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DEBT COMMITTEE CHAIRS SPEAK FIRST IN CHEYENNE AT WYOMING FORUM

10/25/2010

Oct. 21, 2010

DEBT COMMITTEE CHAIRS SPEAK FIRST IN CHEYENNE AT WYOMING FORUM

CHEYENNE, Wyo. - The two men charged by the President to find solutions to the nation's growing debt crisis will discuss their findings for the first time outside Washington D.C. in Cheyenne at the2010 Wyoming Forum on Dec. 7 and 8.

Erskine Bowles and former U.S. Sen. Al Simpson, co-chairs of the Bipartisan National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, will keynote the 2010 Wyoming Forum entitled "National Debt: The Consequences of No Action." The Commission's report is due for release in Washington on or before Dec. 1.

Simpson represented Wyoming in the U.S. Senate for 18 years and has recently electrified the discussion surrounding the national debt with his signature colorful remarks. Bowles is President of the University of North Carolina, was Chief of Staff to President Clinton and is a national leader in business and finance.

For the first time in its 28-year history, the annual Wyoming Forum will be held in Cheyenne at the Little America Hotel and Resort on Dec. 7 and 8. Known as Wyoming's premier event for analysis and discussion of the current economic and business climate, the Wyoming Business Alliance/Wyoming Heritage Foundation event has been held in Casper for many years.

"The caliber of speakers at the Forum this year is unprecedented," said Bill Schilling, President of the Wyoming Business Alliance. "The timeliness of the discussion and the urgency with which we must address this growing crisis makes the forum a can't-miss event for business leaders, elected officials, employers and employees.

"What can, and must, be done about the national debt is more than a trillion dollar question," Schilling added. "We invite citizens from around the region to not sit on the sidelines - come hear what these people have to say about the future of our country."

In addition to Simpson and Bowles, featured speakers at the 2010 Wyoming Forum will include:

  • Maya MacGuineas, President of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, whose distinguished board of 35 includes nine former leading members of Congress, and six former Office of Management and Budget directors, as well as distinguished business sector CEO's. She has been called the "Anti-Deficit Warrior" by the Wall Street Journal.
  • David Walker, president and CEO of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, served as U.S. Comptroller General and led the Government Accountability Office from 1998-2008. Walker led the Fiscal Wake-Up Tour with the Brookings Institute, Concord Coalition and Heritage Foundation.
  • Carolyn Lukensmeyeris founder and president of AmericaSpeaks, a network of 4,000 facilitators who lead town hall meetings, including one on national budget spending priorities that was held in Casper and 19 other cities at the same time on June 26. It involved 3,500 people in the largest-ever national discussion on America's fiscal future.
  • Dr. Ernie Goss, Director of the Goss Institute in Denver, is MacAllister chair of Regional Economics at Creighton University. The Goss Survey on Economic Conditions includes Wyoming and 11 other states. He is the author of many probing economic and government spending reports.
  • Wyoming leaders and elected officials will also play key roles in the Forum, offering spirited responses to the national speakers including: Wyoming's next Governor-elect, 26 leaders from 11 different cities and the next Speaker of the Wyoming House and President of the Wyoming Senate.

The cost to participate is $160 in advance or $200 at the door. Attendees will enjoy breakfast on Dec. 8 and lunch on both Dec. 7 and Dec. 8. A full report on the conference will be sent to participants.

To register, call 307-577-8000, e-mail wyoba@wyomingbusinessalliance.com or visitwyomingbusinessalliance.com, click on "Wyoming Fall Forum" and navigate tohttp://wyomingbusinessalliance.createsend4.com/t/r/i/zijllt/l/y where you can register.

The Wyoming Business Alliance advocates investment, improvement, and stewardship of our vital economic assets. To advance this mission, it facilitates leadership development, promotes education and responsible debate, convenes public forums, researches viable alternatives and recommends policy actions.

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