Please direct any media inquires to Nick Troiano: press@thecankicksback.org, 202-999-3287.
Recent Articles and Op-Eds:
Gregg, Swett convey threat of national debt
May 14, 2013
by Sean Connolly | The Dartmouth
Former Senator Judd Gregg, R-N.H., former Representative Dick Swett, D-N.H., and Nick Troiano, a co-founder of The Can Kicks Back, spoke about the threat of the growing national debt and how young people can address the issue at Monday’s kickoff event for the Dartmouth chapter of The Can Kicks Back campaign.
Op-Ed: Fixing A Deficit of Facts
May 10, 2013
by Laurence Kotlikoff & Nick Troiano | Roll Call
Truth is, the trajectory of our federal budget represents a massive intergenerational redistribution of wealth. On the whole, older Americans and current retirees are set to receive a significant net financial benefit from public resources over the course of their lifetimes, with a massive bill for this spending to be passed on to the young and future generations. This policy path is both fiscally irresponsible and morally reprehensible.
Campus call to fix the debt
May 3, 2013
by Bob Hague | Wisconsin Radio Network
Event organizer Alex Holland, a UW sophomore, hopes students will sign an on-line petition atthecankicksback.org. “We need a group that’s looking out for us, because right now, by they actions that our legislators are taking, they aren’t looking out for us,” Holland said. “We need to come together to solve these issues, because if we don’t, it’s going to be our future that is debt-burdened and jobless.”
No debt agreement, no break
March 25, 2013
by Nick Troiano | Los Angeles Times
Until a deal is reached that addresses the nation's mounting debt, lawmakers should stay in Washington, hunker down and figure it out. No more trips, breaks, vacations, recesses, "constituent work weeks" or whatever you want to call them. They should just do what we elected them to do: legislate.
LTE: Reducing the Deficit
February 22, 2013
by Nick Troiano | New York Times
Paul Krugman’s strategy for economic recovery would accelerate our next, more predictable economic crisis because of excessive government debt (“Kick That Can,” column, Feb. 8)...Especially for young people, kicking the fiscal can is an irresponsible prescription for more debt, fewer jobs, higher taxes and a lower standard of living.
The Young and the Powerless
February 21, 2013
by Ronald Brownstein | National Journal
A generationally equitable debt solution would combine entitlement and tax reform with continued public investments in education, research, and other areas that could expand opportunities for future workers. “The trade-offs aren’t necessarily between the parties,” notes Ryan Schoenike, executive director of a group called The Can Kicks Back, which organizes young people around budget issues. “They are between the generations.”
Behind the Scenes of ‘The Can Kicks Back’ Movement
February 14, 2013
by Mary Kate Cay | US News & World Report
There is no AARP for young people. But we might be witnessing the start of a bipartisan counterweight to it—a balance that has been missing for a long time. These young people have the smarts, the can-do attitude, and the time to get us off the unsustainable path we're on now.
Judy's Notebook: Burden of a Generation
January 3, 2013
by Judy Woodruff | PBS Newshour
Right now, 23-year-old Nick Troiano, with the millennial group called "The Can Kicks Back," sizes things up this way: "We believe politicians in Washington will continue to take the easy way out until an organized group large enough and loud enough demands otherwise. They all talk about doing what's best for their children and grandchildren, but they are not listening to them."
3-Minute Interview: Nick Troiano of Can Kicks Back
January 2, 2013 | Washington Examiner
by Rachel Baye
We are solving two problems, really: No one's talking to young people about why this issue matters to them in a relevant and compelling way, and no one's giving young people a way to be meaningfully involved. In order for there to be a deal, especially a deal that's fair to our generation, young people need to be at the table, and they aren't right now.
The young voters Obama should listen to now
January 2, 2013 | Dallas Morning News
by Bill McKenzie
President Obama prided himself on winning young voters in both 2008 and 2012. So, here’s a group of young people that I hope he listens to: The Can Kicks Back...Generational inequity. Structural drivers of our debt. Those are words Obama should keep thinking about as the fiscal cliff talks move towards spending reforms. Without serious changes in entitlement programs, a lot of young people whose votes he got will get stuck with a very big debt for a very long time."
