Local

WHEN: Thursday, February 17, 7pm
WHERE: Jimmy V's, 1788 West 5th Ave., Grandview
Link to Facebook event here.

A new book features frontline stories from a movement fighting corporate and state power in Ohio.

For over eight years, organizers with the Ohio Community Rights Network (OHCRN) have worked hard with CELDF to propose and pass county charters, city charter amendments and city ordinances recognizing protective local self-governance and the Rights of Nature. In Death by Democracy — we hear directly from them.

Ballot initiatives they advanced, like the Lake Erie Bill of Rights, made international headlines and expanded peoples’ political imaginations. But in the end, a power structure revealed itself that saw all branches of the government of Ohio and corporate interests go so far as to alter state law to repress the movements’ tactics and remove a total of 14 qualified initiatives from local ballots, despite all measures gathering sufficient signatures and satisfying all administrative requirements.

Hidden in plain sight, the extreme hypocrisy of the U.S. position on NATO and Ukraine cries out for journalistic coverage and open debate in the USA’s major media outlets. But those outlets, with rare exceptions, have gone into virtually Orwellian mode, only allowing elaboration on the theme of America good, Russia bad.

Aiding and abetting a potentially catastrophic -- and I do mean catastrophic -- confrontation between the world’s two nuclear superpowers are lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Like the media they echo and vice versa, members of Congress, including highly touted progressives, can scarcely manage more than vague comments that they want diplomacy rather than war.

The Central Ohio Worker Center has put together an Employee Rights Handbook. The Handbook includes easily readable and understandable essential information regarding workers' rights that all workers should know. It provides basic information regarding employment laws and legal protections, including federal and state minimum wage and overtime law, employment discrimination, non-compete clauses, laws protecting the right to join with coworkers, the new Columbus Wage Theft Ordinance, anti-retaliation laws, and worker's compensation protection.  This information is particularly relevant to low-wage, minority, and immigrant workers since they are often the victim of workers' rights violations. Vulnerable populations deserve better than to be taken advantage of for their work.

When New York Times opinion editor Kathleen Kingsbury published her case for “guest essays” replacing OpEds(April 27, 2021), she did not include “fact-based” among her “principles.” Her standards—cogent argument, logical thought, compelling rhetoric—however, are not requirements for all opinion writers. They do not apply to regular columnists and especially “conservative” writers. Is this requirement only for “guests”?

Dear Senator. Paypal. Courage. Adult Use – Game on!

Selected bites of fresh cannabis news sliced from the headlines, with a legislative flavor and sweet Ohio twist. Sources are linked.

CannaBanking

Twas the Monday after Christmas. What was the first message in my inbox? Hint: it came from Paypal. Did it wish me a happy new year? Acknowledge my donation to the MidOhio Foodbank the night before? No, it read, “You can no longer do business with Paypal.” What??? Well, folks, this is the price you pay for being vocal about marijuana and the third time a financial institution has forced the closure of one of my accounts, the third time being the metaphoric charm. Yes, all accounts were spotless. Not. One. Issue. Ever.

There’s a lot of money to be made in cannabis these days. The global legal marijuana market – said to be growing exponentially – is forecast to exceed $50 billion by 2025, with projected sales U.S. rising to $43 billion. Almost $650 million in marijuana products have been sold in Ohio alone since the inception of its medical marijuana program in in 2016.

Sunday, January 30, 3-6pm, this on-line event requires advance registration

The Ohio Poor People’s Campaign cordially invites you to attend our 2022 Retreat on Sunday, January 30, 3-6pm, meeting via Zoom. We seek your input as we set our focus, goals, and plans for the future. We value your participation to help us build a movement in Ohio of people power.

RSVP for this event by using this link.

Hosted by Ohio Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival. 

Saturday, January 29, 12noon-3pm,
True Love Ministries, 1634 Minnesota Ave.
It’s that time of year again; we celebrate the life of Casey Goodson, Jr. Casey would have been 25 years old this January 30th; unfortunately, Jason Meade took Casey’s life. Join community members as we serve the community in Casey’s name to honor his life. Make some noise for #CaseyGoodsonJr.Hosted by Central Ohio Food Not Bombs and Sunrise Columbus.
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