There are many issues debated in this presidential election year, namely Iraq, health care, labor protection/NAFTA, race and gender.... But nobody seems to care much about technology policy, even though this is one of the last few areas that US still maintains a leadership in the world. Well, it may not be completely true - all major candidates came to Silicon Valley...for fund raising. We, the people related to the technology, are indeed the silent mass.
As a professional in the technology field, I care about:
1. Enhance Intellectual Property protection worldwide - our government should do far more than now.
2. Relax export control of technology products
3. Encourage students (such as extra tax credits and more scholarship) to get high education in science and technologies; also encourage continued education for any professionals to keep their technology knowledge updated.
4. Encourage innovation and investing in high technologies (tax credits and loans etc.)
I encourage you to publish your views, requests and comments on this site or anywhere that you think fit. Please do not be shy to speak out loud now, because it would be too late for us to cry like the unemployed Detroit workers.
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Summary of some technology related positions of the candidates:
Sen. Hilary Rodham Clinton
The New York senator supports Net neutrality in the form of Byron Dorgan and Olympia Snowe’s proposed amendment to the Telecommunications Act of 1996, saying the Internet must continue to have an “open and non-discriminatory framework” to be a place of open discussion without fear of reprisal. Clinton has also sharply attacked President Bush over the secret NSA wiretaps, saying the president lacked legal authority for it.
Senator Clinton’s highly polished exploratory committee Web site has space for a blog, and Clinton is soliciting guest posts for the future.
Sen. Barack Obama
Sen. Obama favors the Snowe-Dorgan Net neutrality amendment, saying, “It is because the Internet is a neutral platform that I can put out this podcast and transmit it over the Internet without having to go through any corporate media middleman. I can say what I want without censorship or without having to pay a special charge.” Obama has also expressed skepticism about the Bush administration’s warrantless wiretapping.
Sen. Obama used the Internet extensively as a tool for his campaign and very successful. You may monitor his technology related policy on his website and blog there to get your view expressed.
Sen. John McCain
Arizona’s senior senator is the current odds-on favorite for the Republican nod, and although he’s no friend of Net neutrality he came out early and strongly against President Bush’s NSA wiretapping program. He also opposes further taxation of cell phone use, cosponsoring the Cell Phone Tax Moratorium Act of 2007 , and favors near-universal access to broadband service through increased provider competition. In the past he has called for extending the Internet sales-tax moratorium indefinitely.
John McCain’s presidential exploratory site is very bare-bones. You may monitor his technology related policy on his website and blog there to get your view expressed.