5 'Easy' Ways To Fix America's Most Pressing Problems

Beyond the campaign sound and fury, how do we really solve our biggest national problems? Smart thinker Jim Stone weighs in- with you.

There is so much sound and fury on the campaign trail that sometimes the great issues facing this country seem almost forgotten. But they’re not going anywhere. On debt and deficit, inequality, the banks, health care, education, there are a lot of people who would like to make America great again. Citizens of all stripes. We’ve got a smart, accomplished one with us today. Jim Stone. Citizen. Thinker. And we want to hear from you. Up next On Point: Really tackling our biggest national problems.
-Tom Ashbrook 

James M. Stone, author of 5 Easy Theses. Founder and chief executive of the Plymouth Rock group companies. (@UncleCueball)

How to Help More College Students Graduate — "In families with college-educated parents, important information is delivered every day, often in small, casual conversations, during the car pool ride to school, while running errands or during meals. College-educated family members can steer students toward institutions that match their interests and majors that suit their strengths. It may not be obvious at the time, but these informal conversations can play a surprisingly important role in a student’s success." (New York Times)

He Led The Financial Bailout But Says Banks Are Still Too Big To Fail — "I don't think we've gone far enough. I think these crises come, they're not what you're expecting, they surprise us and then they can overwhelm these defenses. And so we need to be honest with the American people that if there were a crisis today and many banks ran into trouble, it's very likely that we'd have to turn to the taxpayers to bail the banks out again, and I don't think most Americans think that's acceptable. Banks like JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, Citigroup and others." (NPR)

Why Doctors Need To Have Answers For Patients' Questions About Costs — "The fact that her out-of-pocket costs were zero failed to sway her. It was the principle of the thing. She felt gouged by the price of a procedure which she valued at a few hundred dollars at most. Unfortunately, there was no turning back. The damage had been done. Mrs. Sutton made very clear to me that she'd never undergo a test that pricey again, even if insurance paid for it. Furthermore, she told me that she expected me to provide better information about what something might cost beforehand." (NPR)