Lusting after a cliff deal
December 28, 2012 | CNN
by Political Ticker
If the “Come Together” message on Starbucks cups wasn’t innuendo enough, a video from the group “The Can Kicks Back” puts the metaphor in more explicit terms. The bipartisan group, also behind a video of 81-year-old former Sen. Alan Simpson Gangnam Style-ing, wants young people more engaged in Washington process.
Op-Ed: We Didn't Start the Fire
December 15, 2013 | USA Today
by Nick Troiano & Ryan Schoenike, TCKB co-Founders
We are both "Millennials," part of the largest generation ever, 80 million strong, now age 32 and younger. While the fiscal cliff threatens an economic recession, the fiscal canyon threatens our entire American Dream. As young Americans who plan on being here for a while, we have the most at stake in this debate.
Alan Simpson Goes 'Gangnam Style"
December 5, 2012 | Daily Beast
by John Avlon
"This qualifies as an instant classic. The impressive new millennial group, The Can Kicks Back, struck viral gold today by convincing Alan Simpson to do a PSA on debt reduction that involves going "Gangnam Style" next to a giant mascot-sized can. The video starts with the unvarnished former Senator unleashing a great diatribe against self-obsessed social media types and urges them to use their pre-occupation as a force for good - recruiting three friends a week until President Obama's inauguration to urge congress to take action on the $16 trillion debt. A cause worth promoting by any means necessary."
Video: Former senator goes 'Gangnam Style'
December 5, 2012 | Anderson Cooper 360, CNN
"In the RidicuList, Anderson Cooper looks at the unusual way Alan Simpson got his message out about the national debt."
Video: TCKB’s Ryan Schoenike and Nick Troiano on C-SPAN’s Washington Journal
November 24, 2012 | C-SPAN
"Nick Troiano and Ryan Schoenike, co-founders of “The Can Kicks Back,” talked about their youth-led campaign to fix the national debt, and they responded to telephone calls and electronic communication. They talked about the foundation and goals of their organization. They argued that Congress continues to postpone resolving the U.S. debt, resulting in job loss and difficulty competing in a global economy. Their goal is to raise awareness of the debt by showing its effect on their immediate needs and concerns, such as health insurance and job security."
Video: George Washington students call for solution to 'fiscal cliff'
November 13, 2012 | WJLA
by Jenny Doren
“College student nationwide are calling for compromise in Congress…On the campus of George Washington University, a new mascot is emerging. His name is "Ameri-can," and he's delivering a message from students to Capitol Hill.”
Meet the millennial deficit hawks
November 12, 2012 | Washington Post
by Suzy Khimm
“The group is launching a grass-roots effort to get Millennials to call members of Congress to push for a grand bargain…Led by twenty- and thirtysomethings, the effort has the potential to put a more youthful face on the anti-deficit movement.”
Group mobilizes young people to push for fiscal-cliff solution
November 12, 2012 | LA Times
by Jim Puzzanghera
“Kicking the can down the road on the skyrocketing national debt will hurt young people more than anybody, so a new group has formed to get the so-called millennial generation to urge politicians to find a solution to the fiscal cliff.”
Video: Millennials Take On The National Debt
November 5, 2012 | WUSA9
By Jessica Doyle
"Troiano said, 'Every time Washington kicks the can down the road, they're really kicking our generation so it's time for Millennials to kick back and demand a solution.'"
Op-Ed: What Young People Want to Hear at the Debates
October 1, 2012 | San-Francisco Chronicle
By Jake Parent, TCKB co-Founder
“The markets are already starting to react to our impending fiscal cliff, and the longer we put off this tough conversation, the more painful it is going to be for us all, especially for those of us who plan on being here for a while.”
It’s time for Millennials to fight back on the national debt
September 5, 2012 | Daily Caller
By Ryan Schoenike & Nick Troiano, TCKB co-Founders
We can no longer afford to sit on the sidelines and hope that our parents and grandparents will make the right choices for our future. Millennials represent more than a fifth of the current population and will make up 28 percent of the workforce in 2014. We have the power to make a difference and those running for office should be listening.
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