Shefner to speak at League of Women voters
The League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge will hold its annual Holiday Luncheon on Sunday, Dec. 1, at the DoubleTree Hotel, 215 S. Illinoi Ave., Oak Ridge.
The social time, with cash bar, begins at 12:30 p.m., with lunch served at 1 p.m.
The speaker will be Jon Shefner, head of the Department of Sociology at the University of Tennessee.
His topic will be “The Seeming Inevitability of Austerity in the United States.” Austerity is a set of political-economic policies (spending cuts, tax increases) that are designed to reduce government budgets, but have, in turn, created a host of economic problems across the globe. He believes these policies have persisted despite evidence that they do not work.
Shefner’s discussion will explore how, in Tennessee, there are austerity policies in place, but the state is also near the bottom of every list that measures health care, poverty, education, opioid usage, etc.
His talk will be based, in part, on his latest book “Why Austerity Persists,” which will be released in December.
The cost of the luncheon is $30 per person, which may be paid by cash or check at the door.
Reservations are required, and must be made by Nov. 28.
Contact Harriett McCurdy at 865/332-6640 or mccurdy46@hotmail.com
The League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge, a nonpartisan political organization for men and women, encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.