Petition Coalition Roundup - January 30, 2014

Join the "Petition Coalition" by following these links and signing those that you agree with! 

Ask McDonald’s for a healthy, meatless option in their U.S. establishments: https://www.change.org/petitions/mcdonald-s-it-s-time-for-a-healthy-meatless-option

Don’t let major communications companies restrict the Internet--call for a free Internet for all: http://www.avaaz.org/en/internet_apocalypse_loc/?bdUtqab&v=34949

Another way to speak out in favor of a return to Net Neutrality: http://act.presente.org/sign/openinternet

Tell the Senate that the Farm Bill food stamp cuts must be overturned: https://www.dailykos.com/campaigns/657

Demand the release of two wild orcas captured for display at the Olympics in Sochi: http://action.sumofus.org/a/sochi-orca-whales/?sub=tw

Ask the Pope to stop releasing domesticated “peace doves,” which are defenseless against wild bird attacks: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/279/840/894/tell-the-pope-to-stop-releasing-peace-doves

Tell Congress that ALL workers deserve a $10.10 minimum wage: http://act.boldprogressives.org/survey/2014_petition_minwage

Contact Sec. of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and tell him to end the USDA’s wildlife extermination program: https://secure.nrdconline.org/site/Advocacy?page=UserAction&id=3319

Tell Colorado to institute training requirements before anyone can register as a psychotherapist: https://www.change.org/petitions/gov-john-hickenlooper-promote-professional-mental-health-care-in-colorado

Speak out against New York State’s plan to eliminate swan populations: https://www.change.org/petitions/new-york-state-department-of-environmental-conservation-stop-new-york-state-s-swan-killing-plan 

Thanks for fighting the good fight, and for all the little ways you change the world!

Petition Coalition Roundup - January 24, 2014

Join the "Petition Coalition" by following these links and signing those that you agree with! 

Tell Coke and other Olympic sponsors to publicly stand against discrimination in Russia: https://www.allout.org/en/actions/olympic-sponsors

Ask Georgia Regents University to halt cruel dental experiments on dogs: https://secure.humanesociety.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=6337 

Tyson revised its cruel treatment of livestock pigs thanks to petitioners—ask WalMart to do the same: https://www.change.org/petitions/it-s-time-for-walmart-s-board-of-directors-to-stop-the-torture-of-pigs 

Make sure the USDA cracks down on ALL cruel “random source Class B” dog dealers: https://secure.humanesociety.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=6353

Help a Methodist congregation and tell their new pastor to hire back their fired gay choir director: http://act.faithfulamerica.org/sign/gay_choir_director

Tell Citibank to stop fleecing people with health issues through the usury on their “Citi Health Card”: https://www.change.org/petitions/citibank-make-the-citi-health-credit-card-terms-fair

Speak out in support of federal contract workers making low wages with no benefits: http://www.credomobilize.com/petitions/sign-an-executive-order-to-pay-federal-contract-workers-living-wages

Violent criminals should never get less jail time than marijuana “offenders” – call for an end to mandatory minimum sentences for pot: http://act.watchdog.net/petitions/4217

Tell the feds to protect West Virginians by taking over the state’s sloppy mining enforcement agency: https://www.dailykos.com/campaigns/644

Tell Animal Planet that their ratings should not come at the cost of animal cruelty: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/454/917/998/tell-animal-planet-to-stop-practicing-animal-cruelty-for-ratings 

Thanks for fighting the good fight, and for all the little ways you change the world!

Petition Coalition Roundup - January 21, 2014

Join the "Petition Coalition" by following these links and signing those that you agree with! 

Demand justice for West Virginians whose water has been poisoned: http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/demand-coal-enforcement-1.fb48

Tell Harry Reid to hold strong against hawkish Senate members trying to undercut diplomacy in Iran: https://www.dailykos.com/campaigns/637

Cops can’t police what they don’t understand - demand police training for online harassment victims: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/168/539/142/demand-police-training-for-online-harassment-victims

Tell Congress it’s insane to send U.S.-raised chickens to China for processing and re-importation: http://www.change.org/petitions/congress-keep-chinese-chicken-out-of-our-schools-and-supermarkets

Demand that Congress take action to undo Citizens United through a Constitutional amendment: http://site.pfaw.org/Amend

Tell Oklahoma lawmakers that the protection of their schoolchildren is a higher priority than tax cuts: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/616/151/255/cutting-school-tornado-shelters-to-give-tax-cuts-shame-on-oklahoma

Call for a ceasefire to stop the killing of innocent civilians in Syria: http://www.avaaz.org/en/syria_ray_of_hope_loc/

Ask NYC to landmark Jackie Robinson’s family home in Brooklyn: https://www.change.org/petitions/new-york-city-of-landmarks-preservation-commission-tell-the-nyc-landmarks-preservation-commission-landmark-jackie-robinson-s-family-home 

Thanks for fighting the good fight, and for all the little ways you change the world!

