The Fiscal Wake-Up Tour Visits Milwaukee With Congressman Paul Ryan As Guest Panelist

WASHINGTON, June 23 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — On June 30, The Concord Coalition will join with the Honorable David M. Walker and federal budget analysts from The Brookings Institution and The Heritage Foundation for a presentation of its Fiscal Wake-Up Tour in Milwaukee. The event will be hosted in coordination with the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce and Marquette University Law School.


Congressman Paul Ryan (R-WI), the Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee, will also participate in the forum.


The Fiscal Wake-Up Tour is a nationwide series of Town Hall forums focusing on the country’s long-term fiscal challenges. The Tour aims to explain in plain terms why budget analysts of diverse perspectives are increasingly alarmed by the nation’s fiscal outlook. The Fiscal Wake-Up Tour has been profiled in “60 Minutes” and a recent Sundance Film Festival documentary (IOUSA).


“One thing that Democrats and Republicans can agree on is that our nation’s current fiscal policy is not sustainable over the long-term. Our children’s economic future is at risk, which is something no one wants. Changing course will require hard choices such as scaling back future entitlement promises, increasing revenues to pay for them, or — most likely — a combination of both. Because these choices are politically difficult, the active involvement of the American people is critical. Without greater understanding of the problem among the public, community leaders, business leaders and home state media, elected leaders are unlikely to break out of their comfortable partisan talking points and unlikely to find solutions,” said Robert L. Bixby, Executive Director of The Concord Coalition


“The nationwide Fiscal Wake-Up Tour aims to cut through the usual partisan rhetoric and stimulate a more realistic public dialogue on what we want our nation’s future to look like, along with the required trade-offs. As demonstrated by the most recent election results, voters are tired of partisan gridlock. This gives both parties an opportunity and a duty to begin working together on the real problem we face. Ensuring a sound fiscal future for our children should certainly be high on their list,” Bixby said.

  What:
Town Hall Meeting

WHO:
Congressman Paul Ryan (R-WI), Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee


Honorable David M. Walker, President and CEO of The Peter G. Peterson Foundation

  Robert L. Bixby, The Concord Coalition
Honorable Alice M. Rivlin, The Brookings Institution
Stuart M. Butler, The Heritage Foundation

WHEN:
Monday, June 30, 2008
11:30 AM – 1:30 PM

Where:
Discover World at Pier Wisconsin
500 N. Harbor Drive
Milwaukee, WI


This event is open to the public, but advanced RSVP is recommended. To RSVP for this event, contact Debra Jordan at (414) 287-4127 or by E-mail at djordan@mmac.org.


Panel members will be available to the media before and after this event. For information, please contact Jonathan DeWald, Director of Communications for The Concord Coalition, at 888-333-4248 or 703-894-6222.


For a complete press packet with biographies and more details, visit: http://www.concordcoalition.org/events/fiscal-wake-up/press/08-mil.html.


The Concord Coalition is a nonpartisan, grassroots organization dedicated to balanced federal budgets and generationally responsible fiscal policy. Former U.S. Senators Warren Rudman (R-NH) and Bob Kerrey (D-NE) serve as Concord’s co-chairs and former Secretary of Commerce Peter Peterson serves as president.


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Source: The Concord Coalition


CONTACT: Jonathan DeWald of the The Concord Coalition, +1-703-894-6222,
jdewald@concordcoalition.org


Web Site: http://www.concordcoalition.org/