The Rio Grande Foundation is working with America Speaks , a non-partisan organization that attempts to spur dialogue on the most important issues of the day. You are cordially invited to participate in an unprecedented National Town Meeting to discuss our budget and our economy
On Saturday, June 26, 2010, thousands of Americans across the country will join together in a National Town Meeting to discuss the fiscal future of our country. Albuquerque is one of the six primary locations across the country where participants will be connected via satellite video, webcast and interactive technologies. Additional smaller gatherings and discussions will take place simultaneously in other cities across the nation and those locations too will be connected to the primary sites via webcast and interactive technologies.
In Albuquerque we will begin this historic Town Meeting at 9:30 am and the meeting will run to 4:00 pm.
We will meet at the Albuquerque Convention Center, 401 2nd Street NW, Ballroom A
We invite you to join the discussion.
Register now
To participate, you must register.
There is no fee to register and lunch and snacks will be provided free. Where possible, childcare, transportation assistance and translation services will be provided. The Albuquerque Convention Center is ADA accessible.
To register
Log on to: http://usabudgetdiscussion.org Click on “Participate” found at the top of the page.
On your right, in the vertical menu, under “Join the Discussion” click on Albuquerque. This will open up the Registration form. Complete and submit the Registration form.
You can also register by calling toll-free at 866-755-6263
Space is limited so register now !
Your voice will be heard !
Participants in the Town Meeting will reflect the political, socio-economic, and ethnic diversity of the United States. After June 26, AmericaSpeaks will present the priorities that emerge from the National Town Meeting to Congress and President Obama, as well as the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform and the Bi-Partisan Policy Center’s Debt Reduction Task Force. The results that emerge from the discussion will have credibility with policy makers because they will reflect the authentic views of a large, informed, and representative group of Americans. The discussion will not be manipulated by any side or point of view, and will give the American public a real chance to find common ground.
For additional information, visit the America Speaks website at: http://usabudgetdiscussion.org or email Mikki Anaya, Albuquerque Site Manager at: manaya@americspeaks.org
Who is AmericaSpeaks? AmericaSpeaks is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization with the mission to reinvigorate American democracy by engaging citizens in the public decision-making that most impacts their lives. Over the past 15 years, we have engaged more than 150,000 people across the country on some of the most pressing issues facing our communities and our nation, including the rebuilding of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, economic development in Northeast Ohio, and creating municipal budget priorities for Washington, DC. We have done so through innovative meetings that integrate authentic deliberation with new kinds of technology.
AmericaSpeaks takes pride in its reputation as an honest and neutral advocate for public participation. We play a unique role in the policymaking process by serving as a non-partisan convener of forums that provide the public with an opportunity to make decisions about important issues without fear of manipulation or bias. Our ability to help citizens and elected officials come together around tough public issues is dependent on our commitment to maintaining this neutral role. We have not and will never take a position on the outcomes of the national discussion.
Although I’m in favor of drastic measures to tackle the growing budget deficits and our national debt of around $12.8 trillion, I don’t understand what took people so long to wake up to this nightmare. Our last president inherited a path to a balanced budget (some argue it was balanced) and turned into $5 trillion of additional national debt instead. With tax receipts low, along with increased spending things have gotten worse under Obama, but it didn’t start with him. Deficits go back years and we can thank Reagan for throwing all responsible constraints out the window putting us on the current path. Under Reagan, the national debt more than doubled and it hasn’t stopped since although it did experience a pause under Clinton through a combination of the 1993 tax increase, the peace dividend and the tech boom. I doubt AmericaSpeaks is trully non-partisan given the current political environment which makes saints of republicans. You know them as the party of “fiscally responsible” talk but not the walk.