Ohio election fraud uproar blasting to new level
COLUMBUS -- The bitter battle over the stolen November 2 election in Ohio has turned into a rapidly escalating all-out multi-front war with the outcome of the real presidential vote count increasingly in doubt.
In Columbus, major demonstrations on Saturday, December 4, have been followed by an angry confrontation between demonstrators and state police at the office of Republican Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell, the Bush-Cheney state chairman who is also officially in charge of certifying the election, at least for now. Civil Rights leader Jesse Jackson has called on Blackwell to recuse himself from dealings with the election, saying his role as Bush-Cheney chairman has compromised his objectivity in delivering fair election results.
In Columbus, major demonstrations on Saturday, December 4, have been followed by an angry confrontation between demonstrators and state police at the office of Republican Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell, the Bush-Cheney state chairman who is also officially in charge of certifying the election, at least for now. Civil Rights leader Jesse Jackson has called on Blackwell to recuse himself from dealings with the election, saying his role as Bush-Cheney chairman has compromised his objectivity in delivering fair election results.
Limestone sofa coming to Greenwood Park, Short North public art installation on Friday
On Friday, November 12, the Short North will install a limestone sofa at Greenwood Park, one of its new Pocket Parks located at 1159 N. High Street. At 9:00 AM a crane will set the 10,000-pound sculpture in place at the park.
Designed and carved by Robert Huff, Associate Professor of Art at the Myers School of Art, University of Akron, this public art was selected by a jury of local artists and community representatives.
The jury reviewed works of 26 Ohio artists and selected three artists to prepare proposals for Greenwood Park. Models of each of the three artists’ proposals were displayed during the Short North’s Bicentennial Hop on July 5, 2003 for public review and comment. Then the jury met again and selected Robert’s limestone sofa concept for Greenwood Park.
Robert’s sofa was inspired by investigation into the previous use of the land on which the parks sits that fronts a parking lot. The property had housed furniture stores in the past. The sofa was created in reminiscence of the former shops.
Designed and carved by Robert Huff, Associate Professor of Art at the Myers School of Art, University of Akron, this public art was selected by a jury of local artists and community representatives.
The jury reviewed works of 26 Ohio artists and selected three artists to prepare proposals for Greenwood Park. Models of each of the three artists’ proposals were displayed during the Short North’s Bicentennial Hop on July 5, 2003 for public review and comment. Then the jury met again and selected Robert’s limestone sofa concept for Greenwood Park.
Robert’s sofa was inspired by investigation into the previous use of the land on which the parks sits that fronts a parking lot. The property had housed furniture stores in the past. The sofa was created in reminiscence of the former shops.
Ohio radio stations to renew licenses in 2004 – Act NOW!
Fed up with the lack of local news programming, limited alternatives for news gathering and reporting or the lack of diversity even in the music line-ups on your RADIO dial? NOW is the time to get your feedback to the FCC about your stations’ license renewal. Giving feedback to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for current commercial and non-commercial licencees’ contract RENEWALS involves a few steps but may be worth it.
All Ohio radio stations are licensed by the FCC and upon their expiration on October 1, 2004, those granted renewal licenses now will be licensed until 2012, eight years from now! This is a change from what used to be three years, then five years, and now eight years. This means it will be another eight years before we can make such an impact on licensing for radio stations and the use of the public’s airwaves. So, what can you do?
· Go to www.fcc.gov/mb/audio/renewal/ for general information about the license renewal process
All Ohio radio stations are licensed by the FCC and upon their expiration on October 1, 2004, those granted renewal licenses now will be licensed until 2012, eight years from now! This is a change from what used to be three years, then five years, and now eight years. This means it will be another eight years before we can make such an impact on licensing for radio stations and the use of the public’s airwaves. So, what can you do?
· Go to www.fcc.gov/mb/audio/renewal/ for general information about the license renewal process
Dominionists Stage Weeklong Occupation At Columbus City Hall
The recent occupation of Columbus City Hall grounds by Operation Save America was an unprecedented event, both for the city and OSA. Never in the history of this group, as far as we can determine, have they taken over such a public space for six days, twenty-four hours a day. In doing so they demonstrated exactly what we had written about them months before: that more than simply an anti-abortion and anti-gay group, they are, in the words of director Flip Benham, out to "kick the table over in the name of Jesus Christ and take over."
