The Fiscal Wake-Up Tour is a joint public engagement initiative by The Concord Coalition, The Brookings Institution, and The Heritage Foundation. U. S. Comptroller General David Walker is an advisor and has participated in each of the Tour's public events.  The purpose of the Tour is to educate Americans about our nation's true long-term financial condition and large and growing fiscal imbalance and to encourage Americans to demand action. The tour conducts a series of town hall forums and editorial board briefings around the country.  By uniting with analysts from across the political spectrum on the Fiscal Wake-Up Tour, Heritage hopes to encourage the spirit of bipartisan honesty and frank discussion that will be necessary to preserve the strength of the American economy for posterity.  

Since the Tour's inception in 2005, the team has spoken in almost two dozen cities, stressing such concerns as:

• The combination of the "big three" entitlements – Medicare and Social Security and Medicaid – will double from the current 8 percent of GDP to 15 percent when today’s newborn graduates from college, to nearly 20 percent of GDP when today's college graduate reaches retirement in 2050.
• The unfunded federal future obligations of the federal government are now the equivalent of a mortgage of over $50 trillion ($38.8 trillion of which is due to Medicare and Social Security).  This translates into a financial burden of $170,000 for each American.
• Without reform of entitlements, balancing the budget would mean driving up taxes to European level within a generation at the risk of European economic stagnation.

PRESENTATIONS
PAPERS & TESTIMONY
OP-EDS, & COMMENTARIES
PRESS COVERAGE
MULTIMEDIA/VIDEOS
UPCOMING TOUR DATES
CITIES VISITED


PRESENTATIONS:

The Budget and Entitlements: Time to Take Action
By Alison Fraser, Director,
Thomas A. Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies,
The Heritage Foundation
(Flash presentation) | (PDF presentation)

The Budget and Entitlements: Time to Take Action (Powerpoint Presentation)
Stuart Butler, Vice President for Domestic and Policy Studies
The Heritage Foundation

The Budget, Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security:
Time to Take Action (Powerpoint Presentation)
By Alison Fraser, Director, Thomas A. Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies,
The Heritage Foundation

Facing America's Long Term Budget Challenges (Powerpoint Presentation)
Brian Riedl, Senior Policy Analyst and Grover Hermann Fellow in Federal Budgetary Affairs
The Heritage Foundation
San Diego, CA – June 2006

Two trillion dollars a year and rapidly growing, health care spending in America presents a significant challenge for policymakers. In a recent publication, Stuart M. Butler, Ph.D., discusses building public support for policy options.

Evolving Beyond Traditional Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance presented by Stuart M. Butler at Brookings as part of their Hamilton project.

The Budget and Entitlements: Time to Take Action
By Nicola Moore, Research Coordinator
Thomas A. Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies,
The Heritage Foundation

PAPERS & TESTIMONY

The SAFE Commission Act (H.R. 3654) and the Long-Term Fiscal Challenge
by Alison Acosta Fraser
25 June 2008

CBO's Warning on Raising Taxes to Pay for Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security
by Stuart M. Butler, Ph.D.
27 June 2008

Courageous Reforms in Ryan's Entitlements Road Map:
Where Is the Democratic Response?
by J.D. Foster, Ph.D.
June 19, 2008

Taking Back our Fiscal Future
by Stuart M. Butler, Ph.D., Alison Acosta Fraser and Other Authors
31 March 2008

Rethinking Social Insurance
by Stuart Butler, PhD. and Maya MacGuineas
February 19, 2008

Washington Must Pull the Trigger on Explosive Medicare Spending
by Robert E. Moffit, Ph.D. and Alison Acosta Fraser
February 4, 2008

The Social Security and Medicare Trustees Report Again—
And Again Problems Have Worsened
by JD Foster, Ph.D.
April 24, 2007

The Senate Budget: A $2,641 Per Household Tax Increase and No Entitlement Reforms
by Brian M. Riedl
March 22, 2007

The President's Medicare Budget Proposal:
A Step Forward on Entitlement Spending
by Robert E. Moffit, Ph.D.
February 6, 2007

Solutions to Our Long-Term Fiscal Challenges
by Stuart M. Butler, Ph.D.
January 31, 2007

Federal Budget Should Include Long-Term Obligations
from Entitlement Programs
by Alison Acosta Fraser
June 22, 2006

OP-EDS, & COMMENTARIES:

A commission offers solution without the grandstanding
by Stuart M. Butler
Sunday, November 4, 2007

"Making entitlements SAFE-er"
by Ed Feulner
Tuesday, March 6, 2007

"We need a new commission to tackle entitlement programs"
by Edwin J. Feulner, Ph.D.
March 1, 2007

Scale back debt, costly retirement entitlements
by Stuart M. Butler, Ph.D.
February 21, 2007

Why our domestic entitlements could doom our children
by Alison Fraser
February 21, 2007

