwing empty bottles, cans, and other trash, including used condoms, into our yards as they drive away.

There have also been violent scenes. A few months ago, a large and bloody street brawl erupted among Sushi Hai patrons, and spilled south down Lowell Boulevard. It resulted in a young man laying bleeding and unconscious in the middle of Lowell Boulevard, directly in front of a neighbor’s home. Of course the accompanying ambulances and police cars were a further disturbance, albeit a welcomed one. On a Saturday night in April, two households were awakened at 1:25 a.m. by an over served woman on the stairs Sushi Hai yelling unintelligibly. Neighbors called the non-emergency police number. She was physically restrained by a Sushi Hai security guard/DPD officer for thirty minutes, yelling and screaming a few feet from residents homes, and finally began screaming, Rape, Rape, Rape. Those who heard were horrified and called police emergency. She was finally picked her up in a paddy wagon after 2 a.m. One warm midnight last fall as windows were open and music blared from the car parked in front of his house, the father of a sick infant, went to the car and politely requested that the occupants decrease the volume. The father, who recognized the men as Sushi Hai patrons, was threatened that if he didn’t stop harassing them, he would be shot. That family will be moving from this Highlands neighborhood in May.

View petition

Background can be found on Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_Pakistani_state_of_emergency

This is a statement from Boston area students, academics, professionals and citizens to voice their concern for the current constitutional and political crisis in Pakistan.

View petition

Dear Friends:

As part of the crackdown on protests against emergency/martial law, the Government of Pakistan recently brought sedition charges against fourteen faculty members of the Punjab University (Lahore, Pakistan). These charges were in response to the faculty members speaking out and organizing a protest walk on their campus against the imposition of emergency rule (martial law) in Pakistan. The Government of Pakistan has also issued a ban on political discussions and debates on campuses, which is a violation of one of the most basic tenets of academic freedom.

Most of you must by now be familiar with the vanguard role played by members of the Pakistani judiciary in the current political struggle against dictatorship. The unprecedented expression of solidarity by members of the international law community has been extremely important in building up the pressure against the Pakistani government, and in keeping up the spirits of the lawyers and their family members. Students (and educators) comprise the next largest group of protesters and so are being targeted in similarly illegal and brutal ways. This is a call to school and college/university faculty, academic unions and organizations to express their solidarity with the above mentioned faculty members of Punjab University as well as all those being targeted by the Pakistani state, and to demand that the government drop these charges immediately.

It should be noted that even when emergency rule is lifted, these and other such charges will not be automatically dropped nor will the dissenting judges be restituted. Please sign the petition and forward to others, and please consider creating faculty/student solidarity committees on your campus, and issuing separate letters of protest and solidarity. It is imperative at this stage to get as many signatures as possible, as well as to send as many letters/faxes/emails to the individuals and institutions listed below as possible. You can sign the petition at http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/drop-charges-against-members-of-the-punjab-university.html. Time is of the essence, so please sign the petition and fax your letters ASAP. Your voice counts.

Below are links to three related articles. If you have any questions please email ConcernedAcademicsOfPakistan@gmail.com.

Signed,

Shefali Chandra (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)
Lubna Chaudhry (SUNY, Binghampton)
Sofia Checa (University of Massachusetts, Amherst)
Arslan Razmi (University of Massachusetts, Amherst)
Rakhshanda Saleem (Harvard Medical School and Lesley University)
Sahar Shafqat (St. Mary's College of Maryland)
Saadia Toor (College of Staten Island, CUNY)

------------

Sedition case against 14 PU teachers
DAWN, November 22 2007
http://www.dawn.com/2007/11/18/nat11.htm

Political debate banned in colleges
DAWN, November 22 2007
http://www.dawn.com/2007/11/22/nat9.htm

LUMS professors, students charged under MPO
Daily Times, December 05, 2007
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=200712�5story_5-12-2007_pg7_5

------------

Send your letters/faxes/emails to:

General (Retd.) Pervez Musharraf
Pakistan Secretariat
Islamabad, Pakistan
Fax: (92) 51-922-1422
Email: CE@pak.gov.pk, president@pak.gov.pk, or via the website http://www.presidentofpakistan.gov.pk/WTPresidentMessage.aspx


