The other day I read a letter from Mark Harriman of Claremont, NH to the Eagle Times. His math was off, but it's the idea that counts, and the more I think about it, the more I realize it's brilliant. My variation and thoughts follow this excerpt.

"I'm writing in regard to the stimulus package signed by our president. God bless home and our country but this package, if it works at all, has no real relief in the near future, at least where we need it - in our pockets.

Honestly, the biggest issue I see is the wealth is held up in certain places and not distributed equally in any sense of the word. They, the government, keep saying...it's the American people's money. Then give it to us.

Here's my stimulus package… give all those people that make less than $100,000 a year, give $1 million to each and every person in this category. Look at what it would do almost instantly.... Mr. Obama could change everyone's life once and for all...Please write to your senator and president."

Now, I would make it half a million for every adult American citizen making less than $200,000 a year. (I'll talk about the minors later)

Think about it! Poverty - gone! Homelessness - gone! Recession - over! Possible depression - averted!

Money would flood into every sector of the economy! People would pay off their mortgages, buy or build new homes, remodel and repair. Great for the housing market and for those in the skilled trades.

They would buy new vehicles - I guarantee at least half of the individuals receiving this stimulus would buy at least one new vehicle. Great for the auto industry, better in the long run and more respectable than a bailout.

People could afford their own medical and dental care and prescriptions. Great for the health care sector, as well as their health and well-being.

They would buy everything they need and most or all of what they want. This would be great for manufacturing, retail, the entertainment and travel industries, etc.

They can go to college, business or technical school, start, grow or save a business, leading to increased income in the future. And it would be great for the elderly, who would no longer have to fear poverty, outliving their money or going broke due to health problems.

It would not only be great for Americans' finances, but for their well-being. More people will be able to feel proud, sleep easier, worry less, and look forward to the future. Money may not buy happiness, but it can sure help ease your mind.

I also propose giving every American under the age of eighteen $100,000. Parents or guardians would have to hold at least 80% of that in a tax-free account until they turned eighteen or graduated high school, whichever comes first, when they can use it for college, trade school, starting a business or the like. No one would have to forgo higher education because they could not afford it or be forced to take on crushing debt. It will also save the state and federal governments a fortune in loan and grant money for decades.

Of course, politicians would have to resist temptation and be strong enough to not do two things:

1. NOT TAX THIS AS INCOME. People would have to know this is theirs to do with as they think best, and not have to worry about government taking half of it right back. It must flow directly into the economy, not directly back into government's coffers. All levels of government will still profit hugely, due to everything from increased revenues from fees, sales tax and property tax, to the enormous savings on programs like welfare, food stamps, Medicaid, Medicare, unemployment, etc.

2. NOT BE NANNIES. People must be able to buy anything legal that they want, not what politicians want them to have. For example, if some politicians want to offer an incentive to buy Priuses or anything else they approve of, that's fine, but it shouldn't be required.

I could, however, live with a couple of limits: that people would have to pay off their existing loans, debts, and credit card balances before spending stimulus money, and that anything bought with stimulus money would have to be paid for in full. Good for them, good for the banks and other creditors. All in all, its good for everyone, including the people making $200,000 and more, who will still benefit from the booming economy.

The positives are countless and far outweigh the potential negatives, which are few and manageable - for example, we might put a temporary cap on prices of +2% of what they were before the economy went bust, avoiding soaring inflation.

Think about it. Unlike the other stimulus package, this will actually stimulate the economy and bring prosperity to all Americans. Good for the present, good for our future.

Please pass this on. If enough of us demand that government do this, maybe they'll actually listen.