Debt

Does Our Generation Not “Stand a Chance”?

/ Matthew Clemente / 2 Comments

That was the question being debated on the most recent episode on the Intelligence Squared podcast.

Moderated by ABC News’ John Donvan, the debate featured Binta Niambi Brown (lawyer, startup advisor & human rights advocate) and W. Keith Campbell (University of Georgia Professor of Psychology & co-author of The Narcissism Epidemic Psychology) who argued for the motion; and David D. Burstein (author of Fast Future: How the Millennial Generation is Shaping Our World & founder of Generation18) and Jessica Grose (journalist & author of Sad Desk Salad), who argued against the motion.

Here is description of the debate:

Millennials-growing up with revolutionary technology and entering adulthood in a time of recession-have recently been much maligned. Are their critics right? Is this generation uniquely coddled, narcissistic, and lazy? Or have we let conventional wisdom blind us to their openness to change and innovation, and optimism in the face of uncertainty, which, in any generation, are qualities to be admired?

Lisa Dolak and Fareed Zakaria on the Need For Infrastructure Investment

/ Matthew Clemente / Leave a comment

Lisa Dolak and Fareed Zakaria on the Need For Infrastructure Investment

After returning to Syracuse from a weekend at home, I decided to catch up with Ivory Tower, which I had DVR’ed. Moderated by Barbara Fought (Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University), this edition of Ivory Tower featured a powerhouse panel including: Tim Byrnes (Colgate University), Bob Greene (Cazenovia College), Bob Spitizer (SUNY Cortland), Kristi Andersen (Maxwell School of Syracuse University) and Lisa Dolak (Syracuse University College of Law).

The panel discussed President Obama’s State of the Union Address and its most promising proposals. During this discussion, Professor Lisa Dolak described the President’s call to invest in infrastructure as a “win-win” (9:45)  She explained that investing in infrastructure would not only fix our crumbling roads and bridges but would also put millions of Americans back to work.

Fareed Zakaria agrees and goes a step further.  According to Zakaria, investing in infrastructure would “win-win-win.”  In addition to the benefits Prof. Dolak describes, Zakaria points out that infrastructure spending is fiscally responsible.  This is so for two reasons.  First, fixing our infrastructure is an investment that needs to be made whether sooner or later.  However, if we wait to fix our our roads and bridges the costs will be greater since there will be further, more serious deterioration.  Second, investing in infrastructure would boost growth and thereby decrease the debt and deficit.

The Ivory Tower: Are Democrats Serious About Budget Cutting?

/ Matthew Clemente / Leave a comment

Ivory Tower: Are Democrats Serious About Budget Cutting?

This was one of the questions being discussed on WCNY’s The Ivory Tower.

This edition of The Ivory Tower, hosted by David Rubin, Dean of the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, featured a powerhouse panel including of Lisa Dolak (Syracuse University College of Law), Bob Spitzer (SUNY Cortland), Bob Greene (Cazenovia College), Tara Ross (Onondaga County Community College), and Kristi Andersen (Syracuse University).

The panel also discussed a program proposed by Governor Cuomo aimed at boosting tourism in Upstate New York with adds in New York City.

Here is a description of the program:

The panelists assess whether Democrats want to strike a budget-cutting bargain with the Republicans. The the panelists provide suggestions to Gov. Cuomo for how to spend tourism money to attract New York City residents Upstate.