Jul 16, 20193 min read

July 16, 2019 Newsletter

Dear OSTPDX Members,

I hope you are all enjoying our beautiful state this summer and have managed to get some rest and relaxation in as well.

Despite the end of the legislative session being nothing short of absolute chaos, progress was indeed made on some very important issues. OSTPDX’s Legislative Task Force has updated their list of bills that have passed which is encouraging and serves as a reminder of what we need to focus on and push harder for during the next session.

If you’re interested in delving further into the progress and what went wrong during the 2019 legislative session, Speaker Kotek will be holding the following event this Friday where she’ll be taking questions from the audience:

The Aftermath: Speaker Kotek Reflects on the 2019 Session

Friday, July 19th at 12 PM – 1:15 PM at the City Club of Portland

Actions

Sign this petition: We demand the PERS Divest from investments related to private prisons & detention centers.

Sign this petition: Oregon Needs Climate Action NOW!

Actions by Indivisible Oregon

Our Tuesday ask: The illegal treatment at the border concentration camps continue. We ask Congress to Pass Merkley-Schumer’s Stop Cruelty to Migrant Children Act. And start impeachment hearings NOW The action will be posted on Tuesday July 16th at 6:00 AM. The link is indivisibleor.org/actions

Activities

The next meeting of the OST-PDX Activist Reading Group will be on Wednesday, July 24 at 7pm.

LOCATION: At the home of Ken Rosenberg, 2130 NE Knott Street, Portland

READING: Bhaskar Sunkara, The Socialist Manifesto: The Case for Radical Politics in an Era of Extreme Inequality, Basic Books, April 2019.

Jim Russell says: Bhaskar Sunkara is the founding editor of Jacobin. I heard him give a book talk at Powell’s last week. He is 29 and the talk was smart and personable. It convinced me to buy the book which might be a good choice for us to read as a group. It starts with a tongue-in-cheek fantasy of what a socialist transition might look like in the U.S., then goes into a history of Marxism, communism, and European social democracy. The final part is about the history of socialism in the U.S. and what the future would look like. He sees the creation of social democracy in the U.S. (catching up with Europe) as the next step over 30 to 40 years. Then it would be to push further into more fully socialistic developments.

*Note from Ken: Chris Hayes, on the July 9 edition of his podcast “Why Is This Happening?” interviewed Bhaskar Sunkara.

Some context for the book.

Summer Events

Events from Facebook:

Eyes on ICE/Know Your Rights: July 18th from 6-7:30

Inclusion For Lgbtq+ People In The Climate Movement: July 20th from 3-5

Portland, OR Mueller Testimony Highway Banner Protest: July 24th from 4-6

Radiance of Resistance: A Night with Janna Jihad: July 29th from 7-9:30

Re-Envisioning Youth Power & Activism: Grand Unveiling Party! By the Bus Project-August 2nd from 6-9

No S'More Bans! By Naral Pro-Choice Oregon-August 8th from 5-8

Events from Action Network:

Beer, snacks and democracy: Write letters to engage voters in "Super States"!