A Better Deal

Continued coverage of A Better Deal brings us a great video of participants and some of the topics discussed.

A VERY quick upload of the opening remarks at the Better Deal Conference.

I'm at A Better Deal, for young people who are trying to navigate the economy in such troubling times. We've told you these stats before: youth have twice the unemployment than the rest of the country despite having twice the education, 1/3 of Millennials don't have health insurance at all, and many more are under insured...

These are all things we're talking about in the next two days at a Better Deal 2009. Follow on Twitter #abd09 or here is the live stream online. Or watch below. I'm about to also upload the welcome remarks.

Broadcasting Live with Ustream.TV

From the Statement from Demos:

"Washington DC -- Young adults across America are reeling from the effects of the recession, with rising unemployment, higher education increasingly out of reach, and diminishing prospects of an economically secure future. To reverse this trend, the national public policy and advocacy center Demos, along with partner organizations from around the nation, is building a movement of young adults to support policy reforms that will lead to a new social contract—and an economic recovery comprised of good jobs, widespread opportunity and a path to financial stability that will last well into the future.

On October 15 and 16, Demos is holding their annual conference for this movement, entitled “A Better Deal: Reclaiming our Economic Security Now!” This convening brings young leaders from around the country together to discuss the most pressing economic concerns facing their generation and the policy reforms that can address them. Participants include politically-engaged young adults, community organizers, young elected officials, policy advocates, get-out-the-vote volunteers from 2008, community and four-year college students, and others engaged in a collective effort to elevate this generation's economic crisis onto the national agenda, to offer policy substance to sustain the rise in youth voting, and to forge partnerships for future reform efforts. Attendees will examine ways to connect politics to the personal financial struggles of young voters, and forge connections with others to build a movement for a better deal in their communities.

"This generation of young people is the first in years to start their adult lives not only worse off than their parents, but also with fewer prospects for long-term financial security," said Tamara Draut, Vice-President of Policy and Programs at Demos and author of "Strapped: Why America’s 20- and 30-Somethings Can’t Get Ahead."

"Young adults have been hit hard by the recession, and unless we shift policy to deal with pressing issues—good jobs, affordable education, housing costs, rising debt—then their future economic potential will be severely hamstrung. Fortunately, young people are engaging in politics in a way we haven't seen for a long time. They are going to drive this agenda and make Congress take note."

See further details on speakers and key points on the jump.

Last year, Demos sponsored an excellent conference - A Better Deal - on revitalizing the American economy to meet the needs of young people. I was a panelist at the conference, and you can read my coverage of it here.

The need for a better deal for young Americans is more necessary than ever, and Demos is getting ready to hold the second annual Better Deal conference in October. Details are below, you can register here (for free). There are some travel scholarships available for those outside the DC area.