In late August or early September, Whitehouse.gov announced the launch of a site where
anyone 13 or older can create or sign a petition on WhiteHouse.gov asking the Obama Administration to take action on a range of important issues facing our country.
One simply needed to create an account, state what issues were important to you and what you'd like the Obama administration to do about them, then ask people to sign your petition through social media, etc.
According to
the site:
If a petition meets the signature threshold, it will be reviewed by the Administration and an official response will be issued. And we’ll make sure that the petition is sent to the appropriate policy makers in the Administration.
The initial threshold to get a response from the Administration is 5,000 signatures.
This announcement was met with generous doses of skepticism and hope often mixed, with much worry that the site was just another bread and circuses for the masses distraction, and that it would be flooded with mock petitions or right wing petitions to end abortion and such. But people have clearly been willing to give it a try, with several petitions started and promoted right here, on issues such as jobs, and clean energy (also to promote job growth).
So, what are the petitions so far? Is this act just bread and circuses? Is it possible for good to come of them? Are there subjects that haven't been touched, but should be? Has the administration been spammed with mock proposals? Are there petitions you were unaware of, and would like to sign?
As of this morning, there are 57 petitions at the site. They can be viewed here. This diary will attempt to explore what has been submitted so far by categories, with summaries of the petitions where needed. I hope in the comments to explore how effective this system may be: For example, in looking over these petitions, many of which I think are noble and good, I question whether the executive branch has the authority to take action on a lot of the presented petitions.
UPDATE: Recent Kossack Initiated Petitions THESE NEED 150 SIGNATURES to BECOME PUBLICLY VISIBLE
(Sorry for shouting) If you like what you see, you know what to do. If I've missed yours, and you want it listed here, please let me know either in the comments with a link to the petition or via PM, and I'll try to get it in in a timely fashion. People have been having some difficulty registering at the site in order to sign petitions. (Looks like WH.gov could use a good programmer!) Sometimes it's easy; sometimes it hangs. Try to persevere and get your voice heard.
A new group has been created, Kossack Initiated White House Petitions This group has been created to announce, explore, coordinate, develop, publicize, and aid in signature gathering to Kossack initiated petitions. If you'd like to join or edit, please PM me or the group.
1) Create a Victory Garden 2.0 Initiative to tour the USA and showcase home veggie gardens and community gardens.
Summary: Proposed to help Americans save money, eat more healthfully, live more independently, use space more efficiently, and wisely.
Signatures: 24
2) stop all military operations and withdraw all combat forces from Afghanistan by Ocotober 1, 2012.
Summary: Stop the war in Afghanistan and try a different approach.
Signatures: 24
3) STOP the Death Penality Now in Memory of Troy Davis
Summary: Abolish the death penalty
Signatures: 119
4) demand that Congress identify all legislative text that was drafted by industry lobbyists rather than elected officials.
Summary: Asks the Pres to insist that congress identify language in bills that was not written by congresspeople, and to identify the actual authors.
Signatures: 21
5) listen to educators & parents not billionaires who stand to profit from education "reform"
Summary: Exactly as stated
Signatures: 22
6)Investigate George W. Bush and Dick Cheney for war crimes.
Summary: Exactly as stated
Signatures: 9
7) adopt the Progressive Caucus Peoples' Budget
Summary: "The Peoples' Budget creates jobs, pays down the deficit, creates a public option in health care, brings our soldiers home, creates better tax system, safeguards Social Security." For more info on the People's Budget (truly a progressive budget), please visit this website
Signatures: 10
8) Abolish the death penalty.
Summary: As stated, and yes, this is a second one -- it's bound to happen when the petitions are invisible until the 150 sig threshold is reached.
Signatures: 32
9) Get out of Iraq COMPLETELY
Summary: Calls on the Pres to, "Completely withdraw all troops AND defense contractors from Iraq. If the Iraqis want US to help them with training, let them pay all expenses for it."
Signatures: 6
10) Increase the minimum wage.
Summary: Asks for an increase in the minimum wage to $10.00/hr.
Signatures: 1
11) Use the EPA to crack down on CO2. Utilities will borrow from banks (with $ trillions of QE cash) to create green jobs.