PRESS COVERAGE:

AUGUST 2008

• Minneapolis Star Tribune, "Entitlement programs can't keep running on automatic pilot," Peter J Nelson, 8/3/08
• The Economist, "Another inconvenient truth", 8/14/08

JULY 2008

• Journal Sentinel, "Experts offer ideas on warding off fiscal mess," John Torinus, 7/5/08

JUNE 2008

• Journal Sentinel, "Fiscal Wake-Up Tour visits Milwaukee to warn of rising debt," John Schmid, 6/30/08
• Journal Sentinel, "National debt makes U.S. vulnerable, experts say," John Schmid, 6/29/08

APRIL 2008

• Toledoblade.com, "The Coming Crunch," editorial, 4/1/08

March 2008

• Patriot News, “Should Political Stalemate End, Entitlement Solution Possible,” editorial, 3/28/08 -
• Pittsburgh Tribune Review, "U.S. is Courting Fiscal Meltdown, Panel Says," by Thomas Olson, 3/26/08 -
• Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “Sounding the Alarm,” by Tim Grant, 3/26/08 -
• San Francisco Chronicle, “Every Man's Mortgage Crisis,” by Debra J. Saunders, 3/11/08 -
• San Francisco Chronicle, “A Fiscal Wake-Up for the Nation,” editorial, 3/10/08 -
• The Daily Cardinal, "Nations Fiscal Tour Reveals Country's Financial Burdens," by Stephanie Dar, March 7, 2008,
  
• Wisconsin State Journal, "Wake from the financial slumber," editorial, March 3, 2008, 
  

February 2008

• Madison.com, "US Must Get Finances in Order, Panel Says," by Patricia Simms, February 28, 2008
  
• The Badger Herald, "Nation Needs Fiscal Wake Up, Experts Say," by Carolyn Potts, February 27, 2008
  nation_needs_fiscal_.php
  

January 2008

• The Birmingham News, "Federal government addicted to debt,'
  U.S. comptroller says, and the consequences could be dire," editorial, January 14, 2008
  
• The Tallahassee Democrat, "Comptroller Warns of Budget Peril," by Steve Liner,
  

December 2007

• Lansing State Journal, "Financial Experts Raise Alarm About Debt," by Chris Andrews, December 9, 2007
  
• "The Columbus Dispatch, What about Medicare? Presidential candidates ought to discuss ways to reform expensive program,” editorial, December 8, 2007
  

November 2007

• "The News Journal Social Security and other entitlements are begging for solutions," editorial November 3, 2007
  
• Lansing State Journal, "Change Budget Before It's Too Late," Harry Zeeve, November 23, 2007
  

October 2007

• Savannah Morning News, "Bipartisan Group Campaigns for Federal Spending Reform" - October 3, 2007
  
• USA Today, "Social Security Hits First Wave of Boomers", - by Richard Wolf, October 3, 2007
  
• NH Business Review, "Cook On Concord: A Wake-Up Call for the U.S. and the Presidential Candidates", by Brad Cook, October 12, 2007
  
• Florida Times Union, "Entitlements: Here They Come", editorial, October 19, 2007
  
• Baltimore Sun, "Time to Face Reality of Nation's Crushing Liabilities" by Joseph Gribbin, October 28, 2007
  
• Baltimore Sun, "A Washington Official Dares to Tell the Truth", by Jay Hancock October 30, 2007
  

September 2007

• Union Leader, by Benjamin Kepple, "U.S. comptroller touts panel to reform spending" - September 29, 2007
  
• Market News International, by Bridgett Smith, US Sens.Conrad, "Gregg Propose Bipartisan Task Force on Deficit" - September 18, 2007
  
• Las Vegas Business Press, by Valerie Smith "Official: Fiscal Outlook Dim Thanks to Baby Boomers" - September 16, 2007
  
• Long Beach Press Telegram, editorial, "Our Financial Future" - September 16, 2007
  
• Las Vegas Review-Journal, editorial, "Entitlements will bankrupt the country -- do the candidates care?" - September 14, 2007
  
• Orange County Register, by Martin Wisckol, "GOP candidates could turn up in unlikely places" - September 10, 2007

July 2007

• The Jackson Sun, by Erik Schelzig, "Rep. Cooper Brings 'Fiscal Wake-Up Tour' To Nashville" - July 18, 2007
  
• Tennessean, by Colby Sledge, "Rep. Cooper hopes public alarmed after attending Fiscal Wake Up Tour" - July 17, 2007
  

June 2007

• Washington Post, by Lori Montgomery, "Stumping for Attention to Deficit Disorder" - June 21, 2007
  
• St. Petersburg Times, "Defusing our fiscal time bomb" - June 14, 2007
  
• Des Moines Register, by David Yepsen, "Question Candidates About Fiscal Future" - June 7, 2007
  
• Pioneer Press, "Responsible questions for responsible candidates" - June 6, 2007
  

