Although notoriously known for their apathy toward politics, a growing number of young people nationwide are outraged at what they consider to be the government’s constant overspending. And some students are taking their anger to Capitol Hill.
Concerned Youth of America, a student-run organization aimed at raising awareness about government spending, is testifying before the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform Wednesday.
The group wants to let lawmakers know that the nation’s upcoming generation is watching how they’re spending the money of future generations.
“We have a large stake in the decisions politicians make about spending, since it will affect our future,” said Yoni Gruskin, founder and executive director of Concerned Youth of America. “We want them to keep us in mind when they make decisions.”
Gruskin said his main concern is ensuring congressmen know their constituents will have to foot the bill for their spending.
The testimony will introduce the Commission to CYA and explain the organization’s message and concerns.
“We want to let [lawmakers] know who we are, why we’re here and why we’re concerned,” he said.
Gruskin said the main purpose of CYA is to educate today’s youth on the government’s overspending and to give young people a voice.
However, CYA isn’t the only organization trying to voice the concerns of today’s generation.
Students Facing Up To The Nation’s Finances is a student advocacy group formed in 2008 by The Brookings Institution, The Concord Coalition, The Heritage Foundation, Public Agenda and Viewpoint Learning.
The organization pushes students to take an active role in lawmakers’ decisions on spending, in addition to educating and researching.
The National Commission on Fiscal Reform and Responsibility was created by President Obama to study the government’s fiscal policy and make recommendations about how to reduce the spending by December 2010. The Commission intends to find ways to balance the nation’s budget by 2015.
In the meantime the nation’s deficit continues to rise, and the Peter G. Peterson Institute on Economics predicts the U.S. current account deficit could rise as high as 10 percent of GDP in the next few years because of recent spending legislation. The institute estimates debt could rise to more than $5 trillion – or 15 percent of GDP – by 2030 if spending patterns remain unchanged.
Gruskin said the biggest problem for the current generation is not apathy but ignorance.
“Students start to get enraged and worked up when we explain the situation,” he said. “The average 20-year-old isn’t going to sit in front of a computer and read about the debt situation on his own.”
CYA started with a group of concerned high school seniors in February 2007. Since its inception, the organization has expanded through social media and national tours.
“Our senior year we learned about the spending issues,” Gruskin said. “It was terrifying. We had to do something about it.”
Last fall CYA went on its eLEMONate the debt tour, traveling to campuses across the country enlightening students to the facts through the use of selling lemonade. The purpose was to explain how many cups of lemonade had to be sold to offset the current debt.
Gruskin said the purpose of the organization isn’t to find a solution to the financial situation. Instead, it’s mission is to educate.
“We deal with both [political] sides,” he said. “We don’t weigh in on the specifics or how to solve the issue. We just want to make sure students understand the situation and want them to get involved.”
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