Says Economic Growth forecasts for the coming decade are overly optimistic. Currently the Budget Office projects growth of 2. 1 annually over the next 10 years. This is below 3. 5 growth but not low enough for him. He predicts growths will average 1. 6 over the next 10 years. The reason . The baby boomers exit from had work force and a drop in productivity. Instead of enlarging the labor force new hires will barely replace current worker. A Smaller Labor force and productivity, and fewer goods being made. The National Debt will climb to 87 by 2024. Not the 78 in forecasts. Interest rates will have to rise sooner and higher to finance that debt. His forecast has alarmed him. If he is right, this could be our next nasty economic surprise. The prospect now is for years of modest, or in europe non existent growth. How will systems cope . Will warfare intensify as they battle for bigger shares of the pie . Will conflicts worsen . Prolong sluggishness will turn the economy into a zero sum gain. One groups gain is anothers loss. This is no formula for social peace. Are we in for a decade of political and social unarrest . More than a decade. They are right. There unrest. More than a deck aid. They are right. You take the baby boomers who are the best skilled, best educated generation we have had, is passing on, it is being replaced by millions of folks who are coming in, immigrating from the third world, who lack the skills, who lack the education, who lack the abilities and they are replacing the baby boomers and i agree, once the economy starts growing at a sluggish rate in the United States you begin a battle of all against all for control of the resources that are left and i believe recent years pointed exactly to where this is going. I think the opposite. I think there saBright Future ahead is a Bright Future ahead. The millennials are coming in. A bigger grew than the baby boomers, they are smart, educated, diverse. They bring a lot of energy. We are still the leaders in the world. And last time i checked they the last quarter growth and the 2nd quarter of this year was 4. 6 so i think we have concerns about the nature of work. Jobs are being replaced by robots and there is a real discipline of study that worries whether robots will get so smart that we cant control them. There arent enough jobs to go around. Work has to be rethought. But there is a lot of energy and creativity and the u. S. Remains the safe harbor for peoples money, the dollar is the currency. Robots remark very interesting. I wonder if i could get four robots to do this show for me [ talking at the same time ] [ laughter ] if you had four robots doing the show, interesting, that would not be the word you would use to describe your show. Liberal robots and conservative robots [ talking at the same time ] liberal robot is moving right. What do you have to say . Robots dont have experience so you have to keep us on the show. In terms of the big issues, she right in terms of the there is an opportunity with energy but i dont think we are taking as much advantage of that as we should good. I think we have it get away from the scare tactics. The important issue is the National Debt that continues to explode. We havent seen anywhere near the reforms we need to see. The tax system, social welfare, social security, medicare, making sure that is something for the poorest americans and efficient to my generation has access to it. Social tensions, unless we come to grips with those big things that are going to be into the future, you look at the cdo, 2008, the deficit goes up again, there are real issues. Part of the reason i think there is expectation of tensions is because of social media and the internet. Broadcast, it galvanizes popular movements. There is optimism as well. We hold the opportunity in our hands. Optimism is build on upward mobility. What happens when the economy is squeezed the way we are describing it here. That is the issue. Opportunity culture. [ talking at the same time ] it is dramatic and it will continue. Look at the if you look the number of people who left the labor force, assume they are unemploited the unemployment wouldnt be 6. 1 , it would be 12 . These people are leaving the labor force because they cant get jobs. Real wages of Middle America has been stagnant since 1974. The real wages gone down there is the unity to come together with the entitlements . You have a wholly complete dead lock, Neither Party is going a deal [ talking at the same time ] whatever we may think i got to read you a number here. A poll that was take an couple months ago. 78 said they had no confidence whatsoever that washington could ride to their rescue and improve their economic condition. [ talking at the same time ] we have a president ial race coming up and these issues will be engaged and the country is agitated. You have battle measures to raise the minimum wage in a number of states. People are coming to the realization they have to step up to the ballot box [ talking at the same time ] people look at the disrespect in which the congress of the United States, the elected body held, we are moving to a point where people are going to say we need a man of action to solve these problems and that congress cant do it [ talking at the same time ] call it a leader. We do not have something in the white house who has it creditable to do the things the country will have to do to improve the economy. There is a series of things people will have [ talking at the same time ] congress [ talking at the same time ] okay. That is what elections are for. 58 of americans say a third party is needed because they are disillusioned by the performance of the two major parties. Is that poll the canary in the coal mine . I am not sure that is a solution. You get a third party out there, you have one in britain, all that does is split off votes. This reaches towards this idea almost of a Coalition Government different than the system our system is breaking down [ talking at the same time ] hold on. Let me give you this. How Many Americans believe the two party