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The wrongful death case of a Cincinnati-area Kroger employee Evan Seyfried, who took his own life, will go forward, ruled a judge. The future trial could reveal the level and intensity of politically motivated bullying Evan faced before he passed in March of 2021. 

Evan’s family says two managers at Kroger targeted the 40-year-old assistant manager because he wore a mask. They also nicknamed him “Antifa” and encouraged Evan’s co-workers to do the same. Evan had no prior history of mental illness, and, by all accounts, was popular and well-liked by his co-workers.

Kroger, which now rivals Walmart in size and profit, tried to have the case dismissed arguing there’s a “Suicide Rule” in Ohio. It prevents legal blame being placed on a company, institution or even a person, for death caused by suicide. It’s a pro-Robber Barons law if there ever was one, and the Seyfried family is seeking to challenge the rule.

Tuesday, February 21, 2023, 8:00 – 9:00 PM
Join CODEPINK Congress and special guests to discuss what has transpired in the one year since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. One year after Russia invaded Ukraine, the US and NATO continue to escalate the war with sophisticated weapons and military training of Ukrainian troops on US soil.

While President Biden bemoans the need for an exit strategy for Russian leader Vladamir Putin, there seems to be little evidence of diplomatic efforts to push for a ceasefire and peace negotiations. Instead, Congress budgets over $100 billion for the war in Ukraine, with roughly half the money filling the coffers of military contractors in what some would call a giant money laundering scheme. Is there any hope on the horizon? Can the United Nations broker a peace? Does China hold the cards? What about a Korean-style armistice?

The Central Ohio Worker Center is a non-profit organization that educates, empowers, and advocates for and with low-wage and immigrant workers in Central Ohio.  More information about the position and instructions for application here. 

City of Columbus mayoral candidate Joe Motil states, “The OSU student newspaper The Lantern reported today that the warming center for the unsheltered, located in the Summit United Methodist Church is closing Monday at 6PM because of increased safety concerns. “According to 10TV, the Division of Police reported that two people were stabbed February 10th at the warming center.” But this is only publicized a week later. Motil adds, “The other 24-hour  warming center located at 501 East Broad Street closed its doors about two weeks ago.”

Our recent elections delivered a setback to Donald Trump, his allies, and their corporate-based campaign of racism/misogyny/homophobia, division, across our nation. It broke my heart, but didn’t surprise me, that my state of Ohio bucked that positive trend.

As national pundits cite Ohio as a “Red” state (not in the “good way”), it’s important to understand that it wasn’t always so and begin to understand why.

What Union Density Looks Like

When I hired in the Lorain US Steel mill a half century ago and joined up with the Steelworker’s Union (USW), Ohio was trusted to be a union-voting “Blue” state, especially its northern industrial section. Workers voted for those who delivered on our list of worker/people friendly issues. It wasn’t that right-wing Republicans didn’t float racist, misogynist, homophobic or other divisive issues, they did. It was that Unions were in place, represented/stood up for and educated workers on where their interests did/didn’t lie. Workers knew they weren’t alone, had people just like them to help them sort issues out.

Declaration by the German Initiative Lay Down Your Arms, on the anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, February 16

The ballot for this coming November 7 may offer another monumental chance for progressive voters in Columbus to take needed action – and this in case, to ensure legal and safe access to abortion. This week the Ohio Physicians for Reproductive Rights and Ohioans for Reproductive Freedom announced they are joining together to place a citizen-initiated constitutional amendment on November’s 2023 statewide general election ballot.

The jointly drafted amendment will be similar to a constitutional amendment approved by Michigan voters last November.

A distinction between the two is the Ohio Physician for Reproductive Rights is mostly backed by 1,400 doctors and healthcare professionals while Ohioans for Reproductive Freedom is a coalition of statewide reproductive rights and justice organizations such as the ACLU of Ohio, Abortion Fund of Ohio, New Voices for Reproductive Justice, Ohio Women’s Alliance, and Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio.

Saturday, Feb. 18, 7-11pm
Old First Presbyterian Church, 1101 Bryden Rd.
$5 requested donation
All ages community mixer with live jazz and poetry, snacks, treats, fun games, contests, lively conversation.
 

February 15, Desiree Tims, President and CEO of Innovation Ohio, condemned House Joint Resolution 1 (HJR1), a proposed constitutional amendment that increases the passage thresholds of new amendments to 60% of the vote, up from a simple majority.  

“HJR1 is a blatant power-grab by special interests and corrupt politicians, which seeks to undermine our democracy and silence the voice of the people,” said Tims. “This amendment shreds our costitution as we know it and is a direct attack on the rights of Ohio voters. We condemn it in the strongest terms possible.”

A similar proposal from the last General Assembly, HJR6, failed to receive enough support in the Ohio legislature and eventually died in lame duck session. HJR1, however, contains more limits to citizen-driven ballot initiatives and creates unnecessary burdens to signature gatherers. 

The mayor’s, city council’s, and Columbus Police Department’s chiefs’ uninformed, misleading commentaries and mismanagement of public safety would be comic if they were not often deadly.

Much is captured in two current events: the legally irrelevant and self-promotional devotion to what I renamed Colemanville (formerly downtown Columbus) in city council’s passing on Feb. 6, 2023 a resolution that has neither merit nor authority, setting a speed limit of 25 mph in the small, ragged downtown area. (See Graff, “Columbus searches for its Downtown with historical, urbanist, and developers’ blinders,” Busting Myths, Columbus Free Press, Dec. 22, 2021; “Still searching for Downtown: ‘Ideas considered for Downtown plan,’” Busting Myths, Columbus Free Press, Aug. 14, 2022)