Embassy of Pakistan in Washington, DC
3517 International Court, NW
Washington DC, 20008
Phone: 202-243-6500, Fax: 202-686-1534
Ambassador Mahmud Ali Durrani: 202- 243-6500 Ext. 2000 & 2001
Email: ambassador@pakistan-embassy.org & ambassador@embassyofpakistanusa.org

Punjab University Administrators:
Dr. Muhammad Arif Butt
Vice Chancellor, Punjab University
Lahore, Pakistan
Phone: (92) 42-923-1098, Fax: (92) 42-923-1101
E-Mail: vc@pu.edu.pk

View petition

Joint petition in response to the current political crisis in Pakistan.

View petition

Black period in Pakistan's history...

03.11.2007:

* disrespected the constitution of 1973
* declared emergency
* suspended and dissolved the judiciary
* banned media

06.11.2007:

* 1000's of people been detained
* 1000's of people harassed and beaten up
* demonstrations trough out the country

10.11.2007:

* 10,000's of people detained
* 10,000's of people harassed and beaten up

14.11.2007:

* Imran Khan arrested, harassed, humiliated by the police

16.11.2007:

* Under extreme pressure from Musharraf and the
government Geo News and Ary Oneworld has been shut
down late Friday night

Generally:

Since the imposition of the emergency in Pakistan, Musharaf have not allowed people to hold demonstrations, public gatherings etc.

When ever or who ever have tried to organize a demonstration have been detained and harassed by the police - not only the organizers but also children, women and elders who are participating in the demonstrations are harassed and detained.

The media are not allowed to show the truth - they were approached by Government to sign a agreement on what they could show on TV - GEO and ARY refused, today, on the 16.11.2007 after tremendous pressure from Musharaf both channels has closed!

Musharaf is doing what ever he can do to hide the truth!

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS PETITION YOU MAY CONTACT US AT: long.live.pakistan@hotmail.com

View petition

Whereas the country of Georgia has in the first week of November, 2007 begun to physically crack down on political dissent and has called for a 15 day National Emergency to restore order.

View petition

People are encouraged to read through and sign as this is NOT a petition in favor of outright military rule, but one that supports the measures taken by Musharraf to eradicate corruption and place Pakistan on the right path to democracy. As Pakistanis, we must appreciate a man who has confronted corruption and created a system under which the voice of the people can be heard.

Pervez Musharraf has been the centre of a lot of criticism lately, and this petition is an attempt to show support for his vision and rule in Pakistan. We understand some actions by the current government in Pakistan are drastic and some may argue against them, but it is up to us to realize the ground realities and act responsibly in deciding who to support. Opposition parties are exploiting the mass public by using democracy as an excuse to regain power and destabilize a government that has achieved a lot in the last eight years. Religion is also being used by some in the media to incite the public, which has gone about its daily routine with no interest to come out on the streets. Objectivity amongst reporters on international broadcasts of Pakistani news is rare. This is an attempt to show that there is a large movement that supports the President. Outlined below are highlights of Musharraf’s achievements, there is a section on reasons for imposition of emergency rule as well.


POSITION ON OPPOSITION PARTIES

Nawaz Sharif’s incompetent government and Benazir’s corruption (wife of Mr. Zardari who is popularly known in Pakistan as 'Mr. 10%') left Pakistan in a dismal state. Thus prior to Musharraf’s debut on the stage of Pakistani politics in 1999,

* The country was almost bankrupt;
* Pakistan was on the verge of being declared a “failed” and “terrorist” nation;
* It was listed as being the second most corrupt nation in the world (the first being Nigeria)
* During the time of Benazir and Sharif, the KSE 100 index was less than 1300. Now it is over 12000.
* Atrocities such as judicial killings of opponents took place shamelessly throughout Pakistan, particularly in Karachi, for which Benazir and Sharif were both primarily responsible.

MUSHARAF’S ACHIEVEMENTS

Under Musharraf’s regime since 1999, Pakistan has experienced tremendous growth and seen record improvement in its overall condition.

