Accountable to the Citizens (Democracy Day 2023)

 

If you're lucky, one day you might receive an opportunity to speak your mind to your local elected officials in city hall. I've been fortunate enough to have been asked to address our local city council on Democracy Day. 

Democracy Day is an event celebrated by several cities, and it's sponsored here in Toledo by Move to Amend and Ohio Single-Payer Action Network. This year, unfortunately, I came down with COVID at the last minute and was unable to attend in person, but my testimony was added to the record. Here's what I have to say about how corporations aren't people, people have human rights, and our government has the power to protect our health and safety from the abuses of corporations such as Norfolk Southern.

Accountable to the Citizens 

(Democracy Day 2023)

by C. A. Matthews

“Accountable to the citizens, not Wall Street.”
 
This is a bullet point I read on an Ohio Single-Payer Action Network (SPAN) leaflet. It begins by stating “Realizing the right to health care,” and follows with the idea that health care should be, “Universal,” and “Have high quality standards of care for all.” Health care should also be “Publicly financed” and emphasizes that it “Is not tied to employment.” All of these are excellent points to make, but the one I want to focus on today, Democracy Day 2023, is this: “Accountable to the citizens, not Wall Street.”

To put it bluntly, our health, our safety, and our lives should never be made subservient to the whims and the profits of corporations. Even simpler yet—no one should be making money off of anyone’s illness or need for medical treatment. But time and time again we read headlines such as: “Big Pharmaceutical makes billions off of new vaccine whose research was publicly funded.” We read headlines about how the US is the only so-called developed nation where families go bankrupt trying to pay for their health care—health care that is provided freely, as a public service, in most other developed countries.

“Accountable to the citizens, not Wall Street.” So, why aren’t we holding Wall Street accountable for the thousands of preventable deaths each year in the US, deaths caused by the lack of access to health care? What are we afraid of really by not holding Wall Street accountable? Not being bullied to death by billionaires?

Wall Street not only rules our access to health care, it also rules our ability to remain safe in our homes and communities. One recent example drives this point home more than ever: The toxic chemical burn instigated after the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. This prescribed burn of derailed tanker cars full of vinyl chloride released phosgene gas into the air and extremely poisonous dioxins into the environment.

If you’re old enough to remember the EPA Super Fund site of the village of Times Beach, Missouri, you’ll remember just how teratogenic and carcinogenic dioxins are to human life. If you’re old enough to remember learning about the First World War, you’ll recall that phosgene gas was a colorless gas that killed thousands of soldiers in the trenches.

Scarier still, this type of event probably won’t be the last time a train-full of toxic chemicals derails in the Buckeye State. That same Norfolk Southern train that derailed in East Palestine passed through Toledo earlier. What if that train had derailed in Toledo? Would we be standing here sharing our thoughts today at Democracy Day, or would we have been evacuated to a safer locale instead? Would we be discussing the rights of corporations to have the same rights as persons or the fact that we all had just been poisoned by a for-profit venture that couldn’t care less about our health and safety?

Our state attorney general has recently started a lawsuit against Norfolk Southern, to sue for damages from the derailment, but can money alone repay the harm caused to our neighbors in East Palestine? Can money alone bring the thousands of heads of livestock, fish, birds, deer, and other wildlife back from the dead? Can money alone relieve fears, rejuvenate the town’s ruined reputation, or realize a perfectly reborn environment in Eastern Ohio and Western Pennsylvania?

Money can’t buy love, and it certainly can’t bring back the dead. Not even corporate persons with deep pockets like Norfolk Southern have that kind of godlike power. The best option in this case is to never let something like the derailment and toxin burn that happened in East Palestine ever happen again.

Money can’t buy everything. We the People shouldn’t accept it alone as redress for these incalculable losses. I think we as citizens of Toledo, subject to three days without drinkable water in 2014, can empathize with the plight of the people of East Palestine, as we also suffered—and still suffer—from corporations’ rights taking precedence over human beings’ rights when it comes to our water.

The Lake Erie Billof Rights, better known as LEBOR, is the first "Rights of Nature" law that citizens passed by a definite majority in the US. It demonstrates that concerned citizens have caught on to the specious argument that “corporations are people.” Our rights to clean water were abridged by factory farm corporations that continually dump untreated animal wastes into our drinking water supply. A factory farm, Drewes Farms, claimed in their lawsuit against LEBOR that they had the right of “free speech,” and that their “rights” would be abridged if they had to clean up their animals’ effluence before it entered into the Maumee River watershed. If I hadn’t been sitting in the courtroom that day the verdict was read, I would have never believed such a specious argument could have convinced a federal district judge, but heck—they won, didn’t they?

I suppose Norfolk Southern will argue their rights to “free speech” could be abridged, just like Drewes Farms, if they were forbidden to burn toxic chemicals from their derailed train cars in East Palestine and elsewhere. I’m not that optimistic the state of Ohio will ever see any meaningful recompense for the victims of the burn from the dream team of lawyers that Norfolk Southern is lining up even as I speak. As I sat in that courtroom as the fate of LEBOR hung in the balance, I experienced up close what corporate money and lobbying does in the state of Ohio and in this country. It doesn’t protect the right of the people, that’s for sure.

Without possessing massive amounts of money like corporations, we mere human beings are defenseless. This means that We the People must take direct action to protect ourselves from these corporate-caused harms to our health, safety and environment.

On this Democracy Day, I propose that the city of Toledo resurrect its bravery that it displayed defending LEBOR and pass resolutions to protect its citizens from potential harms caused by toxic chemicals transported through our city. Trains, trucks, barges, boats, and planes can all carry toxic substances that, if leaked into our environment, can kill, injure, and maim our people, pets, livestock and wildlife. We can’t afford to let that happen. If what happened in East Palestine happened here in Toledo, a city with at least 60 times the population, it would have made the national news in less than three days and possibly even enticed Mayor Pete or President Biden to visit us in less then a week rather than a month later (or not at all).

