Mayor using social media to raise money for arts measure
PORTLAND, Ore. - Mayor Sam Adams is lending some unique support to a November ballot measure that seeks to raise money for the arts.
Adams is using Twitter and a new Portland startup to donate money to the cause. It's a grass-roots effort that may just change how politicians across the country look at fundraising.
Art education funding was met with skepticism when KATU News asked Portland voters about it in August. That's perhaps why a big supporter of a new art tax, Mayor Sam Adams, is on a unique campaign blitz.
Over the past four days there's been a Twitter onslaught from the mayor. A tweet in support of Measure 26-146 has appeared nearly 30 different times, saying the same thing each time: "Restore arts/music ed to #Pdx's elementary schools; support arts orgs citywide: Reply 'donate' to give $1.46 via @Chirpify."
"The mayor's been using it basically since launch (of Chirpify)," said Heath Black, who works for the Portland-based company.
Black described Chirpify as "a service that allows brands, nonprofits, musicians to transact via Twitter."
And the mayor is now using it to get Measure 26-146 passed. Those who see his tweet, and want to donate, simply have to hit reply and type "donate."
"The phrase we like to use is frictionless commerce," Black said.
The mayor could prove to be one of the trendsetters using social media as a sort of grass-roots fundraiser with Chirpify happy to be the middle man.
"Spread out across the country, we have a lot of local politicians using Chirpify to raise money for their campaigns," Black said. "The process of democracy isn't just about your vote, it's about your fundraising; it's about the measures that you're trying to push out to the public to vote for and things of that sort."
But if you look at the mayor's twitter feed, you won't see all those tweets. It appears most of them were deleted. But another website, Topsy.com, which keeps track of even deleted tweets, shows them.
If someone does donate, it's not clear where the money goes. KATU News tried asking the mayor about that Tuesday but weren't able to reach him.
what a terrible mayor.....tax tax tax that is all he thinks about.
So here is a question.
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Why not instead of asking people who don't want to pay more for arts 9we already pay 14 taxes/levies/and bonds in the PDX area), "Mr" Adams uses the money he raises to actually solve the problem.
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I heard yesterday that the two campaigns for the president will spend a combined $90,000,000 in Ohio. That's over $8 for every man woman and child in the state. Or about $30 per household.
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It seems it costs more money to get something on the ballot, than the money that ballot would raise in any one year.
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Why don't these fundraisers raise funds for the thing they want, instead of raising funds to get people to raise funds for things those people don't want?
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Why does spending money, to spend money make sense?
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At some point, (anti) social media will be a gigantic clique, oh sorry it already is
If you are dumb enough to throw your money down the toilet you deserve to get what you get.
As the person who was interviewed for this article, I'd like to say the "disappearing tweets" concept is a bit sensationalized. You can set Chirpify listings to post on a schedule (i.e. post ever 4 hours). When a new scheduled tweet goes live, the previous tweet is deleted so your feed isn't fraught with the same thing. So, i'm not so sure they are "disappearing," rather being replaced by newer-realtime tweets.
@heathwblack When it's a solicitation for money being posted every few hours it sounds like a bad type of SPAM.
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By only showing the active post it sounds very disingenuous that it is only "one" post.
 @WebFootSTi see Twitter API.
 @heathwblack Thanks for the info. The headline has been changed.
An endorsement from Sam Adams is a kiss of death.
 @hankhandsomeÂ
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I resent that. When Portland gets a skiff of snow, who does the news ask how to cope? Sam Adams of course! Is it raining? Portlanders look to Sam Adams. Leaves falling? Sam Adams has the answer. Drain clogged in your kitchen? You'd be dumb not to ask Sam Adams what to do.
Possible pedophile? You betcha! Hero to progressives and Portlanders? You betcha!
 @hankhandsome not sure i share the same sentiments, but fortunately we have Warner Music, Green Day, Amanda Palmer, JR Gaillot, Fueled By Ramen, Taco Bell (World Hunger Relief Fund) and numerous other companies endorsing us each day :)
"If someone does donate, it's not clear where the money goes. KATU News tried asking the mayor about that Tuesday but weren't able to reach him."
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That's because he's busy bagging the plastic bags from Portland!Â