Stephan:   I am increasingly struck by the disconnect between what overwhelming majorities of Americans want their government to do, and what the government actually does. This disparity, I believe, is a measure of how corrupted our Congress has become. Senators and Representatives routinely support their corporate masters, no matter what the people actually wish them to do. It reveals America's failing democracy, and there is only one nonviolent way to stop it. Vote for that which is compassionately life affirming. Look at what comes out the other end of the pipeline, and make your decision on that basis. This is my take: the 2014 House election, and potentially three Supreme Court appointments, a total of 20 people, will determine the fate of America. We know what it takes for a population to live in such a way that both individuals and country prosper. This minimum wage argument is really about this: Is it in the interest of the nation to see that people make a living wage, and that wealth be better distributed? And that national wellness become the first priority. To stop the downward spiral we have got to get more people to vote. That is the only way this is going to stop. Gerrymandering or no, the House must be changed. Our lives depend upon it, and we must express that with our votes. Over the next two years those of us who see life in all its forms as interconnected and interdependent, and who recognize that working with life processes is the better smarter course, and who value democracy have got to figure out how to turnover 17 seats. Partisanship when it is emotion based not fact based isn't very helpful. But when it is fact based, the chance of success goes up materially; and there is simply no question that Blue value policies produce better outcomes. Click through to see the charts that help to make this report clear.