Toledoans must put human rights above corporate profits and institute rules, regulations and safety procedures to prevent derailments or spills of toxins into our city’s environment. To ignore this potential threat or to think that only higher levels of government can or will handle this kind of emergency is to ignore the reality of the corporate owned and operated political system Americans are currently trapped in. Our neighbors in East Palestine discovered that ordinary Americans can’t depend on the federal or the state EPA to test for toxins or even to give us the truth about our health and safety in a timely manner. We the People must fend for ourselves as a community. We can do it.

Last year, Toledo instituted a program to pay off the outstanding medical debts of its citizens. This compassionate act has been duplicated in numerous cities across the US since then. Clearly, we have the smarts and the empathy to take care of our own. Toledo doesn’t have to bow down and kiss corporations’ backsides and put up with so-called “corporate persons” polluting our water, land, and air. We can fight back, and we should fight back.

It’s time for Toledo to become known as a city where human rights reign supreme and corporate profits take a back seat to our community’s health and safety. Toledo can make a difference and should make a difference in the world—a positive, human-centric difference. Our children and grandchildren will thank us for our insight and bravery.

Related Resources:

The State of East Palestine Ohio From the Eyes of a Local https://popularresistance.org/the-state-of-east-palestine-ohio-from-the-eyes-of-a-local/

How Corporate Greed Destroyed East Palestine (Documentary film by Second Thought) https://youtu.be/TcSLlveDu6k

Rail Workers Demand Immediate Action from Lawmakers to Rein in Rail Industry https://truthout.org/articles/rail-workers-demand-immediate-action-from-lawmakers-to-rein-in-rail-industry/

Exposure to Chevron's Climate Friendly Fuel May Pose Severe Risk of Cancer https://truthout.org/articles/exposure-to-chevrons-climate-friendly-fuel-may-pose-severe-risk-of-cancer/

Poison and Private Police: Norfolk Southern Destroys East Palestine https://odysee.com/@TheGrayzone:c/poison-and-private-police-norfolk:a

The Toxic Rail Disaster in Ohio: The Homicidal Indifference of the Ruling Class Laid Bare https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2023/02/15/zbrv-f15.html

Biden DOJ Backing Norfolk Southern’s Bid To Block Lawsuits https://www.levernews.com/bidens-doj-backing-norfolk-southern-case-to-block-lawsuits/

Rail Company Claims East Palestine Water Is Safe After Funding Sloppy Testing https://truthout.org/articles/rail-company-claims-east-palestine-water-is-safe-after-funding-sloppy-testing

A Norfolk Southern Policy Lets Officials Order Crews To Ignore Safety Alerts https://scheerpost.com/2023/02/23/a-norfolk-southern-policy-lets-officials-order-crews-to-ignore-safety-alerts/ 

The Value American Capitalism Places on Workers’ Lives: BP fined $156,250 for the deaths of two refinery operators in Ohio explosion https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2023/03/24/pers-m24.html

White House to Shut Down COVID Response Task Force https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2023/03/24/pned-m24.html

From Move to Amend:

The Norfolk Southern Corporation train derailment and subsequent hazardous chemical release in and beyond East Palestine, Ohio are the inevitable result of multiple anti-democratic realities. 

Many are interconnected and are the same for the roughly 1000 train derailments per year.

Private ownership of railroads

Norfolk Southern Corporation’s record earnings in 2022 benefited its top managers, speculators and investors. Maximizing profits have been prioritized over necessary investments in technology upgrades and worker safety. The Railroad Workers United in response is calling for public ownership of railroads, as they once were in WWI.

Lack of worker power

Strikes are powerful tactics of workers to exert leverage against management on safety issues and fair treatment. Unions representing rail workers have been virtually unable to strike since passage of the Railway Labor Act in 1926, which gives the government, specifically the President and Congress, vast powers to force workers to accept alternative means of resolving disputes.

No community rights

Communities have little authority to control material coming into or even passing through their jurisdictions by trains or trucks if that material can be defined as “commerce,” based on the Constitution’s Commerce Clause. Ohio state and E. Palestine officials weren’t even notified the Norfolk Southern train that derailed was carrying vinyl chloride, ethylhexyl acrylate and other highly toxic chemicals.

Corporate campaign contributions

The Railroad industry has poured $85 million into federal candidate campaigns, political parties and outside spending groups since 2002. Norfolk Southern’s political investments have been $17 million since 1990. At the state level, the corporation invested $98,000 into Ohio political races since 2018, with Gov. Mike DeWine (who at first didn’t call for federal assistance following the E. Palestine disaster since he didn’t see a problem) being the largest recipient. At the very least, political campaign contributions buy access to public officials; at worst, buys favors. 

Corporate lobbying

The railroad industry invested $24.6 million to employ 265 reported lobbyists to influence the federal government in 2022 – Norfolk Southern’s portion was $1.8 million.  Rail lobbyists and $6 million from the rail industry to GOP campaigns in 2017 effectively reversed requirements that rail cars carrying hazardous flammable materials have modern electronic braking systems. Lobbyists have sought for fewer workers on trains, trains to be longer and heavier, and reduced fines for penalties – as well as against installing modern electronic braking systems, paid sick leave for workers and having to define trains carrying hazardous chemicals like the Norfolk Southern that derailed in E. Palestine as “high hazard,” which would increase additional safety requirements, costs and public notification. 

Supreme Court decisions

The High Court decided that corporate entities have the constitutional right to contribute to political campaigns. This has permitted corporations like Norfolk Southern to corrupt the political process favorable to their interests, such as the previously mentioned laws and regulations profitable to railroads, Supreme Court-granted corporate Fourth Amendment search and seizure rights prevent surprise inspections of corporate property like trains meant to protect workers and communities.

