What Do Geeks Dream Of?

Coffee Brown, University of New Mexico, Talk Radio News

TechAmerica is a trade union representing more than 1500 technology companies that have reached a consensus on priorities for their portion of the Recovery Act.

Christopher Hansen, CEO of TechAmerica, stressed repeatedly that his membership places their emphasis on investment in innovation, and on “Not just employment now, but companies which will benefit America for decades into the future.”

The association’s top priorities are:

Health: Computerized healthcare, from software to next generation broadband to electronic medical records. “America can still lead the world in medical technology innovation,” Hansen said.

Jobs, education, training,research and development: Hansen acknowledged that maximum benefits now require shorter-term investments, but that we also need to invest now in order to have the scientists and engineers to keep America in front of technology into the future. Josh Lamel, Senior V.P., Federal Government Affairs, added that $400 million had been set aside for high risk, high potential, basic research, “So we’ll be developing technologies that we aren’t even talking about yet.”

Government Management: Modernizing government via technology and technological expertise.

National/Homeland/Cyber security: New technologies for military, intelligence and security.

Green: The group has a strong focus on alternative energy development as a long-term investment.

Immigration: The thrust here was not to restrict but to facilitate immigration for highly skilled people, especially those who are trained in America but are not citizens. Lamel noted that H1B immigration visas have become more difficult to obtain under the new bill.

Broadband: Needs to be faster and more universally available as more and more businesses depend on it. Many jobs become possible in low employment areas if broadband is available.

Trade and patent policies need to encourage innovation, their position paper concludes.