I begin with a partial disclaimer. My knowledge about the failures of Columbus city government comes largely from the middle-to upper-middle-level officials with whom I have the pleasure of speaking with. They strive to make a deeply flawed “system” work as well as it does.  

My efforts since last winter to stimulate more responsive and responsible actions, including enforcement and revision of existing laws, led to my collaboration with City Council legislative aides, the City Attorney and his office, Neighborhoods Engagement, Zoning/Code Enforcement, 311, and the Columbus Police Department (CPD).  

The connections are primarily through personal contacts with individuals and their programs; they are selective and not systematic. The degree of disconnection, however, defies comprehension. City Councilmember and city departments are poorly aligned. Departments are not well connected. Therein lay multiple clues to the problems. 

“Earlier this afternoon, Kyle Rittenhouse was found not guilty of killing two men in Kenosha, Wisconsin during last year’s racial justice protests, mere days after the shooting of Jacob Blake. This verdict represents the latest in a disappointing trend in which the American judicial system preferences white agency at the expense of true equity. It is yet another instance demonstrating the longstanding issues of structural racism and inherent bias that inform the operation of this nation. A nation where liberty and justice purportedly for all is shown to be false and hypocritical.
 

Those who have been victimized for centuries by these structures are again forced to bear the burden. America will not move in the direction of becoming the most just version herself if we are not willing to be honest about her misgivings. The verdict that was passed in Wisconsin is not a sign of justice, nor is it a representation of the standards that we should hold our judicial system to. This moment is not one of fairness but of pain for our communities. This is not a matter of politics; it is a matter of ethics. 
 

Earlier this year, when they received 1300 emails from constituents, Senators and Representatives prevented the demolition of Al-Maleh school in the West Bank's Jordan Valley! Despite a 96-hour demolition order, the school is standing!  But on October 25, 2021. the Israeli Army confiscated a prefabricated classroom & clinic built with funding from Middle East Children’s Alliance, an American nonprofit organization, and took away the shade above the playground. Ask Congress' help to bring it back.

When and where is non-conforming high density new development appropriate? For several years now, residents from across Columbus, especially in urban neighborhoods (but not limited to) have been at odds with developers and city officials on this question.

For example, the University District’s Pavey Square initially proposed to demolish an entire city block of historic structures and replace them with a 10-story apartment complex. A 5-story 117-unit apartment building at South 18th and Oak Streets in Old Towne East brought concerns from nearby residents about height and density. And most recently, the fight over the Pizutti proposal to re-develop the former Giant Eagle site in Schumacher Place with a 262-unit 62-foot-tall mixed use apartment complex. Although zoning variances were  approved by Columbus City Council, the project has been allowed to proceed but the re-zoning is being appealed in the courts by nearby homeowners. Many more examples of contentious developments could be added to this list.

The revelation, a few years ago, that the US National Security Agency (NSA) has been conducting mass surveillance on millions of Americans has reignited the conversation on governments' misconduct and their violation of human rights and privacy laws.

Until recently, however, Israel has been spared due criticism, not only for its unlawful spying methods on the Palestinians but also for being the originator of many of the technologies which are now being heavily criticized by human rights groups worldwide.