Debt ceiling crisis continues to tax Gen Y’s future

August 17, 2011 by Tamara Bell

[HTML1] After a summer of contentious debate, President Obama and congressional leaders earlier this month struck a deal on the debt ceiling that extends the Treasury’s authority to borrow beyond the 2012 elections. But what does this mean for our economy, both present and future?

Dr. John Irons, research and policy director at the Economic Policy Institute, joins Keeping Up with Gen Y to discuss both the short-term and long-term ramifications of the debate and the deal that kept our nation from its first-ever financial default. He also talks about the missed opportunities in the legislation to create jobs and invest in the country’s future.

More about John Irons, Ph.D.
Dr. John Irons joined the Economic Policy Institute as its research and policy director in 2007. His areas of research include the U.S. economy and economic policy, with an emphasis on federal tax and budget policy. He previously worked as the Director of Tax and Budget Policy at the Center for American Progress, a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Economics at Amherst College, for the Brookings Institution and at the Federal Reserve Board of Governors.

With a Ph.D. in Economics from MIT, John serves on the Committee on Electronic Publishing for the American Economic Association, and on the Board of Governors of the National Economists Club.

Filed Under: World Tagged With: tamara bell

About Tamara Bell

Tamara Bell is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Y Gen Out Loud, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that provides a platform for Generation Yto discuss national politics and public policy issues.

Tamara began her journalism career as a staff reporter for the Dallas Times Herald. A few years later, she moved to York, Pa., as a political reporter for the York Dispatch, covering local, state, and national government as well as writing investigative stories for the mid-sized daily newspaper.

A Texas girl at heart, Tamara returned to Dallas a year later to work as press relations director for the re-election campaign of U.S. Rep. John Bryant. The next year, she moved to Austin and the Texas Legislature, where she stayed for 15 years. While at the Legislature, Tamara worked for Democratic House members as Chief-of-Staff and Press Secretary, and as a Senior Policy Analyst for the Senate State Affairs Committee chaired by a Republicansenator.

In 1996, Tamara became co-owner of a political newsletter covering state issues and elections. As Editor-in-Chief, Tamara helped shape the weekly publication into a must-read for state officials, legislative aides, and lobbyists. More recently, Tamara wrote a regular column analyzing coverage by the Texas Capitol Press Corps for an online political publication. She also works as a lecturer in the Advertising Department at The University of Texasat Austin.

Tamara has also been a judge for the 2010 Bright Ideas Award given by the Texas Daily Newspaper Association, served as a panelist at the Society of Professional Journalists 2010 Region 8 Conference where the theme was How to Save Journalism, and has been a guest lecture for the Advertising Department’s Internship course, speaking about the jobs outlook for graduating seniors.

Tamara earned her M.A. and Ph.D. in Journalism from The University of Texas at Austin, and her B.A. in Journalism from Texas A&M University. She resides in Austin with her son, Jackson.

Tamara Bell is also the Host of Keeping Up with Gen Y on WomensRadio. Keeping Up with Gen Y offers discussions, interviews, and commentary about important issues of the day from the perspective of Generation Y (18-to 30-years-old). Aimed at all generations interested in learning about and inspiring young people, this show features professionals, experts, researchers, and members of Gen Y who share insights and experiences about the topics on the minds of today’s young adults.