The Humphrey Institute will host a panel discussion titled, "The Local and National Economies: Light at the End of the Tunnel?" at 4 p.m. Wednesday, February 4, at the Humphrey Center Forum, 301 19th Ave. S., Minneapolis. The event is free and open to the public.
America's financial crisis took center stage during the presidential and local elections late in 2008 and continues to unfold as the country transitions to a new administration. Minnesota has realized the impact this crisis will have on its own economic future, with Gov. Pawlenty forecasting an immense shortfall in the state's budget for the coming year.
This panel of financial experts will tackle the question of how best to manage the financial crisis at both the national and Minnesota levels, and will include:
- Maria Hanratty, an economist and Humphrey Institute associate professor, with expertise on the economics of poverty and comparative social welfare institutions.
- Jay Kiedrowski, former commissioner of finance for the State of Minnesota and currently a senior fellow at the Humphrey Institute.
- Dan Laufenberg, chief economist for Ameriprise Financial and previously with the Federal Reserve in Washington, D.C. and the Congressional Budget Office.
- Art Rolnick, senior vice president and director of research for the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.
- Tom Stinson, Minnesota's state economist and associate professor in the department of applied economics at the U of M.
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