Politics
The long time activist for economic, racial, and environmental justice, and former Green Jobs Czar of the Obama Administration spoke at the Plumbers and Pipe Fitters Memorial Hall on Nov. 3, adding his voice to the fight to repeal SB 5.
Some activists have said the American Dream has been bad for the planet and a nightmare for some of the people in poor countries for whom the consequences of our consumerism are as severe as they are out of sight and out of mind to most of us.
Despite voting NO in May 1997 – you as a citizen of Columbus, Ohio, just helped purchase and now subsidize the Nationwide Arena! The Columbus City Council decided to defer to Mayor Michael Coleman and purchase Nationwide Arena pledging future casino tax revenue funds – already promised to the taxpayers of Columbus as the way to make our city, and particularly the west side, a better place to live. The Council bought the arena from the Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company on October 3, 2011.
Oddly, the Columbus Dispatch reported that “the vote authorized the administration of Mayor Michael B. Coleman to pledge a growing share of the city’s casino tax revenue to help the Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority purchase [of] Nationwide Arena for $42.5 million, and to pay millions more to operate the arena through 2039.”
Oddly, the Columbus Dispatch reported that “the vote authorized the administration of Mayor Michael B. Coleman to pledge a growing share of the city’s casino tax revenue to help the Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority purchase [of] Nationwide Arena for $42.5 million, and to pay millions more to operate the arena through 2039.”
Ann Bell, an economist by trade, draws those conclusions from her experience with fighting back against the attacks on collective bargaining in Wisconsin. She spoke with the Columbus Free Press last weekend at Freedom Plaza, one of the sites of the ongoing occupations in DC. Like her counterparts in Occupy Columbus, Bell is part of a national movement to make government and corporations more accountable to the majority of ordinary people.
“As we were illegally kicked out of the capital and moved more to focusing on the recall elections, we really kind of saw the weakness of the progressive movement (in terms of ) not building long term organizations and umbrella groups that we can use independent of who wins elections and independent of what exactly the issue is that we’re being confronted with.”
Bell said the fundamental issue to base a mass movement on is income inequality.
The U. S. Supreme Court ruling on the Affordable Care Act will trump Issue 3 a Ohio Constitutional Amendment. So, Issue 3 will have no final effect. However, if you read the text of Issue 3 and the handout notes for my seminars, you will see that Issue 3 would immediately harm every citizens of Ohio by preventing the improvement of the delivery, and increasing costs of health care. It is so ambiguous and broadly framed that it would result in much litigation which would be paid for the tax payers.
The immediate devastating effect would be to invalidate needed laws and regulations passed since March 19, 2010, including the cost saving ones passed by the Kasich administration. Any needed in the future would also not go into effect. It would keep 1.5 million Ohioans, 135,325 of them children, from having medical insurance or health care until the U. S. Supreme Court ruling is made, and the provisions of the Affordable Care Act from going into effect as scheduled. It would interfere with the use of new vaccines, prevent the keeping and sharing records of new diseases, licensing changes of care givers and cause many other problems.
The immediate devastating effect would be to invalidate needed laws and regulations passed since March 19, 2010, including the cost saving ones passed by the Kasich administration. Any needed in the future would also not go into effect. It would keep 1.5 million Ohioans, 135,325 of them children, from having medical insurance or health care until the U. S. Supreme Court ruling is made, and the provisions of the Affordable Care Act from going into effect as scheduled. It would interfere with the use of new vaccines, prevent the keeping and sharing records of new diseases, licensing changes of care givers and cause many other problems.
On the day a new generation of activists “occupy” Columbus by camping out at the Ohio Statehouse, the Free Press mourns the loss of an older activist who was a one-man occupation, Jerry Doyle. Some of us met him as he set up daily “occupation” on Nelson Road in front of a nursing home holding two signs simply stating “There’s Danger Here” and “God Knows.” By sheer force of will, he shut down the nursing home where he used to work, where he had witnessed an elderly person being beaten and abused.
At the Free Press, we were used to his calls and messages which always began the same: “Nobody important, just the Doyle boy.” His “Plantation News” newsletter was a legendary muck-raking publication that exposed such an accurate truth about corruption in Columbus it often got him arrested.
