Defund the Police State, Before It's Too Late

The American police state is currently making its boldest test run to date in Portland, Oregon, escalating violence and lawlessness against the peaceful population of an American city. The people of Portland have responded with increased resistance, but support from officials elected to defend the Constitution is scarce and weak.

Oregon’s two senators, Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, are both Democrats with reputations for being on the better side of important issues. But until July 20, their best response to federal secret police operating without restraint in Portland had been to wring their hands and call for a federal investigation of the uninvited federal forces that have ratcheted up street violence and terrorized the city.

Changing Perceptions: A Bike Ride

All power to the people

Friday, July 24, 7-11pm
Public · Hosted by For The People
We meet at the Oval EVERY Friday at 7pm
The Oval, 181 Oval Dr S, Columbus, OH 43210
(614) 292-6446
https://maps.app.goo.gl/ttG6HSGdbrXYuF75A

Racism or ‘Municipal Fine Farming’? Both are behind over-policing

Cops and one small woman holding a BLM sign

Have Columbus city officials ever demanded the Columbus Division of Police to aggressively enforce the law so to generate revenue for the city?

While such a direct demand might not have happened in Columbus, the Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation on the Ferguson Police Department in 2014 exposed that financial crisis’ can cause this very kind of demand from a City to its Police Department.

After the killing of 18-year-old Ferguson, Missouri resident Michael Brown at the hands of a white officer in 2014, the DOJ uncovered overwhelming evidence that policing is not always about protection - it’s also a tactic Ferguson city officials demanded from their police force to generate revenue.

After the 2008 financial crisis, cities like Ferguson needed ways to generate more revenue. So in March 2010, Ferguson’s City Finance Director wrote an email to its chief of police:

Ohio Speaker Householder's Bribery Scandal and the State's Nuclear Reactors

Householder

Ohio's biggest-ever bribery case is rocking America's reactor industry…and the fall election.

Full details of the shocking arrest of Ohio's powerful Speaker of the House are still unfolding.

But on Monday the FBI charged Larry Householder and four associates with taking $61 million (that's NOT a typo) in bribes from “Company A,” suspected to be the Akron-based nuke utility FirstEnergy. The company has not been formally named as the source of the bribe, but FE’s stock has since plummetted.

Householder is suspected of buying votes for the widely hated $1.5 billion bailout of two decrepit nuke reactors on Lake Erie. Donald Trump lobbied at least five legislators to support the cash giveaway. Ohio’s moderate Republican Governor Mike DeWine has asked Householder to resign. 

Without the bailout, Perry and Davis-Besse would already be dead in the rising tsunami of US reactor shutdowns.  

The handout also supported two ancient coal burners (one in Indiana), and ten small solar plants. It killed a big, highly successful state-wide efficiency program and crippled further Ohio development of wind and solar.

Reignite the Fight!

Letters C O O R

Thursday, July 23, 7-9pm
Ohio Statehouse
Hosted by COOR - Central Ohio Organized Resistance.
In recent weeks, our numbers have drastically gone down, which has led to an increase in violence and abuse by both police and other citizens against our fellow activists. We need to remind those in power that these streets are our streets, and we're not going anywhere anytime soon.
Join COOR, the Central Ohio Organized Resistance, this Thursday night, to let the city of Columbus know that we're still fighting. We're not giving up until our voices have been heard and we get the change we need.

Bob Fitrakis, The Other Side of the News recent

WCRS Podcast - fightback

The Other Side of the News - Fascism and the Householder scandal

Submitted by fightback on Fri, 07/24/2020 - 2:07pm

The Nation’s Most Regressive Energy Legislation, Now Also Most Corrupt, Should be Repealed

Nuke plant spewing smoke

Columbus, OH -- Today, 

Cameroon American Council & Partners Urge Community to Act Now, Free Wilfred from ICE Jail!

An inmate holding a sign saying The Anguish we are subjected to is too much for us

Pine Prairie, LA - Unless something changes very soon, an Ohio military family fears their family member Wilfred could be deported to Cameroon, the country he fled that is embroiled in armed ethnic conflict, and killed. The Cameroon American Council and its #AdvocateforDetainees program is calling on all people of good will to act now and #HelpSoldierAcha reunite with his cousin and save Wilfred’s life. 

In a letter about Wilfred to the Immigration Judge, Specialist Acha wrote: “[Wilfred and I] grew up together and went to the same school together right up to college, and he was a true good leader to look up to. He is hard working. Tebah Wilfred Tebah is respectful, fearful, and above all morally guided. He is a good man and will obey the laws, orders and policies as instructed.” 

Framed in Bigotry and Discrimination: A Brief Look at Trump’s Plan to Strengthen the Child Welfare System

Trump with kids

On June 24, Donald Trump issued an Executive Order (EO) under the title, Strengthening the Child Welfare System for America’s Children.Except for those whom the EO affects, it has already been stuffed down the Trump memory hole. It is, however, an important document with negative far-reaching ramifications for child welfare in the US. To the casual reader, the Executive Order can look benign, positive: a plan for expanded federal child welfare assistance programs to enhance sibling retention, family preservation, unification, permanency, aging out as well as strengthening trauma-informed training and best practice and better reporting standards. It appears to concede a fractured child welfare system, but…

City of Columbus should end deadly police exchanges

Pretty flowers and details about petition

As the city of Columbus is considering measures to reform policing in Columbus and restore confidence in the Columbus Police Department, we would like to encourage you to end training exchanges with the state of Israel. Though proponents of these exchanges often note that they occur at no or minimal cost to the city, we believe that the costs are tremendous and outweigh any possible benefits.  

 

SIGN THE PETITION

We have learned that Columbus has taken part in such exchanges. For instance, the Jewish Institute for National Security of America held a Law Enforcement Education Program regional conference in our city in 2005 (source:  LEEP Booklet, Empowering Law Enforcement Protecting America.) And former Columbus Police Chief Kimberly Jacobs celebrated an exchange that she participated in her 2013 annual report (Source:  About CPD Annual Reports 2013, page 3).

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