Local

In a functioning democracy, all residents of a community should have an equal say in decisions that affect the entire community. But this hasn’t been happening in the Near East Side, Short North, Weinland Park, University District, and other Columbus neighborhoods.

With the blessing of a city government that is friendly to gentrification, developers and wealthy property owners have been on a frenzy of redevelopment in these areas — tearing down family homes and historic buildings to make room for luxury housing. Soaring housing costs in these neighborhoods have forced thousands of low- and middle income residents out of their homes.

You just got off of work and need to stop at a place where you can make a bank deposit, pick up a gallon of milk, find a new blouse for your interview the next day and printer ink so you can print off your child’s permission slip for his class activity.

Where can you accomplish all of these tasks at one place? Walmart. That’s right, Walmart the place where you can “Save money” and “Live better.” I’m not going to get into the “save money” aspect of their motto because I personally don’t believe that their food prices are lower than any other food chain.

What I’m going to focus on is the “live better” aspect of Walmart. Walmart has had a pro-gun stance since April of 2011. They have sold rifles and ammunition in half of their stores, which is about four thousand stores give or take a few, and they sell handguns and assault rifles in Alaska. You can go to Walmart’s website under “home defense and recreation” and find guns that are manufactured for law enforcement and the military force. These are weapons that civilians can order on-line every day.

Rally for Climate Action at the Ohio Statehouse

Join the Central Ohio Climate Action Coalition on Wednesday, April 20 from 11am to 1pm at the Ohio Statehouse west side steps facing High Street, to show the world that Ohio wants climate justice, a transition to 100 percent renewable energy and a sustainable future. This will be an "Earth Week" demonstration planned by the Central Ohio Climate Action Coalition. Ohio Interfaith Power and Light (IPL) is taking the lead by coordinating numerous faith-based organizations and arranging bus transportation to the rally from several Ohio cities. A Lobby Day after the noon-time rally is being organized by both IPL and Sierra Club. Small groups will meet with our state legislators after the rally to discuss the reality of climate change and the moral duty to act. Specifically, our representatives will be asked to "end the freeze" on the Renewable Energy and Efficiency Portfolio Standards and reinstate the law that was passed with near unanimous support in 2008 to speed the transition to clean energy.

Rolling Stone calls them “the best band you probably haven't heard.” Economist and New York Times columnist Paul Krugman gushes about them on his blog. And by the time they play their just-added July 26th show at the Newport Music Hall, the place may just be too small for them.

They are Lucius, and they are something special. And they have roots in the Buckeye state. Fronted by flamboyant look-alike singers Holly Laessig and Jess Wolfe, Lucius treated the joyous, swooning sold-out crowd at Cleveland's Beachland Ballroom Friday night to their unique sonic and visual onslaught. It was a triumphant homecoming for Laessig, who grew up in Fairview Park (And no, she had no idea who Tom Cousineau was when I dropped his name).
 

Privatization is becoming the policy de joure at Ohio State University, but students and university employees are left out of the discussions.

As OSU’s leadership has shifted, many community members have become concerned about drastic changes in student life and operations, like the new sophomore on-campus housing requirement and the recent parking privatization deal. The OSU administration has touted great success with the parking privatization, but how much is propaganda and talking points?

Now OSU has turned to privatizing campus energy services. Few details were shared with the public about the parking deal, like how savings were spent or how the university’s mission has been better served. Similar concerns are echoed in the current energy privatization deal.    

Columbus is neither Steel City nor Motor City – places where one industry dominates the economic landscape. Ohio State University has dominated Central Ohio’s economic landscape. Stakeholders and residents here have benefitted from a growing university and more income streams.

The biggest local electoral issue in this year’s primary election in Columbus is the split in the Democratic Party. Mayor Andrew Ginther, former Mayor Michael Coleman and Congresswoman Joyce Beatty led one faction dead set to punish Sheriff Zach Scott and his supporters, simply because Scott ran for Mayor against Ginther in November. The Franklin County Democratic Party establishment recruited candidates and endorsed them to run against Scott, as well as Democrat incumbents County Commissioner Paula Brooks and Treasurer Terry Brown, because they supported Scott.

In a further effort by this ruling faction to retain control of the Party, this faction took the unusual step of recruiting and endorsing candidates for the party’s Central Committee – party officials elected by ward every four years – so that those people’s names were a part of the “Democratic Unity Ticket” sample ballot. Scott and Brooks fought back with the “Democrats United” sample ballot, which had Scott, Brown, and Cheryl Brooks Sullivan, along with a slate of Central Committee candidates.

Did you know that trolls, Internet or otherwise, have a mental disorder? So found a study in the Journal of Personality and Individual Differences. Researchers surveyed 1,200 respondents, giving each one a personality test and then analyzing their Internet comments. The subjects’ behaviors were matched to a “Dark Tetrad” of personality traits that include sadism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism. You remember Machiavelli, the 16th Century writer whose work endorsed deceit and duplicity as tools of control?  The trolls in the study scored highest in sadism. Congratulations.

Unfortunately for us non-sadists and psychopaths, trolling has become rampant in all areas of social activism. You might think marijuana, the last presumed bastion of peace and love, would be immune, or at least, less vulnerable. You’d be wrong. Some have called this booming industry, and Ohio in particular, a circular firing squad, rampant with infighting and hell bent on self-destruction.

On Tuesday, March 15 nearly 64% of Toledo’s citizens voted YES on ISSUE 1 in support of a constitutional amendment to abolish corporate constitutional rights and money as speech.

As a result of this initiative, Toledo will hold its first annual Democracy Day in 2017 - a public hearing on the corrupting influence of moneyed interests in politics that the Mayor and at least one member of City Council must attend.  Afterward, the Mayor is required by law each year to send a letter to our elected representatives in Congress on our behalf urging them to pass a Constitutional amendment declaring that corporations are not people and political contributions are not free speech (meaning they can be capped/regulated).

Hey old people! This is why American youth Feel the Bern

By Sam Lagana

Bernie Sanders’ appeal to so many young people is uncanny to older Americans. As if the Democratic candidate with the socialist message has a secret energy that’s driving them to flock under his banner. No other presidential candidate has such influence over our young adults and even those who are not of voting age. After pressure from Sanders’ team and a lawsuit, an Ohio judge ruled last week that teenagers who turn 18 before Election Day can vote in Ohio’s primary.

What’s mind-boggling is that while the support for Bernie from young people is unwavering, older generations are left scratching their heads and scoffing. How can our youth be so loyal to a 70-something white man who works in Vermont? How can a card carrying Democratic socialist be so well liked by a generation that’s so in love with their connected devices and video games? Don’t these young voters know about the Red Scare? Older Americans often ask my friends and me: Don’t you know about the failed socialist and communist experiments that nearly drove the world to the brink of extinction?!

The Ohio Statehouse committee on Medical Marijuana is taking public input at their next hearing March 10th!

Medical Cannabis patients advocates, under employed holstic healers, and hemp for nutrition advocats are doing grassroots organizing in the state to get a clear pro-safe access to medical marijuana message to our Ohio's elected officials. RALLY and March are in order!

The science on Pain management and PTSD recovery is all signalling we can't go without this healing, we dont wait for the arbitrary restriction on treatment options to be lifted! The Statehouse wants to take all month of March, when the language is ready to pass now.