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As a candidate for Franklin County commissioner, State Representative Kevin Boyce (D-Columbus) has questionable fitness for the position because of documents released this year concerning his 2009 to 2010 tenure as Ohio’s state treasurer. The documents include an independent investigation report on the treasurer’s office, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings, and other public records.

Boyce is running against Republican Terry Boyd to be on Franklin County’s board of commissioners. The three commissioners are responsible for a $1.35 billion annual budget providing health care, public safety, economic development, human services, and other essential functions for the nation’s 30th-largest county.

While state treasurer, Boyce was in charge of the nation’s sixth-largest treasury and responsible for investing and protecting $250 billion in state assets. The documents show major failings in his job performance, resulting in the largest bribery and kickback scandal in the state government’s history.

Project Censored has chosen Search Engine Algorithms and Electronic Voting Machines Could Swing 2016 Election as the 4th "Most Censored Story of 2016" with contributions by Free Press writers and editors Bob Fitrakis and Harvey Wasserman. 

"Because courts have ruled that source code is proprietary, private companies that own electronic voting machines are essentially immune to transparent public oversight, as Harvey Wasserman and Bob Fitrakis documented," Project Censored wrote. "On Democracy Now! and elsewhere, Wasserman and Fitrakis have advocated universal, hand-counted paper ballots and automatic voter registration as part of their 'Ohio Plan' to restore electoral integrity."

Every year for 40 years, Project Censored, located at Sonoma State University in California, has chosen the 25 most censored stories of the year. 

To read about Project Censored and their top censored stories of 2016, go to:

A jury trial for racial justice organizer Tynan Krakoff is set to begin on Wednesday, October 12 in the Franklin Country Municipal Court. Krakoff is facing charges related to his involvement in a July protest against police-involved shootings.

Krakoff, 28, was arrested during a march to the Columbus Division of Police building in downtown Columbus on July 21. The protest was organized by Showing Up for Racial Justice, in collaboration with the People’s Justice Project. Over 150 residents marched down the street without a permit, demanding justice for Henry Green.

Krakoff was the only protester arrested. He faces three misdemeanor charges: disorderly conduct, failure to obey a police officer, and pedestrian in the roadway. These charges could bring a maximum of one year in county jail or $2,000 in fines.

“We’ve seen black folks around the country put their bodies on the line to fight for black lives, and for an end to racial disparities and police violence. We are seeing more and more white people ready to take action and show up in meaningful ways as well,” said Z! Haukeness, Midwest Regional Organizer of Showing Up for Racial Justice. 

On October 7 members and supporters of the Student/Farmworker Alliance (SFA) held a rally outside Bricker Hall at the Ohio State University, calling on the administration to terminate its contract with the Wendy’s Corporation. The fast food chain has lucrative contracts with universities across the country. Wendy’s operates a restaurant in the Wexner Medical Center at OSU.

Two years ago OSU administrators signed an agreement with the SFA, promising to end its contract with Wendy’s if the fast food chain did not make a verifiable commitment to fair labor practices in its Florida tomato supply chain. This would have meant joining the Coalition of Immokalee Workers’ Fair Food Program, which includes a commitment to source its produce only from farms that provide fair pay and safe working conditions to their workers. The program also includes a zero-tolerance policy for slave labor and sexual harassment.

Monday, October 10, 2016, 2:00 – 4:00 PM This gathering is to peacefully support the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s stance against the Dakota Access Pipeline, call for environmental justice across Indian Country, encourage Ohio to transition to clean energy, and raise awareness around issues faced by today’s Native Americans in Ohio.  Location:  Columbus City Hall, 90 W. Broad St., Columbus, 43215.  Potluck Afterwards:  Sierra Club Office, 131 N High Street, 3rd Floor, Columbus, OH 43215.  Please bring a dish or dessert of your choosing to the potluck. https://www.facebook.com/events/1516925708333014/

Ohioans will unite this Saturday, October 08, 2016 at the Statehouse to rally and march for fair trade and against the TPP and other secret trade agreements. This event begins at 1:00 PM. During the rally, a series of speakers will share concerns about the proposed deal.
This rally and march is to bring attention to the disastrous Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal that would expand the same failed “free trade” policies that have already cost millions of jobs across the United States. This trade deal will have significant impacts to our jobs, wages, healthcare, and the environment. Last year President Obama sought, and won, approval from Congress to “fast track” trade deals. That means that he can submit the TPP to Congress and put it up for a vote without any amendments. Congress can approve it as-is, or reject it; those are their only choices.

On October 6 followers of evangelist Franklin Graham gathered by the thousands at the Statehouse for a prayer rally. Supporters who arrived on the south side of the Capitol were greeted by counterdemonstrators holding a rainbow banner with the message “Stop the Hate!”

 “We’re here to say that we are human beings,” said Shannon Glatz. “We deserve love, we deserve equal rights, and their hate is not going to be tolerated.”

Graham’s rhetoric at the prayer rally was non-partisan on the surface. But he opposes gay marriage and warned Christians to keep LGBT people away from their children and churches. He also supports Donald Trump’s proposal to end Muslim immigration. Trump supporters were conspicuous in the crowd.

The political atmosphere in Columbus has been tense in the week since protesters shut down a City Council meeting. Activists seeking justice in the police killings of Ty’re King and Henry Green have been waiting to see how City Council would respond.

On Monday members of the People’s Justice Project gathered on the south steps of City Hall with all members of City Council and some of Mayor Ginther’s staff.

“We’re here because we’re tired of being told to wait and to just be quiet,” said Tammy Alsaada, an organizer with the People’s Justice Project. “We’re tired of young people in our communities being killed at the hands of police. We are committed to continuing to demand justice.

“Members of our coalition met with local officials two years ago, after the death of Tamir Rice, because we were afraid the same thing could happen here in Columbus,” Alsaada said. “Our calls were ignored.”

One thing is not in question: September 9th is now officially the largest prison work strike ever to take place within the United States.

This strike against prison slavery that began on September 9th, the 45th anniversary of the Attica prison uprising has now entered it’s third week. According to organizers with Support Prisoner Resistance:

As of 9/21 we have tracked 46 prisons and jails that experienced some kind of disruption between September 8 and 21st. This total includes both lockdowns reported by officials (some of whom deny that the lockdown was protest related) and reports of protests from prisoners and supporters (some of which did not lead to lockdowns or full strikes).

From their lips to voters’ ears: Key quotes on important issues to remember on Election Day
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