Today is the 13th anniversary of the Contract with America, and Newt Gingrich's American Solutions project starts its Solutions Day activities today in Atlanta. Solutions Day is Saturday the 29th, and Gingrich has some interesting workshops scheduled, and lots of interesting speakers — Roy Romer, Neal Boortz, Mike Huckabee, Dick Armey, Porter Goss, and a plethora of people from business and academia.
The point is to explore opportunities for real change to improve public policies and institutions for the future:
It's hard to believe that 13 years ago today on the steps of the West Front of the Capitol hundred of candidates for Congress signed the Contract with America. The Contract was the beginning of real change in welfare, which resulted in 65% of the people on welfare either going to school or going to work.
The Contract was the beginning of real change in the budget, producing four consecutive balanced budgets that included the first tax cut in 16 years, real control of federal spending and the first new defense and intelligence investments since Reagan.
Those were real changes. Now it is time for real change again.
Tonight, I will be broadcasting and web casting from the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta. It brings back a lot of memories, because it was the election night headquarters in 1994 when we learned we had elected the first Republican majority in 40 years.
Americans voted for real change then, and we need real change again.
A lot of people pretend to be for change, but they offer only the same tired old excuses.
Albert Einstein once said, "Insanity is when you think that by doing more of what you are already doing you can get a different outcome." An awful lot of our politics and government is insane by Einstein's standards.
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America needs a continuing process of innovation and reform if we are to continue to be the most successful society in history.
Americans can insist on real change, and we have done it before. The politicians, interest groups, elite media and bureaucrats can be forced to reform by the sheer weight of the American people.
Gingrich notes that there over 500,000 elected officials in the United States, so it's not just about Congress or the White House.
If you're in the Atlanta area, all the activities are at the Cobb Galleria Centre and are free. There's an opening presentation tonight at 7 pm Eastern. The workshops are Saturday afternoon (see schedule). The opening presentation, three workshops, and closing remarks are being telecast on Dish Network (channnel 219) and DirecTV (channel 577). Everything, including all the workshops, will be available via webcast . There are also local workshops planned around the country.
This afternoon at 2 Eastern, Gingrich is hosting a virtual workshop at the virtual Capitol building in the Second Life virtual world. So, if you're a Second Lifer, be sure to drop by.
Personally, I'm amazed that so many people have time to pursue a second, virtual life — I don't have enough time for this life.
