Editorial

The COVID-19 pandemic has laid out a lot of things about our society that are the ugly truth. One of them is that Columbus is still a city reliant on cars to get anywhere. The reduction of Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) service is living proof of that, as COTA has drastically cut back on service to focus on essential travel during Ohio’s Stay at Home Order.

On March 19, COTA’s Board of Trustees voted to make service free for the foreseeable future, and all passengers (with the exception of passengers in wheelchairs) to enter and exit through the rear door, which makes sense because it separates the passengers from the driver. Rush Hour Lines and other select routes were eventually phased out by early April. Buses were capped off at 20 passengers per bus, roughly half its normal capacity. Once a bus is at capacity, passengers standing at a bus stop are forced to wait for the next bus, which could be as long as two hours, depending on the route.

City Council this week approved of two new Community Reinvestment Areas or CRAs, one for Grandview Crossing and one for Northland. They also extended the boundaries of the Linden CRA. These CRAs now make developers eligible for a 15-year 100% property tax abatement. 

Furthermore, City Council approved a $6.7 million tax abatement for Kaufman Development’s Gravity Project 2 in Franklinton.  

I do not have an issue with the creation of the Northland CRA and extending the boundaries of the Linden CRA as long as tax incentives are used primarily to benefit true affordable housing for low-to-middle income residents, and keeps gentrification in check.  

But at a time when people are struggling to survive, the Mayor and City Council must be out of their minds for approving the Grandview Crossing CRA and the Kaufman Gravity 2 abatement.  

Gov. Dewine, Lt. Gov. Husted, and Dr. Acton,

First off I want to thank you for your diligent work to keep myself and the rest of the state of Ohio safe during these unprecedented and strange times. When historians look back on this period in American history, all three of you—and the many people on the ground working for your administration—will be fondly remembered for your compassionate, logical, and careful work. I am particularly impressed by Dr. Acton’s ability to not only speak truth to power, but to explain complex, scientific ideas and data to a general audience. As someone who has spent a lot of time in higher education, both at the undergrad and grad levels, I am infinitely impressed by this trait. Your press conferences have brought confidence, truthfulness, and science to the forefront of the conversation on how Ohio can overcome this frightening enemy.

As the effects of coronavirus still ravage the globe, many people have noted that this is the fourth major crisis of the 21st century. Some even say that coronavirus is a composition of all our most recent crises combined. After all, the 2000s began with a good deal of tragedy -- 9/11 occurred only a year in and was followed by Hurricane Katrina shortly after. Both showcased a lack of preparedness by the U.S. government for such major emergencies, whether they were created by nature or man-made. Things would eventually turn for the worse economically right as the country started to recover, as the financial crisis of 2008 -- created by the pure greed and deregulation on Wall Street -- wreaked havoc across the country, more so than any natural or manufactured tragedy had up until that point.
 

The Columbus Dispatch appears bound and determined to break the daily newspaper reading habit in central Ohio.

First, management keeps jacking up the price of home delivery and single copies of the print product.

Second, the newspaper keeps getting thinner and thinner as less news and information is provided compared to the past.

Third, the deadline for the next day's paper keeps getting earlier and earlier. It was around 9 or 10 o'clock at night for the early edition until the printing plant in Columbus was closed and moved to Indianapolis in January. Then the deadline was moved up to 7 p.m., ostensibly because it takes nearly three hours to truck the papers to Columbus.

I did some checking and found out that 7 p.m. was also the deadline for the Indianapolis Star, a sister newspaper of the Dispatch under the new merged company called Gannett.

What?

Why would the Star be stuck with such an early deadline when there is no 3-hour trucking imperative?

A reasonable deadline for the Star would be 2 a.m. Allowing for trucking time, a reasonable deadline for the Dispatch would be 3 hours earlier, at 11 p.m.

As of Friday, April 24, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released numbers that show 30% of known black patients tested positive for COVID-19. Conveniently or not, the report didn’t have any other racial information for 75% of all cases totaled. It also didn’t include any demographic breakdown of deaths. Yet this was a released federal report of case data by race. I’m confused and concerned as to why they released the numbers for the black race only.   

Lets back up a little. On Monday, April 20, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine informed the public that he had formed a Minority Health Strike Force to study the problem in Ohio that the disease has “disproportionally” impacted blacks. This strike force is also supposed to study the implications on a national level. Some would say that they should just be focusing on Ohio at this time and after this pandemic is contained to then pool the information from the nation totals together to “study” the impact on blacks and all races of people. 

After watching Mayor Ginther’s online interview with Channel 4’s Colleen Marshall on Wednesday, I have to ask, why has it taken our Mayor nearly 19 years to recognize and address the obvious inequalities that exist in the African-American communities of Columbus?

Never before has this question had more weight or relevance than during the pandemic.

Mayor Ginther said Wednesday he would focus on those who were most in need. Homeless, those in need of food, and affordable housing. Working with the Community Shelter Board, Urban league, YMCA.

Nearly 30 percent of Columbus is African American, and the issue of racial disparity is confronting us once again in terms of blacks being greater infected by the virus due to economic and social disparities.

Unfortunately, the virus further exposed the inequality where it matters the most – our overall health. Yet Ginther has been an elected official since 2001. Columbus School Board from 2001-2007, Columbus City Council from 2007-2015, Council President from 2011-2015, and Mayor of Columbus from 2016 to today.

I grew up the youngest of six children in a home where LGBTQ people and issues were not discussed, except for the occasional derogatory comment. I knew from a young age that I was gay but I kept it to myself for many years out of fear of rejection.

At 17, I met a boy and we began dating. He told his parents about our relationship and they responded with acceptance and love. So I found the courage to come out to my parents. It was a very different experience. They kicked me out of the house and didn't speak to me for many years.

I finished high school and took a job as an executive assistant at an advertising firm. I loved that job. One day, when my boss and I were talking, she asked me about my weekend. I told her I spent time with my boyfriend. She said, “You’re gay?” I said yes. Then she fired me and said I should be out by the end of the day.

Many people may not realize that it is still legal in 30 states to fire someone for being gay. I can tell you discrimination is alive and well, I’ve lived it not just at home, but at work.

“420 in 2020. The classic cannaholiday is April 20th, which as the 4th month of the year, is abbreviated 4/20. In 2020, that makes every day in April 4/20! Thus, April 20th specifically becomes 4/20/20, or 4/20/2020. Further, twenty minutes after 4 o’clock that day – 4:20 am or 4:20 pm – will be 4:20 on 4/20 in 4/20 or 4:20 on 4/20/2020.” Mary Jane’s Guide, January 2020

The cannaholiday 420 was to have been so special this year. After all, this is 2020, and during April as the fourth month, every day is 4/20. That includes the infamous 20th day, aka 4/20.  There will be no similar date configuration any time soon. 4/20/2021? No. Or 4/20/2120? Not quite. Or 4/20/4200? Closer.

You can see 4/20/20 in the dreamer’s eye. Celebrations in 100 cities worldwide. Thousands gathered on college campuses, by city squares and in public parks. Smoke wafts above the crowds, banners unfurl in the wind and music fills the air. Revelers are extolling the herb, while speakers are demanding social justice. Keep that memory in your heart.