US Politics Audio: A Good Deal on the "Fiscal Cliff? --- Scott Lucas on a BBC Panel

I joined a panel on the BBC World Service's Have Your Say tonight to discuss the economic and social issues around the package, approved by Congress last night after days of to-the-wire negotiations, to avert a "fiscal cliff". 

I found this one of the most useful discussions, albeit one which was generally pessimistic about the outcomes of the agreement. No one was fighting a political corner, so the chat could ask "What issues are not being addressed by the deal?" That allowed topics such as health care, education, and income inequality to be introduced alongside the headline topics of taxes and Government spending.

Other panellists are Tiziana Dearing, the CEO of Boston Rising, a "nonprofit organization committed to ending the cycle of poverty in Boston; Robertson Williams of the Tax Policy Center; and Robin Murray, a retired family doctor from Florida.

The discussion starts at the 11:25 mark and lasts for about 25 minutes, before and after the news.