Petition Coalition Roundup - January 18, 2014

Join the "Petition Coalition" by following these links and signing those that you agree with! 

Encourage the U.S. winter athletes to stand up for the Olympics’ Principle 6 and support Russians living under anti-gay discrimination: http://www.allout.org/p6-usa 

Tell Johnson & Johnson to do the right thing and pay for surgeries needed because of their faulty product:  https://www.change.org/petitions/johnson-johnson-pay-for-surgeries-as-well-as-pain-and-suffering-for-the-thousands-affected-by-your-faulty-depuy-hip-replacements

Protect Chile’s pristine Patagonia landscape and ecology from oil and gas exploration/extraction: https://secure.nrdconline.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=3313

Tell Florida that homeless animals older than eight weeks also deserve an opportunity to be fostered: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/745/768/291/demand-for-change-in-animal-servicesanimal-shelter-off-site-fostering-policy

Demand a fracking moratorium on our public lands: https://secure.nrdconline.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=3271

Tell multi-billion dollar multi-national Starbucks to withdraw request to pay workers less than legally required in San Jose: http://action.sumofus.org/a/starbucks-san-jose/4/2/

The GOP wing of Congress needs to stop the bogus impeachment talk and get back to work for the people: https://dailykos.com/campaigns/621

Ask the Fish & Wildlife service to deny requested permits for American to “trophy hunt” endangered black rhino: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/254/524/922/

Request that Warner Bros. ensure that the chocolate for their Harry Potter projects is slavery-free: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/798/248/997/ 

Thanks for fighting the good fight, and for all the little ways you change the world!

Petition Coalition Roundup - January 16, 2014

Join the "Petition Coalition" by following these links and signing those that you agree with! 

Ask Brazilian lawmakers not to allow multinationals to sell “suicide seeds” banned by UN treaty: http://action.sumofus.org/a/brazil-terminator-seeds/4/2/?sub=tw

Demand an end to “blue slip” judicial veto power by individual members of the Senate: https://dailykos.com/campaigns/629

Stand against big polluters and support the EPA actions against climate change:   https://secure3.convio.net/lcv/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=1107

Net Neutrality has been struck a lethal blow—tell the FCC to do everything in its power to bring it back: http://www.savetheinternet.com/sti-home

Tell San Diego mayoral candidate to denounce racist GOP attack on his opponent: http://act.presente.org/sign/sdmayor

Demand the firing of NC police officers who murdered a schizophrenic teen in front of his parents: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/212/347/460/fire-officers-who-killed-schizophrenic-teen-in-cold-blood/

Attest that a free public college education should be available to every student who qualifies academically: http://act.watchdog.net/petitions/4203

Tell Congress that agribusiness subsidies should be cut from the Farm Bill before food stamps are touched: https://dailykos.com/campaigns/626

Speak out against mining in Alaska’s pristine Bristol Bay: https://secure.nrdconline.org/site/Advocacy?page=UserAction&id=3301

Tell the president it’s way past time to keep his promise and close Guantanamo Bay: http://www.credomobilize.com/petitions/guantanamo-turns-12-president-obama-must-keep-his-promise-to-shut-it-down

Encourage Boy Scouts of America to add a badge for animal conservation: https://www.change.org/petitions/the-boy-scouts-of-america-help-save-near-extinct-animals-by-adopting-a-new-merit-badge-animal-conservation 

Thanks for fighting the good fight, and for all the little ways you change the world!

Petition Coalition Roundup - January 12, 2014

Join the "Petition Coalition" by following these links and signing those that you agree with! 