May 2007

• Tampa Tribune, by William March, "Martinez focuses on Entitlement Reform" - May 31, 2007
  
• St. Petersburg Times, Stephen Nohlgren, "Health costs, retirement will bust budget, panel says" - May 31, 2007

April 2007

• Candidates Ignore Looming Financial Crisis, DesMoines Register - April 9, 2007
  
• Press Candidates on looming fiscal storm, DesMoines Register - April 8, 2007
  
• U.S. Watchdog Sees Future Crisis, Billings Gazette - April 8, 2007
  
• Fiscal Responsibility - Penzeys One blog 

March 2007

• Voinovich speaks on fiscal panel, Cincinnati Inquirer - March 8, 2007
  
• Tour talks of fiscal time bomb, The Post and the Courier, Charleston SC - March 7, 2006
  
• Fiscal Wake-Up Tour, Cincinnati Business Courier - March 6, 2007

February 2007

• Britney, but a different rehab, Palm Beach Post - February 27, 2007
  
• Get past political myths to fix the nation's books, Palm Beach Post - February 27, 2007
  
• Scale back debt, costly retirement entitlements (By Stuart Butler), Des Moines Register - February 20, 2007
  
• Fiscal wake-up tour's inconvenient truth, Boston Globe, February 16, 2007
• Experts to speak at Fiscal Wakeup Tour, TC Palm - February 16, 2007
  
• Wake-Up Tour warns of crisis, Concord Monitor, NH - Feb 14, 2007
  
• Cincinnati Business Courier, OH - Feb 6, 2007
• The Fiscal Wake-Up Tour Comes to Des Moines: Public Invited to Discuss Our Nation's Unsustainable Fiscal Policy
• Fiscal honesty, please The Des Moines Register
• Fiscal Wakeup Tour coming to St. Edwards
• "Bush gets hawkish on fiscal future", Wilkes Barre Times-Leader, PA - Feb 5, 2007
• Talk budgets at Saint Anselm, Nashua Telegraph (subscription), NH - Feb 7, 2007
• Bush calls for budget restraint, Chicago Tribune, IL - Feb 5, 2007

January 2007

2006 and Earlier

• Wake up, America! We've got to pay our bills, Seattle Post Intelligencer - November 30, 2006
  
• 'Wake-up tour' offers vital message, Rocky Mountain News (editorial) - November 29, 2006
  
• The mortgage you didn't know you had, Seattle Post - May 25, 2006
  
• The comptroller: Washington's prophet of fiscal doom, The Christian Science Monitor - January 5, 2006
• A 'fiscal hurricane' on the horizon, USA Today, November 14, 2005

MULTIMEDIA/VIDEOS:

• U.S. Headed For Fiscal Crisis?, 60 Minutes CBS News, March 4, 2007
• The University of Texas at Austin, September 28, 2006

UPCOMING TOUR DATES:

October 2, Austin, TX (Conference of Southwest Foundations)
October 2, Cleveland, OH
October 14, Philadelphia, PA

CITIES VISITED

Milwaukee, WI (June 30, 2008)
Alexandria, VA (April 15, 2008)
Pittsburgh, PA (March 25, 2008)
Fresno, CA (March 6, 2008)
Berkeley, CA (March 5, 2008)
Madison, WI (February 27, 2008)
Tallahassee, FL (January 14, 2008)
East Lansing, MI (December 6, 2007)
Portland, OR (November 29, 2007)
Iowa City, IA (December 3, 2007)
Hartford, CT (October 1, 2007)
Baltimore, MD (October 29, 2007)
Atlanta GA (October 1, 2007)
Manchester, NH (September 28, 2007)
San Francisco, CA (September 14, 2007)
San Jose, CA (September 13, 2007)
Las Vegas, NV (September 12, 2007)
Los Angeles, VA (September 11, 2007)
Nashville, TN (July 16, 2007)
Tampa, FL (March 30, 2007)
Cincinnati, Ohio (March 9, 2007)
Charleston, SC (March 6, 2007)
Palm Beach, CA (February 21, 2007)
Manchester, New Hampshire (February 13, 2007)
Des Moines, Iowa (February 1, 2007)
Columbus, Ohio (January 10, 2007)
Seattle, Washington (November 29, 2006)
Denver, Colorado (November 28, 2006)
Chicago, Illinois (November 8, 2006)
Austin, Texas (September 28, 2006)
Nashville, Tennessee (August 18, 2006)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (May 2, 2006)
Wilmington, Delaware (May 1, 2006)
Kansas City, Missouri (April 24, 2006)
Omaha, Nebraska (April 4, 2006)
Durham, North Carolina (February 27, 2006)
Atlanta, Georgia (February 7, 2006)
Portland, Oregon (December 1, 2005)
Minneapolis, Minnesota (October 17, 2005)
Richmond, Virginia (September 26, 2005)