Ineffective and/or captured regulatory agencies

Public safety inspections are not only limited by constitutional rights, but by regulatory agency funding. The Federal Railroad Administration, the major railroad regulatory agency, has only 400 inspectors. This has forced the FHA to increasingly allow railroad corporations to inspect their own trains, tracks and signals. The EPA recently announced that its requiring Norfolk Southern to directly test for dioxins in East Palestine. Where’s the public accountability when, in effect, an entity guilty of crime gets to be the prosecutor, judge and jury? 

Criminalization of protest 

Forty-five states have considered 265 “anti-protest” bills, 39 of which have already passed in 20 states since 2017. Penalties of felonies serve as a deterrent to individuals to attend public events and send the message that those who protest must be extremists. This mindset is reflected in the reaction by federal and Ohio “law enforcement” agencies to the recent visit of whistleblower Erin Brockovich to E. Palestine. A report by the agencies "assesses that special interest extremist groups will continue to call for changes in governmental policy, which may lead to protests in/around East Palestine and/or at the Statehouse in Columbus.”

The East Palestine tragedy is sadly just a symptom of current political realities and calls for fundamental systemic change.

Enacting the We the People Amendment, HJR48 that would abolish all corporate constitutional rights and political money defined as free speech, is urgent. But fundamental self-governance goes beyond the amendment. 

Independent people's movements led by individuals who’ve been historically treated unjustly is a prerequisite for how to get real democracy on track – for the very first time.

* * *

More on Democracy Day from Move to Amend:

Citizens Testify at Local Public Hearings in Ohio to End Corrupt Elections and Corporate Rule

Twelve public hearings are taking place in Ohio this year on the corruption resulting from the explosion of money spent in political elections and multiple harms due to increasing corporate power to influence elections and public policies.

The hearings are a result of citizen-driven ballot initiatives organized by supporters of the national Move to Amend Coalition working to pass the We the People Amendment (HJR48), introduced again this year in the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D, WA).

The ballot initiatives called for municipalities to inform federal and state officials representing their municipalities that citizens support an Amendment to the U.S. Constitution establishing that a corporation is not a person and political money spent in elections is not equivalent to First Amendment-protected free speech. The ballot initiatives also mandated municipalities to send to those same representatives a summary of testimony presented at an annual or biennial municipal-sponsored “Democracy Day” public hearings. All 12 communities that organized successful ballot initiatives have hearings this year, 11 sponsored by municipalities. 

The 12 communities with public hearings from February to September are Defiance, Mentor, Chagrin Falls, Painesville, Toledo, Brecksville, South Euclid, Cleveland, Cleveland Heights, Shaker Heights, Newburgh Heights and Kent. 

Seven hundred communities and eight states across the country have passed municipal resolutions and ballot initiatives since the 2010 Supreme Court Citizens United decision calling on Congress to pass a Constitutional Amendment to abolish corporate constitutional rights and money defined as free speech. In addition to the 12 Ohio communities that organized ballot initiatives beginning in 2012, 14 Ohio localities have passed municipal resolutions. These include Athens, Oberlin, Barberton, Fremont, Lakewood, South Euclid, Dayton, Canton, Oxford, Lorain, Bedford Heights, Oakwood Village, Tallmadge, University Heights.

“People across our state and nation are increasingly aware of and working to resist the corruption of big money in politics and unaccountable power of corporations over literally every aspect of our lives,” said Greg Coleridge, Move to Amend National Co-Director and Cleveland Heights resident. “These public hearings are opportunities to not only oppose these developments, but to advocate for a fundamental solution to increase people power: enactment of the We the People Amendment that affirms the rights protected by the Constitution are rights intended only for human persons, not corporations, and that money spent in elections is not free speech and can be publicly regulated.” 

"In Ohio we are directly witnessing catastrophic malfeasance by corporate profit interests:  animal factory farm waste into lake Erie, toxic train wreck in East Palestine, massive corrupted buyout of Ohio elected officials in Energy policy with HR 6 and First Energy corrupting the Ohio House leadership. It’s time to end this with one single constitutional amendment,” stated Dennis Slotnick, coordinator of the Toledo Democracy Day hearing. "This year, presentations will include, but are not limited to: The climate crisis, healthcare as a human right, voter suppression, a clean and healthy Lake Erie, statewide energy policy, CAFOs & watershed management, jobs with Justice and labor interests as each relates to  a corporation is not a person and money is not the same as free speech."

“We urgently need the We the People amendment to take back the power and ‘rights’ our government have bestowed on corporations. Most Americans simply don't realize the power corporations now wield over our health, safety, and public welfare. Nor do we understand the severe consequences of corporations having the Constitutional rights of citizens. The We the People amendment will return Constitutional power and ‘rights’ to the American people not just to the moneyed interests,” stated South Euclid Democracy Day public hearing organizer Madelon Watts. 

"Democracy Day is important as we need to call attention to the solution to the problem of powerful unaccountable for profit interests, dominating our public discourse by polluting our politics and airwaves with destructive disinformation designed to divide and confuse our citizens,” said Painesville Democracy Day co-coordinator Brad Deane. “Their power is fueled by unchecked, unlimited, and unknown donations to an increasingly disconnected political class. We will only overcome this oppressive  power by declaring corporations are not people and money is not speech. Thus, removing the shield and fuel from those who seek to unjustly dominate our democracy.”

"Brecksville voters enacted an ordinance to create a Democracy day in 2012.  The ordinance provides for public hearings for citizens to express their thoughts on the influence of money in politics," stated Brecksville Democracy Day coordinator Robert S. Belovich. "This year the City administration refused to  sponsor Democracy Day. Nevertheless  Brecksville Citizens for Transparent Politics have picked up the ball and are providing a public hearing. All are welcome."

