I'm with Gary Lager on this one. For most of the airspace in which I operate, TA only offers the best solution.
I disagree with LEM that the chance of getting a CLIMB RA during the descent is "extremely unlikely". In fact I would contend that the chances of getting one (or more) are actually fairly high. If you don't believe me, take a trip to your local ATC Centre and have them switch off the filters so that you can see all the transponding traffic.
5milesbaby has a good idea suggesting that we select 7700. Unfortunately, our rule book (supposedly following consultation with ATC) states that we must keep our assigned squawk unless told to squawk 7700. As a result of this, from his list: item 1 will occur fairly briskly, item 2 will probably not occur and item 3 will occur once the situation is under control (ie all the memory items have been completed and the flight profile is stable).
Just my thoughts.
G W-H