Next Meeting:

Thursday, May 9th, 2013, 7:00 PM.  Democratic Socialists of Central Ohio Meeting.  Special program:  Debtor’s Prisons Alive and Well in Ohio with Gary Daniels.  Gary Daniels is the Associate Director of the Ohio ACLU and heads the ACLU of Ohio regional office in Columbus.  Gary has worked for the ACLU of Ohio for nearly 14 years, from 1995-2000 and 2003-present. Before becoming Associate Director, he worked for the ACLU of Ohio in the position of Litigation Coordinator.  Currently, Gary spends much of his professional time as a lobbyist for the ACLU of Ohio working on such issues as criminal justice and prison reform, open government, elections/voting and free speech, among others.  The ACLU contends that incarcerating a person simply because he or she cannot afford to pay court costs and fines is prohibited by state law and unconstitutional and has questioned one Erie County judge about his practice of jailing defendants who cannot or do not pay fines or fees, and has also spoken out against pay-to-stay jail schemes in Summit County, Monroe County, and Franklin County.  In October 2010, the ACLU released “In For A Penny”, a startling new report that profiles five states — including Ohio — that imprison people because they cannot pay fines. The report highlights the negative consequences for budgets and public safety, noting that jailing one person for 30 days costs more than $1500, causes disruptions in employment, and can contribute to recidivism.  Location:  Northwood Building, Room 100, 2231 N. High St., Columbus. 

50th Anniversary of Michael Harrington's "The Other America" at Progress Ohio.  Watch the Complete Program!  Panelists: Keith Kilty, Bob Fitrakis, Fadhel Kaboub, Kevin Boyle, Linda Cook, and Lisa Hamler-Fugitt

Talkin' Socialism is a monthly podcast of democratic socialist views produced by the Chicago Democratic Socialists of America.   http://northshoredsa.org/talkin_socialism.html