Contact: Allison Matthews
STARKVILLE, Miss.--America's spiraling national debt is the topic of discussion at a National Issues Forum at the Colvard Student Union at Mississippi State University in the Union Ballroom on Tuesday [Nov. 1] at 6 p.m.
A diverse group of panelists from the Starkville-Mississippi State University community will take part in the forum, which is sponsored locally by the Mississippi State University Libraries, the Stennis Institute of Government and the Stennis Center for Public Service in association with the Kettering Foundation.
"Both of the major political parties agree that Americans must act decisively on the nation's debt soon to avoid an even more protracted economic downturn that will be an unsustainable burden on our children and grandchildren," said W. Martin (Marty) Wiseman, director of the Stennis Institute of Government. Wiseman will host the program.
"This is not a debate and not a town hall meeting. Observers may come to watch, but only the panelists can participate in the forum," said William "Brother" Rogers, associate director of the Stennis Center for Public Service.
"A Nation in Debt: How Can We Pay the Bills?" will present three possible options for participants to consider as a discussion starter: Agree to make sacrifices now; strengthen checks and balances; or invest in growth first.
Participants will work to develop approaches to solving the larger problem and suggest policy alternatives. The group will be led by the Stennis Institute's Phil Hardwick, a trained and experienced moderator and facilitator. The group will utilize an issue discussion guide.
Forum participants work through the issue by considering each approach and examining what appeals to them or concerns them. They will also consider what the costs, consequences, and trade-offs may be for each approach.
The policy suggestions made by participants in this forum will be forwarded to the Kettering Foundation as part of a national conversation on economic security that is happening in forums like this all across the country. The combined results will be presented to federal decision makers at a spring 2012 meeting in Washington, D.C.
"We believe it is both important and appropriate for Mississippians to have a strong voice in this significant national project," said MSU Dean of Libraries Frances Coleman. "We envision this as an environment that will nurture civil and reasoned discourse."
The forum is a partnership of the Kettering Foundation and the Association of Centers for the Study of Congress. The program will be recorded and is free and open to the public.