Economic Club Hits the Road, Bringing Speakers to More Indiana Cities

The Economic Club is pleased to announce a series of presentations throughout Indiana during the summer months of 2009. These events, dubbed the "Economic Club Summer Series," will feature the same high-quality speakers that the regular season events have become known for.

"We are very excited to be bringing the (Economic) Club, in a physical sense, to other parts of the state," comments Steve Walker, president of the Economic Club.

An arrangement allowing WFYI to produce statewide broadcasts of current presentations has helped generate a great deal of interest outside of Indianapolis over the past two seasons. Hosting events in other cities is part of the continuing effort to bring the Economic Club to all Hoosiers.  

The first stop on the 2009 Summer Series tour is set for June 9 in Merrillville — featuring tax policy expert and nationally published opinion leader Scott Hodge. Indiana Pacers president Jim Morris will be the keynote speaker for a July 14 event in Evansville, and Fort Wayne will play host in August. Details for the August event and other specifics are still being finalized but will be announced soon.   

Current sponsors for the 2009 Summer Series include Ivy Tech, ProLiance Energy, Franklin College, Schmidt Associates and ESW Inc. Speaker’s Reception sponsors include NIPSCO – June; Old National, Regency Commercial Associates – July.

A variety of sponsorship opportunities remain. Contact Jim Wagner for details at jwagner@indianachamber.com.

O’Rourke Amuses Attendees at Economic Club Event

The Indianapolis Convention Center ballroom was filled to capacity yesterday afternoon as famed political satirist P.J. O’Rourke took the Economic Club of Indiana stage.

O’Rourke’s penchant for making people laugh, even during less than promising economic times, was not lost on the audience. The humorous tone was set early as one of O’Rourke’s more famous quotes was read by the emcee during his introduction: “Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys."

True to form, O’Rourke mixed humor with the expert analysis of someone who has studied politics and government for over 40 years – delving into controversial topics of spreading freedom through fighting and public education reform. He is known for poking fun at the absurdity found in all political ideologies, and remarked on former President George W. Bush as well as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. He even riffed on the concept of democracy, noting that with daughters and dogs at home, dinner would likely consist of Fruit Loops and rotten meat if put to a vote.

To view the upcoming Economic Club of Indiana lunch event schedule, please visit its web site.

Economic Club Speaker Advocates Individual Liberty

"For the past half-century, free enterprise and what it stands for has been under constant attack,” asserted Walter Williams at the last Economic Club of Indiana luncheon of the season Friday.

Williams, a well-known political pundit, columnist, professor and occasional guest host of the “Rush Limbaugh Show,” presented his strong views on economic and tax policy in America today.

Williams employed obvious and often humorous comparisons to illustrate his message – at one point equivocating the federal government’s wealth redistribution programs to armed robbery with a benevolent motive. 

“We must ask ourselves, is there ever a moral reason for taking what belongs to one person and giving it to another?” Williams asked, reminding the audience that, “government has no money of its very own.”

As a promoter of individual liberty over intrusive government, Williams believes that charitable contributions and other financial transactions are most effective when people are free to participate in voluntary exchange.

Mandating what Americans save for retirement and enforcing it through Social Security taxes is just one of the ways Williams feels government is interfering with voluntary exchange.  He also asserted that the federal government has no Constitutional authority to collect taxes for three-fourths of the things it currently collects.

The next Economic Club luncheon season will begin with Eli Lilly president/CEO John Lechleiter on Sept. 24. He will be followed by editor of the The Weekly Standard (and New York Times columnist) William Kristol on Oct. 27, who will offer his political insights just before the 2008 election. Here is the current schedule, and new speakers are still being added.

Economic Club Welcomes Speakers with Wide Range of Views

The Economic Club of Indiana is about to close out the 2007-2008 season with Walter Williams on May 9. Our last speaker, Steven Hayward, generated more comments, prior to his talk, than any previous speaker in recent memory. I appreciate all views and remarks forwarded on. While putting differing view points on specific points and arguments may not be possible, the Club does present a general balance of opinions, ideas and theories. 

For this season about to end, we have brought in a member of the Clinton administration, two university presidents, a superintendent of a major school system, president of one of the nation’s largest not-for-profits and an advocate of tougher emission standards. As the 2008-2009 season takes shape, we will continue to promote an interest in, and enlighten to attendees on, important governmental, economic and social issues. We do so across a broad spectrum with speakers we both agree and disagree with. 

The Economic Club is highly regarded nationally for its role in bringing local, national and international speakers to our state since 1974.