Fortunately for the rest of us, it isn't quite that simple. OSA, or as it was originally named, Operation Rescue, has long used abortion as a tactical vehicle, to give legitimacy to its underlying, dominionist purpose. By focusing on a matter of intimate, personal decision making, where personal preferences vary greatly across society, and then using their position as a method of gaining moral and political legitimacy, they, and similar organizations, have long used abortion as something of a proxy so as to receive a hearing in American secular society.
Fortunately for the rest of us, it isn't quite that simple. OSA, or as it was originally named, Operation Rescue, has long used abortion as a tactical vehicle, to give legitimacy to its underlying, dominionist purpose. By focusing on a matter of intimate, personal decision making, where personal preferences vary greatly across society, and then using their position as a method of gaining moral and political legitimacy, they, and similar organizations, have long used abortion as something of a proxy so as to receive a hearing in American secular society.
New Terror Warning Again Targets Swing State
As the Libertarian Party of Ohio's Executive Director Robert Butler initially predicted on June 14th, another terror warning has been issued for a swing state crucial to the Bush-Cheney re-eletion . This time it's New Mexico.
Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge just announced that the State of New Mexico may become a terrorist target, but the information was unsubstantiated and uncollaborated.
It's unfortunate that the current administration continues to issue vague warnings. This only serves to increase the level of anxiety in states crucial to the election of George W. Bush.
In June, Attorney General John Ashcroft announced a bomb plot for a Columbus, Ohio shopping mall. The FBI later contradicted Ashcroft by stating no target had been identified.
We again hope that the media reports these warnings for the scare tactics they are.
For the full June 14th comments from Robert Butler, please see below:
Columbus Terror Target No Surprise
The Lucasville uprising: Who killed Officer Vallandingham?
The following is excerpted from Staughton Lynd’s forthcoming book, LUCASVILLE: THE UNTOLD STORY OF A PRISON UPRISING (Temple University Press).
The State’s Version
According to prosecutors, the four men later convicted of the aggravated murder of Officer Robert Vallandingham – Jason Robb, Namir (a.k.a. James Were), George Skatzes, and Hasan (a.k.a. Carlos Sanders) – set in motion plans to kill one of the hostage guards. These plans were approved, so the juries were told, by a vote of gang leaders in attendance at a meeting between 8 and 9 a.m. on April 15, 1993.
The Ohio Supreme Court has endorsed this version of events in a summary of alleged facts preceding its opinion in State v. Robb.
The State’s Version
According to prosecutors, the four men later convicted of the aggravated murder of Officer Robert Vallandingham – Jason Robb, Namir (a.k.a. James Were), George Skatzes, and Hasan (a.k.a. Carlos Sanders) – set in motion plans to kill one of the hostage guards. These plans were approved, so the juries were told, by a vote of gang leaders in attendance at a meeting between 8 and 9 a.m. on April 15, 1993.
The Ohio Supreme Court has endorsed this version of events in a summary of alleged facts preceding its opinion in State v. Robb.
Ohio Libertarians to Nominate 2004 Candidates
Former National LP Chair James Lark to Address Convention
After months of legal dispute with Ohio's Secretary of State, Ken Blackwell, Ohio Libertarians will hold a special convention on June 19th at the Ramada Plaza Hotel and Conference Center, 4900 Sinclair Rd. in Columbus, Ohio from 1PM to 4PM to nominate candidates for 2004.
Former National LP Chair, Dr. James Lark III of Virginia, will address the convention. Dr. Lark has been a member of the Libertarian Party since 1984. He currently serves as an at-large member of the Libertarian National Committee, and as the national campus coordinator for the Libertarian Party.
Official party business will include nominating candidates for the 2004 election cycle, elections of LPO Northwest and Northeast regional officers, and a reaffirmation vote for the Libertarian Party of Ohio's Constitution and By-laws as written on our website. Potential candidates for public or internal office should contact Executive Director Robert Butler at (800) 669-6542, (614) 547-0290, or hq@lpo.org for more infromation.
After months of legal dispute with Ohio's Secretary of State, Ken Blackwell, Ohio Libertarians will hold a special convention on June 19th at the Ramada Plaza Hotel and Conference Center, 4900 Sinclair Rd. in Columbus, Ohio from 1PM to 4PM to nominate candidates for 2004.
Former National LP Chair, Dr. James Lark III of Virginia, will address the convention. Dr. Lark has been a member of the Libertarian Party since 1984. He currently serves as an at-large member of the Libertarian National Committee, and as the national campus coordinator for the Libertarian Party.