Ohio Move to Amend State Network
http://www.movetoamend.org/

A Berniecrat in Ohio's 5th District

The Revolution Continues is proud to feature an exclusive interview with an up-and-coming progressive candidate for the House of Representatives...

A Berniecrat in Ohio's 5th District:
An Interview with M. Xavier Carrigan


https://www.mxc2020.com/

TRC:  Your web page proudly states “Progressive, positive, and proactive” and “making the American Dream an opportunity for everyone.” How exactly do you define “the American Dream”? In what ways will you be proactive in bringing about these opportunities?

MXC: I think the “American Dream” has different meanings for different people, but it generally encompasses having a job that pays fair wages and has upward mobility, owning a home, and raising a family in a peaceful, safe, and secure environment. Certainly, the reality of life in the US has changed considerably from the white-picket fence and 2.5 children ideal of the mid-20th century. However, the underlying spirit remains, and it remains for both those who were born here and those who have immigrated.

I myself am a product of the American Dream. My father emigrated here from Iran, and I am a first generation American. I watched my father work relentlessly to make his own businesses successful and to make sure that his family benefited from his efforts. I will never forget that, and that is what fuels my bid for the 5th District seat in the US House of Representatives. He overcame all the obstacles that immigrants face when setting up homes in a new country, and he worked tirelessly.

I will be proactive in bringing about these opportunities to all of my constituents by supporting an increase in legal immigration, an area in which the Trump administration has failed miserably. I will work to normalize the status of Dreamers as well as resolve the immigration status of countless other undocumented immigrants who are otherwise law-abiding residents. I will also fight to embrace refugees fleeing violence in Central America and not send them back to where their lives are in danger. I will also support citizenship for the translators and other locals who worked with American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, and other places in the Middle East, who were critical to our operations despite the fact that helping us put their lives and the lives of their families at risk.

But the American Dream is not just the domain of immigrants. We must fight to support the ability of the US working class to participate in all of the benefits this country can offer. I will fight to prioritize the rights of the individual over the rights of corporations and to implement a minimum wage that supports a decent standard of living – one that is emblematic of our shared perception of the American Dream – to reduce the horrendous disparity between CEO and worker pay and to guarantee that our education works for everyone, not just the privileged.

It is disheartening that today we must fight to keep the American Dream alive, but that is the situation that an unfettered corporate culture of greed and a complacent, compliant government have foisted upon us.

TRC:  As a supporter of the Democratic Party’s Green New Deal, you realize that our current system of government isn’t always on the side of the climate, the environment, or the health and welfare of its citizens, and there are many in the status quo who will fight for the rights of polluters such as CAFOs (factory farms) to continue polluting. What kinds of tactics do you envision using to press forward to make positive inroads on this important issue? What kinds of legislation will you introduce to Congress to help fight climate change and better the lives of not only your constituents but for all humankind?

MXC:  The issue of climate change must be defined as, “How are we going to protect our planet and its people?” and not, “How are we going to protect corporate profits?” So, the first order of business must be to reinstate the vast majority of environmental regulations that the Trump Administration has rescinded, and I don’t mean just the ones for which Trump sat in the Oval Office like a kid at show-and-tell holding up a document with his scribbled signature on it. Because, as foolish as those actions and his behaviour have been, there are countless other regulations that have been decimated by cabinet secretaries appointed to positions that they have essentially been charged with destroying. The behavior of the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Energy, and the Secretary of Commerce has been shockingly duplicitous and aimed solely at propping up corporate profits, the people of the US be damned.

I will follow the leads of other countries around the world that have reduced their carbon footprints by developing high-speed rail systems which also produce new jobs. I will fight for California’s fuel efficiency standards to go national. And I will fight for increased research and implementation of alternative renewable energy sources that will not foul the air that we all must breathe. Trump has done untold damage to our ecological development and that must be reversed ASAP.

TRC:  Have you heard of the Lake Erie Bill of Rights (LEBOR) citizens’ initiative that was passed this past year in Toledo? What is your take on citizens taking the initiative to save their—and about 11 million others’—drinking water from animal effluence-caused toxic algae blooms? Since you would represent constituents in western Lucas and Wood Counties who receive their water from the lake via Toledo’s water treatment facilities, as well as representing agribusiness and farmers in the Maumee River Watershed, how do you see yourself balancing these two opposing factions for the good of the many?
 
MXC:  Drinking toxic water is unacceptable whether it is in Flint, Michigan, or any municipality that gets its water from Lake Erie. Keeping Lake Erie and all of our waterways clean is not negotiable. Corporations do not have a right to destroy our water supply for their profits.

The only way we can resolve the matter of a water crisis as large as the algae blooms in Lake Erie is by making decisions that will not appease everyone. More importantly, it will hurt the pockets of those who profit the most, and I have no problem telling Big Ag that they must reel in their poor environmental practices and must lead the industry in means of mitigating contamination of one of the world’s largest bodies of fresh water.

Recently, a federal judge decided that LEBOR was unconstitutional. I have met many of those who have worked tirelessly for years to get this Bill of Rights made into law, and now have nothing to show for it. When we live in a time where a non-tangible entity like a corporation has more rights than most human beings, this is appalling. I will make sure that this fight does not end on the whims of this court decision and will bring a national media spotlight to LEBOR.

TRC:  You’re not taking any corporate PAC donations, relying instead on individual donations from the grassroots. Yet the Republican incumbent for Ohio’s 5th District, Bob Latta, will more than likely receive numerous large contributions from Super PACs and lobbyist organizations. How do you see yourself competing against such a moneyed opponent in the general election? What ways will you as the financial underdog take on the status quo? Does having less money mean becoming more inventive in your campaign strategy? What does that look like?

