National Discussion and Town Meeting: Our Budget, Our Economy
Organized by AmericaSpeaks
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Portland Town Meeting hosted by PCI
Registration Form
Saturday, June 26
8:30am - 3:00pm
Portland Ballroom, Oregon Convention Center
777 NE MLK Jr. Blvd
Portland, OR 97232
A TIME TO COME TOGETHER AS A NATION
As national leaders work to jumpstart our economy, enormous challenges loom and threaten the long-term vitality of the United States – chief among them, a growing federal debt that is projected to reach 90% of our GDP by 2020. In the next year or two, large deficits will be unavoidable as we continue to implement policies to ensure a robust economic recovery. Nevertheless, we must begin working today to find common ground on the tough choices our nation will have to make to put our fiscal house in order.
NATIONAL DISCUSSION ON OUR FEDERAL BUDGET
Thousands of Americans will come together on June 26 to weigh-in on the strategies our nation can take to ensure a sustainable fiscal future. Using the latest technology, the diverse group of participants will identify recommendations that are shared by people from every walk of life.
HOW IT WILL WORK
AmericaSpeaks will work closely with a bipartisan committee of economists and experts to develop choices that will be put before the public. Among the organizations represented on the Content Advisory Committee are the American Enterprise Institute, the Brookings Institution, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the Heritage Foundation, and the Urban Institute.
Large and Small-Scale Forums
A demographically representative group of citizens will be recruited at 20 locations across the country to reflect the rich diversity of our nation’s communities. Six of these sites will convene several hundred people and 14 other sites will convene groups of 50-100 people. Participants will use keypad polling and groupware computer technology to register their priorities.
Portland, Oregon site - hosted by PCI
Portland, OR, is one of the six anchor cities where hundreds of people will come together on June 26. PCI is the host organization for the Portland site. We welcome all members of the Portland Metro area to register to participate. Register through AmericaSpeaks or download the registration form. The event will take place from 8:30am - 3:00pm on Saturday, June 26, at the Oregon Convention Center.
Space is limited for the Portland Town Meeting site. Registrations to attend will be considered on a first come, first serve basis. If registrations for this site are reaching capacity and not representative of the demographics of the local community, some participants will be invited to host or attend a nearby Community Conversation (a smaller meeting near you).
Video Linking the Nation
All 20 meeting sites will be linked together by satellite and webcast to create a true National Town Meeting. Participants will learn about the issue from experts, deliberate locally, and share their ideas with others.
Community Conversations and Virtual Participation
Additionally, any American will be able to convene a conversation, participate in the national webcast, and submit their ideas online.
WHO IS BEHIND THE NATIONAL DISCUSSION?
The project is made possible by a diverse group of funders, including the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation (request pending), and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. AmericaSpeaks is a non-partisan, non-profit organization that provides citizens with a voice on the most important decisions that impact their lives. The organization has convened more than 150,000 people to shape policy making.
What happens after June 26?
AmericaSpeaks and partners — and the thousands of people who participated in the national discussion — will work together to ensure that the values and policy priorities we agreed on are heard and taken seriously by decision-makers in Washington.
AmericaSpeaks will present the priorities that emerge from the national discussion 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. In the weeks and months following the event, we will work with participants, as well as our local and national partners, to continue to educate the public about the challenges facing the nation and to raise awareness about the national priorities that were produced through the discussions.
Individuals and organizations will have access to an array of tools to stay involved, ranging from writing letters to the editor to facilitating conversations to taking action in their communities. In the coming weeks and months, you will be able to learn more about the opportunities to stay involved on the Take Action page.
Learn more about the national discussion, or visit AmericaSpeaks to learn more about their past work.