John Edwards To Visit Carsey Institute Sept. 27

By Lori Wright, Media Relations
September 26, 2007

Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards will visit the Carsey Institute Thursday, Sept. 27, to discuss new policy developments in his Rural Recovery Act.

Edwards will join Mil Duncan of the Carsey Institute for a roundtable discussion with a panel of experts who will talk about the issues facing rural communities. The event, which is the first leg of John Edwards' Economic Fairness Tour, is open to the public.

“Rural America is experiencing profound economic, demographic and environmental changes, and we need thoughtful policy and renewed investment in rural communities,” said Duncan, director of the Carsey Institute.

“In some areas, retiring baby boomers and footloose professionals are enjoying life in small towns rich with natural amenities. Other rural areas are seeing significant out-migration following declines in traditional industries such as agriculture, timber, mining or low skill manufacturing. And in chronically poor areas such as the Delta, Appalachia, the Southwest and Indian Country, communities struggle to overcome decades of underinvestment that have left a legacy of low education and broken civic institutions,” she said.

The event begins at 12:30 p.m. at the Carsey Institute, Huddleston Hall Great Room, with a musical welcome by Grammy-winning musician Ralph Stanley II and the IBMA award-winning Bluegrass Brothers, and former Democratic Congressman Ben Jones, who played Cooter on the "Dukes of Hazzard." Doors open at noon.

For information on the Carsey Institute, visit http://carseyinstitute.unh.edu/.

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