* From being #2 on the list of corrupt nations, Pakistan is now #138 – a remarkable improvement.
* Compared to being nearly bankrupt less than a decade ago, Pakistan now has reserves of close to $16 billion, and is still growing.
* Corruption has been virtually eliminated from the upper levels and significantly reduced in the lower levels.
* Musharraf actively confronted terrorism in Pakistan and employed several schemes to eradicate it from our country.
* Large-scale development is taking place all over Pakistan, with a significant amount of construction going on in Karachi and areas of Baluchistan. Previously, these areas were largely neglected, with Baluchistan left to the mercy of warlords for much of the history of Pakistan.
* Tax recovery is at an all time high.
* Pakistan’s media has flourished with Musharraf’s permittance and encouragement.
* Devolution of power- Musharraf brought the Nazim System and gave powers to the local representatives at the lowest level.
* Women's representation used to be 3.2%. Musharraf made a landmark decision and appointed 33% seats to be reserved for women in all three tiers of the local government and 17% in the national and provincial legislatures. (This also resulted in Pakistan being recognized as the country with the greatest progress in women’s representation within parliament in a comparison study of South Asian politics.)
* President Musharraf was awarded the White Ribbon Man of the Year Award 2006, in recognition of the tremendous support to the cause of women’s rights in Pakistan.
* Pakistan’s relations with India have also significantly improved. Previously, India refused to acknowledge the territory of Kashmir as a 'dispute'. As a result of Musharraf's diplomacy, Kashmir is today acknowledged as a disputed territory and both sides are working towards a peaceful resolution of the conflict.


These are remarkable achievements in an 8 year timeframe. This is not to say that things are perfect; much work still needs to be done. But, Pakistan, under Musharraf, has been heading towards the right direction and this momentum should continue. He has addressed the root cause of problems in the country thus building a foundation for democracy to prosper. The measures taken under this regime are an attempt to reform Pakistani society with a high emphasis on education. One cannot educate a nation overnight; it takes time and honest commitment. We cannot let corrupt politicians ruin 8 years of hard work.

View petition

We, the people and the friends of Pakistan, denounce and strongly protest against the curtailment of fundamental rights, the curbs on electronic and print media, attacks on independence of Judiciary, suspension of Constitution of 1973, arrests of judges, lawyers, human right activist and teachers and Martial Law which has been imposed by General Musharraf as the Cheif of Army Staff.

Pakistan was formed as a democratic state where the rule of law will reign supreme. The people of Pakistan have given great sacrifices to gain these rights of living with freedom. These right of free speech, ability to chose the government and access to fair judiciary cannot be taken away from the people at the disguise of any threat.

WHILE THE MEDIA IS BANNED AND PUBLIC GATHERINGS ARE NOT ALLOWED IN PAKISTAN, WE ARE PLANNING A MASSIVE GLOBAL "e-Protest" TO RAISE OUR VOICE.

WE ARE TARGETING AT LEAST 1000,000 SIGNATURES ACROSS THE GLOBE. WE WILL SEND THIS PETITION TO EMBASSIES, UNITED NATIONS, HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS, POLITICIANS, GOVERNMENTS, PRESS AND MEDIA.

SEND THIS LINK USING Facebook, Orkut, Friendster, Beebo, MySpace, Digg AND emails TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW (http://www.gopetition.com/online/15064.html)

YOUR VOICE WILL BE HEARD GLOBALLY.

View petition

Dear BHC Residents,

As many of you know, Block House Creek needs another entrance/exit to our neighborhood. Currently, there is a petition online to open Scottsdale Drive as a solution and we are adding Block House Drive as the solution.

On May 27th, the Blockhouse Creek MUD Board approved a resolution to be sent to the City of Cedar Park and Williamson County offices, to open Block House Drive to 183-A, as another exit/entrance as they would keep it a private road for BHC residents (unfortunately, this isn't enough and it is why we have this online petition for the residents of BHC to voice their desires).

We believe, Block House Drive South is the most logical solution, because it does not compromise the safety of BHC children and/or disturb the peace of our neighborhood. It is why most of us purchased a home in BHC. Scottsdale is probably the quickest solution but unfortunately it compromises what many of us believe in (indirectly or directly). Scottsdale opens up to driveways, neighborhood children and potential disaster. We understand that Block House Drive may take some time to open up but it is the best solution for EVERYONE in the neighborhood. There are no houses that face the road, only fences and the safety of BHC children is not compromised and the peace in the neighborhood is sustained. It's the perfect solution.

