Politics
NEWS ITEM: Alaina Shearer, insurgent Democratic candidate for John Kasich's old Congressional seat (OH-12), caused shockwaves in Republican circles when she outraised her opponent U.S. Rep. Troy Balderson in the most recent reporting period.
Republican Balderson originally eked out a victory in a special election two years ago over Franklin County Recorder Danny O'Connor. It took none other than President Trump to descend upon the district at the last minute to gin up support for Balderson and save the GOP bacon. Balderson beat O'Connor by a slightly larger margin in the general election three months later.
RealClearPolitics.com rates this contest as "leans Republican." It is the only Congressional race in Ohio that the political website considers competitive. The district of nearly 800,000 people consists of a swath of north-central Franklin County, all of Delaware, Licking, and Morrow counties, and parts of Muskingum, Richland and Marion counties.
After Columbus police maced City Council President Shannon Hardin while he was peacefully protesting, activists were certain he would finally flex his political power to make change.
But instead, some activists now say his actions since being maced are typical, and mirrors how many Columbus Black leaders have historically responded to the failures of the Columbus Division of Police.
Some Black leaders may talk tough, but what about meaningful action, like passing police reform legislation?
“No substantive policy changes have been made yet,” says progressive activist Joe Motil. “You have groups and representatives from various organizations trying to get the ear of city hall officials to implement real police reform measures, but we are still in the same old review, committee and recommendations mode. Resolutions like racism is a public health issue don’t provide the necessary measures to address the social, economic and racial disparities of this community.”
As protests against police brutality continue to rage all over America, it is mind boggling how many conservatives still don’t understand that reforming our criminal justice system is an issue they should support. As a former Libertarian candidate, eliminating systemic racism at all levels of government is something that I and other libertarians have always wanted. In a democratic republic, all lives don’t matter until Black lives matter. After all, how is spending billions of dollars on the futile war on drugs or overcrowded prisons a worthwhile use of taxpayer money? How is the over-militarization of police forces not the very definition of big government? How is “qualified immunity” for police officers who murder innocent citizens not a direct violation of our rights and a trait of tyranny?
COLUMBUS, OH: June 17, 2020 - Today a lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court for Southern Ohio, demanding the immediate suspension of a unique Columbus City Charter provision which places a one year timeline on ballot initiative petition gathering. The City’s June 18 deadline on signature gathering for the petitioners is unconstitutional during the Covid-19 pandemic, because it effectively kills ballot access, according to the lawsuit.
“The City cannot have its cake and eat it too,” says volunteer petitioner Kathy McGlone. “One day they say democracy and a safe response to the pandemic can co-exist. Yet they refuse to take action to safeguard the petition process, effectively killing our promising ballot initiative drive.”
One of the most important political metrics is the approval-disapproval ratings of public officials.
The greater the approval percentage the more likely an officeholder will get re-elected.
The greater the approval percentage of a non-officeholder the more likely that person will get elected to public office.
Ohio's Republican Gov. Mike DeWine has earned skyrocketing approval ratings for his swift and decisive actions to protect the public during the pandemic caused by the spread of the coronavirus. Call him Mr. Popularity.
Public opinion surveys have put DeWine's approval rating in the 80-89 percent range, the highest in the country among governors and double the approval rating of Republican President Donald Trump. Interestingly, every governor in the country has an approval rating in their state higher than the President's.
DeWine looks like a lock for re-election in 2022 if he seeks a second term. If he chooses to "go political" in the fall and campaign for other Republicans in Ohio, even Trump, he will be a powerful influential force because of his popularity.
Joe Motil, former Columbus City Council candidate and longtime outspoken critic of City Hall’s tax abatement policies, testified at this evenings Columbus City Council meeting against the creation of the Grandview Crossing Community Reinvestment Area (CRA). The creation of a Grandview Crossing CRA will more than double the amount of property eligible for this 15-year 100% real property tax abatement. Just 3 months ago, Thrive Companies (previously known as Wagenbrenner Development) was given a $4.2 million 10-year 75% property tax abatement for their Grandview Crossing development.
#RepYourBlock2020, a grassroots coalition, recruited dozens of people from diverse political, demographic and racial backgrounds to run for central committee and strengthen the party. Our candidates are united in a vision for a Franklin County Democratic Party (FCDP) that works for the many, not the few. That means a Party that is radically transparent, accountable to all people, open to new ideas and has the political courage to fight for the urgent needs of our underserved communities.
In our last episode, mail had finally arrived at my building in downtown Manhattan after many days without, all because of the devastating impact of COVID-19 at my local post office.
Joe Biden must step aside. NOW!!!
Someone else must be the Democratic Party’s nominee to run against Donald Trump.
As Trump lies to the world, day after day, and puts his ghastly son-in-law in charge of dragging us all into the morass of a lethal pandemic and a catastrophic economic crash, we hear virtually nothing from the presumptive opposition.
Once again, the corporate Democrats have done all they can to crush a youthful, vibrant grassroots Sandernista movement for real social change while serving up a weak, unexciting moderate sure to lose to a beatable Republican.
As Trump twists and stumbles and makes a fool of himself and the rest of us, Joe Biden is utterly absent, showing every sign of dementia-driven un-electability a GOP strategist could ever lust for.
And now, to top it all off: no less than eight women have accused Biden of sexual imposition. At least one has accused him of forcible digital entry. Her description of the alleged event is gruesome, grotesque and extremely damning.