Summary: As the title states
Signatures: 8
12) Save the Postal Service
Summary: Calls on the Pres to, "Return the $82 billion in funds the United States Postal Service has been forced to overpay into Civil Service (CSRS) and Federal Employee Retirement (FERS) funds, so they can balance their budget without having to lay off employees, close post offices, cut service, and destroy the best Postal Service in the world."
Signatures: 3
13) Make Social Security solvent without cutting benefits or raising the retirement age.
Summary: Asks that the cap on wages be lifted and that capital gains be subjected to FICA withholdings to allow Social Security to become more secure, and to allow increased benefits to recipients.
Signatures: 16
14) Propose and initiate a financial transaction tax
Summary: The tax is proposed to raise revenue as well as make high frequency trading and certain speculative behaviors less attractive.
Signatures: 3
Petitions to Change or Reform the Political System:
.
1) Make Bribing Politicians Illegal
Summary: Eliminate corporate campaign contributions to politicians involved in writing legislation that affects the corporation.
Signatures: 267
2) Recognize the men and women who are occupying wall street
Summary: calls on Pres. Obama to "publicly recognize, whether in a live speech, or in one of your weekly youtube addresses, the #occupywallstreet movement that is currently taking place in NYC."
Signatures: 4,966
3) propose legislation that would make all federal election days national holidays to increase voter turnout.
Summary: exactly as the title implies
Signatures: 4,452
4) Grant voters the ability to vote for the President of the United States by dissolving the electoral college.
Summary: Indicates that the electoral college occasionally produces a Pres who did not win the popular vote. Asks the Pres to do away with the electoral college.
Signatures: 7024
5) Restore democracy by ending corporate personhood.
Summary: Calls on Pres. Obama to, "Stop the top 1% of Americans from drowning out the voices of the 99%. End corporate personhood and stop giving an unfair advantage to the wealthy few before it's too late."
Signatures: 8,236
Petitions on Education:
1) Promote/Enforce the Teaching of Evolution over Creationism
Summary: Exactly as it sounds.
Signatures: 723
Mock Petitions:
1) Aid the Lunar Revolution in Overthrowing the Oppressive Celestian Regime in Equestria
Summary: Silly Bronies doing silly Brony stuff.
Signatures: 194
2) Immediately disclose the government's knowledge of and communications with extraterrestrial beings
Summary: read the title. Sorry, much as I love sci-fi, I don't believe the govt is withholding communications with ETs. This goes under mock. I am surprised at the number of signatures.
Signatures: 2,361
3) formally acknowledge an extraterrestrial presence engaging the human race - Disclosure.
Summary: Again with the ET stuff.
Signatures: 4,554
Use of Public Lands and National Parks:
1) Allow Kayaking in Yellowstone
Summary: As it sounds; maintains that of the sporting and recreational activities currently allowed in Yellowstone, kayaking would be lower impact and allow people to more fully enjoy the beauty of the park.
Signatures: 275
2) Allow BASE Jumping in National Parks
Summary: Calls on Pres to allow BASE jumping in national parks because, "The United States of America should be a place of personal liberty and freedom that allows BASE Jumpers to pursue their passions like all other citizens."
Signatures: 810
Civil Rights:
1) Fully Legalize Same-Sex Marriage Across The Nation
Summary: As it sounds; calls on Pres. Obama to "take a stand as our country's leader, and fully legalize same-sex marriage across the whole nation."
Signatures: 825
2) End discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity/expression.
Summary: the petition asks "the Obama Administration to take any and all steps necessary in order to make LGBT Americans fully equal in all matters governed by federal civil law in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories."
Signatures: 3645
3) Repeal the Defense of Marriage Act.
Summary: As the title implies
Signatures: 7,787
4) Repeal the Patriot Act
Summary: just as stated
Signatures: 6,781
5) End the Patriot Act
Summary: Obviously similar to 4 above.
Signatures: 5,751
6) Abolish the TSA, and use its monstrous budget to fund more sophisticated, less intrusive counter-terrorism intelligence.
Summary: States that the TSA is monstrous, ineffective and Kafkesque, and makes travel a pain in the rear. Asks that we replace it with something sane. Does not state what something sane would be.
