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Solutions Day is about more than just sharing ideas, it's about citizens taking action. That's why our team has assembled these action checklists:

Education Checklist

Energy Checklist

Economy Checklist

Health Checklist

Please take the time to watch this video of a presentation given by American Solutions President Dave Ryan as he discusses the accomplishments of our organization over the past year.

American Solutions recently held its second annual Solutions Day to create an action plan for the economy. During this time of economic uncertainty we need bold solutions, including suspending mark-to-market, repealing Sarbanes-Oxley, and abolishing the capital gains tax. Join former Speaker Newt Gingrich and CNBC's Larry Kudlow for this positive, solutions-oriented dialogue.

While you watch, click here to download a checklist of steps you can take to get involved in your community.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich:

CNBC's Larry Kudlow:

American Solutions recently held its second annual Solutions Day to create an action plan for energy. America is suffering from an artificial energy crisis that is also a dangerous national security crisis - artificial because America is gifted with enormous reserves of energy, and dangerous because it makes us vulnerable to unreliable and potentially hostile countries.

At Solutions Day, we discussed solutions to slash gas prices and solve our energy crisis, including drilling both offshore and onshore, investing in nuclear technology, and prizes to accelerate breakthroughs in alternative technologies.

Join former Speaker Newt Gingrich and Texas Railroad Commission Chairman Michael Williams for this solution-oriented dialogue. While you watch, click here to download a checklist of steps you can take to get involved in your community.

Texas Railroad Commission Chairman Michael Williams

More videos below the fold...

American Solutions recently held its second annual Solutions Day to create an action plan for the education. Too often we do not give children and adults the tools for lifelong learning that they need to succeed. We must take common-sense actions to move our schools into the future so that every American can succeed, including world-class national education standards, better pay for better teachers, and allowing parental choice in schooling.

Join former Speaker Newt Gingrich, former Governor Roy Romer of ED in '08, Colorado State Senate President Peter Groff, and former Arizona Superintendent Lisa Keegan and for this bi-partisan, solutions-oriented dialogue. While you watch, click here to download a checklist of steps you can ake to get involved in your community.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich

 

More videos below the fold...

Congratulations to Shamus Greene from Kentucky for winning a year's supply of free gasoline. His video "Tough Decisions for a 3 Year Old" was voted the winner of the"Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Nothing" YouTube contest. Here's YouTube's Citizen Tube blog highlighting the contest.

And special thanks to the other finalists Dark Hero vs. Gas Prices and It's Time to Drill, the honorable mentions, and the all other great submissions for advancing the "Drill Here, Drill Now" movement with your creativity and talents.

For those watching Solutions Day live on the web, I hope you'll put your thoughts in the comments section. I'll also be posting on our twitter page.

1:25 -- Dave Ryan, American Solutions's president, welcomes everyone in Atlanta, on DISH Network, DirecTV, and on the web to Solutions Day. Take a look at the checklists we've put together for citizen leaders.

1:33 -- Republican pollster Kellyanne Conway from the polling company inc gives an overview of our new polling data on the economy, energy, education, and health. More details to come for each specific topic area.  The survey of 1,000 likely voters took six days to conduct.

1:38 -- Newt introduces the education portion of the event.  We're showing a preview of 2 Million Minutes, a new documentary which compares and contrasts the educational standards of students in America, India, and China.

1:44 -- Democratic Pollster Doug Schoen gives in-depth analysis of the education polling data.  We need to invest more in math and science education to remain competitive with China and India.

1:49 -- Former Democratic Gov. Roy Romer of ED in '08 returns to the second annual Solutions Day.  The U.S. is 25th in the world in math.

1:55 -- Romer: We need to raise standards, better pay for better teachers, and more time in the classroom.

2:02 -- Romer:  As a grandfather of 17, the future of America's educational system is personal. Democrats and Republicans need to come together on this important issue.  Read his blog here.

2:06 -- Lisa Keegan, the former Arizona School Superintendent, is now on the stage.  Newsweek calls a charter school in Arizona the best public school in the country. 

2:11 -- Keegan very appropriately gives us some homework. Look for the best examples of schools that work and apply that model to your local school district. School grades: http://www.greatschools.net/. 

2:16 -- Democratic Colorado State Senate President Peter Groff says only 50% of high schoolers in his district will graduate and only 25% will go to college.  He's brought together Republicans and Democrats in Colorado to improve their education system: http://www.getsmartschools.org/.

2:23 -- Groff: I'm a liberal Democrat, but government can't do everything. We need to improve education from the bottom up.

2:28 -- Newt recalls 500 Republicans giving the Rev. Al Sharpton a standing ovation at our education workshop at the Republican National Convention. A must see if you haven't watched it already.

2:35 -- Break 1.  We're showing the 3 finalists for our "Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Nothing" YouTube contest.  Vote for your favorite here.

2:48 -- Education section is complete.  Download this checklist for action items.  Solutions for health, sponsored by the Center for Health Transformation, is next up.

3:02 -- Kellyanne is back to talk about the health polling data.

3:12 -- Former Democratic Vice Presidential Candidate Geraldine Ferraro is telling her story as a cancer survivor.

3:28 -- Newt: Our paper-based health system is very dangerous; read more about e-prescriptions at http://www.healthtransformation.net/.

3:43 -- Break 2. The economy is up next. Download the economy action checklist here. Text your 5 digit zip code to 74139 for a chance to win a Solutions Day prize.

3:47 -- Chuck Norris makes an appearance at Solutions Day. Ok, it's via video. But still. It is a classic video.

3:53 -- Newt introduces the economy discussion. We need to return to the WWII mentalilty of getting things done quickly and effectively. We won WWII in less than four years, but it recently took 23 years to build one runway at the Atlanta airport. 

