At their July 8, 2014 County Central Committee meeting, the Franklin County Green Party endorsed the Columbus Community Bill of Rights. Co-Chair Bob Fitrakis called for “a return to localism where local people control their air and water and are not at the mercy of corporate polluters.”

The Columbus Community Bill of Rights proposes an Amendment to the Charter of the City of Columbus. A group is collecting signatures to put a citizens’ initiative on the ballot that will give Columbus residents local control over the extraction of hydrocarbons and protect the unalienable rights for pure water, clean air, and safe soil. The Community Bill of Rights would free Columbus citizens from "toxins, carcinogens, radioactive substances, and other substances known to cause harm to health.”

The Franklin County Green Party holds that human rights take precedence over corporate profit. “We do not believe corporations have the same rights of flesh and blood people, and living human beings have the right to decide what goes into their air, soil, and water,” Fitrakis stated.

“The authoritarian one-party political system in Columbus, under the control of the Democrats, has refused to let the people vote on citizens’ initiatives in the past. We pledge our resources to make sure the Community Bill of Rights gets on the ballot so the people of Columbus can protect their environment – not politicians who are in the pocket of developers and big business,” Fitrakis said.

“The Green Party stands firmly with those who are fighting to keep radioactive fracking water and waste out of the Columbus area. The Bill of Rights is the best approach,” Fitrakis asserted

Editors Note:  Green Party Chairman Bob Fitrakis is Editor in Chief of the Columbus Free Press