system is responsive to their need . Governors poll, 35 , a third, say the two parties were representing the public. That is the lowest since 2008. I think there is a lack of trust. I think partly you see the rise of governor Chris Christie on the repuican side and Hillary Clinton is more aggressive politicians taking advantage of that. People have an appetite for change but there is disconnection from politics and the only way it gets resolved [ talking at the same time ] there will be a choice and they will vote for one or the another. Cant go wrong on that. Exit question, whose projections are more believable, the rosy scenario or the down beat scenario . Gordon and samuelsson is on the mark. A look at where we are in the data compared to when the president took office we are better. I disagree. The cbo numbers rely on expectations congress will do what they said they are going to do. I think it is optimistic. I think, yeah, we have a problem. Samuelsson is reflecting a great concern. The expectations of congress, functions as it is supposed to, are over drown they have to project what congress is going to do we have had five years, connective years in which growth has been 2. 1 pest. That is the lowest 2. 1 . That is the lowest since the depression. We are under tremendous economic pressure and political pressure. We will have to have a level of leadership we have not had in a long time. Spangler was right [ talking at the same time ] [ laughter ] in this environment mclaughlin is right. I think we need a third party and i think you are our man. The Mclaughlin Group has its own website and you can watch this program on the web on www. Mclaughlin. Com. Www. Mclaughlin. Com ballot battle. Election day, november 4, is not just politicians who will get yea or nay vote. So will Ballot Initiatives, economic and social issues decided by voters who pertain to their individual state. Often these issues have been neglected or stalled that federal level. Namely in the u. S. Congress. Of the 125 Ballot Initiatives in 41 states that will be voted on in a week and a half, here is a sample as listed by the political newspaper. Item. Medical marijuana. We know that cannabis is medicine. Medical marijuana advocates in florida are hopeful legal medical marijuana in their state will be a reality. The initiative needs 60 of voters to pass. Item, Recreational Marijuana. In the wake of colorado and washington state, where Recreational Marijuana use is now legal, voters will decide in oregon and alaska whether their states will follow suit and okay Recreational Marijuana. Item, minimum wage hike. Get this. Republican heavy states alabama, arkansas, nebraska, south dakota, voted for mitt romney in 2012 although the minimum wage issue is one democrats seized up. Item, guns. Washington state has 2 initiatives on the ballot that contradict one another. I. 594 would stipulate universal background checks. But nish negative i591 prohibits background checks. Majority favor both initiatives. What if both pass . A legal expert of the university of washington says this my guess is that the state Supreme Court would try to reconcile the two initiatives but they cant be reconciled. Unquote. Item, abortion, voters in colorado and north dakota will decide on measures to grant legal states to embryos at the point of conception. Tens voters will decide on a resolution that will allow them to enact, amend or repeal statutes on abortion. Item, bears, as in hunting them. Maine voters will decide whether or not to ban the use of bait, traps and dogs to hunt bears in their state. What are the political routes of laws passed by initiatives and referendums measures . One of the roots is the sense there is grid lock at the National Level and the people at the local level want to move on it. The minimum wage laws, people have different expecteddations. This is the new federalism in action and i predict all of these minimum wage laws, especially the increases will pass. I am looking for the political roots. It is populism. I involved myself in that. There is one you missed. Alabama has on the ballot referendum on whether to outlaw. [ indiscernible ] i predict it will pass. This is direct democracy. Right. It is voters taking matters into their own hands and there are powerful special interests behind a lot of the movements. The one gun law where people want background checks on all guns strikes me as grass roots. The other one is funded by the nra to counter the earlier one. You have to look at where the money is coming from. The person hood amendment in colorado is funded by the right and that will hurt the republican candidate there because it goes too far and it has been defeated in the past. Initiatives and referendum. Why is there noprovision for both . No provision for both . I dont know. [ talking at the same time ] i am familiar with the constitution do you know how it was written or the circumstances i do. [ talking at the same time ] he is a u. S. Citizen. They lost the war. You are talking about a federal initiative, Teddy Roosevelt at one point recommended National Initiative referendum, vote nationwide on laws and it might not be a bad idea i think we get background checks on guns for sure. There is a lot of huffing and puffing on this set on this issue. There was enough recognition to realize we cant give all of this power to one source and they wanted states to have some authority. Do like that idea . Sure. I am not comfortable with these kinds of popular balloting that determines the outcomes of a lot of particular public issues because they are susceptible to a lot of money, special interest groups, a lot of people say away from this kind of voting. You have to at some point, you have people who are somewhat seriously involve ised and knowledgeable of the issue do you think we can conceive this feeding a constitutional engine so that one of these ballots or referendum could make it into the constitution . I disagree, we have different states, especially the more diverse we become, the idea texas could do one thing and california do another