Local
I’ve been told that Columbus City Hall is where good ideas go to die.
One part of the Monday, March 2 “Our City Our Say” meeting was the opportunity to communicate with other people who 1. Love Columbus, and 2. Aren’t afraid of doing something different. It was your standard small group brainstorm activity that provided a well-fertilized garden of ideas from just your average citizens.
- A City Council “Scorecard.” There is no job description or evaluation for the part-time job of City Council (no attendance policy either). Why not create a simple “Scorecard” to rate the effectiveness of each council member? More accountability and responsibility to the people?
Last Nov. only about 11 percent of Columbus residents even took the time to vote. What if 50 percent of residents voted? A simple “Scorecard” might give the kind of feedback that voters and non-voters have been desperate for.
Well, the statehouse is once again attacking our right in Ohio to local democracy. Senate Bill 63, which has passed the Ohio House and Senate, is now on Governor DeWine’s desk.
SB 63, which would make any county or municipality that has approved the use of ranked-choice voting ineligible to receive local government funds from the state. This bullying bill would effectively ban ranked-choice voting in Ohio. It is in violation of the principle of home rule and local self-government which was enacted into our Ohio Constitution in 1912. This principle recognizes that government works best where it is closest to the people. Also, it allows communities to experiment with laws and policies that meet their local needs. Furthermore, in a democracy, the people in a community should be able to enact and enforce local laws for their health, safety, and welfare as long as those laws do not conflict with constitutional rights granted to natural persons.
SATURDAY: Protest to stop the war on Iran: bring our troops home! No blood for oil!
As more and more Americans die in this illegal war of aggression, we must take the streets and continue to demand an end to this war. Iran isn’t our enemy, it’s the billionaires robbing us of our rights!
🕓 4PM
🗓️ Saturday, March 7
📍 OH Statehouse, 1 Capitol Sq
🌦️ Rain or shine, we’ll see you in the streets!
What many may not be aware of is that a high-yielding aquifer lies deep under most of Central Ohio. Keeping the aquifer on the down-low, so to speak, was perhaps the plan by local power brokers who foresaw how major corporations would someday come to our region seeking vast amounts of water for industrial use.
That day has arrived, as Google and other tech behemoths take millions of gallons daily from the aquifer and local groundwater that have fed this aquifer for thousands of years, if not longer. Also, utilizing the aquifer is Columbus Water and Power, the city department which provides potable water for 1.4 million residents.
According to Google, the Far South Side data center used 177 million gallons in 2024 when it was just coming online. Its data center in Lancaster took 207 million gallons that year and in New Albany, 405 million. Of Ohio’s 200-plus data centers, roughly 130 are in Central Ohio.
Coincidentally, Columbus City Council voted 9-0 last November to raise water and sewer rates across the city and suburbs with the average annual bill going up $100.
This moment has been years in the making. Thanks to the relentless organizing of residents like you, the Columbus City Council has officially referred the collaboratively written Community Crisis Response Amendment to the May 5th, 2026 primary election ballot!
For half a decade, the Columbus Safety Collective has fought to reimagine public safety. Because of the nearly 30,000 signatures collected by our incredible volunteer canvassers, we reached a historic compromise with the Mayor, City Council, and labor leaders to put forward a common-sense, life-saving proposal.
Why We Fight:
This campaign is for the people and by the people. As our Co-Chair Chana Wiley shared, this work is deeply personal. It is rooted in the tragic loss of her brother, Jaron Thomas, who lost his life after calling 911 during a mental health crisis.
Mental health stigma is real, and the wrong response can be fatal. All of us, no matter where we live or what we look like deserve the right help when we experience an emergency. This amendment ensures that what happened to Jaron never happens to another family.
What the Amendment Does:
On Wednesday, March 4, 2026, we learned that Ohio’s Republican Secretary of State, Frank LaRose, “has turned over the voter registration data of nearly 8 million Ohioans to the U.S. Department of Justice.”
Trek Manifest + The AYE-1 Band’s Tosca’s Boy Sessions Part 1 is a live Hip Hop album recorded at Natalie’s Grandview. Trek introduces Tosca’s Boy Session 1 like Jay-Z’s unplugged channeled Frank Sinatra performing at Harlem’s Club Sudan. Trek segues into call and responses which combine T.I. and Vince Staples hooks for familiarity.
Tosca’s Boy’s 1 introduction is a 6 minute long introduction of live rap concert. Tosca’s Boy’s Live Sessions 1 second song “Death Wish” reveals Trek Manifest’s backing group The AYE-1 Band’s sonic palette.
During the entire Tosca’s Boy Live Session 1, the AYE band contains a sophistication in jazz sound and arrangement reminiscent of a Hank Crawford classic. “All Black“ continued the live show experience like LA Symphony over a trap beat. “All I Know” is a ballad which brings us into the feeling of Tosca’s Boy Sessions 1.
Trek is working with his grief. Trek’s mom died 5 years ago. I think Trek said his mom died on his birthday. “Own” is a ballad about understanding a relationship with existence. “Own” is followed with an interlude with Trek’s mom’s culture.
Thursday, March 5, 12noon
Longaberger Alumni House, 2200 Olentangy River Road
Rain or shine!
Join Strauss sexual abuse survivors in confronting the OSU Board of Trustees and calling for the removal of John Zieger and Liz Kessler.
It’s time to fight the good fight. These important actions can help us avoid cynicism, build our movement, make our opposition clear and impossible to ignore, and secure a foundation to make more and more powerful demands and escalate our actions:
