In partnership with WSB Radio’s Shelley Wynter from The Shelley Wynter Show, we took the Principles & Priorities budget exercise to Atlanta, Georgia, for an insightful event that brought together people from all sides of the aisle.
“The conversations were tough, but incredibly eye-opening,” Shelley Wynter, host of WSB Radio’s The Shelley Wynter Show said. “We had people from all political backgrounds come together and put aside their differences to find real solutions. It’s important and exactly what democracy should look like.”
After working for an hour and a half in small groups on the budget exercise, participants came up with very real, very reasonable solutions to our federal budget dilemma, finding savings between $5 and $12 trillion (over 10 years). The experience mirrors that of Congress. Most participants walked away with more respect for the challenges our elected officials face – but also some optimism that we can actually find a way through on our federal budget.
“This exercise reminds us just how hard budgeting really is, but it also shows that everyday citizens are ready and eager to make the tough decisions,” Carolyn Bourdeaux, former U.S. Representative and Executive Director of Concord Coalition and Concord Action said. “Tradeoffs are inevitable, but we must make those difficult decisions together honestly and fairly. We need that same seriousness in Washington.”
The teams grappled with real fiscal tradeoffs on defense, healthcare, Social Security, taxes, and more, which sparked lively discussion and meaningful insight.
The experience highlighted that, even amid disagreement, Americans share a hope and desire for a better fiscal future.
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