MXC:  Our average donation is $10. Why? Because we truly represent those who want to see change in our political system, not those who are looking to influence legislation aimed solely at filling their own pockets. We seek the support of those who are not just focused on money but on formulating policies that make a difference to all Americans.

I have watched multiple candidates on the national stage not just raise a fraction of the incumbent’s take, but also spend a fraction of what the incumbent spends, and still win. Because it’s not just about how much money you raise, it is about the platform and the policies that you have that ring true across this entire district. Unless you have those policies, forget the rest. That has been proven in this election, as well. No matter what you think of Tom Steyer and Michael Bloomberg, it became crystal clear that the untold millions they spent on their candidacies did not win them much of anything in terms of the nomination for president.

We don’t need $1 million to beat Bob Latta. I would estimate anywhere between $250,000 and $500,000 is more than enough to make that happen. What it's going to take is boots on the ground -- volunteers who are willing to talk to the people. And that is what our campaign has: people who don't need to be fed tons of money to help a candidate get elected that they truly believe will help them.

We have been out-raised nearly 10 to 1 by our top Democratic opponent, and yet we are still contenders, because every single person on our team is in it for the right reason. And when you’re in it for the right reason, you find ways to do things no one ever has before. You innovate. You re-invent. We need someone who can go on to the general election and not have to compromise their values just to be a contender. That is the only way forward for progressives. And my team and I have already shown we can do that.

This is not to say fundraising is not a part of our strategy at all. We regularly phone bank, e-mail, and text to seek donations from people across the country and here in Ohio’s 5th. I am not naïve, and, as with just about any major undertaking, funding is essential. In political races, however, it is essential to regulate how and from whom that funding comes. I am a huge proponent of doing away with the Citizens United decision that unleashed a torrent of corporate money into American politics and has taken power from the people through an absurd decision that made corporations “people” and money “speech.”

TRC:  You’re not the only Democrat in this March’s primary. How would you say you differ from your opponents, Mr. Redinger and Mr. Rubando? What makes you the strongest candidate to face off against Bob Latta in the fall? How will you inspire the base to show up for you both in the primary and the general?

MXC:  I am the only true working-class candidate and the only true progressive in this race. Before I started driving truck, I had two main careers and a plethora of jobs throughout my lifetime, in three different states and four different countries, and in a wide array of industries. This has provided me with unique insight into the needs of all workers and the concerns of all of my constituents.

Our campaign is truly grassroots, and we rely heavily on volunteers who are also working-class Americans. That’s what we’re made up of. And, more importantly, our entire campaign is made up of working-class individuals, not just here in Ohio. Our message is a national message. We want to take our local issues to the national stage, and that's going to take a national effort. That's what our team consists of. We have volunteers from New York City all the way to California, and it continues to grow. 

This is a right, red, MAGA kind of district. But the reality is, a lot of these people who are right-wingers, especially the ones who are MAGA, are just like us. And the only way we win this district is by engaging with those on the right. It isn’t enough for us to just engage with the people that we know that have the same views as us.

In order to beat Bob Latta, we have to reach across the aisle to those who see the writing on the wall: Latta is a do-nothing representative. He is a known name, but, for most people in the district, he is an unknown quantity. People go along because they know the name, but the more they know about him, the more disenchanted they become with his performance in the House. And I have been working hard to make sure the electorate knows that. Three quarters of the people in my profession (truck drivers) are Republicans. And I talk with these people every single day.

I have encountered these right-wingers and you know what they tell me? You win that primary you already have my vote. My campaign has that message to flip the fifth, to take it out of the hands of the people who don’t care about the constituents and who are solely concerned with putting more money in the boss’s pocket.  

Mine is a grassroots campaign within the Democratic Party and it is an outlier campaign. We are not part of the Democratic establishment in the district unlike, in particular, one of my opponents. But an outlier is the only candidate who can flip the district blue. Ohio’s 5th District has not been represented by a Democrat since 1939. I think that says it all as far as the efficacy of the out-of-touch Democratic organization in the district.

TRC:  Your web site states, “We need working class people on Capitol Hill to represent and fight for the working class of America.” Now this is a refreshing statement! Your goal to introduce legislation to create more workers co-operatives sounds fascinating but also controversial, at least to some CEOs who enjoy their mega-salaries at their workers’ expense. How do see yourself handling the probable intense opposition from Wall Street tycoons and Big Bankers? How do you see yourself inspiring working class people into believing in themselves and their dreams to own their own place of employment?

MXC:  Indeed, the opposition from Wall Street will likely be formidable. Wall Street and Big Banks inevitably do not want worker co-ops to proliferate in America, because they give more power to the people. But the record is pretty clear that corporations that have transformed themselves into employee-owned entities have done quite well both in terms of profits and employee satisfaction.
 
The key to success here is the people. And it has always been the people. One of the biggest tasks ahead of me is simply educating the public, the workers, on what worker co-ops are and how they can be of benefit to them. Your question about how I will inspire the working class to believe in themselves is precisely the right question to ask! And luckily, this, talking to the people face to face, having frank conversations with them, educating them, is exactly the thing I do best. 

My ability to meet that opposition from Wall Street will come on the heels of the progressive movement in this country that seeks to wrest control away from the elites and put it back in the hands of the workers. The energy and momentum that movement has, coupled with multiple voices that have been lifted up to the national level, is how we inspire the working class to demand their power back.

TRC:  Student loan debt forgiveness—yes or no? Can we as a nation afford to pay for everyone to attend college or higher training after high school? (More likely, how can we afford not to!) Do you regret going into debt to finance your own education?

