We couldn't begin to suggest to you how to spend your July 4th weekend. Talking to friends, their plans run the gamut from being in parades, blockwalking for their favorite political candidate, trips to the lake, going to the Bill White party, seeing fireworks, to just kicking back with friends and some burgers and maybe a movie. Whatever you do, we want you to be safe and do something that makes you smile. We celebrate our Declaration of Independence this weekend, and it's assertion that we all have "certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

I was away at a convention in Corpus Christi last weekend, but I got several enthusiastic texts on Saturday from people participating in the America Speaks: Our Budget, Our Economy conference that we showcased in our last email. The feedback ranged from it being too liberal, to feeling it had a conservative agenda. I'm thinking if everybody had a moment or two of having their assumptions challenged, then it was a well-rounded and worthwhile event. There are copies of the materials and exercises at the event's website if your curiosity is piqued. The results were presented to the President's National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform on June 30th, with a published report for the rest of us coming soon.

That's all for now. Look for more next week when we've caught up!