Hi I'm Pete du Pont with the National Center for Policy Analysis.
You'll not be hearing that introduction again, for this is my last commentary for the NCPA.
These commentaries began seven years ago in the spring of 1994. That's nearly 2,000 times I've offered up some ideas about public policy.
Every time Julie, my loyal engineer, has spooled up some tape, checked the mic, remembered to turn off the phone so it's ring wouldn't interrupt, and then listened to my thoughts. She may be the only one who has heard all 2000, and believe it or not, she is still a rational and happy person. Thanks too, to Glenn my researcher and draftsman, who has put together the facts needed to make my points.
I've done the commentaries because ideas are what have motivated me — in political office, public policy forums, and around the kitchen dinner table. It has been my good fortune in these commentaries to advance the ideas and argue their merits, for as the tag line always said "Ideas Can Change the World".
Most of all, thanks to all of you who have listened, maybe agreed sometimes, and perhaps even paid me the ultimate compliment — "Now that's interesting".
I'm Pete du Pont. Thanks for listening and I hope our paths cross again, somewhere along the way.