[Libs-Or] Civics for Adults!! Update.

Thu Aug 25 12:37:44 PDT 2022

Civics for Adults Update, August 25, 2022 

Upcoming Tuesday, Sept 20. 1:00-2:30 In-person.

Citizen Activism 101 / Elections [combination workshop with elements of
both].

Sponsor: Salem Public Library, 585 Liberty St, SE, Oregon 

Register:  Not required   

* Engaging with government / lobbying for influence

* Tracking civic / political legislation

* Right to vote? 

* Election 2022/2024 issues

* New/potential election practices

* Campaign financing issues and tracking

Upcoming Tuesday, Sept 20. 6:30-8:00. In-person.

The Constitution: Fulfilling Democracy's Promise?

Democracy, the Constitution and Representation in Congress

Sponsor: Hillsboro Public Library, 2850 NE Brookwood Parkway, Hillsboro,
Oregon 

Register:  Not required   

*	Status of democracy
*	Forming a country
*	Bill of Rights
*	Interpreting the Constitution
*	Structural issues / representation
*	Changes needed? 

Selected Civics for Adults Facebook posts:

Nicked from Tom Jones at Poynter [Poynter, along with Columbia Journalism
Review, are websites that cover the media]: ".Today is the 15th anniversary
of PolitiFact, the fact-checking website that rates the accuracy of claims
by elected officials and others. It was launched by the St. Petersburg
(Florida) Times (now the Tampa Bay Times) in 2007, and won a Pulitzer Prize
for National Reporting for coverage of the 2008 election. It moved under
Poynter's umbrella in 2018. Today, founding editor Bill Adair, who is now
the Knight Professor of the Practice of Journalism and Public Policy at Duke
University, has a column about PolitiFact.

Adair wrote, "There's still a substantial audience for facts. This can be
forgotten in our hyper-partisan age, when so many people seek validation of
their beliefs. But there still are plenty of people who want to consider all
sides and know the facts."

<https://www.politifact.com/article/2022/aug/22/fifteen-years-later-we-haven
t-given-facts-neither-/?fbclid=IwAR0jCp1kdARgsmt_FJVOz9jYw_sZaYIYesrCmNmfTT0
xXwu3nUqoEfh6aPY>
https://www.politifact.com/article/2022/aug/22/fifteen-years-later-we-havent
-given-facts-neither-/?fbclid=IwAR0jCp1kdARgsmt_FJVOz9jYw_sZaYIYesrCmNmfTT0x
Xwu3nUqoEfh6aPY 

**

Because the potential changes to the government of the City of Portland are
so significant there will be a number of postings related to that over the
next couple of months. That said, I welcome similar information about any
government entity in the country. Structural changes to government, wherever
they are being considered/happen, teach us a great deal. I often make the
point that the changes we want/need may go well beyond the simple act of
electing a different public official. Sometimes we need structural changes
to our political system. We can learn a lot by watching what is going on in
Portland. 

This is a PowerPoint presentation by one of the members of the City of
Portland Charter Review Commission about the committee's recommendations for
changing Portland's government structure. They will be on the ballot in
November.

Even if you don't live in Portland, the plans are quite interesting and you
may find some/all of what's in them appealing to your location.

<https://static.s123-cdn-static-d.com/uploads/2516289/normal_6302eb1054cfe.p
df?fbclid=IwAR0bIIvq_y4WYd5vj52Y7VRgRrSZRp1EQ9KaSUqYk8cBYsxz_8rjppH-KoE>
https://static.s123-cdn-static-d.com/uploads/2516289/normal_6302eb1054cfe.pd
f?fbclid=IwAR0bIIvq_y4WYd5vj52Y7VRgRrSZRp1EQ9KaSUqYk8cBYsxz_8rjppH-KoE 

The big changes on tap for the City of Portland when voters fill out their
ballot in November require a major voter education campaign since several
would be brand new approaches in Portland.

Here is a comic strip that was created to educate the public about the
ballot initiative. 

<https://www.portland.gov/sites/default/files/2022/publiceducation_comic.pdf
?fbclid=IwAR0ypMbnZQV6JWOnko2v4Abenc-XuWcvBbtSYWNwUusa8OLuJMxrx2LzDBs>
https://www.portland.gov/.../2022/publiceducation_comic.pdf

**

New Multnomah County campaign finance rules are now in effect. Here is a
short video explaining them:

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNPj72cdX9g&fbclid=IwAR2G5CTEHR2q-yuFXv9KHz
NKcqsdfKrYjalc4QvczT-jZZ7bufBsFGPKBWA>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNPj72cdX9g

**

Synthetic Media: How deepfakes could soon change our world. I encourage
everyone to watch this 60 Minutes segment on deepfakes. Very eye-opening.
Something we need to be well aware of!!
<https://www.cbsnews.com/news/deepfake-artificial-intelligence-60-minutes-20
22-07-31/>
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/deepfake-artificial-intelligence-60-minutes-202
2-07-31/

**

Congress Takes Historic Step to Tax Stock Buybacks. This is a very positive
feature of the Inflation Reduction Act.

<https://inequality.org/research/congress-takes-historic-step-to-tax-stock-b
uybacks/?fbclid=IwAR2xQi4hKQFB5819L_BMmTqRoOKEMcPvUXHshuszcKOJWJeI1dh7dFgzd0
g>
https://inequality.org/research/congress-takes-historic-step-to-tax-stock-bu
ybacks/?fbclid=IwAR2xQi4hKQFB5819L_BMmTqRoOKEMcPvUXHshuszcKOJWJeI1dh7dFgzd0g

**

In July I presented a workshop on Misinformation, Fake News and Political
Propaganda at the Oregon Library Association Support Staff Division annual
conference. As always, I love speaking to folks in the library community
about these important topics. Libraries are a key pivot point in helping the
public deal with misinformation!

More at  <https://www.facebook.com/Civics-for-Adults-1490728887922036>
https://www.facebook.com/Civics-for-Adults-1490728887922036 

Ask your local library or community group to sponsor a workshop! Thanks. 

Flyer describing workshops:
<https://static.s123-cdn.com/uploads/2516289/normal_5fe8c854352d5.pdf>
https://static.s123-cdn.com/uploads/2516289/normal_5fe8c854352d5.pdf 

Donna L Cohen, MLIS, MEd

Portland, Oregon

503-737-1425

dcohen at hevanet.com <mailto:dcohen at hevanet.com> 

Civics for Adults - and Others - Workshops: To Enhance Civic Knowledge and
Inspire Political Engagement

Webpage www.civicthinker.info <http://www.civicthinker.info>  

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Civics-for-Adults-1490728887922036/

"My philosophy is very simple. When you see something that is not fair, not
right, not just - stand up, say something, speak up!" Rep. John Lewis
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6lzPpqc2WY 

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