Free Press Editor once represented Doyle on sentencing and appeal after the Columbus Board of Education had him arrested for “trespassing at the podium” at a School Board meeting. Of course, Doyle had the necessary speaker’s slip to speak at the podium that day, but the School Board decided to change the rules on the spot, and have him arrested.
At the Free Press, we were used to his calls and messages which always began the same: “Nobody important, just the Doyle boy.” His “Plantation News” newsletter was a legendary muck-raking publication that exposed such an accurate truth about corruption in Columbus it often got him arrested.
Free Press Editor once represented Doyle on sentencing and appeal after the Columbus Board of Education had him arrested for “trespassing at the podium” at a School Board meeting. Of course, Doyle had the necessary speaker’s slip to speak at the podium that day, but the School Board decided to change the rules on the spot, and have him arrested.
Paul Singer likes to breakfast on decayed carcasses. What he chews down is sickening, but just as nausea-inducing are his new table mates: Ken Langone and the Koch Brothers, Charles and David.
Singer has called together the billionaire boys club for the purpose of picking our next president for us. The old fashioned way of choosing presidents—democracy and counting ballots and all that—has never been a favorite of this pack. I can tell you that from my investigations of each of these gentlemen for The Guardian. When the Statue of Liberty has nightmares, she dreams that these guys will combine to seize America via a cash-and-carry coup d'état.
Welcome to the nightmare. Singer, Langone and the Kochs last month decided to elect Chris Christie for us. The Jersey Governor's pseudo-campaign went belly-up before it began. But that's besides the point. Now that the Supreme Court has effectively ended campaign finance limits and allowed secretive contributions through "corporations", this new combine of the ultra-wealthy should not be viewed as just a political threat to the Democrats, but a threat to democracy.
Singer has called together the billionaire boys club for the purpose of picking our next president for us. The old fashioned way of choosing presidents—democracy and counting ballots and all that—has never been a favorite of this pack. I can tell you that from my investigations of each of these gentlemen for The Guardian. When the Statue of Liberty has nightmares, she dreams that these guys will combine to seize America via a cash-and-carry coup d'état.
Welcome to the nightmare. Singer, Langone and the Kochs last month decided to elect Chris Christie for us. The Jersey Governor's pseudo-campaign went belly-up before it began. But that's besides the point. Now that the Supreme Court has effectively ended campaign finance limits and allowed secretive contributions through "corporations", this new combine of the ultra-wealthy should not be viewed as just a political threat to the Democrats, but a threat to democracy.
The board of trustees at Wilberforce, the nation’s oldest private,
historically Black university are the focus of a case accusing them of mismanagement of resources, conflicts-of-interest, and gross negligence.
On behalf of the Wilberforce Faculty Association and Concerned Citizens of Greene County, attorneys Bob Fitrakis and Connie Gadell-Newton filed the case with the Ohio Attorney General last week.
The board of trustees has failed to include faculty, staff, and students in decisions affecting the university, said participants at the press conference last week where Fitrakis and Gadell-Newton formally announced the case.
“Communication could definitely be a lot better. We filed approximately 12 grievances without any replies or responses,” said Everett Jones, Professor of Piano, and secretary of the Wilberforce Faculty Association.
“In a collectively governing body such as a university with faculty, staff, students, and administration, along with upper administration, everyone has to work together for there to be success,” Jones said.
Wilberforce Professor of Religion and Philosophy, Daniel Iselaiye said the same thing.
The board of trustees has failed to include faculty, staff, and students in decisions affecting the university, said participants at the press conference last week where Fitrakis and Gadell-Newton formally announced the case.
“Communication could definitely be a lot better. We filed approximately 12 grievances without any replies or responses,” said Everett Jones, Professor of Piano, and secretary of the Wilberforce Faculty Association.
“In a collectively governing body such as a university with faculty, staff, students, and administration, along with upper administration, everyone has to work together for there to be success,” Jones said.
Wilberforce Professor of Religion and Philosophy, Daniel Iselaiye said the same thing.
There are mounting signs that the right-wing Israeli government may think the timing is right for an attack on Iran, with growing alarms inside Israel about alleged Iranian progress on building a nuclear bomb – and with President Barack Obama fearing loss of key Jewish political support in 2012 if he doesn’t go along.
