Six Presidential Candidates Listed The Wrong Incomes On Their Tax Returns
Something odd is happening.

For many years, it’s been traditional – but not required – for political candidates to release their tax returns to the public.  It’s become an even bigger issue since Donald Trump has refused to release his returns.  I started browsing through some of them, and found some strange stuff.​

Political Ignorance Breeds Political Impotence.

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FEATURED ARTICLE

The same old issues keep re-appearing on our political landscape.

This is an update on a recurring issue.

Enjoy!

​Defective Teaching Methods Produce American Political Ignorance
What’s wrong with our civics education and how to fix it.

Civics courses are supposed to teach how our government works in real life.  Americans' anger at government has been growing for 30 years.  We've seen griping, grumbling, ranting, and raving about government's size and its role in our lives.  False information causes much of the noise.  Civil, healthy debate is valuable, but it's impossible when the participants are uneducated.  

Committees Hold the Real Power

in Congress
The most powerful people in Congress

aren’t elected.

Since the Democrats took the majority of seats in the House of Representatives in the 2018 elections, congressional committees are big news.  While the Senate, which is still majority Republican, languishes, House Democrats are busy.  ​

Patricia A. O'Malley

Social Policy & Programs Consulting

​Training and Services for agencies working toward social and economic justice​

Patricia A. O'Malley
Social Policy & Programs Consulting    ~    Community Matters
P.O. Box 97803    ~    Pittsburgh, PA  15227   ~    412-310-4886    ~    info@patomalley-consulting.com
Copyright Patricia A. O'Malley    ~    All rights reserved
Established 1993

Civics is

the study
of the structure and function
of government,
and the rights and duties
of citizens.
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• It looks at the ways that our governments are organized, how they're supposed to work, and how they really do work.
  
  
• Civics is an essential, but neglected, area of our education. 
  
  
• The government operates by a set of rules.  
  
  
• We have the right and responsibility to participate in our government. 
  
• However, we can't participate fully if we don't know those rules.
  

I've been writing Community Matters since 2008.
Here are my most recent articles.

Pennsylvania Can Solve the

UPMC Charity Status Dispute

What it means and what

the Pittsburgh Media Won’t Tell You

UPMC is Southwestern Pennsylvania’s largest employer, property owner, health care provider, and charity.  Its charity status and tax exemption are controversial. After decades of conflict, Pennsylvania is finally acting to control the behemoth.​

These essays do what our schools fail to do.
They teach civics properly.
It's not your boring high school civics class.
Pat uses current events and the U.S. Constitution to explain what's happening, and why.
​With these tools, you can better understand current events, 
be an informed voter, and influence your government officials.
You can help make the world be what you want it to be.

 ​America will work for you

when you know how to make it work.
American politics are in turmoil because most Americans don't understand how their government works.

Those who understand how government 
works know how to influence it. 
Through Community Matters, I use the U.S. Constitution and current events to teach American government – civics.
I don't report the news.  I explain it.