Free public forum: 'Alaska's Fiscal and Economic Future: Moving Our Conversation Forward' – Sept. 19

Saturday, Sept. 19, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Wendy Williamson Auditorium, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Alaska Common Ground and ISER present a timely and interactive event to discuss an urgent challenge, "Alaska's Fiscal and Economic Future: Moving Our Conversation Forward."

Come for all or part of the day and see:

• An informative and entertaining conversation about the scale and urgency of Alaska's fiscal challenge and mythical and actual options for closing the gap
• New and fun ways to visualize the options and their impacts-with audience participation
• Alaskans across the ideological spectrum proposing and defending detailed proposals for state expenditures and revenues over the next five years-and examining whether those citizens can reach a compromise
• A one-on-one debate between a bull and a bear on the Alaska economy and its prospects under various approaches to addressing the fiscal challenge
• A panel of policy-makers (including legislators) on political inertia and how constituents can spur action on hard choices
• Audience straw-poll voting on fiscal proposals

This free public event is presented by Alaska Common Ground and the Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER), with the aid of other organizations.

For more information, contact Cliff Groh at (907) 952-3353 or cliff.groh@gmail.com or visit akcommonground.org.

Agenda for Forum on Alaska's Fiscal and Economic Future / Sept. 19, 2015 9-9:10 a.m. - Introduction: Cliff Groh, chair of Alaska Common Ground

9:10-10:10 a.m. - Overview: What's the Problem? What Steps Could We Take? Overview by Professor Gunnar Knapp; David Teal, director, Alaska Legislative Finance Division; Larry Persily and Ian Laing (with explanatory tools) Moderator: Cliff Groh

10:10-10:20 a.m. - Break

10:20 a.m.-noon - Here's My Proposal Citizens present proposals to fill $2.5-billion annual gap for five consecutive years and then answer questions Citizens with proposals: John Havelock; Brad Keithley; Liz Medicine Crow; Gary Wilken Moderators: Cliff Groh; Gunnar Knapp; Larry Persily

12-1 p.m. - Voting and lunch Prepay for a lunch at akcommonground.org or bring your own

1-2 p.m. - Debate: Where Is the Alaska Economy Headed? How Will Our Fiscal Choices Affect the Alaska Economy? What Do the Answers to those Two Questions Say about What Fiscal Choices Make Sense? Bill Popp vs. Mark Foster Moderator: Rhonda McBride

2-2:40 p.m. - Citizens with proposals attempt to fashion a compromise on stage

2:40-2:45 p.m. - Announcement of voting results

2:45-3:45 p.m. - Panel: What Happens Next? What Are the Institutional and Political Factors in Making Decisions Going Forward? How Can Citizens Have More of a Say? Sen. John Coghill; Rep. David Guttenberg; Commissioner of Revenue Randy Hoffbeck; Christopher Clark Moderators: Cliff Groh and Larry Persily

3:45-4 p.m. - Wrap-up

September Archive