On Sept. 26, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated Iran’s alleged progress, telling interviewer Charlie Rose that “time is short” before Iran obtains nuclear weapons and poses a direct threat to Israel and the rest of the world.
Yet, the key factor in any Israeli decision to send its aircraft and missiles to Iran is the degree to which Netanyahu and other hard-line Likud leaders believe that President Obama is locked into giving blanket support to Israel — particularly as Election 2012 draws near.
On Sept. 26, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated Iran’s alleged progress, telling interviewer Charlie Rose that “time is short” before Iran obtains nuclear weapons and poses a direct threat to Israel and the rest of the world.
Yet, the key factor in any Israeli decision to send its aircraft and missiles to Iran is the degree to which Netanyahu and other hard-line Likud leaders believe that President Obama is locked into giving blanket support to Israel — particularly as Election 2012 draws near.
BANGKOK, Thailand -- When voters recently elected a crude, joke-cracking, former massage parlor tycoon to parliament, no one expected him to immediately unleash a video sting against Thailand's biggest illegal casino, and topple the country's chief of police, plus the military-installed head of the National Security Council.
"I have been removed for a reason which has nothing to do with my ability or my shortcomings," Thawil Pliensri, the ousted National Security Council secretary-general, said on September 7.
All the chaos and drama is thanks to the wise guy tactics of Chuvit Kamolvisit, who has even upset the U.S. State Department.
The American Embassy refused to issue Mr. Chuvit a visa to meet his two daughters and former wife in San Diego, California, because he previously owned several huge Bangkok massage parlors packed with sex workers and openly admitted to bribing police, he said.
"I stopped my massage parlors," a reformed Mr. Chuvit said in an interview while waxing nostalgic about his life in America in 1985 when he worked as a doorman at a sleazy sex club in New York City's Times Square.
"I have been removed for a reason which has nothing to do with my ability or my shortcomings," Thawil Pliensri, the ousted National Security Council secretary-general, said on September 7.
All the chaos and drama is thanks to the wise guy tactics of Chuvit Kamolvisit, who has even upset the U.S. State Department.
The American Embassy refused to issue Mr. Chuvit a visa to meet his two daughters and former wife in San Diego, California, because he previously owned several huge Bangkok massage parlors packed with sex workers and openly admitted to bribing police, he said.
"I stopped my massage parlors," a reformed Mr. Chuvit said in an interview while waxing nostalgic about his life in America in 1985 when he worked as a doorman at a sleazy sex club in New York City's Times Square.
Independent journalist Mahdi Darius Nazemroaya has come up with blockbuster details of the WEB OF LIES that spawned the NATO genocide in Libya. This is a long, but very important read. Please pay close attention to the names listed in the Annex of his report.
Mahdi and I will be on KPFK's Freedom Now, hosted by Dedon Kamathi (5:00 pm Pacific Time). Hear Mahdi explain this document in eloquent and passionate detail. Most of us are already aware of the fact of the lie, but Mahdi will tell us how the lie became global United Nations/NATO policy. And this is what will truly shock you: how a decision to go to war against a country and completely destroy it was so cavalierly undertaken.
Mahdi's report is extremely important. Tune in tomorrow at KPFK.org and then continue to watch that spot as more of Mahdi's information obtained in those last harrowing days in Libya will be exposed. If you cannot tune in to us live, then please check the KPFK Freedom Now audio archives at your convenience.
Mahdi and I will be on KPFK's Freedom Now, hosted by Dedon Kamathi (5:00 pm Pacific Time). Hear Mahdi explain this document in eloquent and passionate detail. Most of us are already aware of the fact of the lie, but Mahdi will tell us how the lie became global United Nations/NATO policy. And this is what will truly shock you: how a decision to go to war against a country and completely destroy it was so cavalierly undertaken.
Mahdi's report is extremely important. Tune in tomorrow at KPFK.org and then continue to watch that spot as more of Mahdi's information obtained in those last harrowing days in Libya will be exposed. If you cannot tune in to us live, then please check the KPFK Freedom Now audio archives at your convenience.