[governance] Clinton And McCain On Globalization, Technology

[yehudakatz at mailinator.com]

Clinton And McCain On Globalization, Technology
InformationWeek's Outsourcing Weblog
Posted by Mary Hayes Weier, Jan 10, 2008
informationweek.com

Art. Ref.:
http://www.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2008/01/clinton_and_mcc.html;
jsessionid=WI1BUTRWTA2EYQSNDLOSKHSCJUNN2JVN
 
Art. Print:
http://www.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2008/01/clinton_and_mcc.html;
jsessionid=32GD3ETTSXORYQSNDLOSKHSCJUNN2JVN?print=true

--

The morning after the Iowa caucus results, I shared with you what Mike Huckabee
and Barack Obama are saying about technology and globalization. The focus has
shifted over to Hillary Clinton and John McCain after the results in New
Hampshire's primary. Here's what those presidential candidates have to say
about those topics.

Clinton, like Obama and Huckabee, has publicly said she supports raising the
United States' cap on H-1B visas. Her reasoning mimics the others: that foreign
talent has greatly enhanced technology innovation. I couldn't see any reference
to that on her Web site, however.

She does focus strongly on the overall topic of innovation, though, and how the
U.S. is falling behind in this area. Her solutions include increased funding in
research and development and getting more kids graduating with technology and
science degrees. Specifically:

She's calling for increasing the research budgets 50% over 10 years at the
National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy's Office of Science, and
the Defense Department. That includes ensuring that "e-science" (research that
includes Internet-based tools, global collaboration, supercomputers, high-speed
networks, and simulation/visualization software) is adequately funded. She's
also a booster of nanotechnology, calling it a "potentially unique competitive
advantage for the United States."

She also supports initiatives to bring more women and minorities into math,
science, and engineering professions. From her Web site: 

"Hillary Clinton proposes that the federal agencies adopt criteria that take
diversity into account when awarding education and research grants. She also
proposes that the federal government provide financial support to college and
university programs that encourage women and minorities to study math, science,
and engineering."

Clinton also laments the U.S.'s comparably poor deployment of broadband.

"Under the Bush administration, the country that invented the Internet has
slipped to 25th in the global rankings for broadband deployment. In order to
accelerate the deployment of sophisticated networks, Hillary Clinton proposes
that the federal government provide tax incentives to encourage broadband
deployment in underserved areas. She also proposes financial support for state
and local broadband initiatives. Various municipal broadband initiatives are
under way around the country to accelerate the deployment of high-speed
networks. The initiatives are useful for education, commerce, technology
development, and the efficient provision of municipal services."

She wants to overhaul the Research & Experimentation tax credit to make the
United States a more attractive location for high-paying jobs. She thinks the
20% incremental tax credit should be made permanent to encourage the building
of R&D facilities.

She also criticizes the Bush administration's "irresponsible politicization of
science," and says she'd "reinvigorate" (is that code for clean out?) the
Office of Science and Technology to allow for "objective, fact-based advice."

Now let's take a look at McCain. A major focus of his technology policy calls
for, well, not taxing technology. Here's why he wants to ban Internet taxes:

"John McCain believes we must make a farsighted, robust, and fervent commitment
to innovation and new technologies to sustain our global competitiveness, meet
our national security challenges, achieve less costly and more effective health
care, reduce dangerous dependence on foreign sources of oil, and raise the
quality of education in the United States. John McCain has been a leader in
keeping the Internet free of taxes. As president, he will seek a permanent ban
on taxes that threaten this engine of economic growth and prosperity."

McCain also said he would ban new cell phone taxes, as the "same people that
would tax e-mail will tax every text message -- and even 911 calls."

McCain is calling for a permanent R&D tax credit "to keep America competitive
and provide a stable environment for entrepreneurs."

McCain also has publicly said he supports increasing H-1B visas, but his Web
site sticks to generalities. His solution for what some deem the scary side of
globalization (losing tech jobs to other countries and their citizens) falls in
line with Obama and Clinton, which is to better prepare the workforce for
global competition. But while Obama and Clinton segue that discussion into
getting more minorities and women into math and science jobs, McCain goes into
a discussion about school of choice:

"John McCain believes that globalization is an opportunity for American workers
today and in the future. Ninety-five percent of the world's customers lie
outside our borders and we need to be at the table when the rules for access to
those markets are written. To do so, the U.S. should engage in multilateral,
regional, and bilateral efforts to reduce barriers to trade, level the global
playing field, and build effective enforcement of global trading rules.

"John McCain understands that globalization will not automatically benefit
every American. We must prepare the next generation of workers by making
American education worthy of the promise we make to our children and ourselves.
We must be a nation committed to competitiveness and opportunity. We must fight
for the ability of all students to have access to any school of demonstrated
excellence. We must place parents and children at the center of the education
process, empowering parents by greatly expanding the ability of parents to
choose among schools for their children."

After sifting through this stuff, my initial reaction is there are no great
surprises here; the candidates' positions on technology and globalization align
pretty much with their respective Democrat and Republican ideals. What do you
think; does any of this information affect who you'll vote for?

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