Baucus Applauds Flathead Valley Community College Scholars for Deficit Project

Press Release

Montana's senior U.S. Senator Max Baucus applauded students in the Scholars Program at Flathead Valley Community College for answering his call to Montanans to submit their ideas for deficit reduction. FVCC's Scholars students met for three weeks reviewing Congressional Budget Office reports on the deficit and reading various deficit reduction proposals as part of their coursework. Students also came up with their own ideas and provided Baucus with a six-page report summarizing their discussions and recommendations.

"My hat goes off to the Flathead Valley Community College Scholars and their instructors for joining this important conversation for our families and for our country. It's clear they took the challenge seriously and grappled with the balance needed to address the deficit," Baucus said, who has been soliciting ideas from Montanans as he continues his work on the Joint Select Committee to reduce the nation's deficit. "I appreciate their thoughtful ideas and hope the experience inspired them to stay involved. Our jobs deficit and our fiscal deficit go hand-in-hand which is why I'm doing everything I can to address both. It's my hope that when these bright students graduate, they will be able to find the good-paying jobs they deserve."

Baucus also thanked Flathead Valley Community College President Jane Karas, Ph. D., The Scholars Program Director Ivan Lorentzen, Outreach Coordinator for Career Pathways and Running Start, Jeremy Fritz and Executive Director, Institutional Research, Assessment and Planning Brad Eldredge, Ph.D., along with all of the students who participated including: Ursula DeStefano, Tracy Lost-Bear, Lisa Seelye, and Heather Frayle.

"We appreciate Max providing our students with this invaluable learning experience," said FVCC President Jane Karas. "This exercise was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for them as they were involved in developing potential solutions for an actual national issue of importance."

The student proposal included a variety of recommendations on taxes, Medicare, Social Security, and cuts in defense spending.

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