We are asking you to join fellow BHC neighbors by signing this online petition.

**NOTE** IT IS IMPORTANT AFTER YOU SIGN THE PETITION TO PLEASE LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD TO THE CTRMA ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS ISSUE: EMAIL: INFO@CTRMA.ORG THEY WANT YOUR EMAILS ABOUT THIS. ALSO, MAKE A CALL TO CYNTHIA LONGS OFFICE AT 260-4280 - YOUR CALL WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE. ***********

The main points for opening the road are:

Traffic congestion in front of the elementary school, traffic backups on Creek Run, Blockhouse Dr. to New Hope. Our children walking to school need to be safe!

Emergency vehicles do not have a clear route to the back part of the neighborhood. In case of an emergency they need a quicker route to us!!

Quicker access to the new Hospital/Medical Center being built.

In case of an emergency evacuation, residents should have more exits than we currently do.

The city of Cedar Park has a proposed fire and EMS station at the corner of New Hope and 183-A.

When the commuter train begins, the RR Track will be extremely busy. Traffic will become backed up on BHC and New Hope during rush hour.

Environmental concerns because of the extra mileage we have to drive to get to our destinations.

The routes we do have to travel take us by school zones, and thru other neighborhoods.

There is no evidence that crime increases because of more access to neighborhoods.

Easier access for the new shopping centers, potential buyers will not move here if they realize how difficult it is to get to the shopping/hospitals.

There are not enough exits/entrances for our 2200 residents!!

View petition

The 9-1-1 Dispatchers of the Waterford Emergency Communications Center have taken action to form with AFSCME Council 4.

Although the State Labor Department has recognized that we have a significant majority of signatures on our intent card; and we had half of our department present for the hearing for formation we were denied voluntary recognition as a union.

View petition

The Town of San Anselmo is proposing to adopt an ordinance that will make the across-the-street banners on Drake and Tunstead and the Hub sign available only to those who have political "pull." The banners and Hub sign are valuable, precious community resources, and they should be made available on a fair and equitable basis to qualified organizations.

There is a Town Council meeting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 28, at 110 Shaw Drive, behind Safeway. Please sign this petition, and appear at the Town Council meeting to voice your opposition to this unfair ordinance.

Background

For many years, the Town of San Anselmo allowed organizations to advertise “charitable and civic events” on two street banners across Sir Francis Drake Blvd. and Tunstead Ave., and on a sign at the Hub. The street banners and Hub sign were used by most organizations in Town, including the Stapleton Ballet Nutcracker, the Ross Valley School District Yes! Foundation, the Drake Pirate Pancake Breakfast, the Sleepy Hollow Kitchen Tour, the San Anselmo Baseball Association, Lower Brookside Octoberfest, Manor School Winter Faire, the Chamber of Commerce Art and Design Festival and many, many others.

In October 2005, the Town administration approved the display of a street banner for a political campaign (“Yes on Measure B”). Since the Town’s ordinance permitted banners only for “events”, this political campaign sign clearly violated the ordinance. The Town administration allowed it anyway, presumably because the Yes on Measure B Committee was composed of Town Councilmembers. The Yes on Measure B banner was followed by another political banner (“Yes on 73”).

Adoption and Administration of the Emergency Ordinance

In response to many public complaints about these political banners, in November 2005, the Town Council adopted an emergency ordinance prohibiting all parties, other than the Town government itself, from erecting street banners and Hub signs.

In short order, the Town administration violated this ordinance as well. Over the course of the last year, street banners have been displayed by several organizations that are not part of the Town government. These included banners for an organic Farm Stand (a commercial enterprise), Girls on the Run (an event in Tiburon), the San Anselmo Baseball Association (an independent association that is not affiliated with the Town government), and a Fairfax Haunted House (produced by the Fairfax Chamber of Commerce). Each of these banners, displayed with the express approval of the Town administration, violated the emergency ordinance, which limits banners to Town government messages only.

