They don't call economics "the dismal science" for nothing. Even during the current crisis on Wall Street, citizens who live and work on Main Street find it difficult to grasp economic issues they know are urgent and important.

That's why a local group got creative, inviting actors who play founding fathers Ben Franklin and Thomas Jefferson to discuss election-year economic issues.

The result is "Back to the Future," an event scheduled for Thursday at the Pikes Peak Center that also features local congressional candidates.