Ep. 76 - Guest: Former Ohio State Representative John Barnes

Guest: Former Ohio State Representative John Barnes

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
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Speaker 1 (00:18):
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Speaker 1 (01:08):
The following is a presentation of FCB Faith. This is
the Jeff Nick Show.

Speaker 3 (01:28):
Welcome to the Jeff Lorii Nick Show.

Speaker 4 (01:30):
And we are an informative talk show that is focused
on finding solutions to today's problems to make our neighborhoods better,
our communities better, US state, and this great nation. We're
happy to have with us an exciting guest today who's
going to share something regarding.

Speaker 3 (01:47):
Issue one, the Ohio Issue one.

Speaker 4 (01:49):
He's going to give us some insights on what Ohioans
should expect, what we should be doing with regards to
this very controversial issue issue Ohio.

Speaker 3 (02:01):
Okay, good morning, John Barnes, How are you today?

Speaker 2 (02:07):
Good reverend? How are you this morning?

Speaker 3 (02:09):
Oh doing just great?

Speaker 4 (02:10):
Tell us a little bit about Ohio's Issue one that's
on this November bellot that's coming up just in a
matter of days.

Speaker 2 (02:21):
Well, you know, first of all, everyone knows that Issue
one is about jerry mandarin and it will radically change
the Ohio system of government as it pertains to redistricting.
First of all, I think it's important to note that
almost no one that I know agrees with or supports

(02:44):
the idea of jerry mandering. I don't, but Issue one
is not the answer for Ohio currently under current law
and for the history of the State of Ohio, pretty
much the nation, we have operated based on the political
philosophy of one person, one vote, meaning of course that

(03:08):
with respect to redistricting, everyone should have the right to
equal protection under law, and the eleven and a half
million people in the state of Ohio would be considered
as decisions are made about redistricting. Issue one would radically

(03:28):
change that. Issue one would create a new method, not
counting all eleven and a half million people, but would
essentially count individuals who vote in partisan elections. And that's
addition franchisement of all Ohio citizens. But in particular, Issue

(03:51):
one has a provision and I for the first time,
would allow the breaking up of the largest counties, which
means that the the the consequence of that is a
net impact on African American representation at a time when
we have been in struggling on education, on economic development,

(04:14):
on healthcare, on a myriad of issues that affect are
unique to our communities. This would dilute and in fact
eliminate African American seats. This is not the first time
this has been tried. It was passed over in the
state of Michigan. The results of Michigan has been a

(04:38):
forty percent reduction in the representation in the Michigan Senate
and a twenty percent reduction in the Michigan House of Representatives.
In fact, something that similar passed over in Michigan for
the first time in over seventy year years, Michigan no

(05:02):
longer has an African American representing them in the United
States Congress. And this is an initiative that have been
brought by people who purport to represent our interests, and
in fact, they have disregarded the loyalty that the African

(05:23):
American community has had towards the Democratic Party and other interests.
In fact, we have voted upwards of seventy five to
eighty percent or more in national and local elections for
Democratic Party and we're repaid by them concocting a proposition

(05:48):
called Issue one that would dilute and in fact disenfranchised
African American voters from their political influence. And that's wrong.
That should not be like that.

Speaker 4 (06:03):
I agree with you, John, when you say that this
Issue one is very confusing to voters. And because the
Yes on one folks kind of started airing commercials quickly,
and they've branded this as anti jerrymandering. And the official
language says that if Issue one passes, it removes the

(06:29):
restrictions that are placed on jerry manderin correct.

Speaker 2 (06:34):
Well, I mean it depends on what your definition of
jerrymandering is. Actually Issue one would create more jerry mandarin
because if you divide up the city of Cleveland, for instance,
where you have upwards of fifty five sixty five percent

(06:54):
plus African Americans, then you dilute that power. What happen
is that the only way you can go is out
into suburban communities. Well, you know, we know, you know,
first of all, this is not this is not a
racial issue as much as it is a fairness issue

(07:16):
for the African American community, because African Americans typically vote Democratic.
The net consequence of this is that you're going to
dilute the Black Democrats, who typically don't vote in primary
elections as much as as our counterparts. And because of that,

(07:40):
you're you're going to lose many of those primaries. And
that's what happened over in Michigan. So this is being
marketed as an anti jerry mandarin initiative when it's anything.