In the meantime, other community organizations saw that the Town was allowing numerous non-Town street banners and signs. When these organizations asked for banner space, their requests were denied, for no valid reason. In addition to violating the Town’s own emergency ordinance, it is patently unfair, not to mention unconstitutional, that the Town administration is able to pick and choose which banners to display.

The Proposed New Ordinance

The Town administration has now proposed a new permanent ordinance, which is similar to the failed emergency ordinance. In the new ordinance, banners are permitted “to promote special events of which the Town is either the sponsor or a co-sponsor.”

The terms “sponsor” and “co-sponsor” are not defined. Is it sufficient for the Town administration to simply say that the Town is a sponsor or co-sponsor? Or does the Town have to contribute any funds or staff time in order for an event to count as a sponsorship or co-sponsorship? Does the Town have to be named as a sponsor or co-sponsor in any publicity materials, or can the Town administration simply agree to be a “silent” co-sponsor?

In addition, there is no indication of who would decide on behalf of the Town whether or not to sponsor or co-sponsor an event. Would it be the Town Council? A Town Commission? Any Town staff member?

And what is the criteria for determining whether to sponsor or co-sponsor an event? Will the Town look at the content of the proposed banner to see whether it is acceptable to the Town? Will the Town look at the organization, and make some determination as to whether that organization’s views and policies fit with the Town government’s view of politics?

The proposed ordinance is flawed in the same way as the emergency ordinance. There are no objective standards as to who can display a banner and who cannot. If a group has “pull” within the Town government, it can request that the Town be a “co-sponsor” of the event. If the Town administration agrees, then the group can use the banner space. If, however, the Town administration decides for whatever reason not to “co-sponsor” the event, then the banner space is not available.

Because the banner space is a public forum created by the government, any right by the government to control access to that forum based on the content of the banner or the organization is clearly an unconstitutional violation of freedom of speech. Under the proposed ordinance, the Town government is allowed to grant or deny access to a valuable public resource, street banner space, based on the content of the banner’s message or the group displaying the street banner. If the proposed ordinance is adopted, the Town would be opened up to fair criticism by any group that did not receive “co-sponsorship” and therefore was denied banner space by the Town administration.

In addition, it is unfair to the community to allow some groups with political pull to get to use this extremely valuable community resource, but then deny its use by others.

The Town administration believes the proposed banner ordinance is legal and constitutional based on a recent court of appeals case. However, the ordinance at issue in that case is dramatically different from the one proposed by the Town. The Town cannot rely on that court case to claim that the proposed banner ordinance is legal and constitutional.

The Citizen’s Sign Committee Recommendation

In January 2006, the Town Council convened a Citizen’s Sign Committee, a group of 21 residents and business owners, to study signage issues. The Sign Committee debated the street banner issues for hours. After several months of weekly meetings, the Sign Committee recommended to the Town Council that street banners and the Hub sign be permitted for the following purposes:

Town-sponsored events, Ross Valley accredited schools, Ross Valley youth organized sporting and cultural events, and 501(c)(6) [chamber of commerce] status for Ross Valley businesses.

What we are seeking

We are simply asking that the Town Council adopt the recommendations of the Citizen’s Sign Committee. Banner space should be allocated on a fair and equal basis to all organizations that meet objective criteria. The banner space is an extremely valuable and precious community resource that should be made generally available to the community, not just to a select few who have political pull.

View petition

September 3, 2005

George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Mr. President:

I, like millions of other Americans and people worldwide, have watched with horror over the past few days as the events in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast have unfolded. The images of suffering and neglect endured by some of our nation's most vulnerable have been seared into my memory and I will not soon forget them.

Mr. President, you have a long history of refusing to accept responsibility when the bungling of your administration and the failures of your policies have damaged our country, threatened our security and brought great harm to our people and to people throughout the world. From the debacle in Iraq to the ever rising number of people living in poverty in our country to the current abysmal failure to bring emergency assistance to New Orleans, you and your administration have repeatedly used any means possible to avoid being held accountable for your actions.

As a citizen who loves my country, I can no longer accept this. I am unwilling to tolerate the unnecessary suffering, death and destruction in New Orleans due to you and your administration's delayed and inept response.

