Local
The lineup of statewide Democratic candidates for remains unsettled.
A few weeks ago, the race for U.S. Senate appeared settled with U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan clearing the field. Then Columbus attorney Morgan Harper entered the fray and Ryan became less than a cinch to gain the nomination.
Democrats can hardly ignore Harper. A progressive Black woman, she took on but lost to U.S. Rep. Joyce Beatty in the 2020 primary for the Columbus-based Congressional seat.
Convention wisdom would suggest that Harper give that race another whirl in 2022, though its boundaries have not been decided. Its makeup as a safe Black seat could be altered by the Ohio Redistricting Commission, the Ohio Legislature or the Ohio Supreme Court as the remap drama continues in Ohio.
More conventional wisdom would suggest that the thirty-something Harper run for a lesser office such as state representative or city council to build her political portfolio.
Instead Harper chose to run for an even higher office, the U.S. Senate, also known as the world's most exclusive club. Ohioans voting a Black women into the club would make double history.
Last year with your help, Columbus passed Issue 1, setting up the largest 100% renewable energy aggregation program in the Midwest. Clean Energy Columbus is now a reality.
Not only does the power for your phone, computer, and lights now come from 100% renewable energy, it is also creating jobs, cleaning the air, and improving public health through construction of local projects such as the Columbus Solar Park, which will provide 50 MW of energy from a solar farm on the old Franklin County landfill.
On top of that, renewable energy aggregation in Columbus is generating $1.7 million each year in community grants to help pay for energy efficiency upgrades and workforce development in low income neighborhoods and communities of color.
Clean Energy Columbus is a model for the nation, now in place because you supported Issue 1 on the ballot last year.
October 29, 2021, 1:00 PM
OSU’s Bricker Hall (190 N Oval Mall building 001, Columbus, OH 43210)
Just ahead of COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland, a coalition of U.S. youth climate advocacy organizations will kick off a campaign to end fossil fuel expansion by 2022 by targeting financers of the fossil fuel industry. Columbus organizers are joining in on a national day of action by calling on The Ohio State University’s President and Board of Trustees to completely divest from all fossil fuel projects immediately and reinvest in renewable energy. A coalition of students and Columbus community members will rally in front of OSU President Johnson’s office to take a stand against Ohio State’s investment in the climate crisis. Ohio Climate Youth for Climate Justice is a youth-led movement organizing radical action to address the climate crisis with the focus and urgency that the issue deserves.
Thursdaym Octobetr 28, 7-8:30PM
Zoom
Join the Central Ohio Revolutionary Socialists as we discuss and apply revolutionary ideas.
This week, we will be meeting on zoom from 7:00-8:30pm, where we will be collaborating with Cincinnati Socialists to discuss housing and reproductive rights. Hope to see you there!
This past summer the Ohio Environmental Council (OEC) stated that Issue 7 “is thin on details and short-circuits the city’s ability to mitigate the causes of climate change.”
“Because the city is already moving toward 100% clean energy, the creation of the funds in the ballot initiative is superfluous at best, and outright thievery at worst,” wrote OEC staff attorney Chris Tavenor in an email. “The initiative’s language calls for the transfer of funds into the hands of a privately held corporation, and it further permits that corporation to receive ‘administrative’ fees for the distribution of subsidies. Simply put, a corporation has placed itself in a position to benefit from taxpayer dollars when the city has already created a program in pursuit of similar goals: Clean Energy Columbus. Columbus does not need a private corporation as a financial third party in the pursuit of energy efficiency, clean energy, and electric affordability.”
A recent Dispatch headline offered this scathing condemnation as well, “Weaselly ‘green energy’ group tries to con Columbus voters out of $87 million.”
In the past two months, the state of Ohio actively retreated from its commitment to promote equity and combat racism in its schools. The reactionary march backward constitutes a withdrawal from constitutional principles, American social commitments, historical trends since at least 1954, and very likely its own laws. The partners in this reactionary dance are the right-wing, Republican-dominated state legislature; Attorney General Dave Yost; Gov. Mike DeWine; and the State Board of Education. I have written about the intertwined issues elsewhere.
Tuesday, October 27, 5:30pm, this on-line event requires advance registration
The OEC [Ohio Environmental Council] Emerging Leaders Council [ELC] invites renters to engage with us and our partners about how to live sustainably and advocate for equitable living conditions as a renter. Being a renter may make a person feel like they don’t have control over their living environment. However, there are some actionable steps the renter community can take to take back some control!
Join the ELC on October 27 at 5:30pm to hear from advocates and experts from Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio (COHHIO), Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio (SWACO), Simply Living, Ohio Student Association, 3 Tree, and GreenSpot.
Following presentations on issues pertaining to sustainability and housing, ELC members and our partners will host different breakout rooms to debrief, discuss, and hear thoughts about each of the topics presented. At the end of the event, you’ll leave with actionable steps that you can use to push your home toward sustainability while also knowing what you can do to make progress for the environment and your community.
Tuesday, October 26, 7pm, this on-line event requires advance registration
Simply Living is relaunching its “Sustainable U: Community Education for a Sustainable world.”
The “Economics of Happiness” discussion course will begin Tuesday, October 26, at 7pm, and will run for five sessions.
Course Description: This discussion course is based on the award-winning film “Economics of Happiness,” developed by Helena Norberg-Hodge and her team at LocalFutures.org. Each session includes content from the film or related media, a presentation that frames and explores the topic in greater depth, and class discussions based on selected readings in the booklet “Localization: Essential Steps to an Economics of Happiness.”
Course facilitator: Chuck Lynd is a founding member and past board member of Simply Living. He serves on the Ohio Sustainable Business Council, where he advocates for local economic development and an economy that works for everyone.