MXC:  How we will pay for student loan forgiveness, which is something I wholeheartedly support, is actually one of the easier questions to answer: by adding a half of a tenth of a percent tax (0.05%) on speculative trading on Wall Street. This is a small ask, given how much welfare they have received from us. It will not just pay off student loan debt within the next decade, but fund free public college and trade schools for everyone, now and in the future. The Republicans are screaming, "How are you going to pay for this?" If we are the greatest country in the world, the richest, the most powerful, the kindest, the most compassionate, why can’t we take care of our own citizens as is done in countries that are not the greatest in the world, the richest, the most powerful, the kindest, and the most compassionate?

No, I do not regret going into debt to finance my own education. But, like so many others, I did so with the expectation that I would eventually be able to pay it off while still pursuing my chosen career and having the life I want to lead.

Though this financial burden has weighed heavily on me and forced me to stray away from the job I love--teaching--it has also taught me an invaluable lesson. I might not be running for office were I not, like so many others, struggling to keep afloat in this economy, with the weight of student loan debt holding me down. Whatever the drawbacks, it has helped spur me to take up this fight. 

TRC:  You state that you are an ardent supporter of the progressive candidate Bernie Sanders and his bid for the presidency and that you believe in his “Not me, us!” motto. Have you received any word yet that Bernie will endorse your run for Ohio’s 5th District? And if Bernie doesn’t receive the Democratic nomination, will you support the eventual nominee or will you follow Berners who support a more progressive candidate for the White House?

MXC:  We are still working on endorsement from the Bernie camp. Our values and campaign goals are very well aligned, and I am running in part to ensure he has more support in the House when he gets elected.

As far as it goes with supporting whoever the DNC nominates, I am a man of principle. If their principles align with my principles, then yes, I will support them. We need to take out Donald Trump. That must happen. But if we’re going to just serve it up to someone else who’s going to spout more platitudes and get nothing done for the American people, what’s the point?

I am the type of person who stands behind his principles no matter what I am fighting for. I was raised as a Republican but spent my entire voting life as an independent until Bernie Sanders came along. Then I finally decided I was a Democrat. I always believed the Democratic Party is the party of the working class, and it needs to return to that. 

Whoever is nominated, if they’re fighting for the working class, I will stand by them. But if they are going to compromise and be bought off, we’re just getting the same stuff as usual. I cannot accept that. 

Given how the primaries are going so far, and from what we are seeing in national polls, I think Bernie not winning will cause a fundamental breakdown within the Democratic Party, sooner rather than later. I hope this is not the case, but if Bernie has the nomination stolen from him, I think the question will be far more interesting than whether or not his supporters will go on to support the Democratic nominee.

TRC: Interesting it will be, no doubt about it! Thank you for answering our questions and best of luck in the primary, Xavier. Ohio voters don't forget to vote early now or on primary day, March 17.

*** 

The United States Must Make Testing and Treatment for Coronavirus Free to Ensure Containment!

Sign Now

While the novel virus COVID-19 (aka coronavirus) continues to spread across the globe, credible health organizations still say containment is possible. However, there are a few things making containment within the U.S. less likely. The biggest of these is that people are expected to pay out of pocket for testing, treatment, and quarantine. But it doesn't have to be this way, and New York State just proved it! Sign on to demand every other state follows New York's lead to block insurance companies from charging people for testing and treatment of coronavirus! The current estimated death rate of the virus is 3.4%, which would translate to millions of people in the U.S. if the virus continues to spread. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has just changed the standards for coronavirus testing to anyone who has a doctor's order. But due to the cost of such testing — one Miami man was charged over $3000, and that was with insurance — many people will not get tested and instead continue to spread the disease. The solution? Governors can prohibit insurance companies from charging people for testing and care of coronavirus. We, collectively, can afford to do this. Other countries are already proving that this works. In South Korea, for example, testing is free and extremely efficient — the system even includes drive-through stations that can test people in minutes. Making it a no-brainer for folks to get tested means a better chance of containment, a better understanding of the disease iteself, and even a lower mortality rate — South Korea's is just around 0.65%. If the U.S. has any hope of curbing the sickness and death this virus is causing around the world, we have to demand free treatment for all! As a society, we are only as safe as the least safe among us. Let's stand together and demand our lawmakers protect us in every way possible, starting with making all testing and treatment of coronavirus free! Please, sign the petition today. Thank you, Lauren W. The Care2 Petitions Team P.S. If the cost of coronavirus testing is left unchecked, undetected cases will cause the disease to spread like wildfire. Please sign the petition.

***

 

Super Screwed Day

Super Screwed Day

by Coast Watcher

Apparently there’s some kind of mass primary event going on today called "Super Tuesday," but let’s look at something that provokes even more intense anxiety—the current American government’s utter lack of concern for its citizens.

The preamble to the American Constitution reads:

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Note that bit about promote the general Welfare? How much promoting of the general welfare does the government do exactly? To paraphrase the early Federalist Robert Goodloe Harper, it seems to be a case of “Billions for defense, but not one cent for welfare.”

The case for a single payer, a free at point-of-use health care system, in the United States is gaining ground. At no time has the need for such a system been clearer than the need to deal responsibly with the current global coronavirus outbreak.

Are you looking forward to facing a pandemic in a country where a key source of affording health care is starting a GoFundMe account and begging strangers for money?

According to the Business Insider, the cost per patient for coronavirus treatment will be around $3,000. A public official has stated that an inoculation for the virus will not be made available for free. Big Pharma stands to make a gigantic profit from human fear and misery, so it's American business as usual there. In any case, it’s predicted that such an inoculation will only become available sometime in the fall.

