City Club of Portland to Host Measure 29 Forum on September 4th

City Club of Portland, a civic, public affairs nonprofit based in Portland, Oregon, is holding a public forum on Oregon Ballot Measure 29 featuring a panel of experts on both sides of the issue. The forum will be held on Thursday, September 4th from 4:30 to 6 PM

Portland, OR (PRWEB) August 22, 2003 On September 16, voters will be asked to decide whether the state of Oregon should be permitted to issue $2 billion in general obligation bonds. City Club of Portland will host a moderated forum on Thursday, September 4 to help voters make that decision.

Under the increasing weight of unfunded pension (PERS) liability, the Legislature referred Measure 29 to the voters, proposing that the state be authorized to issue bonds at a lower rate than current obligations. The State Treasurer says Measure 29 will save taxpayers $1 billion over the next 24 years and $90 million in the upcoming biennium, while the Libertarian Party calls it a "debt trap."

This roundtable discussion will bring the major players together to answer the hard questions.
The panel will include State Representatives Greg Macpherson and Lane Shetterly, State Treasurer Randall Edwards, PERS Executive Director James Voytko, ECONorthwest senior economist Dr. Randall Pozdena and Libertarian Party of Oregon Chairman Thomas B. Cox. Chip Lazenby, general counsel for the Portland Development Commission, will moderate the discussion. The program will run from 4:30 to 6:00 PM in the Multnomah Buildings First Floor Commissioners Boardroom, 501 SE Hawthorne Blvd.

The program will begin with questions prepared by an expert committee. Following this moderated segment, the media will take a lead in the questioning process, followed by questions from City Club members.

City Club's forum is open to the public. Reservations for the public requested but not required. Contact Cullen Brady at cullen@pdxcityclub.org or (503) 228-7231. Members of the media are encouraged to register with City Club in advance. Registered media will receive program updates and can submit questions to be asked during the moderated portion of the program. Doors open at 4:15 PM.

For more information about the program, please contact City Club of Portland at (503) 228-7231.

City Club of Portland is a non-profit, non-partisan education and research based civic organization dedicated to community service, public affairs and leadership development. Through weekly Friday Forums, citizen-based research reports, special programs and issue committees, City Club examines issues of importance to the Portland metropolitan region, the state and society as a whole.

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