Signatures: 20,099 (Very popular!!)
International and Human Rights:
1) Please Hold Ethiopia Accountable for Using America's Aid Money as a Weapon of War and Stop the Genocide in the Ogaden.
Summary: Urges the President to "intensify pressure on the Ethiopian government to respect fundamental human rights norms even as it purses critical security objectives."
Signatures: 397
2)Stop Supporting Dictator and State-Terrorist Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia
Summary: Exactly as it sounds
Signatures: 551
3) not veto Palestine's application to become a member of the United Nations.
Summary: Exactly as it sounds
Signatures: 3,814
4) PUBLICLY press Japan for the return of Abducted US Children and provide transparent dialogs with Japan on this issue
Summary: Seems to have to do with custody cases. Calls on executive to join support of HR1326, in publicly condemning Japan and demanding the immediate return of children.
Signatures: 501
5) not veto Palestine's application to become a member of the United Nations.
Summary: As stated
Signatures: 3,870
Military and Veterans Affairs:
1) Authorize and issue a Cold War Service Medal for all who served in the military during the Cold War.
Summary: Urges the recognition of cold war era veterans.
Signatures: 256
2) eliminate the permanent division of retention/retirement pay of members of the Uniformed Services in a divorce
Summary: States that the current policy is discriminatory and unjust, and calls on the Pres and Congress to reestablish the proper legal precedent as established by the U.S. Supreme Court in McCarty v. McCarty, 453 US 210 (1981).
Signatures: 608
3) give the National Guard a seat on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Summary: Exactly as it sounds; points out that the National Guard is used both nationally and internationally.
Signatures: 1,127
Infrastructure, Economy, Jobs:
1) Increase speed and lower price of wired and wireless Internet service by allowing more competitors to enter the market.
Summary: exactly as it sounds. To solve the problem of lack of competition, the petitioners propose adopting "a model similar to what they have in the UK. Providers there are forced to lease their infrastructure to anyone at a reasonable cost."
Signatures: 1026
2) Investigate and announce the National Economic and Stability Reformation Act (NESARA) to the American people.
Summary: Proposes to eliminate inflation (?); restore constitutional law; sounds rather teabaggerish
signatures: 526
3) Reform the coinage system.
Summary: Proposes to save money by eliminating coins, which cost more than they are worth to produce. Does not propose a replacement for coins.
Signatures: 2,370
4) Legal Employment-based Immigration Petitioners Help U.S. Companies and Should NOT be Heavily Backlogged for Years
Summary: This one is poorly written, and it's difficult to tell exactly what it wants. It appears to want more J-1s, stating that they only do work Americans won't or can't do, and prevent jobs from being shipped overseas. The petition doesn't specifically ask for anything, but states in closing: "They should NOT be heavily backlogged for abiding by U.S. laws, while sympathy is given only to undocumented immigrants."
Signatures: 1,276
5)Allow Seriously Backlogged EB2/EB3 Beneficiaries with Their I-140 Approved to File I-485 and Apply for EAD & AP
Summary: very similar to 4 above, but with what seems to be a request: "No law prohibits USCIS from accepting I-485 petition by a beneficiary with I-140 approved, though the petition will be pending until a visa number is available."
Signatures: 1341
6) Reallocate Defense funds to NASA.
Summary: Exactly what it sounds like; take funds wasted on military spending and give them to NASA to fund scientific research and create jobs.
Signatures: 6,661
7) Forgive Student Loan Debt to Stimulate the Economy and Usher in a New Era of Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Prosperity
Summary: Points out that student loan debt surpasses credit card debt. States forgiving it would free up funds to be spent on housing, etc. Does not address how this should be done.
Signatures: 5,873
8) Help Families Avoid Foreclosure, Stabilize the Housing Market, and Boost the Economy: Adopt the Principal Paydown Plan
Summary: Calls for "reducing the interest rate on mortgages to 0% for 5 years, monthly payments would be lowered and every dollar applied to the principal. " States the plan has been d"eveloped by the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys, the plan is ready for immediate adoption."