4:00 -- Kellyanne reviews our polling data on the economy. Alluding to the proposed bailout, she quips: "Americans favor a separation between corporation and state."

4:06 -- Larry Kudlow says the economy can be fixed. "Never sell this country short. This is the greatest country in the world."

4:11 -- Newt: The future is being invented in Silicon Valley, yet we continue to allow government bureaucracies to ruin once great cities like Detroit.

4:20 -- Newt: We need a workout not a bailout. Read more on his recipe for strong economic growth here.

4:26 -- Newt: Let's review some federal spending this year: a $152 billion stimulus package that didn't stimulate anything, a $300 billion housing bailout, and now this proposed $700 billion Wall Street bailout. Fundamentally wrong.

4:30 -- Newt: FedEx vs. Federal Bureaucracy

4:45 -- Newt: We can create an economic future that competes with China and India and we can fix the mess on Wall Street but it will take real change.

4:50 -- Congratulations to Tough Decisions for a 3 Year Old for winning our YouTube contest! And special thanks to the other finalists Dark Hero vs. Gas Prices and It's Time to Drill and the all other great submissions for advancing the "Drill Here, Drill Now" movement with your creativity and talents.

5:00 -- Newt: The economy and energy are closely related.  We are curently sending $700 billion a year overseas for energy.  Download the energy checklist here.

5:05 -- Newt: For the first time in 26 years the offshore drilling ban has been lifted. A great first step, but still more work to do.

5:12 -- We interrupt this programming for a quick college football update. It looks like my beloved Michigan Wolverines are getting trounced 19-0 at halftime by the Wisconsin Wolverines. Sad.

5:15 -- Kellyanne: By a margin of 63 to 27 the American people believe energy independence is more important problem to solve than climate change.

5:20 -- Texas Railroad Commission Chairman Michael Williams is here to talk about energy after doing a fabulous job as emcee. Don't worry, Williams says, the Railroad Commission has nothing to do with railroads, just energy.

5:30 -- Williams is a very charismatic speaker and expert on all things energy: nuclear, clean coal, oil, natural gas, wind, and all the rest.  Check out his website and follow him on twitter.

5:38 -- Newt thanks the 1.5 million members of the "Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less" movement.

5:45 -- David Bossie from Citizens United previews their new documentary "We Have the Power" to premiere at 6pm tonight.

5:50 -- Thank you all for participating in Solutions Day. I hope you all enjoy the movie.

Find the cheapest gas in your area by texting your 5-digit zip code to 74139!

Individuals who text their 5-digit zip code to 74139 to find the cheapest gas on September 27, 2008 between 1pm and 7pm EST will be automatically entered in a random drawing for one of three Solutions Day prizes.

Prizes 1 and 2: An autographed copy of Newt Gingrich's new book, Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less; a "Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less" T-shirt, and "Drill Here, Drill Now" bumper stickers

Prize 3: An autographed CD, T-shirt and baseball cap from the latest tour of country music star Aaron Tippin, singer of the new hit "Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less"

Winners will be notified by mobile phone within seven days of the end of the contest.

Terms and conditions apply. For full contest rules, click here.

Yesterday, we shared the results of some of our polling data on the economy. We'll be talking about this and more at Solutions Day on Saturday, but we'd like to read your thoughts on this in preparation for Solutions Day. You can share them in the comments section.

After leaving your ideas for solutions for the economy, here are a few links to news coverage from yesterday's polling briefing:

ABC News:  Gingrich: McCain Must Oppose Bailout

Wall Street Journal:  Gingrich: Bailout Proposal a 'Dead Loser' on Election Day

National Journal:  Gingrich Slams Paulson's Bailout Plan

Real Clear Politics:  Gingrich Slams Paulson Rescue Plan

U.S. News:  Newt Gingrich: Kill the Paulson Plan. Hard.

The Hill:  Gingrich urges vote against bailout, labels $700 billion plan 'dead loser'

Following the news that Congress is not going to push for the extension of the offshore drilling ban, American Solutions General Chairman and former Speaker Newt Gingrich declared a milestone victory on behalf of the American people and the 1.5 million members of the "Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less" movement.

Gingrich stated that lifting the offshore drilling ban is a first and essential step toward an affordable energy independent future. He went on to point out that while this was a tremendous victory for the American people who have been hurt by the high cost of gasoline and diesel, this victory was only the first step. "Congress now needs to create a comprehensive energy strategy," Gingrich said. "Lifting of the ban allows us to continue with the work of creating an affordable, self-reliant energy-independent future."

American Solutions has led the "Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less" movement that began with a petition drive urging Congress to allow for more drilling for oil and gas to provide Americans with relief from high fuel costs. This petition drive, which began on May 20, resulted in nearly 1.5 million Americans signing the petition. Those signatures were delivered to the Congress and to both the Democratic and Republican national conventions.

American Solutions was able to bring together a broad coalition of Democrats, Republicans, and independents to get Congress to act. "It proves, once again, that when the American people come together, they can create dramatic and positive change," Gingrich said.

Over the course of American Solutions' effort to lower fuel costs, President Bush lifted the executive ban on offshore drilling, both presidential campaigns modified their opposition to offshore drilling and Congress, today, has concluded that in response to the overwhelming support for more drilling, decided to drop its opposition to renewing the Congressional offshore drilling ban.

In addition to drilling for more oil right here at home, American Solutions has advocated for an energy strategy that includes clean coal, nuclear, wind, solar, biofuels, flex-fuel cars, hydrogen, and prizes for technological breakthroughs for new ways to successfully toward affordable energy independence.

For more information about the "Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less" movement, visit www.AmericanSolutions.com/DrillNow.