Official party business will include nominating candidates for the 2004 election cycle, elections of LPO Northwest and Northeast regional officers, and a reaffirmation vote for the Libertarian Party of Ohio's Constitution and By-laws as written on our website. Potential candidates for public or internal office should contact Executive Director Robert Butler at (800) 669-6542, (614) 547-0290, or hq@lpo.org for more infromation.
Proving John Byrd's innocence remains family's goal
COLUMBUS — On the second anniversary of the execution of John Byrd by the State of Ohio, the Byrd family's civil attorney advised the Ohio attorney general's office that a previously threatened wrongful death suit would not be filed against the state.
"The family's interest is in getting the truth out, not in getting monetary compensation for their loss. Investigative journalism and media coverage are better ways for getting at the truth than more litigation would be," said Columbus attorney Cliff Arnebeck. "Exclusively focusing on getting to the truth will best serve the purposes of both proving John's innocence and correcting flaws in the criminal justice system. This is far more important to the family and to our society than fault-finding for the purpose of obtaining monetary compensation."
"Byrd's mother, Mary Ray, and sister, Kim Hamer, will be working with investigative journalists in this mission," Arnebeck said.
"The family's interest is in getting the truth out, not in getting monetary compensation for their loss. Investigative journalism and media coverage are better ways for getting at the truth than more litigation would be," said Columbus attorney Cliff Arnebeck. "Exclusively focusing on getting to the truth will best serve the purposes of both proving John's innocence and correcting flaws in the criminal justice system. This is far more important to the family and to our society than fault-finding for the purpose of obtaining monetary compensation."
"Byrd's mother, Mary Ray, and sister, Kim Hamer, will be working with investigative journalists in this mission," Arnebeck said.
Ballot access setback for third parties
The Secretary of State's Office has rejected the Libertarian Party of
Ohio's petition to get candidates on the ballot for the 2004 election.
They are throwing us off the ballot after we turned in over 57,000 signatures and spent $50,000!
We poured our heart and soul into this ballot drive. People all over the state circulated petitions and people all over the state signed petitions saying they want the Libertarian Party on the ballot in Ohio.
BUT Secretary of State Ken Blackwell arbitrarily ruled them invalid due to a petition language technicality.
Libertarian, Green, Reform, Natural Law, etc. parties deserve the same right to run for office and vote for their candidates as Republicans and Democrats have.
But apparently Blackwell doesn't think so. The 57,000 who signed our petitions have no voice, according to him.
And the plot thickens...in a recent article in the Columbus Dispatch columnist Steve Stephens called Blackwell, "The politician who might benefit the most from no Libertarians on the ballot."
Coincidence?
They are throwing us off the ballot after we turned in over 57,000 signatures and spent $50,000!
We poured our heart and soul into this ballot drive. People all over the state circulated petitions and people all over the state signed petitions saying they want the Libertarian Party on the ballot in Ohio.
BUT Secretary of State Ken Blackwell arbitrarily ruled them invalid due to a petition language technicality.
Libertarian, Green, Reform, Natural Law, etc. parties deserve the same right to run for office and vote for their candidates as Republicans and Democrats have.
But apparently Blackwell doesn't think so. The 57,000 who signed our petitions have no voice, according to him.
And the plot thickens...in a recent article in the Columbus Dispatch columnist Steve Stephens called Blackwell, "The politician who might benefit the most from no Libertarians on the ballot."
Coincidence?
Issue one: bad for Ohio
Issue One on the November ballot is part of Governor Bob Taft's plan to create jobs in Ohio. That would be a good thing since the recent one-penny sales tax increase destroyed 99,000 jobs according to The Beacon Hill Institute. Unfortunately, Issue One's own supporters say it will not even create one-third the number of jobs lost. Issue One will do more harm than good to Ohio, and its far-reaching implications will shock Ohioans.
While there are many reasons to vote NO on Issue One, three stand out.
1) Issue One will tear down a firewall that has existed in the Ohio Constitution since the 1850's, which prohibited the use of public money for private businesses. This provision was put in place after so many of the canal and railroad companies, which the state government invested in, went bankrupt.
While there are many reasons to vote NO on Issue One, three stand out.
1) Issue One will tear down a firewall that has existed in the Ohio Constitution since the 1850's, which prohibited the use of public money for private businesses. This provision was put in place after so many of the canal and railroad companies, which the state government invested in, went bankrupt.