Local

A local non-profit movement continues to make a positive impact on the lives of Ohio’s prison inmate population each year by sending them personalized, handwritten Christmas cards that encourage them to "Continue the Story." 

Over the past several years, Central Ohio’s “Continue the Story" movement has personally reached more than 64,700 inmates incarcerated in Ohio’s prison system at Christmastime, one inmate at a time, in hopes of brightening their lives by spreading the Christmas spirit, which is one of joy and hope. 

Although it is rapidly growing with hundreds of volunteers throughout Greater Columbus, “Continue the Story” was created six years ago after members of the organization became painfully aware of some of the horrors of the modern criminal justice system. Organizers believe a lot of the people who are incarcerated today are essentially good people who’ve made mistakes. 

Sunday, November 20, 1pm
Washington Gladden Social Justice Park, northeast corner of E. Broad St. and Cleveland Ave.

Please join us as we remember victims of traffic crashes and their loved ones, as well as first responders and medical professionals.

Traffic crash rates in Columbus are still increasing, unfortunately — up 14% in 2021 and rising — despite the “Vision Zero” traffic safety strategy that had been adopted by the City of Columbus two years ago.

Therefore, we are calling on our officials to immediately implement data-driven solutions to prevent traffic crashes beginning with the high-injury network arterials.

For too long, we have prioritized moving cars at high speeds over the safety of everyone, and society at large is paying the price with endless stories of lives ruined and/or never fully realized because of death, injuries, and lifelong disabilities.

This loss and suffering is preventable!

The National Safety Council estimates the annual cost of traffic crashes to society at $887 billion in 2021, which equates to $2.6 billion annual cost to the City of Columbus.

Foreword: Columbus, Ohio, exposes itself embarrassingly….

If I, as the holder a Ph.D., am barely able to comprehend the intentionally garbled and misleading rhetorical constructions of all of the City of Columbus, Ohio’s purposefully overwhelming number of off-year propositions and charter amendments in the November 2022 election, the City itself violates the newly-approved charter amendment outlawing self-dealing voter initiatives and dropping the 1914 stipulation that competitive testing must be part of the city’s hiring process.

Indeed the number, the linguistic misconstruction, the disorganization, and the mangled presentation of the bond proposals is itself a clear and compelling example of City Council’s purposeful “self-dealing.” Or shall we say “double-dealing”?

I woke up one morning and looked at the internet.

Joe Walsh planned celebrating Veteran’s Day Weekend at Nationwide Arena with a VetsAid concert which reunited James Gang with the assistance of Dave Grohl in Columbus, Ohio.

Walsh is one of the biggest figures in music.

Joe Walsh, Robert Plant, and Ozzy Osbourne exist as men who defined Rock’n’Roll’s evolution from the blues, Elvis, and doo wop.

Robert Plant fronted Led Zeppelin. Ozzy Osbourne founded Rock’n’Roll gospel music with Black Sabbath anthems.

Walsh sang in James Gang who brought the template for Rock’n’Roll in the wake of the Kent State shootings and Vietnam. Walsh was in the Eagles which probably floated during the Reagan era.

James Gang playing Columbus in 2022 would’ve existed as one of the most important events in the history of Columbus.

If this wasn’t a unique occurrence, Joe enlisted a crop of Ohio’s most revered Rock’n’Roll artists:

Nine Inch Nails: Cleveland

Black Keys: Akron

The Breeders: Dayton

James Gang: Kent/Cleveland

Dave Grohl: Warren, Ohio

The fight to shut down the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) continues. Right now, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is assessing the environmental impact of this climate-busting pipeline, but they have kept key stakeholders in the dark about the true impacts of a potential oil spill.

We already know the pipeline poses a serious ongoing threat to the Missouri River, including the primary water source of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.

Join frontline Indigenous water protectors calling for transparency on the risks of the Dakota Access Pipeline.

Each day the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) continues to operate, it violates Indigenous sovereignty and treaty rights and poses a constant threat to the Missouri River — a crucial water source for the Standing Rock Sioux and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribes as well as much of the United States.

A national Democratic leader attributed the general success in the midterms to very high enthusiasm levels, and that’s true for explaining the success at winning many congressional, statehouse and gubernatorial races.

But this absolutely did not apply to Ohio, where Democratic turnout crashed and enthusiasm was extraordinarily low, even though Ohio was one of the top Senate battleground states.

As a result, the Democratic candidate for governor in Ohio lost by 25.5 points, other statewide candidates lost by large margins, and the Senate race in Ohio was lost by a larger margin (6.6 points) than in any of the top ten battleground states. The next worst performance was in North Carolina, where the Democrat lost by 3.5 points. Jim Jordan won re-election by a 38.6-point margin, even though he was in the national spotlight for potential criminality.

There is no doubt that Ohio stood out for poor performance compared to virtually all other states. Ohio Democrats ought to be asking why and holding their state party leaders accountable.

The film will be available to watch November 18-20 with a Q&A on November 20 at 2:00 EST discussing local food issues with one of the filmmakers and activists from Ohio. Register today to learn more about this amazing leader/activist and about the food we eat.

What did you have for breakfast today? For lunch or dinner? Do you know where what you ate comes from or how it was grown or who grew it? Many of us have taken for granted that what we are eating and feeding our families is healthy for us. The shift in food production from growing our own food to small local farmers to purchasing it at large corporate grocery stores has big implications not only for our health, but the health of the soil, the air and the water....NATURE.

Workers at the 88 E. Broad St. Starbucks store will be striking Thursday, November 17 from 5 am until 5 pm in solidarity with their fellow workers across the country.

They join a total of over 100 stores taking part in the Red Cup Rebellion, a nationwide Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) strike demanding Starbucks fully staff all union stores and begin bargaining in good faith.

According to LaborNotes.org, a ULP strike is different than an economic strike, which seeks higher wages, because a “union hits the bricks to protest an employer violation of the National Labor Relations Act.” And under National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) law, a ULP offers greater protections than an economic strike because “an employer can never permanently replace workers striking to protest an unfair labor practice.”

Thursday, Nov 17 7pm-9pm
Join online: http://tinyurl.com/CORSmeeting
Join the Central Ohio Revolutionary Socialists as we discuss and apply revolutionary ideas.
This week, we will be meeting online from 7-9pm, where we will be discussing Frederick Engels “Principles of Communism.”
This short work gives a basic introduction to Marxist ideas and the meaning of the struggle for socialism. We welcome all people interested in learning and talking about radical ideas to join us for a discussion of the text.
Hope to see you there! 
Suggested readings to check out ahead of time: 

Part Two

Across the board, budgets and staffing are insufficient for the City to meet its legal obligations. As a result, the city is a dirty, physical wreck. Visitors who venture beyond the steroid-spewing The Arnold Classic in the Convention Center, within a few blocks of OSU’s football or basketball stadia, or venture into the city for an overpriced steak from the Memorial golf tournament almost universally comment on this.

But unable or unwilling to “see” their city or govern it, Council and mayor give away 100s of millions of dollars indiscriminately to special interests private and pseudo-public groups and individuals. They act as if a full proposal with specific plan, budget, timetable, and measures of accounting and accountability were themselves illegal, rather than the opposite.