4 Topics Americans Must Resolve

'The Politics of Problem Solving': Four big topics Americans need to discuss is a pretty good piece. The writer claims the following 4 topics are important to resolve:

• More and better jobs in the future. Job creation and our future workforce is a complex issue that includes work readiness of those now perceived as difficult to place, including providing early education assistance with a focus on literacy by third grade and adult one-on-one mentoring. Too many current workers have been both underemployed and unemployed, dating to the Great Recession of 2008. Joblessness is a national crisis short-changing people who want to invent, innovate, create and contribute. Simply decreasing taxes and regulations or increasing current taxpayer spending is only part of the answer.
• Deficits and debt. America’s debt-to-GDP ratio is around 74 percent; that is higher than at any time in U.S. history, except for a short period after World War II, and more than double what it was a decade ago. The annual federal deficits that regularly top $1 trillion (that’s with twelve zeroes) and the $21 trillion collective federal debt demonstrates that our nation’s spending has consistently outpaced the money we generate. The burden of our increasing debt — including the interest we pay on it — will eventually crash the system unless we can phase in responsible and growing budgets while preserving the safety net to those most in need. We must do this while dealing with an aging, longer-living population, with falling birthrates and rising short- and long-term health-care costs.
• Long-term Social Security and Medicare solvency. Americans need assurances that the solvency of Social Security and Medicare will help provide necessary lifelines for recipients for decades into the future. Social Security and Medicare are not sustainable on their current trajectories. There are no easy answers to this very important challenge, and the discussion must not deteriorate into an annual political football.
• Energy security is a global challenge. America and the world need a lot more energy in the future; and that energy must be increasingly clean to mitigate the effects of climate change. That’s why American energy independence is no longer sufficient. What we and the rest of our interdependent world need is energy security. When the U.S. and other nations are energy-secure, it becomes far more likely that nations can manage unexpected but inevitable surprises in prices, an environmental crisis or an outbreak of war. America must strive for more energy supply from domestic sources; more efficient uses; modern, reliable and resilient electrical generation and transmission; and a more sustainable and cleaner fuel mix.

Of course the Liberal commenters jumped to attack, so here is the comment I left there.

"It seems to me that Chuck's problem statements are pretty good and challenging. And his bio seems good. Chuck's Bio What fascinates me is that the usual Liberals continue to propose their same old tired solutions to these challenging problems.  

• "Just tax successful people more and give it to unsuccessful people"  
• "Just mandate higher wages via Unions or laws"...  

I have yet to understand how that is going to increase the capabilities of the American work force, encourage US consumers to spend money in this country, grow the wealth of America, pay down our debts, etc.  

Where as Chuck seems to be promoting better educational outcomes, working to attract employers, growing our economy, spending wisely, etc. I wish Chuck and the group success." G2A