Tell Governor Cuomo that the Atlantic Yards developers shouldn’t get away with broken promises in Brooklyn: http://brooklynspeaks.net/make-forest-city-keep-its-promises 

Tell Google to stop funding climate change deniers: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/746/363/313/google-dont-be-evil-stop-funding-climate-change-deniers/ 

Don’t let fishermen remove humpback whales from the endangered species list: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/426/580/289/dont-remove-humpback-whales-from-endangered-species-list 

Demand that charges against transgender teen defending herself be dropped: http://www.change.org/petitions/drop-charges-against-transgender-teen-defending-herself 

Prevent offshoring more American jobs and speak out against fast track of the Trans Pacific Partnership: http://act.credoaction.com/sign/fast_track?akid=9740.1276313.EK9SK1 

Tell Morocco to change their twisted law allowing a rapist to force underage victims into marriage: http://www.avaaz.org/en/forced_to_marry_her_rapist_f 

Tell the FDA that chicken poop is unacceptable as cattle feed: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/449/552/423/demand-the-fda-ban-chicken-poop-in-cow-feed 

Help reduce waste and litter by supporting a 10 cent fee for plastic bags in NYC: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/152/362/295/ 

Thank Al Roker for telling Limbaugh and other science deniers to “stuff it”: https://www.dailykos.com/campaigns/624 

Don’t let Monsanto undermine states’ rights to enact GMO labeling requirements: http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/sign/stop_Monsantos_secret_plan_to_kill_GMO_labeling 

Thanks for fighting the good fight, and for all the little ways you change the world!

Petition Coalition Roundup - January 11, 2014

Join the "Petition Coalition" by following these links and signing those that you agree with! 

Nobody should make money from jails—put a stop to the private, for-profit prison system in this country: http://act.colorofchange.org/sign/privateprison_divestment/

Tell Radio Disney that they shouldn’t be in the business of putting oil industry propaganda into their programming: www.credomobilize.com/petitions/tell-radio-disney-to-stop-promoting-oil-and-gas-pipelines-to-kids

Tell Pres. Obama and Sec. Kerry that even diplomats shouldn’t get away with with labor exploitation: https://www.change.org/petitions/secretary-kerry-and-president-obama-don-t-give-khobragade-a-free-pass-for-labor-exploitation-in-the-united-states

Stand with editors at The Guardian and elsewhere in support of their whistleblower coverage: http://act.watchdog.net/petitions/4104

Tell your Congressmembers: raise the minimum wage: https://dailykos.com/campaigns/599

Ask Denmark to release hacktivist, or at least allow him free access to books like other prisoners: http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/Helle_ThorningSchmidt_Prime_minister_of_Danish_Government_Pardon_and_release_Anakata_but_even_more_urgently_provide_him_/

Tell the Senate that the needy can’t afford any cuts to food stamps in this fragile economy: http://campaigns.dailykos.com/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=696

Demand discipline for N.C. hospital workers who denied care to a dying man and threw him in a cab: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/547/073/484/discipline-hospital-workers-who-threw-out-dying-man

After yet another inaccurate story, ask “60 Minutes” to appoint a public editor to investigate coverage errors: http://act.forecastthefacts.org/sign/sixty_minutes_public_editor/

Thanks for fighting the good fight, and for all the little ways you change the world!

"Petition Coalition" Roundup - January 6, 2014

Join the "Petition Coalition" by following these links and signing those that you agree with! 

Ask the Yemeni Government to End Forced Child Marriage: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/475/945/953/ 

Call for a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United: http://www.alfranken.com/landing/e130719cu/ 

Voice support of Secretary Kerry’s pursuit of a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine: http://2campaign.org/#sign-the-petition 

Tell Alaska Airlines to respect democracy and support the SeaTac citizens’ vote on a livable wage for airport employees: http://action.seiu.org/page/s/tell-alaska-airlines-respect-democracy-step-out-of-the-way-of-my-dreams 

Tell Hanes to end wage theft at their Haitian suppliers: http://action.sumofus.org/a/haiti-hanes/ 

Ask Australia to grant a visa to prevent Ali Choudhry from deportation and persecution in Pakistan: http://www.communityrun.org/petitions/don-t-deport-ali-choudhry 

Thanks for fighting the good fight, and for all the little ways you change the world!

"Petition Coalition" Roundup - January 4, 2014

Join the "Petition Coalition" by following these links and signing those that you agree with!