Of course, the Trump administration has characteristically stumbled to the fore in its desire (after much pressure) to be seen to be acting on the problem. The president appointed Vice President Mike Pence as the coordinator for the coronavirus outbreak. Evangelist Pence is the man who, as governor of Indiana, mishandled an AIDS outbreak in his state by ordering people to "pray for it to go away." His tardiness in responding to the outbreak by ordering the setting up of AIDS clinics and needle sharing programs led to the disease spreading, causing many unnecessary deaths. I shudder to think how his general evangelical-Protestant attitude will deal with a serious nationwide outbreak of disease. Perhaps his desire to bring about the End Times will yet again outweigh his responsibility toward the citizens of America.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the man who helped turn the tide in the fight against HIV/AIDS during the 1990s has been virtually gagged by the administration over the response to the crisis. That’s right. The director of NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has been prevented from giving out all he knows on the matter. Why this should be is unknown, but it simply could be down to Trump’s general level of incompetence and erratic behavior.

To add to the general level of insanity coming out of the White House these days, we have Trump’s oldest son, Donald Jr., proclaiming that the coronavirus is a ploy generated by the Democratic Party to discredit his father in November’s election. Yes, you read that right. Junior reckons that a major political party is willing to kill thousands (and possibly millions) in order to dump on his daddy.

On the Democratic side of the fence, we have the unedifying spectacle of newcomer to the electoral race Mike Bloomberg saying that elderly Americans should be denied health care in certain cases. Wow... Mr. Bloomberg demonstrates just how much a billionaire willing to buy his way into power cares about promoting the general welfare.

Of course, other countries are already dealing with the potential for a pandemic in a responsible way. Britain’s NHS is rolling out extensive testing for the virus, and plans are in place to close schools, colleges and businesses to contain an outbreak. Similar plans are being enacted across Europe. Note that these countries all have universal health care. There’s no question of anyone going bankrupt in order to preserve their health or the health of the community.

By contrast, rumors coming out of North Korea claim that dictator Kim Jong-Un has ordered the execution of his country’s first coronavirus patient. You think that's bad? Read on and you'll see why many Americans can’t even drink their tap water.

Below this blog post is a press release issued by Toledoans for Safe Water regarding a recent judicial ruling on the Lake Erie Bill of Rights (LEBOR). In essence, the judge ruled that corporations polluting our waterways is a First Amendment right. Way back when the Bill of Rights was written, the Founding Fathers knew bad water could cause disease and kill thousands, even if they didn’t understand exactly why. Now that we in the modern world do understand the causes of water-borne illnesses, it must be the government's responsibility to ensure that its citizens have access to clean, potable water or else another epidemic may occur when the toxic blue-green algae begins to bloom on the lake this summer.

Except nowadays our government is quick to shirk its responsibilities. According to federal judge Jack Zouhary, a citizen’s right to clean water and a healthy environment must give way to Big Agribusiness and Big Oil and their desire to make as much money as possible (by causing the biggest mess as possible) before the Earth ceases to be habitable for humanity.

So much for promoting the general welfare.  Feeling screwed yet? Let the oligarchy know from this day forward that you're mad as hell and you're not going to take it anymore. We the people have the power. Now is the time to wield it. Remember:

The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don't have any.  -- Alice Walker

BIO: Coast Watcher is always on the look out for what's happening to our human rights to health and happiness. Apparently they've been sold to the billionaires for cheap so the fat cats can sell our rights back to us at a huge profit. So much for all men are created equal, eh?

Related articles:
 

CDC's Fauci: Coronavirus Vaccine On Its Way https://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/hai-types/cdcs-fauci-coronavirus-vaccine-way

Coronavirus: Trump Administration Stops Discussion https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-anthony-fauci-trump-admin-stops-discussion-2020-2

Getting Treatment Might Cost Americans Upwards of $3,000+ https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-treatment-costs-americans-health-care-broke-2020-2

Timetable for a Coronavirus Vaccine--Maybe this Fall? https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/02/12/804628081/timetable-for-a-vaccine-against-the-new-coronavirus-maybe-this-fall

Mike Pence's "Pray On It" Plan to Combat Indiana HIV Outbreak Resurfaces After Trump Taps VP to Lead Coronavirus Response https://www.newsweek.com/mike-pences-pray-it-plan-combat-indiana-hiv-outbreak-resurfaces-after-trump-taps-vp-lead-1489344

How Mike Pence Allowed the Indiana HIV Outbreak to Spread https://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/how-mike-pence-allowed-the-indiana-hiv-outbreak-to-spread/

 

Video Raises Questions About Bloomberg's View on Health Care for Older Americans https://www.forbes.com/sites/patriciagbarnes/2020/02/17/video-raises-questions-about-bloombergs-views-on-healthcare-for-older-americans/#77a45cc13005

North Korea's First Confirmed Covid19 Patient Shot Dead https://news-af.feednews.com/news/detail/cba0e3d130dbd0d8759b7f5bb9519404

Mass Coronavirus Testing to Reveal How Far Disease Has Spread in Britain https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/02/25/mass-testing-uncover-spread-coronavirus-britain/

Trump Jr.: Democrats Hope Coronavirus "Kills Millions of People" https://mavenroundtable.io/theintellectualist/news/trump-jr-democrats-hope-coronavirus-kills-millions-of-people-NP-Ny1dXJE6wCnBAyLNd-g

White House: "Media Stoking Virus Fears to Take Down Trump" https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-51667670

***

Court Overturns Lake Erie Bill of Rights
Judge Silences People and Nature on Behalf of Corporate Voices

Federal judge Jack Zouhary joined a long list of enablers complicit in the destruction of the natural world. In an unfortunate but predictable decision, he invalidated the democratically enacted Lake Erie Bill of Rights (“LEBOR”). This local charter amendment was the first of its kind in the United States. His decision comes at a time when the pollution of Lake Erie is intensifying, resulting in dangerous toxic algal blooms that threaten the drinking water for 11 million people and the health of Lake Erie.

