Whistleblowing in our federal government may soon be a thing of the past, not because whistleblowers face more vicious retribution than ever before -- although that is true; and not because important acts of whistleblowing now result in fewer reforms and less accountability than they used to -- although that is also true and is getting closer; but fundamentally because the actions against which we need whistles blown are publicly acknowledged.

How would one expose war or indefinite imprisonment or assassinations or drone attacks or wiretapping or profiteering or bribery or massive money transfers to Wall Street? I understand how, even a few years ago, such things could be exposed by courageous whistleblowers. I understand how retired officials who missed their chance at being timely whistleblowers can now expose the steps through which these crimes have been normalized. But I have a hard time understanding how one would leak to the media or reveal on one's blog what has been openly acknowledged, legalized, formalized, and normalized.

For the pro-frackers in Athens county and probably many who are undecided, the lure of jobs and other "benefits" from shale gas mining are significant considerations in favor of letting the gas companies commence the mining process. Those who favor this position contend that there will be jobs directly created in the mining operations themselves, along with a ripple effect generating jobs in other local businesses and regional industries. This is the job creation argument. The response from our side, the opposition, has largely been that these operations won't create as many jobs, especially jobs for local people, as the industry maintains. Among other studies and reports, Food and Water Watch recently released a report that contests the inflated job claims of the shale gas industry.

The Columbus Coalition for Responsive Government is putting on the ballot a voter initiative to reform the Charter of the City of Columbus, to create a more responsive and more accountable Columbus City Council that consists of 4 members elected "at-large" in city-wide elections, and 7 members elected by the residents of each of 7 neighborhood-based Districts.

The Columbus Coalition for Responsive Government (“the Columbus Coalition”) is a time-limited gathering of Columbus citizens seeking to update the Charter of the City of Columbus. We seek to allow voters to adopt the contemporary governance model used by most large cities, to provide for better representation of our distinctive neighborhoods in Columbus City Council.

Columbus Coalition for Responsive Government is a non-partisan organization, and a local ballot issue committee. We are Liberals and Conservatives, Rich and Poor, Black and White and every color in between, and all ethnicities. In short: we are Columbus. We help to facilitate the voices of the citizens of the great city of Columbus.

Summary of What We Seek to Accomplish

"If I had a machine gun, I'd kill every one of them white sons of bitches." Makarka didn't say, "white." He used the unkind Alutiiq phrase, isuwiq-something, bleached seal.

As a bleached seal myself, I couldn't blame him, not if you saw what I saw, the documents that British Petroleum buried deep as they could.

In my investigation of the blow-out on BP's Deepwater Horizon oil rig, I knew key evidence could only be found in the files in the hands of the Chugach Natives of Alaska. The story involved the usual mix of big oil, suicide, murder, rock and roll, and fish. Whatever, I had to get from Asia to Alaska. To understand the full story, how America went, in two centuries, from British colony to British Petroleum colony we have to go way back to ...

Raven, that lying little bastard, came to Chenega Island, where the people slept and slept because there was only darkness. From His kayak, Raven gave them a box filled with Daylight, and in return, He demanded and they gave Him a wife, Qaleratalik, "Weasel in a Summer Dress." He fed Qaleratalik only moss from His beak, which she could not eat.

I'm thankful that a growing number of us reject the idea of a mysterious being to which we should be thankful, and for the concomitant growing assumption of responsibility for our own fate.

I'm thankful that there are so many people doing so many things for which I am thankful.

I'm thankful for the best family I can imagine. Scratch that. I'm thankful for a better family than I could merely imagine.

I'm thankful too for better employers than I could merely imagine.

I'm thankful that so many other people have families and friends and allies and bosses and colleagues that facilitate work that benefits us all.

I'm thankful to those who are alone and find the strength to push on productively.

I'm thankful that when friends and allies disagree they can reconcile.

I'm thankful that when activists burn out they can revive.