Kay don't you know the government is much better at choosing what should be done with your money. That's why they have a 70% tax in France.

OK but the south of France is a beautiful place to visit.

I look at it this way.....I figure I must pay close to 50% of my total income in some sort of tax or fee. I don't complain and spin webs to avoid paying these taxes, like the Koch Bros., instead I simply remind myself just exactly what it is I'm helping to pay for. I look around and see bus loads of happy kids going to school. I look around and see neighbors with mental and physical problems that any of us could end up with. I see the Highway Department plowing my road and realize it's one of my neighbors in that truck earning a living and raising a family.

I'm aware of the existence locally of the Code Enforcement Dept., Dept of Motor Vehicles, Office For The Aging, Planning and Community Development, Temporary Assistance, Veteran's Service Agency ,Work Force Development & Youth Bureau, Environmental Health Services, Highway Department, Weatherization, Mental Health Department, Sherriff's Department, Public Health Department, Weights and Measures, Child Support Collection Unit, Personal Care Aid Department, Real Property Tax Services, Recycling Department, the local Fire Department, the Public School System.......the list goes on! It all adds up to a collective and beautiful humanity.... while the Billionaires Tea Party stands in total contrast, an ugly antithesis of this very American way.

If I can afford to pay this tax rate, then most certainly the Koch's and all of their billionaire pals sure as hell can........ the 20% tax rate on a lazy rich man's income is both offensive and immoral.

By the way, the same 50% tax rate I pay gets the citizens of European Countries with Democratic Socialism a much bigger bang for their buck....just saying!

I am so sick of the hypocrites in the Democrat Party and the Republican Party. I am not talking about the politicians; I am speaking of people I know personally. The Capital Gains tax was scheduled to go back to 39.5% from the existing level of 15%. Your President and the Democrats in Congress settled for a 5% increase to 20% and the Republicans call this a tax hike! The Republicans and the Democrats in the middle class will see an increase in their payroll taxes if you make more than $50K. a year or if your married and make that amount as a combined income. What couple in the middle class makes less than $50K a year? Most of the educated young people I know make $50K a year per person in their household. So whether you’re a Dem. or a Repub. your taxes are going up and the wealthy made out like bandits robbing a train. The tax rates will stay at this level for a long, long time. But the real losers are the poor and senior citizens. They will see their help from social programs fade away. From what I understand, and I could easily be wrong, Sequestration is not over. Social programs can still come under the ax of the Republicans and the Democrats just gave away the only bargaining chip they had, taxes on the wealthy Americans. And still no one is even talking about cutting the largest welfare program we have, the Defense Department. I watch PBS news because they seem to show both sides to the coin, the way news programs use to be required to do. But that law or requirement ended a few years back leaving us with Fox and MSNBC who are both so slanted it is surprising they can stand up while broadcasting, the only time you know they are lying is when the newsperson's (ha,newspersons!) lips are moving. They (PBS) reported that only about .7% of the population making $450K. a year will be affected. And this new deal does very little to help the growing national debt! The real losers are the people on the right and left who will see an increase in their next paycheck and the poor. Yet people on both sides think they won something, when actually Washington screwed them again and nobody felt a thing. Just my comments from a simple Independent. I am just glad I did not vote for either side in Nov., my hands are clean....

Thom, I have lots of billionaire friends who do good with their money. Move to France and see how that works out.

You got it Mike,. I'm 110 with the first petition and with your's 23. Come on everyone else, "Make it so!"

Are you fed up with the Republicans in congress blackmailing Americans to get sweetheart deals for their rich backers?

Help take away one more tool that they use to harm America.

Sign this petition and share it everywhere to tell Congress that the President has the right to use executive order to pay raise the debt ceiling to the amount they have already allocated.

STOP THIS INSANITY! FIGHT BACK EVERY WAY WE CAN!

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/allow-president-use-executive-order-raise-debt-ceiling-every-year/rqnS5kbK

Come on Alice. I just signed the account. You have to create an account and give them your email and then click on a link in your email. Then go back to the tab of the original link and sign in with your new account then hit sign the petition. It's fun. Don't give up!

Obama has always tended to the middle Obama has accomplished much - not ALL we wanted .But Thats life. So Lets Keep pushing .

All this information is so dis- heartening. I feared something like this would happen. In response to "nothing is permanent " I believe if it isn't nailed down and signed in blood by the sold out dems and repubes permanent is the result. Injustice, prejudice, and corruption can only be defeated when every

citizen is informed, has the moral and intellectual capacity to understand the information, and is willing to participate in activism even to the point of martyrdom or at least discomfort. This does not require hippies but does not exclude hippies, nor does it exclude large and small business owners, community leaders, Democrates or Republicans, conservatives or liberals. Not all liberals are Democrats. There are a considerable number of liberal Republicans. I know and am related to many very Liberal Republicans with excellent moral conscience. Lets real them in and embrace all patriots so Republicans no longer feel shame for being Liberal. Lets rally the patriots by conscience not by affiliation and lets get it all together for the good of US citizens. We will never defeat the problems of this nation with such an advanced moral disease among our elected officials. Labels in this society are decieving and are being used against our common welfare. It's time we trash the labels and get down to business of raising up the hopes, dreams and ambitions of the people. Not many chose to be lay abouts or under achievers, It is the option provided for survival. We can do better, but we have to invest in their education, aleviate their economic oppression, and instill self esteem. We cannot become the huddled masses of depression and shame.

“It’s the media stupid” If there was ever a time in my life that could be recognized as theater, foul ball, deception, twenty four hour creepy information, with intention to confuse, mislead, and just be outright criminal it’s when America is blessed by the news.

It is disgusting, now the news seems to be talking about some of the crazy laws that have been enacted this New Year. Hell, for fifty years we have had crazy tax loop whole laws. If American’s had the chance to dig in some of the laws currently on the books America would likely find creepy crazy stuff that the news media would and should be able to ferret out but did not. It is obvious today’s news media does not serve America, it serves the one percent.

Day after day clips of politicians about America is at the edge and it’s almost near a solution. Then a simple solution and that solution is a stupid solution. Day after day a fiscal cliff is talked about. Or take MSNBC over the weekend always viewing the jails, I guess to instill fear about them. Yet never giving information about the fiscal cliff or details about specifics could be cut in the spending. Or any other station. These people have a job to report to America and all they do is frighten America.

So, the Congress, the Senate, and media keep misinforming America. Then they wonder why some of our children act crazy or even resort to mass murder. Our children get crazy from the news. America spins around like squirrels in a cage, listening to uncertainty, anger, to hate.

The hate radio in Chicago is at an incredible pitch. WIND and ABC radio Hannity. Medved, Cummings, Limbaugh, in elevated smear style. Like Medved talking about many in the Nazi army where Gay. Is the message for our Army today? My view is a serious one when it concerns Fox News since a huge percentage is owns by the Arabs, the emirates of Dubai. I cannot believe anything that is broadcast from Fox News in reference to the Middle East. Especially the Benghazi stuff, I always thought the Marines protected our American diplomats with a chain of command that is pretty thick even before it gets to the State Department or Clinton.

I tried signing the petition, without success. They want a password. MUST I create a friggin' password to sign this petition?! I'm all passworded out.