LEBOR would allow residents to bring lawsuits on behalf of Lake Erie instead of depending on state government or regulatory agencies. Both the government and its agencies have not only consistently failed to enact adequate protections for Lake Erie, but have legalized harm to her and the people.

“Today we find that Zouhary’s ruling lacks the courage needed to create a just system and thriving community,” says Crystal Jankowski of Toledoans for Safe Water (TSW). “In the words of Howard Zinn, ‘Civil disobedience is not our problem. Our problem is civil obedience.’ Our childrens’ future is on the line and you have the choice to remain willfully ignorant or take action. ”

Zouhary admits that “LEBOR has already injured the State: at least on paper, State laws, regulations, licenses, and permits are invalid in Toledo to the extent they conflict with LEBOR.” This admission that LEBOR successfully challenges state pollution permits supports the claims made by Toledoans that legalized and permitted pollution has a negative impact on Lake Erie.

LEBOR has sparked a global conversation and inspired similar initiatives in Hawaii, Florida, and the state of Washington.

"As our options within the system are shut down, Toledoans must decide whether or not Lake Erie is worth fighting for,” says Markie Miller of TSW. “As long as there is a Lake to protect we won’t be going anywhere.”

We have been shown, time and time again, that the common peoples’ voices are the easiest to ignore. As the world faces unprecedented change, now is a crucial moment. We must stand together and unite in the fight for a healthy and thriving environment. We must call on the City of Toledo to appeal this decision, but also on the people of Toledo to stand with TSW and work together to fight for the change that has to happen. Our silence will not protect us.

Get involved with Toledoans for Safe Water at www.LakeErieAction.org.

Related articles:

Lake Erie Bill of Rights Ruled Invalid By Judge Zouhary
https://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2020/02/27/lake-erie-bill-of-rights-ruled-invalid-judge-jack-zouhary-toledo-lucas-county/stories/20200227155

AG Yost: Let's Save Lake "Legally" After LEBOR Invalidated
https://www.toledoblade.com/local/environment/2020/02/28/attorney-general-dave-yost-save-lake-legally-after-lake-erie-bill-of-fights-invalidated/stories/20200228122

***

Donald Trump Jr. Has Once Again Paid for the Chance to Kill, and This Time It’s a Treasured Grizzly Bear!

Sign Now

In a characteristic move, Donald Trump Jr. just bought the right to hunt an innocent, beloved animal recreationally. Trophy hunting is a cruel and unnecessary sport, the endgame of which is the grotesque collecting and displaying of a murdered animal's body parts, and Don Jr. is looking to add a grizzly bear head to his vast hoard. Please sign the petition and demand that the Alaska Department of Fish and Game put an end to all grizzly bear hunting! The grizzly bear, also known as the brown bear in Alaska, is all but extinct in the continental United States at a population of approximately 1,500. By comparison, these iconic animals are thriving in Alaska - their population there numbers just about 30,000. But this does not mean that the grizzly bear is unthreatened. Strict conservation standards are necessary to protect the Alaskan grizzly bears so they do not meet the same fate as their counterparts in the lower 48 states, which were decimated by habitat loss and overhunting. And yet, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game sees fit to host a horrifying "lottery" in which non-Alaskan residents to enter for the chance to win the right to hunt down and kill these American treasures. The latest American to win such a disgusting honor is Donald Trump Jr. Don Jr. has a history of using his status and wealth to get what he wants. Unfortunately, what he wants is to take innocent lives. Last year, for example, the world was shocked to learn that Trump's firstborn killed a Mongolian argali, a highly treasured and endangered breed of sheep, and then used his power, influence, and money to retroactively gain a permit to do so. This time, he won't have to work that hard — this Alaskan lottery system and the murder that ensues is totally legal. This has got to change. Don Jr. thinks he can use his status and image to get away with anything, but we can use those things to draw notice to our cause. Please, add your voice to the fight for the Alaskan grizzly bear and tell the Alaska Department of Fish and Game to terminate all grizzly bear hunting permits, now and in the future. Thank you, Kelsey B. The Care2 Petitions Team P.S. No one should be allowed to hunt grizzly bears, not even the wealthy elite! Sign now to urge Alaska to end permits granted for hunting grizzly bears! *** We’ve been anticipating this, but we got some news on the GOP’s lawsuit to repeal the ACA.    Instead of deciding to hear the case as soon as possible, the Supreme Court decided to take up the lawsuit in the upcoming term, which starts in October -- and WAIT until after the election to let more than 130 million Americans know if their health care is safe. The Health Care Repeal Lawsuit creates a level of uncertainty that’s dangerous to patients, people with pre-existing conditions, and the health care market overall.   We need stability NOW. Call your Rep. to demand they protect people with pre-existing conditions before October, and ask 5 friends to do the same: (202) 224-3121   It’s puzzling that the Court has granted many of the Trump administration’s unprecedented demands to expedite case after case, but refuses to do so in a lawsuit that represents a fifth of the entire U.S. economy and the lives of tens of millions of Americans.    The good news is that the Court will finally resolve this grave threat to the care that tens of millions of people rely on. But since Trump packed the Court with conservative justices, we can’t rely on them to make the right call. We need Congress to take action to fix this right now.   Congress needs to protect our care no matter what. Call your representative today, and forward this email to 5 friends asking them to do the same: (202) 224-3121   Time and time again, the GOP has shown us that their goal is to destroy the entire ACA, abolish protections for pre-existing conditions, and take away health care from tens of millions of people. But we have the people power to fight back and grow our ranks, so they can’t hide from the consequences of their actions anymore.   Together, we can save the ACA.   Thank you for fighting alongside us, Rosemary, The Health Care Voter Team   P.S. One powerful way we can fight back is to share our stories -- post yours on social media today to explain why you’re a #HealthCareVoter.