Speaker 3 (07:54):
But that is a hijack, right, I agree with you.

Speaker 4 (07:59):
What I was saying was that it's actual language says
that if this has passed, it would remove the restrictions
that are placed on gerrymandering. So what what happened is
that would allow the map drawers, the ones who draw
the lines, map makers, to do whatever they want to do.

Speaker 2 (08:20):
That that that that is correct, and with respect to
the African American community, to mention the people of color,
it says that they would, they would, they would deal
with those issues as much as could be allowed.

Speaker 3 (08:37):
What about so what?

Speaker 2 (08:39):
What? So?

Speaker 3 (08:39):
What what does that?

Speaker 2 (08:40):
What? What does what does that tell? You?

Speaker 4 (08:45):
Tells me that they're going to do basically whatever they
want to do, and it depends on whatever whim desire
the unvoted commission members have in their will or desire,
And again I like what you said. One of the
negative effects of this is that it takes the response.

(09:07):
It removes the responsibility of.

Speaker 3 (09:11):
You know, one person, one vote.

Speaker 4 (09:14):
It removes that protection that we've had to have accountability
to those individuals that we elect to do the work
of drawing the maps. So by putting a commission in place,
it just really dilutes the power of the individual voter,
which is a real major concern.

Speaker 2 (09:36):
Can you speak to that with respect to answers with
respect to answers that affect the African American community. What
they added in specific language in referencing communities of concern
pursuing to the Voting Rights Act and in fact says
to the extent possible, to the extent possible, says to me,

(09:58):
trust us, We'll do the right thing. We shouldn't have
to trust if if, if you're creating a new law.
And as a former legislator, the way that I always
analyzed legislation was to look at what the outcomes with
the consequence of voting for or against. And uh, you know,

(10:21):
there's nothing in issue one that would justify anyone having it.
I'm surprised that that that that because a lot of
these organizations go around, UM supporting organizations with rubber chicken dinners.

(10:43):
Uh that they somehow has convinced the leadership to support
something that's so plainly wrong and against the African American community.
Uh that the mere uh, the mere fact that some
of them are supporting this is sad. And UH, you know,
we stand on the shoulders of people like in Northeast

(11:06):
Ohio like Congressman Stokes who who who's uh as a lawyer,
filed lawsuits uh that helped create the the twenty first
first when when when we were kids, reverend Uh. Then
now the eleventh Congressional District, right, they they they have

(11:30):
engaged with Issue one and to a process that I
call ideological visuantieism. Uh. It's an effort by a lot
of frustrated people who are so dissatisfied with some of
the decisions that have been made by the legislature that
they're saying, let's just blow the government up. We don't
care about it, we don't care what people think. And

(11:52):
and and for the African American community that that that's
not a good thing, uh to to allow so an
Issue one is asking people to do, is this they're
asking you to give up to acquiesce your vote to
a fifteen member commission of five Democrats, Republicans, and independents,

(12:15):
people you neither know have elected and no accountability to
make decisions about redistricting. Now here's the punchline. They have
an unlimited amount on their American Express to fight citizens
that they purport to have included in this, to deny

(12:40):
them due process, to correct or to challenge any of
the decisions that this commission has. In fact, under current law,
everybody who sits on the board is elected, and because
they can't or have not been able to elect anybody's statewide,

(13:03):
that is why the makeup on that board is as
as such. Where they're complaining, so they saying, Okay, what
we're gonna do is we're going to hijack the whole process.
That's not the way government should work. Issue one is dangerous.
It's dangerous for the African American community. But what I
always say, what's good for the African American community is

(13:27):
good for all communities, and Issue one is bad for
all our communities.

Speaker 3 (13:35):
Well said Darvo wanted to jump in here, No, I
just wanted to to ask a little bit more about that.

Speaker 5 (13:45):
We've seen, as you mentioned in Michigan, they've done this
and it was actually ended up going to court because
black voters sued saying that there was a violation of
the civil rights and voting rights.