thing, i think is terrific. You have momentum building towards what will be federal initiatives, ie, american, that is being considered in a couple statessic it will be on more state states, it will be more on ballots in 2016, i think this reflects the sentiment of the country. I know you think we shouldnt have it, right . It is in the district of columbia. There is notice, hidden guns on your person, i believe [ talking at the same time ] kiddant the district folks [ talking at the same time ] didnt the district folks [ talking at the same time ] the courts have been okaying a lot of the gun stuff in washington, d. C [ talking at the same time ] you have to move it virginia i dont think so [ talking at the same time ] just happened pgh [ talking at the same time ] stay up with your d. C. News [ talking at the same time ] the broader issue is not the whether the founders made a mistake, it is that the american people, the popialist, the popialist, the good, trusting congress, need to take ownership of democracy [ talking at the same time ] it breaks up the conspation in the city if people can act at the state level on their own on issue after issue on [ talking at the same time ] can you Tell Congress [ talking at the same time ] congress, the whole government here, and everybody believes it is grid lock not the d. C. Government [ laughter ] hidden guns and marijuana [ talking at the same time ] not marijuana yet the d. C. Government is under the sum of the congress. And taxation without representation, it is on my license plate it is not showing that the d. C. Government regulated by the congress [ talking at the same time ] exit question, should there by a referendum process to pass legislation . I think there should. I think it will take a constitutional amendment to do it. I think there should be some way to do it but it is probably not constitutional at the moment. You have a constitutional amendment if you want, i wouldnt support it. Get more involved. Get people out. Dont whine about it, take ownership. I agree with that but i am opposed to that kind of method of legislating, things that you have to have, serious amount of knowledge about these issues, you cant expect 300 Million People to immerse themselves in it [ talking at the same time ] can elect the president you do it once every four years. Not talking about the repeated referendum that you would [ talking at the same time ] okay. It would paralyze [ talking at the same time ] background checks for guns yes. Issue three, healthcare failing grade. Listen closely. Of the worlds rich industrialed nation, 11 of them, the u. S. Healthcare system ranked last. Not only does the u. S. Underperform on healthcare, it has the most expensive healthcare system. Americans are getting little bang for their big buck. Those are the findings from a private healthcare think tank that examined the Healthcare Systems and ranked them. Number one, the best, the united kingdom, two, switzerland, sweden, australia, germany and the netherlands, new zealand and norway, france, canada, dead last, the United States. Here is data. The u. S. Averaged on healthcare was 8,508. Compare that the uk. The nation with the number one healthcare system, 3,405 per brit. Which is 5,103 less than the u. S. And despite that 8,508 spent per american citizen the u. S. Ranked last in efficiency, and the over all health of the population. People in the u. S. Go without needed healthcare because of costs more often than people do in other countries. These deficiencies lead to the u. S. Ranking last on infant mortality and second to last on healthy Life Expectancy at age 60. And for those who do get care, the cost is high in part because of administrative hassles, avoidable emergency romuse and dependent testing. What room use and duplicate testing. The absence of universal Health Insurance coverage. The report, the data studied in the report is from before the Affordable Care act. Obama care. So will obama care improve the u. S. standings when it is fully enforced . Where does the u. S. Rank tops in the Commonwealth Fund study . Do you know . The u. S. Ranks in terms of high quality medical care and research that goes into that high quality medical care, i think we are unparallel in that one small area. Access to preventative care. Access. There is access. The access in the british system or canadian system is totally different and superior. The population, used to be not a single state in the United States had more than 15 of its people obese and now there is not a single state in the United States that doesnt have an obesity record among 15 . Poor, high gun crimes, accidents, obesity, all of these things and the size of the country, the United States, 320 million americans, there are almost as many people in that survey, the americans are equal to the 10 other countries combined. I dont know what the point is but to say americans havent had sufficient access to quality american healthcare, many dont have access to affordable, nutritional food, there are a lot of things wrong in this country. It works great for the top 2 , top 10 and the Affordable Care act is evening out a lot of this. It will take time. People now can see doctors and get preventive care. There are no copayments. There are major issues. If you look at the price treatment point, lack of competition, duplicate medical expenses, lack of competition between hospitals, the suspect is not working as it shoot. Putin will squeeze ukraine this pall . We will try but the west will hang tough. We will do it. He will do it. All right. Bye. Out of time. [ music ]. Next a special report on key election issues involving science. A look at hydraulic fracturing or fracking and why opponents want it banned. The drought and proposition 1 and how would the bond measure change californias bond measure and genetically engineered food. The Technology Behind it and debate on the labels on it. Science at the ballot box. Good evening and welcome to science at the ballot box an Election Special produced by kqed newsroom and science series quest. Im treen