Dear People--I'm sure you're all aware that the deadline to register is this Monday! Be sure you are registered to vote!Obviously the national election is important, but there are also some ballot initiatives that are vital to the interests of all Ohioans which aren't getting as much attention, as far as I can see. I advocate voting YES on Issue 5 (control Payday Lenders); NO on Issue 6 (No new Casino); and YES on ISSUE 2 (Keep the CLEAN OHIO FUND).
1) YES on ISSUE 5 (NO on ISSUE 6): The PAYDAY LENDING industry is pouring a lot of money into trying to rescind the law passed by the Ohio legislature this year that keeps these lenders from earning up to a shocking 391% interest--limiting them to a still VERY high 28% (even my credit card doesn't charge that much if I fail to pay off my balance).
I am very aware of these lenders, many of which are located in the poorest parts of Springfield--just drive north up Highway 72 and you see them lining the road. Shockingly, a huge percentage of these lenders around the country are located near military bases like Wright-Patt. I was speaking to an Antioch alum who works for the Army in their real estate division, and she was just bemoaning the way that these industries prey upon poorly paid soldiers and their families.
I believe you can talk even to your conservative Ohio friends and relatives about this issue--urge them to vote YES on 5. Here's an article from the Columbus Dispatch about this issue, and issue 6 (which would bring a casino to the state), and why a wide range of pastors are publicly advocating that voters of conscience check "Yes" on 5 and "No" on ISSUE 6:
http://www.dispatchpolitics.
2) YES on ISSUE 2: From Environment Ohio: "Without your help, the Clean Ohio Fund, our state's most important water and land preservation program will expire. Since Ohioans voted to create the program in 2000, waterways from Lake Erie to the Big Darby are cleaner, more than 26,000 acres of wildlife habitat have been preserved, and over 170 abandoned industrial sites have been cleaned up. So far, the Clean Ohio Fund made more than 700 clean water, urban revitalization and land preservation projects possible." MORE INFO: http://www.environmentohio.
You can even vote early! Click the link below to find out where you can vote YES on Issue 5; NO on Issue 6; YES on Issue 2 before November 4th:
http://www.sos.state.oh.us/
3) Finally, I was asked to announce that there's a Community Day event this Sunday with a Free Lunch! "This Sunday, October 5th at 1:00pm in the John Bryan Community Center Gymnasium, the Nonstop community will be having a birthday party for Antioch College! Members of the Pro-tem Board, the Antioch College Alumni Board, Nonstop faculty, staff, and students will join together for a (free) Community Lunch to remember and celebrate Antioch's history as we move into an amazing future. We will also be hearing a report-back from Matthew Derr and Nancy Crow about the Invent-a-College weekend. Please RSVP to chelseamartens [AT] gmail [DOT]
com
All Best,
Lori
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