A New Economic Agenda

The U.S. should embrace the limited goal of joining with other nations in deterring and combating genuine international aggression and terrorism, as when we expelled Iraq from Kuwait in the first Gulf War, intervened in the Balkans, and overthrew the Al Qaeda-sponsoring Taliban regime in Afghanistan after 9/11.

A modern, muscular U.S. military-accompanied by increased nonmilitary aid to poor nations-will still cost America vast public funds. But it won't cost nearly as much as our noble but ill-advised nation-building experiment in Iraq. The money saved should be diverted to U.S. domestic needs and balancing the budget.

Improve public education. America's economic future lies with our children, period. We must spend more to improve their schools, but we can't keep relying on local property taxes, which are woefully inadequate in poor communities.

We should equalize educational opportunity across America by shifting more of the cost to the states and the federal government, which is not at present a major funder of local education.

We should offer more tuition assistance to high school graduates to continue their education, but not necessarily at four-year colleges. Many high-paying jobs -- for example, in health care, high-tech manufacturing, maintenance and repair -- can be filled with workers who get vocational training at community colleges.

Provide universal health care. Everyone in America should have access to health-care coverage, either through an employer, individual policy or government program. Uncle Sam should help subsidize the cost but not run the whole system. The emphasis should be on prevention and healthful living, and more care should be provided at low-cost clinics by nurses and medical assistants, overseen by physicians.

Reform immigration. Workers who are genuinely needed by American employers and were law-abiding citizens in their home countries should be registered as guest workers. This will reduce illegal immigration and enable workers (but not their whole families) to move freely across our borders in response to changing U.S. labor needs.

Our government will know who is here, and be able to track their movements and collect more taxes. Guest workers who play by our rules can work toward citizenship by learning English and studying civics.

Meanwhile, we should better protect our borders against illegal crossing. That is our national right.

There it is, my agenda for America's bright economic future. It includes good ideas from the right, left and center, from private enterprise, academe and government. It gores the oxen of many special interests. With political courage, hard work and some luck, it just might work.