There is no excuse for this appalling catastrophe. This time, you cannot attribute your own failure to someone else. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) website states the following: "In the event of a terrorist attack, natural disaster or other large-scale emergency, the Department of Homeland Security will assume primary responsibility on March 1st for ensuring that emergency response professionals are prepared for any situation. This will entail providing a coordinated, comprehensive federal response to any large-scale crisis and mounting a swift and effective recovery effort."

You are ultimately responsible for DHS; therefore, you bear the primary responsibility for your administration's failure to mount a swift and effective recovery effort.

No one could have prevented the damage caused by the hurricane. However, the results of the storm and its aftermath, including the potential for the flood control system in New Orleans to fail, were well known and well reported. On the Sunday before the storm struck, the National Weather service issued this bulletin:

"URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA
1011 AM CDT SUN AUG 28 2005

...DEVASTATING DAMAGE EXPECTED... .HURRICANE KATRINA...A MOST POWERFUL HURRICANE WITH UNPRECEDENTED STRENGTH...RIVALING THE INTENSITY OF HURRICANE CAMILLE OF 1969. MOST OF THE AREA WILL BE UNINHABITABLE FOR WEEKS...PERHAPS LONGER. AT LEAST ONE HALF OF WELL CONSTRUCTED HOMES WILL HAVE ROOF AND WALL FAILURE. ALL GABLED ROOFS WILL FAIL...LEAVING THOSE HOMES SEVERELY DAMAGED OR DESTROYED. THE MAJORITY OF INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS WILL BECOME NON FUNCTIONAL. PARTIAL TO COMPLETE WALL AND ROOF FAILURE IS EXPECTED. ALL WOOD FRAMED LOW RISING APARTMENT BUILDINGS WILL BE DESTROYED. CONCRETE BLOCK LOW RISE APARTMENTS WILL SUSTAIN MAJOR DAMAGE...INCLUDING SOME WALL AND ROOF FAILURE. HIGH RISE OFFICE AND APARTMENT BUILDINGS WILL SWAY DANGEROUSLY...A FEW TO THE POINT OF TOTAL COLLAPSE. ALL WINDOWS WILL BLOW OUT. AIRBORNE DEBRIS WILL BE WIDESPREAD...AND MAY INCLUDE HEAVY ITEMS SUCH AS HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES AND EVEN LIGHT VEHICLES. SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES AND LIGHT TRUCKS WILL BE MOVED. THE BLOWN DEBRIS WILL CREATE ADDITIONAL DESTRUCTION. PERSONS...PETS...AND LIVESTOCK EXPOSED TO THE WINDS WILL FACE CERTAIN DEATH IF STRUCK. POWER OUTAGES WILL LAST FOR WEEKS...AS MOST POWER POLES WILL BE DOWN AND TRANSFORMERS DESTROYED. WATER SHORTAGES WILL MAKE HUMAN SUFFERING INCREDIBLE BY MODERN STANDARDS. THE VAST MAJORITY OF NATIVE TREES WILL BE SNAPPED OR UPROOTED. ONLY THE HEARTIEST WILL REMAIN STANDING...BUT BE TOTALLY DEFOLIATED. FEW CROPS WILL REMAIN. LIVESTOCK LEFT EXPOSED TO THE WINDS WILL BE KILLED. AN INLAND HURRICANE WIND WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN SUSTAINED WINDS NEAR HURRICANE FORCE...OR FREQUENT GUSTS AT OR ABOVE HURRICANE FORCE...ARE CERTAIN WITHIN THE NEXT 12 TO 24 HOURS. ONCE TROPICAL STORM AND HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ONSET...DO NOT VENTURE OUTSIDE!"

In response to that warning, you chose to remain on vacation for another three days while the storm struck, the city flooded and the devastation mounted. Your Vice-President and Secretary of State also chose to vacation.

Mr. President, if I stayed on vacation while my employer faced one of its greatest threats ever, I would be fired.

Because of your incompetence and callousness, thousands of people lived though hellish conditions. Because of your policies, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) had been gutted and political appointees with little to no prior experience in disaster management had been placed in charge of FEMA long before Katrina ever struck. Because FEMA could not respond appropriately and in a timely manner, thousands in New Orleans died. Many more lost loved ones.

