How to fix our current economic mess?

Having spent hours listening to economists, political leaders, and financial analysts, via both podcasts and audiobooks, here is a list of their recurring themes:

1.  reduce government spending on entitlements, including Social Security and Medicare (retirement age must increase; age 65 is too young to retire these days)

2.  beyond entitlements, reduce the federal government's deficit

3.  enact permanent, not temporary, tax measures to spur business capital investment (this formula was part of the Kennedy tax cuts in the 60's and Reagan's in the 80's)

4.  create an innovation bank to spur the creation of new ideas and harness America's entrepreneurial spirit

5.  foster collaboration between government and business on # 4

6.  emulate JFK's clarion call from the 60's to reach the moon and apply that energy and vision toward energy freedom from imported oil (focus on getting more college graduates in engineering)

7.  hold our government accountable by using our right to vote incumbents out

8.  overhaul the entire tax system to foster savings, not consumption (eliminate popular tax deductions like 2nd mortgages)

9.  strong leadership that tells Americans that we must make tough choices to reduce spending (like Gov. Chris Christie in NJ)

If we do not take bold measures, like the ones listed above, I fear that we will enter a prolonged period, even decades, of stagnant growth and a decline in our living standard.