Send a message to the Senate that you support the extension of unemployment insurance benefits: http://action.ourfuture.org/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=262 

Another way to tell the Senate that extending unemployment insurance is vital in this fragile economy: http://act.democracyforamerica.com/sign/extend_unemployment_benefits/

Tell your senators: Give diplomacy a chance and oppose the Menendez sanctions on Iran: http://campaigns.dailykos.com/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=699

Ask the U.N. to help protect us and other member nations from the outrageous online spying that has been occurring since Bush signed the so-called “Patriot” Act: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/355/280/042/ask-the-un-to-protect-our-privacy-online/

Tell Seattle Archbishop: Listen to Catholic students, stop firing gay teachers: http://act.faithfulamerica.org/sign/eastsidecatholic

Protect children and homeless youth from child trafficking in the U.S.: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/715/816/465/

Urge hotel chains to recognize 911 as an emergency call in all rooms to prevent tragedies like Kari Rene Hunt’s murder in front of her children: https://www.change.org/petitions/let-hotel-phones-dial-911-easily-help-enact-kari-s-law

Stop the poisoning of prairie dogs: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/513/085/624/stop-the-poisoning-of-thousands-of-prairie-dogs

Demand that Colorado officials drop charges against animal cruelty whistleblower: https://www.change.org/petitions/drop-animal-cruelty-charge-against-undercover-investigator-in-colorado

Congress: Ban Untested Lethal Injection Drugs: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/231/890/771/tell-us-congress-to-outlaw-untested-lethal-injection-chemicals

Tell Outdoor Gear Companies to End Down-Plucking Torture of Live Geese: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/373/242/428/tell-outdoor-gear-companies-to-end-down-plucking-torture-of-live-geese/

Thanks for fighting the good fight, and for all the little ways you change the world!

A penny found is a penny earned (for charity)

It's a new year, which means there's a new tally in my annual found money campaign for the Sean McGrath Fund!

Some background: Sean was a dear friend and colleague, who also played guitar in the punk and hardcore bands Saves The Day, Hands Tied, and Mouthpiece. Unofficially founded in 2002 when some friends and I threw a benefit concert--with Thursday, Taking Back Sunday, Midtown, and The Movielife on the bill--for Sean's medical expenses after his diagnosis with advanced cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer), the Fund was officially incorporated as a charity through the Princeton Area Community Foundation after Sean's death in 2004.

In the decade since, we've given over $30,000 in grants to health and humanitarian causes locally, nationally, and internationally. In response to the economic crisis, we ramped up our granting activities in 2011, nearly exhausting our fund with two years of monthly grants. Unfortunately, you can only give out more money than you take in for so long, so we're currently in a phase of rebuilding our nest egg, and hope to do some larger scale fundraisers this year so we can begin doling out grants to worthy organizations again soon!

The money that I find and pick up on the street throughout the year and set aside for the SMcGF is just a drop in the bucket, but anyone in the charity sector will tell you that literally every penny is helpful and appreciated! So now let's take a look at those pennies:

.01 x 297  =  $2.97

.05 x 13  =  $0.65

.10 x 33  =  $3.30

.25 x 28  =  $7.00

1.00 x 3  =  $3.00

Along with one Canadian dime, three Canadian pennies, and one Euro cent (worth 13 cents altogether), plus a MetroCard I found with 50 cents of credit, that puts this year's grand total at $17.55. While that is considerably lower than the tallies from last year or the year before, I'll chalk up most of the underage to the fact that I had a lot less freelance work this year, and therefore spent a lot less time in the city, where people tend not to look down or bend over when they hear the clink of dropped change. Hopefully 2014 will be more fruitful for me on the work front, and for the Sean McGrath Fund on the found money front!

I have a special place in my heart for the most weathered coins that I find, if only because once they make it to the bank, there's a good chance that they'll be sent off to the mint to be melted down. I'm proud to give them an honorable death in the line of charity. These are this year's most timeworn specimens, most of them so far gone that their mint dates are completely illegible.

As I do every year, I'm asking friends, readers, and supporters to match the donation in honor of what would have been Sean's birthday later this month. Your matching donation (or donation of any amount) will amplify the impact of this found change and help us support great causes through the SMcGF in the year ahead. If you'd like to make a donation, hit the orange button on the PACF site and make sure you specify "Sean McGrath Fund" in your note!

I'm also extending a challenge in hopes that all of you will set aside a jar, mug, or bowl and spend the next year filling it with any money you happen to find on the sidewalk, at the checkout counter, in your couch cushions, or any other "lost" money, and to donate your grand tally in twelve months. Let your own little change become a little way that you change the world next year!