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Today, I’m happy to announce the beginning of Steve Forbes' campaign for President of the United States of America. Today marks the beginning of a national crusade to restore Ronald Reagan’s vision of hope and prosperity for all Americans. I don’t believe in business as usual — and I surely don’t believe in politics as usual. This is going to be a new, Information-Age campaign about great ideas and enduring values. I’m going to run the first full-scale presidential campaign in American history on the Internet — because I want you to be involved every step of the way. First, I’d like to tell you all some things about myself. I’m the grandson of an immigrant from Scotland. When my grandfather came to this country at the turn of the century, he came only with a dream, because he had practically no money. He worked very hard to create a magazine about people building the greatest economy on the face of the planet. My brothers and I learned the business from our father, just as he learned it from his father. When I became CEO years later, my goal was to keep Americans on the cutting edge of the new, Information-Age economy. To that end, we launched new magazines that tell the story of the people building America’s small businesses and high-tech industries, creating jobs and unleashing opportunity. And we started a cutting-edge new web-site, forbes.com (Forbes Digital Tool). Today, you and I are heading into a new century and a new millennium. We face different challenges than our grandparents faced — but they’re real...they’re serious... and if we don’t get them right our children are going to pay the price. Take the global economic crisis that’s raging around the world. Wherever you look — Russia, Asia, Brazil — economies are in deep trouble and people are suffering. We can’t ignore that. America cannot afford to be an island of prosperity in an ocean of poverty. We live in a new economic era — we live in a world that’s linked together by travel, by trade — and, obviously, by the Internet. When people around the world can’t afford to buy more corn, and wheat and other farm products, guess who suffers? Americans — especially American farmers. When people in Asia can produce steel at rock bottom prices because their currencies are virtually worthless, guess who suffers? Americans. What happens if Russia’s economy continues to collapse? What are the political implications of a nuclear-armed nation in economic and political chaos? And what about the increasingly troublesome and dangerous behavior of China? These are serious questions as we enter a new century. Here at home, what about Social Security? Do you trust the politicians to protect your money and your retirement in the next century? Are you going to let the Clinton-Gore Administration keep raiding the Social Security Trust Fund to pay for more big government spending? Do you know what astounds me — more young people believe in UFOs than believe that they’re going to collect Social Security when they retire. And what about our tax system? It’s an abomination. It’s too complex, too corrupt — it’s a playground for special interest lawyers, lobbyists and lifetime politicians. Sure, the special interests, the politically well-connected, and the Washington political class get all kinds of tax breaks and loopholes. But what about you? Can you afford to hire all kinds of big shot lobbyists to carve out a tax break for yourself? Of course not. That’s why we need an honest, simple new tax code for a new century – one that will put real money back into the pockets of working families. And what about other issues that you face every day? Are your kids going to schools that are getting them ready to really compete and succeed in the Information-Age economy? Who should control our schools — government or parents? Do you have the freedom to choose doctors you trust and specialists you need? No, and I don’t think that's right — and I want to change that. You see, I believe that you and I are on the verge of the greatest era of economic freedom and spiritual renewal the world has ever seen. It’s an age of opportunity — the likes of which our grandparents never even dreamed possible. And everyone is getting ready for it — except Washington. You and I are entering the Information-Age — and the Washington politicians are stuck in the Stone Age. The problem is: the Washington politicians don’t get it. They’re wholly owned subsidiaries of the status quo. They have no intention of giving you back your freedom, your money — or the unalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. And I think we can do better. I think it’s time to give every American the freedom to participate in this new era of prosperity. Now, the central questions of the Year 2000 campaign clearly are these: Do you trust the establishment politicians to protect your economic security and give you more freedom and more control over your own life? Do you trust them to defend your values, and protect the first and most important freedom of every child — the freedom to be born? Do you trust them to confront the atrocities in China, end Saddam Hussein’s reign of terror, and deploy a real missile defense system to protect our children? Do you trust other politicians to clean out the corruption and sleaze of the Clinton-Gore Administration? Do they have a plan and a passion to give you and your family a real stake in the American Dream — or are they just politicians seeking power? You know, some people run for President to be something. I’m running for President to do something — for you, the American people. That’s why today — with the love and support of my wife and my best friend, Sabina, and our five wonderful daughters — I have filed papers that begin the process of running for President of the United States of America. So stay tuned to our on-line campaign headquarters — Forbes2000.Com — for daily updates and news of our formal campaign announcement coming up in a few months.

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