Daily Resource Highlight - 06/13/2022

Posted by on June 13, 2022 at 10:59 AM

Below are the highlights and featured resources of this past week’s Daily* Resource.

June 7, 2022 - Let’s Be Honest With Ourselves About Spending

Accounting is complicated. I briefly took Accounting for Lawyers in law school, and I switched to a different class within the week. It feels like it should be as simple as income vs. expenses, but it’s very much not. And it can get vastly more complicated in a hurry.

That’s why I am very appreciative of the work of the Bridge Alliance’s newest member, Truth in Accounting (TIA). TIA’s mission is very simple – they want to simplify government budget reporting so that Americans know how much their governments (including at the city level!) are spending vs. receiving. Are they saying that our government should spend less? No. They simply want Americans to be informed so they can make their own decisions.

That said, there are good reasons to be concerned about government spending. According to Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB) (which does advocate for responsible spending), both the Social Security and Medicare programs are rapidly running out of money. Additionally, our debt spending is on track to reach unprecedented levels based on optimistic projections.

So what should we do with this information, if anything? Organizations like CRFB and It’s Up To Us have ideas and possibly solutions. And maybe you’re the right person to get the conversation started. If you think you are, consider applying for Living Room Conversation’s Host Certification Program. LRC is committed to helping Americans through difficult conversations, which is a necessary first step toward finding solutions. Applications are due tomorrow, so sign up today!

June 9, 2022 - The Civvys Are THIS Sunday! Be Inspired by the Live Stream!

Back in April, we asked you for nominations for the 5th American Civic Collaboration Awards (a.k.a. The Civvys), and you came through in a BIG way. The winners of the Civvys will be announced on June 12th at 5:30 PM ET at the Civic Season in Atlanta. You can catch the livestream here.

We received a record number of nominations, with countless stories of people working to collaborate across divides at the national, local, and youth levels. From there, the Bridge Alliance team chose 16 finalists (including Bridge Alliance members American Democracy Project, Urban Rural Action, American Public Square, and strategic partner Vote by Design). The finalists were then sent to our teams of judges, who had the unenviable task of choosing three winners. Meet our esteemed judges:

See the winners announced live during the Civvys award ceremony on Sunday at 5:30 PM ET. And stick around for a tribute to the late Rob Stein – whose contributions to the movement will be recognized with the first ever Lifetime Achievement Award.

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