Mr. President, since it appears that your vacations are very important to you, I invite you to remain on vacation permanently.

For gross incompetence, negligence, lack of compassion and demonstrable policy failure, I and those who have signed below demand that you resign immediately. We also demand the resignations of Vice-President, Dick Cheney; Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice; Secretary of Homeland Security, Michael Chertoff; and Under Secretary for FEMA, Michael Brown.

Please know we will use whatever legal means necessary to rid our great country of the scourge you have brought to it. That begins by removing you from office.

Sincerely,

Chris Jimmerson

View petition

The most recent tragedy that I have found happened January of 2003. Four boys drown when the rowboat that they were in sunk in frigid 33-degree waters of the Long Island Sound, just off the coast of New York City. The boys'; 12-second 911 call came through at 9:58 p.m. on Friday and begins: "We're on the Long Island Sound in a boat off the coast of the City, We're gonna die." The dispatcher entered the boys' call into a log and alerted her supervisor, but did not have enough specific information to enter the report into the police departments system, and did not notify the Harbor unit of what little information they had. The nearest boat or helicopter could have arrived in about 20 minutes. Department Officials said the boys might have died by then, but a U.S. Coast Guard official, Petty Officer Michelle Krupa, said the teens could have survived at least 30 minutes, and perhaps as long as two hours. Nearly a week after the boys' frantic call, the Coast Guard on Thursday called off the search because it was unlikely the teens would still be alive. The NYPD was continuing the search.
New York City's 911- system doesn't include technology that will allow dispatchers to pin point the origin of cell phone calls, as is the case for most cities. This technology is known as Emergency 911 Phase II, and would allow 911 operators to trace the location of an emergency call from a cell phone. Phase II coupled with improvements to state and county 911 Call Centers, is not required by Federal Regulators until 2005, but is available already in some parts of the country. Phase II can only work when local authorities, traditional phone companies, cell phone companies, and Federal regulators synchronize their efforts to produce a cohesive network.
With this conclusion I urge each and every one of you to sign my petition and have Emergency 911 Phase II made mandatory. By signing this petition, we the public can speak out for the lives that have been lost. Without us they have no voice. The FCC needs to put an end to the fighting. There is no reason people should die senselessly when the technology is already there. Money should not be an issue when a life is concerned.

View petition

We are writing to inform you of the increasingly difficult situation in which Backward Society Education (BASE) is finding itself, caught between the maoist rebels and the government imposed state of emergency.

As you may have heard, last week maoist rebels attacked three of the organization's offices in Kailali District. Motorcycles, office furniture, files, and -- in one case an entire Area Office -- were torched.

The apparent reason for the attacks was that BASE ran a rural saving and loan program in cooperation with the local government. The rebels are against this kind of government program. However, the rebels have since then also targeted BASE's child programs.

There are indications that beneath the allegation the real reason may be that the maoists are displeased that BASE has advocated peaceful social change successfully over the past years. Many of the poor rural workers who might otherwise have joined the maoist movement, have stayed with BASE instead. This one could say has been an achievement for peace in a otherwise rapidly detoriorating situation.

It therefore comes as a complete surprise to read the Home Minister's comments in today's Kathmandu Post Wednesday April 3rd) that the government is considering taking away BASE's registration, in effect closing the organization. The government is accusing the organization of supporting the maoists.

It is alarming that the government should consider using the powers of the state of emergency to shut down one of the largest civil society organizations in Nepal. BASE has over 30,000 members and support from many more men and women from marginalised communities, such as the freed bonded laborers whom it helped liberate. Under the current political situation, these people have no legal way of assembling or protesting the government's action, should it decide to take any.

The organization's identity as one of the oldest and most established NGOs in Nepal working for human rights and non-formal education make the accusations of support for the maoists unbelievable at best. Given that the maoists attacked the organization offices last week only, the government accusations seem patently ludicruos. It seems clear that the government is acting with other motives. It is a very disturbing development for the country as a whole, if the government begins to abuse the extraordinary powers granted under the state of emergency to settle old scores and eliminate the free debate in civil society.

View petition