Signatures: 1,492
9) Direct the Patent Office to Cease Issuing Software Patents
Summary: I'm going to quote this one. "The patent office's original interpretation of software as language and therefor patentable is much closer to reality and more productive for innovation than it's current practice of issuing software patents with no understanding of the patents being issued.
Under the patent office's current activity, patents have been come a way to stifle innovation and prevent competition rather than supporting innovation and competitive markets. They've become a tool of antitrust employed by large companies against small ones.
To return sanity to the software industry - one of the few industries still going strong in America - direct the patent office to cease issuing software patents and to void all previously issued software patents."
Signatures: 10,167
10) Restore humane horse slaughter to improve horse welfare, stop needless & wasteful suffering & create jobs.
Summary: Horse slaughter is cruel and limits the horse industry.
Signatures: 864
11) protect consumers, create jobs and generate revenue by licensing and regulating online poker.
Summary: as it sounds
Signatures: 4,651
Food, Drug and Medical Policies:
1) Legalize raw milk sales on a federal level
Summary: Exactly as it sounds. Touts health benefits and minimizes risks of drinking raw milk.
Signatures: 763
2) Require all Genetically Modified Foods to be labeled as such.
Summary: Asks for a requirement that food companies "label their foods according to their contents in terms of containing genetically modified organisms."
Signatures: 1,555
3) Ban non-therapeutic routine infant circumcision.
Summary: as it sounds.
Signatures: 1,046
4) Support a Ban on Horse Slaughter
Summary: Calls on Pres Obama to "support the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act of 2011, S.B. 1176/H.R. 2966, to ban the slaughter of horses for human consumption."
Signatures: 1298
5) Give States the Freedom to Establish Their Own Marijuana Laws.
Summary: As it sounds. Calls on Pres. Obama to answer the question, "Do you, as president, trust the people and leaders in the individual states to enact their own marijuana laws or do you feel the federal government should impose prohibition on all 50 states?"
Signatures: 6,044
6) End the destructive, wasteful and counterproductive "War on Drugs"
Summary: Self explanatory. States, "Drug use is a social issue, and should be addressed by health care professionals, not the prison system."
Signatures: 8,363
7) Allow Industrial Hemp to be Grown in the U.S. Once Again
Summary: It's a non-drug crop; it's an old crop; we're limiting economic opportunities by regulating it as a drug crop.
Signatures: 10,406
8) Stop Interfering With State Marijuana Legalization Efforts
Summary: As it sounds
Signatures: 9,453
9) Legalize, regulate, and tax marijuana.
Summary: As the title implies
Signatures: 10,018
10) Legalize and Regulate Marijuana in a Manner Similar to Alcohol.
Summary: Also as the title implies
Signatures: 33,771 (more popular than abolishing the TSA!)
Pardon Requests, and Petitions Regarding Specific Individuals:
1) Pardon Marc Emery
Signatures: 1625
2) Try Casey Anthony in Federal Court for Lying to the FBI Investigators
Signatures: 2,336
3) grant clemency to Native American activist Leonard Peltier without delay.
Signatures: 2,032
4) Call an Investigation into Allegations of Prosecutorial & Judicial Misconduct in the Case of Sholom Rubashkin
Signatures: 16,728
Environment:
1) End taxpayer subsidies for new nuclear reactors
Summary: States that Fukushima has made it clear that nuclear power is neither clean nor green; asks for end to subsidies of new nuclear reactors.
Signatures: 2093
2) ban the sale, trade, and possession of shark and shark products, including shark fin.
Summary: Proposed to help protect endangered sharks.
Signatures: 1,988
3) Reject the Keystone XL Pipeline
Summary: Asks the Pres to "reject the Keystone XL permit and invest in real solutions to our climate and energy crisis."
Signatures: 2,748
Church and State:
1) Remove tax exemption from churches and allow them to apply like a non-profit organization
Summary: as it sounds
Signatures: 6,603
2) Remove "In God We Trust" from currency.
Summary: it violates the establishment clause
Signatures: 8,433
3) Edit the Pledge of Allegiance to remove the phrase "Under God".
Summary: It was a late addition and also violates the establishment clause.
Signatures: 12,606
Other:
1) Stop Animal Homelessness at Its Roots
Summary: Mandatory spay and neuter law
Signatures: 7,437