Speaker 2 (13:58):
At talk talk a.

Speaker 5 (13:58):
Little bit about what the outcome could be for our community,
in particular if this thing passes well.

Speaker 2 (14:07):
Former Representative SIERR Gnango who who and I have started
a national organization, uh and our our focus is on
Our focus is on assisting people to understand around the
nation issues that that are coming up. And you know,

(14:29):
she fought this over there and they she was one
of the plaintiffs in one of the court cases that
was filed and and they in fact laws and they're
going to lose here in Ohio. And I can tell
you that what what what I resent? Professionally resent? It's

(14:52):
not personal, this is business. But would I professionally resent
the fact that that we have been our community, that is,
has been so loyal in supporting the Democratic Party that
now all of a sudden that they're saying, trust us,
give us your vote. Well, we have fought. When we

(15:13):
look back to Jim Crow, when we look back uh
at at at voting at one time, it wasn't one person,
one vote. It was one man, one vote because women
couldn't vote at that time. But but but black men
at that time were fighting for their right to vote. Now,
as a result of that, across the South, there were

(15:36):
many individuals who were African American that then started to
serve in the legislature and what have you, uh, and
in Congress. So we have to be mindful of sticking
to the basic principles that our forefathers set forth. I mean,

(15:57):
you take you take now. At one time, I'm reverend
you remember this. When we were coming up around around
the congressmen and my dad and and and and pak
Me and Forbes and all of these folks. What we
saw is that they, the congressmen, would always say they're

(16:18):
no permanent enemies, no permanent friends, just permanent interests. They
have indoctrinated, in fact, brainwash people in in into who
they want to identify as an enemy, who are Americans,
and demonize the process. Right now, they're saying politicians, well,

(16:39):
those politicians that they make reference to in the state
of Ohio are individuals who make decisions on over one
hundred billion dollars in the state of Ohio one hundred billions.
So what Issue one is going to do? Uh, if
it passed, and I'm going to do everything I can

(17:00):
make sure it doesn't pass. For what Issue one would
do is sort of create an imperial legislature of individuals
who are appointed, not elected, not accountable, and have an
unlimited amount of resources to fight anybody who questions. They're
unlimited authority pursuing to this to this very very bad amendment.

(17:25):
And what I'm most concerned with is that in this amendment,
it focused on African American issues and simply makes a
statement to the extent possible, we will do everything to
consider that. That means nothing. It's insulting. And I call

(17:46):
it again ideological visiantieism, because it's where people have taken
in their own hands and gone around. I mean, I
was at Shaker Square when someone approached me with a
petition and they asked me. They said, okay, I was
going into in today's supermarket. And this lady approached me.

(18:08):
She said, you know, we're trying to get rid of redlining, right,
And I'm looking at her and said, well, there is
nothing like that going to be on the ballot. And
I looked at it, I said, well, let me see
your petition, and it was about gerrymandering. They went out
and fooled a lot of people in designing a petition

(18:29):
that they didn't understand. And the same way that they're marketing, Reverend,
based on what you said in terms of marketing this
thing as an anti gerry mandering. This is not an
anti jerry mandering. This is a hijacking of political power.
It's going to have a devastating impact on our community

(18:52):
if we don't, if we're unsuccessful, and I can tell
you that there are issues constitutionally about equal protection that
I'm sure is going to be challenged.

Speaker 4 (19:04):
Thank you so much, Thank you so much, John Burns,
vote no on Issue one. Thank you again for coming
on the show. And we're going to share this with
our listeners. And again John, we thank you again. Hope
to have you back sometime. And I wanted to say
thank you to our audience or listeners and let's all

(19:27):
keep fighting a good fight and remember that we can
all do our part to make this a better city,
better state, nation, and God bless you all.

Speaker 2 (19:38):
Vote no, uness you want.

Speaker 6 (19:51):
This has been a presentation of the FCB podcast Network,
where Real Talk Lives. Visit is online at Fcbpodcasts dot com.

Speaker 2 (20:07):
MHM