Mark Zandi, chief economist for Moody’s Analytics, has been added to the Common Ground Committee public affairs forum to be held at the Greenwich Library’s Cole auditorium on Oct. 25. The Forum is designed to encourage lively but civil debate on the controversial issue, "What is the Government's role in the nation's economy?"
Zandi is a highly regarded economic forecaster who has advised the Obama administration and often testifies before Congress on economic issues including budget, tax and monetary policy. He joins former Connecticut Congressman Christopher Shays and Stephen Moore, member of the Wall Street Journal’s editorial board economic commentator for CNBC-TV where he appears regularly on the Kudlow Report. Shays is now co-chair of the federal Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan
The panel moderator will be John Yemma, editor of The Christian Science Monitor, which is widely respected for its unbiased reporting and in-depth analysis of political issues.
This event represents a bold idea: a spirited debate–but with a twist. The panelists will be challenged to bring their insights and passion to bear on this issue in a way that allows for points of common ground to emerge without compromising their principles. A facilitator will be there tasked with capturing such points.
The non-partisan Common Ground Committee represents a grass roots effort to uplift the tone of public discourse on issues of national importance. Bruce Bond of New Canaan, the committee’s president and a group vice-president at Stamford-based Gartner, Inc., said: “Too often discussions on matters that affect the lives of all Americans take place in a vitriolic style that seeks to score points rather than enlighten the public. We hope to counter this trend by presenting a series of discussions on a variety of topics aimed at presenting the light of truth rather than the heat of anger. It is our expectation that this light might stimulate progress toward finding the common ground on which citizens can make informed decisions and take intelligent action.”
Format for the event calls for an hour-long discussion followed by a half-hour question-and-answer period. There is no charge for admission.
Donations to support the work of the committee are welcome and additional information is available online at www.commongroundcommittee.com. In addition to Bond, founding members of the board of the committee are Martin Skala of Darien, Judy Kudlow of Redding, Cherie Burton of Rowayton and Erik Olsen of Wilton, the treasurer.
