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The Daily Tar Heel

$10 Million a Minute bus comes to UNC to promote fiscal responsibility

Every minute, the United States’ financial burden increases by about $10 million.

To educate the public on why that burden needs attention, former U.S. Comptroller Gen. David Walker is on a bus tour across the United States.

As part of his Comeback America Initiative, Walker is currently leading the $10 Million a Minute bus tour through several states — including swing states such as North Carolina that are crucial to the presidential election.

The initiative is a non-partisan collaboration that promotes fiscal responsibility and sustainability.

The 34-day tour is focusing on reaching college students and community groups, said Christie Findlay, spokeswoman for the tour.

The bus tour will make two stops in North Carolina today, one at UNC’s Friday Center and the other at Elon University.

Walker hopes to draw attention to the nation’s current fiscal problems, while addressing solutions in an open, unbiased forum.

“The economy, jobs and our nation’s finances are by far the most important issues to be dealt with right now,” Walker said.

He said the fiscal stability of the United States is crucial to the success of the current and future job markets.

It also helps promote stability in international relations and domestic tranquility, he said.

“I believe Americans are much smarter than most politicians realize, and they can handle the truth about our economic status,” Walker said.

“I wanted to prove that hypothesis.”

He said he hopes UNC students will turn out in large numbers, given the importance of the topic to their future.

“Young people have not been nearly as involved as they need to be,” he said.

“Their future is being mortgaged at big rates, and they need to realize the importance of this,” he said.

With North Carolina among several states up for grabs in 2012, Walker said there were no better stops for the tour than swing states.

Heather Hinson, communications specialist with the N.C. Association of Certified Public Accountants, which is sponsoring the event, said in an email that the event is important for the state’s financial literacy.

“Our goal is to help North Carolinians reduce debt and build wealth, and by doing so, strengthen the state’s economic standing and financial future,” she said.

Hinson also said the event will help educate the public about taxes. A tax modernization plan will be debated by the N.C. General Assembly in 2013.

“The $10 Million a Minute Tour is another way to educate our members on the economic situation and arm them with the information they’ll need to be key players in the creation of North Carolina’s new tax policy,” Hinson said.

Contact the desk editor at university@dailytarheel.com.

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