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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.5pt;margin-left:0in;line-height:14.5pt;background:white'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1D2129'>The LAST of these self-sponsored workshops. Check it out and please pass the word.<span class=apple-converted-space> Your library can encourage more civic participation!<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.5pt;margin-left:0in;line-height:14.5pt;background:white'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1D2129'><br><b>BEYOND VOTING - ELECTIONS AND CAMPAIGN FINANCE: AN “EMPOWERING” * WORKSHOP<o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:4.5pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.5pt;margin-left:0in;line-height:14.5pt;background:white;orphans: auto;text-align:start;widows: 1;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px'><b><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1D2129'>* “Thanks for all the great information… It was empowering.” <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:4.5pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.5pt;margin-left:0in;line-height:14.5pt;background:white'><b><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1D2129'>Roberta Richards, MLS – Portland Community College Librarian, Co-Chair, OLA Intellectual Freedom Comm., participant Aug 2,2016<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:4.5pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.5pt;margin-left:0in;line-height:14.5pt;background:white'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1D2129'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:4.5pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.5pt;margin-left:0in;line-height:14.5pt;background:white;orphans: auto;text-align:start;widows: 1;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1D2129'>Our electoral / campaign finance systems are ripe for reform and there are so many opportunities for citizens to be part of the solutions! Most of the concerns are bipartisan. Bottom line – there are many matters which – with more attention and engagement by the public - can be successfully addressed.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:4.5pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.5pt;margin-left:0in;line-height:14.5pt;background:white'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1D2129'>Most people have no idea about these issues/opportunities. Especially during election season the popular press supports a focus on a “horse race” mentality where we overlook opportunities, other than voting, to become more influential citizens.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:4.5pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.5pt;margin-left:0in;line-height:14.5pt;background:white;orphans: auto;text-align:start;widows: 1;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1D2129'>It doesn’t matter whether we simply “tune in” more, consider a broader scope of issue factors, write a letter to the editor, speak to one’s local/state/federal officials, “testify” at City Council, join with a group working towards changing/adding a law or policy – there are a myriad range of activities which when combined with the acts of other citizens, move our society and our world forward; as Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:4.5pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.5pt;margin-left:0in;line-height:14.5pt;background:white'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1D2129'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:4.5pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.5pt;margin-left:0in;line-height:14.5pt;background:white;orphans: auto;text-align:start;widows: 1;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px'><b><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1D2129'>THIS WORKSHOP PRESENTS SPECIFIC OPPORTUNITIES </span></b><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1D2129'>for engagement, and, by doing so, opens the door to many more, as well. Examples [slides omitted]:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:4.5pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.5pt;margin-left:0in;line-height:14.5pt;background:white;orphans: auto;text-align:start;widows: 1;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1D2129'>We don’t have a Constitutional right to vote. You can join with others already working toward this. [current bill for a Constitutional Amendment].<br>Perhaps Portland should change its voting approach to “instant run-off”? [Portland’s Charter Commission considered this idea a few years ago].<br>How come over 90% of federal Representatives keep getting elected? What happened to competition? [redistricting can be done in a bi-partisan way, as in Iowa]<br>Citizen protests already resulted in change to the Democrats’ Superdelegate system. Like Maine, we can do more, if we want. [Maine’s new approach]<br>Against the Electoral College, like the majority of Americans? There is a viable alternative that 11 states have already signed on to. Perhaps Oregon should join with them? [National Popular Vote idea]<br>A significant majority of the public – Democrat and Republican – want changes in campaign finance law. [survey data]<br>Some people feel that public financing of elections is an answer. Right now a Portland City Commissioner has begun work on this for Portland – and she’s looking for public input!<br>Oregon has its own set of campaign finance rules, called “unlimited”. [chart of state campaign finance limits] Overturning Citizens’ United is not, in and of itself, going to affect most Oregon elections. [perhaps you want to work on changing Oregon’s campaign finance laws]<br>The Federal Election Commission is one source of campaign finance data. Oregon has its own system for state elections. [one can look up data on the Secretary of State’s webpages]<br>Let’s weigh some different options for reforming campaign financing. Here are broad categories of reform. [small group discussion of them]<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:4.5pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:4.5pt;margin-left:0in;line-height:14.5pt;background:white;orphans: auto;text-align:start;widows: 1;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1D2129'>Beyond Voting: Elections & Campaigns<br>It’s election time and we need to look at candidates but also at our electoral system – how it works, who votes, and whether we are encouraged to participate in the democratic process. This workshop covers voter fraud, voting rights, alternative election options, methods of financing campaigns [PACs, SuperPACS, 501(c)4] and more. Might there be adjustments to our electoral process that would make it more effective and democratic?<span class=apple-converted-space> </span><br>This is a non-partisan workshop.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:4.5pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:14.5pt;background:white;orphans: auto;text-align:start;widows: 1;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing:0px'><b><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1D2129'>THURS. AUGUST 11 HOLLYWOOD LIBRARY, 4040 NE TILLAMOOK ST 6:00-7:45</span></b><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1D2129'><br>Civics for Adults Workshop Series - To Enhance Civic Knowledge and Inspire Political Engagement<br>For more information, citizen@civicthinker.net<br><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Civics-for-Adults-1490728887922036"><span style='color:#365899;text-decoration:none'>https://www.facebook.com/Civics-for-Adults-1490728887922036</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Donna<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal>Donna L Cohen, MEd, MLIS<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Portland, Oregon<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>503-737-1425<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>citizen@civicthinker.net<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><i><span style='color:#9E0000'>Civics for Adults Workshop Series: To Enhance Civic Knowledge and Inspire Political Engagement<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><i><span style='color:#9E0000'>Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Civics-for-Adults-1490728887922036/<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p><p class=MsoNormal> <span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>