"I would like nothing better than to see a reasonable game-plan adopted in Iraq, immigration reform, an increase in the minimum wage, Social Security reform, etc"

That's a good set of priorities, although I think the trade deficit also has to be attacked, but not through protectionist measures that reduce our productivity.

As for Iraq, it would be better for our troops to withdraw to the outlieing areas and border protection as the Iraq military and civilian police take over in the cities.

It seems that the President would sign the McCain-Kennedy legislation, and now the House should join the Senate to push that through.

The minimum wage should be increased by the COLA increase since the last minimum wage was set, and an annual adjustment clause should be made law.

Social Security could be helped with small adjustments in the formula for calculating future benefits. A 1% reduction to the average wage adjustment factor would just about eliminate the deficit while providing an opportunity to make up for the reduction through added investment in IRA and 401K plans.

Trade deficit may have to be helped by the federal government through tax law changes, so that work and savings is not penalized compared to consumption and foreigh investment as it currently is.

I really hope the newly elected democrats
set a new agenda for America. Back when I wrote
a letter to the editor when this war started,
"War is not the answer", We must find solutions
to conflicts and promote peace. The United States
needs a Department of Peace, and promote this
cause globally
The national deficit is out of control,
this congress must begin to resolve this issue.
Health Insurance for all Americans is right up
there along with the homeless, the hungry and jobs
for all Americans.
America, lets get it together..bill deignan

Putting the Dems in charge of the purse strings is like giving a junky a job at the pharmacy. Nothing good can come of it!

You always comport yourself with grace and dignity, Jim, even when a radio "hostess" points out that you predicted a tad off the mark! Most people I talk to are hoping that both ends of the political spectrum will lean toward the middle. Given that politicians are good at listening to the roar at the polls, I am hopeful that will happen. See you next time on Sunrise! Chris.

Christine, thank you for your post. I should correct myself. You are a radio talk show host, unless you prefer hostess. My wife keeps informing me that there is no such thing as a "stewardess." She was a flight attendant for 30 years with TWA and American, and championed for equal rights and pay for both men and women as a strong union supporter. Hence, flight attendant. Can you imagine me marrying a strong unionist? My wife remains active in the local union chapter, based in Boston, despite retiring recently from American Airlines. We disagree all the time, but continue to love and respect each other. Maybe Congress can adopt our philosophy.

Bill,

The deficit is up, but thats the nature of war. We were attacked, we are dealing with the results. You have to invest in the future by spending now to win (just as Reagan won the cold war, and we had to pay the cost for 20 years.. then we were deficit-free for years -- because we took that risk as well as cut taxes).

"Jobs for all Americans"??? Our system of government provides for an economy that generates a greater percentage of jobs for its citizens than any other country I can think of. Compare our unemployment rate with any other western country. The big problem we have now is that a greater number of those jobs are becoming government jobs (as well as vendors dependent on the goverment). We have much fewer industries that actually create products. JP talks about fearing a loss in "productivity," but the fact is that in most other countries there is much greater productivity.. creating that trade deficit.

"Hungry and Homeless," the hungry and homeless in our country are in better shape than the regular people in many 3rd world countries. Charities and public assistance are available to all who need them. Often the problem is showing people how to get the resources. (And often there are problems with recipients abusing the priviledges).

And finally, health insurance is not a federal right. Until a change to the Constitition makes it so, its a state issue.. a local issue.. and an individual issue. This is the way massachusetts is dealing with it.

Personally, I would like a single payer system, but I have never trusted the government to do anything right yet.

I also am a bit fearful of changes to come with Democrats in charge.. but there are ebbs and flows, you gotta ride them. Look at the big picture and you see we are still doing pretty well compared to most in the world.. not to mention throughout history.

Shawn, you may have misinterpreted my statement on productivity:

"That's a good set of priorities, although I think the trade deficit also has to be attacked, but not through protectionist measures that reduce our productivity."

My point was that things like trade barriers and tariffs could modify the trade balance, but in a non-productive way. However, some leveling of the playing field could be accomplished through tax policy without sacrificing productivity. The income tax, social security taxes, and corporate taxes are all higher for US produced goods than for imports. If we did away with those taxes entirely and substituted a national sales tax, then all goods would be treated equally from a US tax point of view. There may be a better way to skin that cat, but the trade deficit is becoming the elephant in the room, as it has increased by at least $100B in each of the last 4 years, likely settling out around $740B when 2006 is complete. The portion with China will come to near $250B this year alone. If we can't stop it, they will own us, military and all.

