Residents of Rockford, Illinois recently joined U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos and The Concord Coalition to discuss the nation’s fiscal challenges and participate in an interactive exercise to reduce projected federal deficits over the next 10 years.
Dozens of people from across the political spectrum attended the Aug. 15 event. After an engaging discussion led by Bustos, they worked in small groups — challenging each other with questions, vigorously debating key issues, and making decisions on every major part of the federal budget.
All groups succeeded in reducing deficits over the next decade, with one group slicing them by $4 trillion. Most groups agreed to raise some revenue, with several eliminating the cap on income subject to Social Security taxes.
The groups also made tough choices to reduce certain spending, including whether to raise the retirement age for Social Security and enact reforms to slow the growth of federal health care programs.
External links:
Concord’s “Principles and Priorities” Budget Exercise
