The "We the People" is a waste of time and resources at a moment of great financial hardship in the United States. It is also not backed up by historical concepts of American federalism.
Since the founding the this country, the federal government has, in every instance possible, sought to separate the influence of the populace from its policy making, in principle to best serve the interests of the most people.
Despite a checkered history in practice, soliciting such petitions from the population at large, with a requirement to respond to any petition meeting any requirement, opens the window to gross waste on the part of the federal government. Responding to potentially asinine petitions or having to find excuses not to, is a poor use of scarce resources in a time of recession.