Columbus Freepress - November 7th 2013 Nov 7 2013 | Page 4

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Dear Editor, You probably recall a couple of Native American rallies during AmeriFlora, and the changing of the city’s name being mentioned? Every year I mention this and my liberal friends still glare at me like I am crazy, even as I recite the horrible things done by Columbus and his companions. One of the reasons I differentiate “liberals” from “progressives,” and yes I get glares over that too. So how about a name change to Geebus. Very close to Cbus, and seems we are stuck with (E. Gordon)Gee, even after his humiliation and the way he embarrassed the city. Even (Woody) Hayes and (Jim)Tressel had to quit, or were fired. So just cave in and name it after him! Or (Leslie)Wexner will want in on the ego, so maybe just “Wexner, Ohio.” Or Wexnerton, or Wexnerapolis? And there are those Hayes worshipers, so might as well throw those variations in. I do think some day, (in a)decade or two, the name will be changed, because it was an awful choice to go on forever. I understand in 1800 that people did not understand the truth of the history of Columbus. I will have to think on about other “serious” names. But I go with Geebus for now. Charles Preston PS-I have been reading ‘The Free Press’ since the ‘80s, and like the new format. Good Work! Dear Editor, November 30, 2013 from 7:00 until 9:00, Blue Dublin will have a seminar and introduction of candidates at the Dublin Library, 25 North High St. Dublin OH 43017. The topic: The importance of the 2014 and 2016 elections. The speaker and leader of the seminar will be Dale Butland. He is with Innovation Ohio and is a most effective speaker on progressive issues on central Ohio talk shows. He was Senator Glenn’s legislative assistant. We are inviting the five Ohio-wide candidates for 2014: Ed FitzGerald for Governor, David Pepper for Attorney General, Nina Turner for Secretary of State, Connie Pillich for Treasurer, John Patrick Carney for Auditor and Scott Wharton who is running for Congress in the 15th District. Each of these candidates or their surrogate will be asked to give their stump speech. Since parts of Dublin are in Franklin, Delaware and Union Counties candidates for Ohio-wide, county and city offices in these counties in 2014 and current office holders will be introduced. Schedule: 7:00 PM register and network 7:30-8:45 PM speech and seminar After 8:45 PM talk to candidates Albert A. Gabel Chairman Blue Dublin People are talking. Here’s what your Facebook friends have to say Thanks Lady Monster and The Columbus Free Press for this praise for The Big Book of Orgasms: 69 Sexy Stories! “For more insight and inspiration for your orgasms, and the various types of orgasm that can be achieved, I recommend reading this brand new anthology of erotic short stories, The Big Book of Orgasms: 69 Sexy Stories by prolific erotica writer/ editor Rachel Kramer Bussel. Each story is about achieving orgasm. Short, hot and steamy revelations. An excellent bedside companion for yourself or story time with a partner.” Rachel Kramer Bussel (author) Excellent full-page Q&A in this week’s [Oct 31] The Columbus Free Press. Willie Phoenix of Blues Hippy and The Soul Underground answers 5 questions in Technicolor (no one word answers here) and the pic by Rachelle DeClue Shearon t’ain’t too bad, neither!! Myke Rock [Referencing “Diebold Indicted” article in Oct. 31 issue]: They’ve been busted so many times I’ve lost count. But instead of focusing on them, focus on the two party criminal syndicate that’s been playing us all for the past century instead. Rustifari Satori I would like to know why the American people are not up in arms about the absolute foolishness that is taking place in our nation’s capitol at the moment. How can we call ourselves a democracy, when every piece of legislation put forth by the Republican Party is solely to the detriment every of every social program that is currently in force?This party( gang of terrorists,more like it) is destroying our economy when its at its most vulnerable point. And, the real sad truth of the matter is that when all is said and done, we’re going to all be affected in one way or another-- especially minorities, whose fortunes have been grievously damaged already. I propose that the Black Caucus of the Congress, of both houses, call for a referendum to bring these facts to light. Gregory Gartrel Let the NSA know what you think about the Columbus Free Press. Friend us on Facebook and make your voice heard. “NOW MORE THAN EVER” SEND US YOUR LETTERS 4 The Columbus Free Press is eager to engage our readers. Letters to the editor are not only welcome but encouraged. Have a comment, gripe or criticism? Send your letter to: [email protected]. Include your name and city of residence. Submission does not guarantee that your letter will appear in the Free Press, but every submission will receive due consideration. a word from Managing Editor Michael Alwood We have seen this act before. It always appears innocent to the untrained eye, but those who pay close attention can sense when something is rotten in Denmark, or in this case Dennison Place. Concerned citizen Frank Zindler smelled something foul in his neighborhood when he was notified that this year he wouldn’t be voting at the Thompson Community Center, where he’s cast his ballot for three decades. Instead Frank was told to go to the Ohio Student Union on campus to exercise his franchise. On the surface it sounds like a reasonable replacement for his usual polling station. It’s public, it’s open and easy to find. How can anyone complain they are being inconvenienced, as Frank did? Frank saw a fly in the ointment when he launched a recon mission to scope out the new polling place. What he found caused him to write a letter to the Columbus Dispatch. In that letter he explained a clear and present danger to his neighbors’ voting rights. There’s no place to park. Sure, there’s a fairly large parking garage attached to the Ohio Union. But, as Frank pointed out in his letter, there’s just one itty bitty problem. Turns out those garages are only open to those with key cards. The general public ca n’t enter them until after 4pm. In Frank’s mind, that’s the sort of thing that just might keep some of his elderly neighbors, and perhaps some less motivated voters, from casting a ballot. And so he wrote a letter to the Dispatch, who called him to verify he had written the letter, something they do if they think they might publish a letter. But the Dispatch did not publish the letter. Frank believes that what the Dispatch did do was call the Franklin County Board of Elections. He can’t prove that, nor can we, but soon after hearing from the paper he got a letter from FCBE. “To alleviate this concern, we have worked with The Ohio State University [not the private company now running the parking business?-Frank’s question] to provide vouchers to every person that needs to park in one of the university parking garages in order to vote. When you sign in at the polling location at the Ohio Union, please mention to poll workers that you are parked in one of the university garages and they will provide you with a pass to exit the garage at no cost.” In an email to me, Frank wondered about a few things. “How nice!” he wrote. “If you can’t get into the garage in the first place, how will you get a voucher and for what will you use it? “I am worried that there may be a wider importance to this case. The consolidation of precincts may not be important for off-year elections, but if it is primarily in Democratic areas during a major election it may produce the outrageously long lines we experienced preceding the accession to the throne of King George II. I admit that the closure of the Thompson Community Center gives a slight justification for changing the voting site, but why wasn’t a small, accessible alternative site chosen? An oversight? I doubt it.” You are not alone. Frank emailed me several times Tuesday afternoon. He was on another mission. He found that the first entrance to the parking garage still prohibited public parking before 4pm, while the second entrance had no such barrier. However, as Frank pointed out to me, there was no way of knowing if his neighbors were also told by FCBE about parking vouchers. “It would appear that my letter to the Dispatch did in fact ameliorate somewhat the situation in my precinct. I am certain that this would not have happened if the editor had not contacted the FCBE. I doubt that any letter was sent out to all registered voters. If it had been sent, surely it would have told them to look for the second entrance to the parking garage, wouldn’t it? Even so, it is hard to underestimate the impact on my elderly neighbors during an off-year election of the specter of having to go to so forbidding a site as the Ohio Union. My guess is that some of them have never been in a parking garage.” Thanks, Frank, for caring enough about the election process to have taken as many steps as you did to uphold your neighbors’ right to vote.