Two-day conference at Maxwell School to focus on debt and economy

Tuesday, April 12, 2011, By News Staff

Highlights impact to younger generations, New York state

At this critical time when public officials and citizens across the country are anxiously awaiting the results of debated budget priorities, Policy Students For Fiscal Sustainability (PSFS) invites the Syracuse University community and Central New York region to attend a student-organized conference titled “Debt, Deficits and the Economy: How Did We Get Here and Where Are We Going?” from April 14-16 at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs .

The purpose of this conference is to inform and engage students and concerned citizens on the implications of long-term debt through presentations by and discourse with policy experts with a range of economic and political perspectives. Participants will gain insight by discussing the current fiscal situation and potential resolution strategies in a collaborative environment.

Confirmed speakers include City of Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner; New York Assemblyman William Magnarelli (D-120); Dean Baker of the Center for Economic & Policy Research; Susan Tanaka of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation; Vito Sciscioli, executive director of Syracuse 20/20; Bruce Bartlett of Fiscal Times; and distinguished faculty from the Maxwell School , including Leonard Burman, Daniel Patrick Moynihan Professor of Public Affairs, and former director of the Tax Policy Center; and John Palmer, University Professor, dean emeritus of the Maxwell School, and former public trustee for Medicare and Social Security. The conference is free. Schedule, speaker bios and registration information are available at http://www.ourbudgets.org.

PSFS is a student organization whose mission is to facilitate informed debate among policy students in order to make the U.S. federal budget, tax policy and the economic consequences of unsustainable federal deficits more understandable to the younger generation. Conference sponsors include the Campbell Public Affairs Institute, Dean’s Office of the Maxwell School, Whitman School of Management. Partners include the Maxwell School’s Center for Policy Research, International Relations Program and Public Administration Program.