but I wish we were being smarter.

• Why lend money to someone with no income, no job, and no assets? Isn't that how we got into the current economic situation?

• Who signs the largest contract ever had without reading it? Isn't this what the Congress did with the bailout?

• Who would make largest purchase ever and not track the money went and what was received? Isn't this what the government is doing with the TARP funds?

• Isn't it just common sense to only use stimulus money to hire legal workers?

• Why increase pork barrel spending and drive up the deficit in tough economic? That's not how we handle our family budgets, is it?

• Why don't we put politics aside and do what’s right for the country? Aren't we allowing people to use the economic downturn for personal and political gain?

• Why don't those in power take responsibility and be accountable rather than blame others?

• Do smart people really raise taxes and increase spending when cash is tight? Shouldn't we stop ineffective spending and only invest to increase revenues and reduce costs?

• What happened to using plain common sense?

Let's use what we already have to solve the problems we face. For example:

• E-Verify works. Let’s use it and improve it. E-Verify gets negative press because IT WORKS. If the government can punish an employer for hiring an illegal worker, then the government has an obligation to provide a way for employers to verify that a worker is legal. As with any software product, there are specific situations that need to be fixed. However, as a software product E-Verify:
  • 96% – works perfectly
  • 3.5% – detects invalid users
  • 0.5% – results in data correction that benefits the employee

• The administration is starting discussions on immigration reform next week. Here are some ideas for resolving the bickering over immigration reform:
  • Allow illegal immigrants who are already here to stay, unless they are a criminal. It is not feasible to force these individuals to leave the country.
  • Require illegal immigrants to register with the government. Give them 1 year to do so. If someone does not register, they are arrested, jailed, and deported when caught.
  • Illegal immigrants can never vote, hold public office, or be appointed to a position where they can change our laws. This would eliminate the politics from the process since both major political parties consider illegal immigrants to be new voters.
  • Secure the borders to stop the flow of illegal immigrants and human smuggling
    
    
• Don’t restrict capitalism by unfairly and unnecessarily burdening employers. Be patient and let the system work. The current economic climate will pass. Do things that encourage employers and employees and be true to our core values.
  
  
• Focus on the big, important, and urgent things first. Demonstrate a smart approach to the world.
  
  
• Experts estimate that it would cost $10 billion to solve the world’s clean water problem. Allocate $10 billion of the stimulus money to solve this problem. This will help restore our standing in the world community.
  
  
• America’s first priority is to protect our freedom and the freedom of others. Freedom built our country and it will continue to do so if we let it.

 Again, maybe it's just me...