Solving the National Debt Crisis: It's Not Rocket Science

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• published: 08 Dec 2011
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http://www.youtube.com/user/StPetersburgCollege Solutions to the national debt crisis are not terribly difficult -- if politics can be removed from the equation. That is the theme of a free public forum to be presented Dec. 7 by the Institute for Strategic Policy Solutions at the college. Titled "Solving the National Debt Crisis: It's Not Rocket Science," the forum will be from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Conference Center at the Seminole Campus. The solutions will be offered by the Concord Coalition, a non-partisan, grassroots organization based in Washington, D.C. Its documentary film, "I.O.U.S.A. Solutions," takes the complexity out of the national debt crisis. The film presents the shocking scale of the national debt in clear, easily-understood terms and then offers in clear, concise form a four-step plan for gradually getting the country out of the crisis. Presenting the film and update of the fiscal crisis will be Joshua Gordon, Policy Director of the Concord Coalition. Dr. Gordon, who grew up in Seminole and graduated from St. Petersburg High School, directs the Coalition's research on the federal budget, health care policy and tax policy. He is a frequently-quoted expert in national press coverage of fiscal issues. This forum will be staged just two weeks after the deadline for Congress' "Super Committee" to have released its recommendations on a $1.5 trillion deficit-reduction package. Failure to reach agreement on such a package will trigger $1.2 trillion in automatic spending cuts. He will provide the latest information on the status of the committee and assess impacts of its recommendations. The Concord Coalition is dedicated to educating the public about the causes and consequences of federal budget deficits, the long-term challenges facing America's unsustainable entitlement programs, and strategies to build a sound foundation for economic growth. It was founded in the early 1990s out of the conviction that Americans have a moral obligation to leave the country better off for their children and grandchildren. The Institute for Strategic Policy Solutions is SPC's new policy center, focusing on academic enrichment, community outreach and public discourse. Resolutely non-partisan, it plans to present a broad program of forums and workshops on issues of critical concern to Tampa Bay-area residents. About St. Petersburg College: In 1927, St. Petersburg College (then known as St. Petersburg Junior College) became Florida's first private, non-profit, two-year school of higher learning located in downtown St. Petersburg. Full accreditation followed in 1931 and in 1948 SPC became a public college. In June 2001, SPJC officially became St. Petersburg College when Florida's governor signed legislation making it the first community college in Florida to offer four-year degrees. On Dec. 11, 2001, the college received the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools' accreditation to offer courses leading to bachelor's degrees. In 2002, St. Petersburg College began offering courses leading to bachelor's degrees in Education, Nursing and Technology Management. The college's commitment to its two-year curriculum, which has earned it wide recognition and annually wins it high national rankings, remains as strong as ever. Today, SPC has eight learning sites throughout Pinellas County and recently became the first college in Florida to offer a four-year degree in Dental Hygiene. This program's offerings augment its two-year program, which has been in operation since 1963. SPC added four-year degrees in Veterinary Technology, Public Safety Administration and Orthotics and Prosthetics in 2005. College Accreditation St. Petersburg College is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award associates degrees and to offer courses leading to bachelor's degrees in the following areas: Banking, Nursing, Business Administration, Orthotics & Prosthetics, Elementary/Secondary Education, Paralegal Studies. Educational Studies. Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Certification. Dental Hygiene. Public Safety Administration. Health Services Administration. Sustainability Management. International Business. Technology Management. Management & Organizational Leadership. Veterinary Technology. SPC also offers access to junior and senior level courses for bachelors and graduate degrees at the University Partnership Center. The UPC partners with the University of South Florida, University of South Florida at St. Petersburg, Eckerd College, University of Florida, Florida State University, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, University of Central Florida, Florida International University, Florida A&M; University, Saint Leo University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Florida Institute of Technology, Barry University, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland State University, Indiana University, and St. Petersburg College.