Harvey Graff

No longer a leader, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine’s failures are clear. (For background see my Dispatch guest opinion piece Opinion: DeWine’s blundered coronavirus response. Vax-A-Million didn't help and Governor Mike DeWine’s continuing Covid failures: The .Ohio tragedy. Despite national attention for early actions and his $5 million vaccination lottery, DeWine is committed to public relations not policy. 

DeWine began spring 2020 strongly. His daily press conferences were memorable because of state Department of Health director Dr. Amy Acton’s knowledge and articulateness. Acton ran the show with her popular appearances and mandates to limit the “first wave” from March into June. Science ruled as Ohio was briefly a national leader in partial lockdowns, restrictions on gatherings, and mask mandates. Despite right-wing condemnation, these measures were largely successful. 

Five members of the World BEYOND War Youth Network (WBWYN) from five continents have contributed, together with WBW’s Education Director, to a chapter in a new book (available free in full as PDF) called Problems, Threats and Challenges for Peace and Conflict Resolution, edited by Joanna Marszałek-Kawa Maria Ochwat.

The book provides a highly informative survey of how people in numerous parts of the world view working for peace, primarily meaning the ending of violent conflict within, rather than between, nations.

The first chapter was put together by Phill Gittins, World BEYOND War’s Education Director, together with young peace activists Sayako Aizeki-Nevins, Christine Odera, Alejandra Rodriguez, Daria Pakhomova, and Laiba Khan.

Sayako Aizeki-Nevins is a high school student from New York who has found her way from climate and racial-justice activism to activism for peace. “Today,” she writes, “my main interests revolve around the intersections between climate change, militarism, and war. I pursue these interests through my work with the WBWYN.”

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Some are calling it the beginning of a “Gen Z uprising” while others are even suggesting American unions could rise out of the ashes as leverage for service sector workers continues to grow.

Starbucks baristas are beginning to organize in two cities and a representative from Workers United – an arm of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) – told the Free Press Starbucks workers in Columbus have reached out to them.

“Absolutely some have, we are getting calls from every major urban center in the Midwest,” said Pete DeMay, organizing director for Workers United in the Midwest. “I can’t confirm or deny that there are active campaigns in Columbus, because if I say there is there will be a management onslaught. But if and when we go public, I will let you know.”

Details about event

Wednesday, December 1, 11:30am-8pm, this event will be live-streamed on “Facebook Live

This World AIDS Day, join us as we bring together LGBTQ+ communities around the world to rewrite the narrative to end the HIV epidemic. We’re tacking the fight to end stigma, embrace our sexuality and our identities.

We’re hosting events all day, so feel free to pick and choose what works for you or attend them all.

• Session 1: Transgender Justice, 11:30am

• Session 2: Global perspectives on HIV/AIDS, 1:30pm

• Session 3: Rewriting the Narrative: Our Stories Are Our Future, 4pm

• Session 4: Being Balenciaga: A Journey As House in The Fight to End HIV, 7pm

This event will be live-streamed on “Facebook Live.”

Hosted by Human Rights Campaign.

Facebook Event
Details about event

Tuesday, November 30, 7pm, this event will be live-streamed on “Facebook Live

Join Equality Ohio and our partners to learn more about two bills in the Ohio Legislature targeting LGBTQ+, especially transgender, youth.

This panel will feature “subject matter” experts on two types of bills being introduced in the Ohio legislature, both targeting transgender youth.

One of the bills attempts to limit access to healthcare for trans youth; the other bill attempts to keep trans youth from playing sports with their peers.

“Subject matter” experts will include medical care providers, athletes, and attorneys with experience specializing in this topic.

We look forward to seeing you there!

This event will be live-streamed on “Facebook Live.”

Hosted by Equality Ohio.

Facebook Event
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Monday, November 29, 2021, 11:00 AM 
We’ll talk with advocates, researchers and organizers about how to create a more just, prosperous and healthy future that focuses on how people drive the economy. Our panel includes Tami Lunan, Ohio Organizing Collaborative, Grace Heffernan, Northeast Ohio Worker Center, and Mike Shields, Policy Matters Ohio. Please join the discussion and share your thoughts on how to go all in for dignity and create an economy for all of us. Use these links to get a reminder to join on Facebook or Youtube.

Details about event

BQIC presents “Third Annual March for Black Trans Life and Liberation”

Black trans lives have always been under attack, but every year we are forced to mourn more of our loved ones from state and interpersonal violence.

We invite all of central Ohio to come and move in solidarity for our Black trans community.

We will be meeting at the intersection of N. High St. and W. Poplar Ave. before marching north. We will be flyering for Sacoya Cooper during the march as well, so bring tape and supplies if you have them!

Bring your signs, noisemakers, and friends!

Be on the lookout for an art build before the march.

Hosted by Black Queer and Intersectional Collective [BQIC].

Facebook Event
Joe Motil

Today’s full page plus story in the Columbus Dispatch titled, “Group: Road done for developer not safety” reveals the never ending unethical, underhanded unbridled perpetual deal making that goes on in Columbus City Hall.  

Former Columbus City Council candidate Joe Motil says, “Like Centerplate, Redflex and Colemans house sale to a Chinese businesswoman, the Little Turtle road project reeks of political corruption that runs rampant through the Public Service Department, City Attorney’s office and exposes Coleman's reign over City Council President Shannon Hardin and other City Council members.”   

Backroom deals are being made to introduce secretive, paperless, risky Internet voting (IV) to San Francisco (SF) and the Bay Area (BA). This has been going on for many months, with no notification to the public, and most tellingly, no notification to the SF Elections Commission (EC) until October, 2021. 

To stop this, democracy advocates are now going public. We are asking you to speak out for paper-based, transparent elections, and for assisting the disabled to vote without endangering our government.

To make them easy to find, we are starting with a Summary, Objectives and Contacts. Below these is a Background section that you may need to read to understand what is involved.
 

SUMMARY Secret SF Bay Area IV project

SF is working in collaboration with BA-UASI to develop a voting system using Internet voting (IV). They issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) April 2, 2021. Nobody informed the SF Elections Commission until October, 2021.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1BX7X7qyB9IIwYiLxHXEHvTqixaQl7LfU (1st link on page)

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David Pepper is keeping the Ohio Democratic Party alive, single-handedly, even though his six years as the party's chair came to an end a year ago.

Quick. Name the current chair. You can't because the new chair is largely invisible as is the party apparatus.

Quick. Name a Democrat who can keep Mike DeWine from being re-elected governor in 2022. You can't because the two announced combatants are largely unknown outside of their home areas.

Quick. Name the Ohio Democrat who has kept the Ohio Republican establishment's feet to the fire during the redistricting and reapportionment machinations the past few weeks and who is leading the charge to get the Ohio Supreme Court to overturn the horribly Republican biased, profoundly disrespectful to Ohio citizens gerrymander/remap.

Two Hints: It is not the virtually anonymous chair of the Ohio Democratic Party and it is not the Democratic candidates for governor or any other statewide office in 2022, the latter of which are few and far between.

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