Shawn,
The national deficit
is out of control. Face up to it man. This
congress has to begin to find solutions to
bring this deficit down for the generations
who will inherit this fiasco.
Job's for all Americans. Companies are outsourcing
jobs to other countries for cheap labor and we
need these jobs for the people in this country.
There are millions families in the U.S.
who need food assistance, millions of homeless
people, the United States has to take care of
Americans first.
Shawn, Empathy for others who are less fortunate
is a noble endeaver.
Peace..bill deignan

I thought they just announced a couple weeks ago that the deficit has gone down once again this year.

On one side, you're calling for a reduction in the deficit (are you calling for reducing taxes to increase revenues or a reduction in spending?)

Companies outsource because either 1. Americans won't compete for the jobs, or 2. the skills are not available here.

Many companies that outsourced telephone support have brought the jobs back to the US or Canada because customers could not communicate with the hired staff, or the foreign companies could just not do the work. Our people competed and got the jobs back.

Most manufacturing work that was outsourced was the fault of companies not being able to compete here (environmental laws, business regulations, expensive labor costs, taxes.. )

I don't believe in the government creating "jobs" for Americans. What we need to do is make it easier and cheaper for business to thrive here. But in the end, the jobs go where there are people willing to do them. If there is cheap labor elsewhere, is that the fault of the companies looking for it? or the fault of our workers not willing to compete?

And the fact is, we know there are "millions families in the U.S who need food assistance" because they are getting it and the government is reporting the metrics for those programs. For those who are not getting it, its a distribution and education issue, not a lack of supply and intent.

And I do think you may be exagerrating the homeless numbers there as well.. last year's census/count had about 6500 homeless in Boston. Only about 260 of these were on the streets (the rest were already receiving services) and many of these refused any services or treatment...

Again, there is help for those who look for it, but we do not force treatment or services on people who refuse it.

And be careful, Bill, you dont want to doubt my "empathy for others" without knowing me and my own efforts towrds the less fortunate. You may end up eating a little crow there yourself.

Shawn,

I don't doubt your empathy for others man,
I think you are a very intelligent person.
I am speaking about national statistics, and
they are correct.
Our government has to take care of Americans,
and the problems we have in this country.

Thank God the Democrats are back in control.
Take care Shawn...bill deignan

Shawn, don't be so sure that the deficit is going down, it is only that the federal government includes the current Social Security surplus in arriving at the deficit. But, since "borrowing" those surpluses amount to incurring debt (albeit to our future selves) the total debt of the US government is goind up much more than the press indicates.

From the US Treasury data for the past 10 years:

09/29/2006 $8,506,973,899,215.23
09/30/2005 $7,932,709,661,723.50
09/30/2004 $7,379,052,696,330.32
09/30/2003 $6,783,231,062,743.62
09/30/2002 $6,228,235,965,597.16
09/28/2001 $5,807,463,412,200.06
09/29/2000 $5,674,178,209,886.86
09/30/1999 $5,656,270,901,615.43
09/30/1998 $5,526,193,008,897.62
09/30/1997 $5,413,146,011,397.34

As you can see, the past fiscal year's increase in debt was $574B, greater than the $553B of the prior year, although not as bad as the $596B in FY 2004.

Although it may make business sense to produce things where the labor is the cheapest, and sell the products to whomever has the most money, that is a strategy that will fail over time, unless the market to which one sells has broad prosperity to continue as customers. The median (not the average) income in the US is stagnant at best, and always moving our labor to the cheapest source is one reason for that. We are effectively killing the goose of prosperity by eating all of her golden eggs.

Yeah, they'll be taking care of Americans allright. Minority Americans, gay Americans, union Americans. The other 75% of us better pucker up and hope they at least kiss us before they screw us.

I wanted put in 2 cents about outsourcing jobs. The local company I work for tried for 2 years to outsource our jobs to Sri Lanka and then India and it was an absolute disaster that ended up costing us millions. First of all our US clients wouldn't tolerate having to wait 48 hours to get questions answered and the quality of the work force was horrible. This is a trend that is becoming more common especially in high tech.

I want to question the motivation of the Mass polititians all speaking out on the New Bedford raid. I truly believe in families and children , but where do all of these hippocrits get off. I am married to a Cambodian woman and I was separated from her and my step children for over 1 year while I spent considerable time and money to bring them here legally!!!!!!!! My question is that each of these arrested in the raid KNEW that they were here illegally and it was just a matter of time before they may be found out. Why should my tax dollars(state personell sent to Texas)be spent to protect and assist those that tried to skirt the system to begin with!!!!!!! Political posturing and self promotion!!!! Where is the objectivity and impariality that is supposed to be part of reporting the news. Instead all of the local news is bending over backwards talking about the broken homes and children left behind. I am sorry but if you did not attempt to break the law and skirt the legal process this is all a non-issue!!!!! Please help me try to understand the hippocracy of this issue!!!