We can play politics, or we can reduce crime.

We can continue our progress as a Nation toward the promise that all people are created equal and that our Nation will treat every person in that spirit.

The Federal prison population has increased more than 7-fold over the past 20 years.

If we increase spending, we have got to raise taxes or any combination.

Obviously, there has to be a profound change in direction. Otherwise, interest on the national debt will start eating up virtually every penny that we have.

Rather than following through on the proven crime and violence prevention techniques that work, we are back to tough-talking sound byte policies that have been proven to not only fail to reduce crime but actually increase crime, waste taxpayers' money and discriminate against minorities.

We live in an information and knowledge-based economy.