May 22 2010
Columbia Residents Invited to Join National Discussion on Debt
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 20, 2010
Columbia Residents Invited to Join National Discussion on Debt
Diverse Group of Local Leaders Come Together to Endorse June 26th National Town Meeting
Columbia, South Carolina – Columbia is one of six primary sites selected for an unprecedented national discussion on the national debt on Saturday, June 26th. A diverse group of local leaders, ranging from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of South Carolina CEO Ed Sellers and BB&T President Mike Brennan to Urban League President J.T. McLawhorne and Columbia College President Caroline Whitson, encourage Columbia residents to participate in AmericaSpeaks: Our Budget, Our Economy, which will bring together Americans here and across the country to learn about the issues involved, weigh the options and develop recommendations for leaders in Washington.
“The Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce is involved in promoting this national discussion for one reason, and that is the national budget and our national debt will impact the economic security not only of our generation but of generations of the future,” said President and CEO of the Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce Ike McLeese. “This is the most urgent of all the national issues we are facing.”
The United Way of the Midlands, AARP, Cultural Council of Richland and Lexington Counties, and Hispanic Connections are among a long list of local organizations that support the historic event. Led by Columbia’s host organization, Central Carolina Community Foundation, these groups are working to ensure that Columbia residents are well represented in the national discussion.
Columbia residents, reflecting the demographic, geographic and political diversity of the area, will come together to weigh in on the difficult choices necessary to put our federal budget on a sustainable path. On June 26th the public will be presented with a set of options that are designed to represent a range of approaches before policy makers. Participants will use keypad polling and groupware technology to identify views that transcend geography, demographics or politics. AmericaSpeaks will present the priorities that emerge from the National Town Meeting to the President and Congress.
Columbia was selected as one of about 18 communities across the country that was chosen to host a National Town Meeting site, each of which will be linked together by satellite and the Internet for the national discussion. Participants at the town meeting sites will be joined by smaller conversation sites organized by volunteers in other communities across the country. More information can be found on the online hub for Our Budget, Our Economy, USABudgetDiscussion.org, including videos, reports on the budget and economy, blog posts, site registration and much more. The site also provides a platform to share ideas at the national and local levels through links to Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and LinkedIn.
“The United States is on an unsustainable path, and the fiscal challenges facing our nation stand out as issues that will require compromise from the left and right in order to address the scale of the problems we face,” said Carolyn Lukensmeyer, founder and president of AmericaSpeaks. “Columbia’s participation represents an unprecedented opportunity for residents to get involved in the larger national discussion to start finding agreement about steps to redefine our fiscal future.”
This unique national discussion is a project of the nonprofit organization, AmericaSpeaks, and is supported by three leading foundations with a shared commitment to informing the American public and policymakers of the fiscal realities facing the country. It is being made possible by generous contributions from the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
Columbia’s event will take place at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center from 11:30 AM to 6:00 PM. Registration is now open at this site. Visit USABudgetDiscussion.org to join the discussion and to learn more.
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About AmericaSpeaks
AmericaSpeaks is a nonprofit organization that provides citizens with a voice on the most important decisions that impact their lives. The nonpartisan organization has convened more than 150,000 people to shape policy making. For more information, visit www.americaspeaks.org.
About the Peter G. Peterson Foundation
Founded by Peter G. Peterson with a commitment of $1 billion, the Foundation is dedicated to increasing public awareness of the nature and urgency of key fiscal challenges threatening America’s future and to accelerating action on them. To address these challenges successfully, we work to bring Americans together to find sensible, long-term solutions that transcend age, party lines and ideological divides in order to achieve real results. For more information, see www.PGPF.org.
About the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
The MacArthur Foundation supports creative people and effective institutions committed to building a more just, verdant, and peaceful world. In addition to selecting the MacArthur Fellows, the Foundation works to defend human rights, advance global conservation and security, make cities better places, and understand how technology is affecting children and society. Visit www.macfound.org for additional information.
About the W.K. Kellogg Foundation
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation, established in 1930, supports children, families and communities as they strengthen and create conditions that propel vulnerable children to achieve success as individuals and as contributors to the larger community and society. Grants are concentrated in the United States, southern Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. Visit www.wkkf.org for more information.
SOCIAL MEDIA RESOURCES:
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/usabudget
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/usabudgetdiscussion.org
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/usabudgetdiscussion.org
Find an Event: http://usabudgetdiscussion.org/widgets/event.html
Email Sign Up: http://usabudgetdiscussion.org/widgets/email.html
For information contact:
Keely Saye
(803) 446-3824
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