Conference To Explore Ways Economics Affects Policymaking

The political winds are shifting and NABE’s 23rd annual Washington Policy Conference is designed to illuminate the key issues facing policymakers, focusing on the critical role that economics plays in bringing about effective policy changes in this post mid-term election period.

With the theme “An Economic Framework for Effective Policymaking,” the conference is set for March 12-13 at the Marriott Crystal City at Reagan National Airport, Washington, D.C.

"It's the interaction between economics and policymaking that we want to get at in this Policy Conference," said John Silvia, chair of the NABE committee organizing the conference and chief economist at Wachovia Bank. "It's important to find out what we can learn from the past and how economics can make a difference in the most important policy debates."  Other members of the conference organizing committee are: Kathleen Camilli, president of Camilli Economics; and Richard Wobbekind, associate dean, University of Colorado at Boulder.

Kroszner, Lazear, Atkins Among Headliner Speakers

Headliner speakers from the Federal Reserve and top administration posts will lead discussions of Congressional and White House policy agendas and the outlook for monetary policy.  General sessions will focus on the prospects for new directions in fiscal policy and some of its key elements, including tax policy and Medicaid reform.

Federal Reserve Board Governor Randall Kroszner will be the keynote speaker on the first day, Monday, March 12, offering his views on the central bank’s priorities for the economy.  Leading private analysts will discuss alternative monetary policy options in a one of the educational sessions that afternoon.

Edward Lazear, chairman of President Bush’s Council of Economics Advisers, will lead off the speakers on the second day, March 13, with a presentation of the administration’s view of the economic outlook.   Later that morning, former Bush adviser Lawrence Lindsey, president of the Lindsey Group, will offer his view of the administration’s economic policy.

Securities and Exchange Commissioner Paul Atkins will address the conference at the final luncheon on March 13.   SEC policies and corporate governance, including prospects for Sarbanes-Oxley reform, will also be discussed at educational sessions.

Other confirmed speakers include: Director of the Congressional Budget Office Peter Orzag; former Congressional Budget Office Director Douglas Holtz-Eakin; Evercore Partners Co-Founder and former Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Roger Altman; U.S. Representative John Spratt, chairman of the House Budget Committee; Eva Srejber, first deputy governor, The Riksbank (Sweden's central bank); and Gertrude Tumpel-Gugerell, member of the Executive Board, European Central Bank.

Policy conference attendees can choose from a series of concurrent educational sessions that delve more deeply into key issues.  These sessions include:  Fiscal Policy: What Does the Future Hold?; U.S. Policy and the Changing Global Landscape; Democratic Tax Policy: Increases, Cuts, or Major Reform?; Biofuels: A Sustaining Alternative?; Options for Medicaid Reform Enhancements or Radical Change?; Economic Reform in Germany and Japan; The Competitiveness of European Financial Markets; Prospects for Global Trade Talks and Trade Policy in the New Congress; Saving by Americans: Putting the Macro and Micro Views in Focus; Global Competition and Sarbanes-Oxley; and the U.S. Regional Outlook: Are We in for a Housing ARM-ageddon?

Conference attendees are invited to a special reception on Monday night at the newly opened, splendid Embassy of Sweden on the Potomac River in Georgetown.  Completed in October 2006, the embassy is modern in its design and provides a distinctively Scandinavian touch to this historic area.

Register by Feb. 15 and save $50 on registration fees.  For hotel reservations contact the Marriott Crystal City directly at 1-800-228-9290 or 703-413-3500.  Mention the NABE conference for the discounted rate of $209 single or double. Make hotel reservations by Feb. 15 for the discounted rate.

A regularly updated conference program may be found at http://www.nabe.com/pc07/program.html

Call to Jazz Musicians!

Jazz musicians, bring your sax, horn, voice, or whatever to the Policy Conference for our second annual jam session set for the evening welcome reception on Sunday, March 11. Enthusiasm is more important than proficiency.  If you sound like Stan Getz or Diana Krall, that’s cool; if you play outside – either on purpose or by accident – that’s cool, too.  Our focus will be on relatively simple tunes – a mix of standards, blues, bossas and bebop tunes – in order to maximize participation.  Head charts in C, B-flat, and E-flat will be provided.  Also, the room will have a piano, drum set, stands and amps.  We need to know how many will show up and what instruments, so please contact Bob Crow at (650) 343-7615 or rtcrow@comcast.net to let him know if you will participate and to offer comments and suggestions.  Drop your inhibitions, bring your instrument, and be there!