| Al Gore the democratic presidential nominee, who won the popular vote on November 7th, 2000, awaits the votes of the Electoral College. He has planned many improvements and money distributions towards technology and Internet research for the new millennium. Al Gore says, "We must harness the powerful new forces of technology, and use them to strengthen our oldest values - to promote freedom, to educate our children, and to lift our families and our nations up." He understands that the computer and especially the Internet are revolutionizing the way people work, live, and learn. New technologies are creating unique opportunities for faster economic growth, higher wages, longer, healthier lives for all Americans, and a cleaner environment. Gore wants to invest in science and technology for the future, assist the growth of high-tech-wage jobs, protect values, and build an E-Government. Vice President Gore worked on passing the Telecommunications Act of 1996, which is promoting private investment and competition in the telecommunications industry. He launched a public-private effort to connect every classroom to the Internet and to train every teacher to use technology effectively in the classroom in order to give our children access to the best learning tools possible.
Al Gore wants to encourage innovation and continue the prosperity by investing in science and technology. Al Gore will ensure funding in all areas of science and engineering, including biomedical research, information technology research, and support for undergraduate and graduate education. He will also support nanotechnology, space exploration, energy and the environment, education research, and defense research, however they won’t factor computer research that much. Increased investment in computer technology and science can also strengthen U.S. national security, protect the environment, allow Americans to lead longer, healthier lives, and help the next generation. Al Gore fully supports the recommendations of the President's Information Technology Advisory Committee, including their recommendation to double Internet research over a five year period. He also supports their call for the "creation of centers that would focus on advancing state-of-the-art applications of Internet, such as digital government and crisis management, and for research in the ethical, legal, and social dimensions of the Information Revolution." Gore recognizes the growing interdependence and convergence between biological science and information science. For example, with the initial sequencing of the full human genome now complete, we now have the ability to produce new treatments, diagnostics and personalized medicine. But this will require new advances in bioinformatics to help discover the function of genes. To take advantage of the promise of this research, Al Gore will proposes the creation of 20 centers of excellence in biomedical computing on the campuses of nations’ top universities. He will also call for an increased emphasis in biomedical engineering, which could lead to breakthroughs such as artificial kidneys, artificial retinas, and a cure for spinal cord injuries. At the time when many diseases are incurable, and the genes are uncracked we need a lot of government funding and support to solve these mysteries of science. Computers can be very helpful in cracking the human gene code.
The information technology sector is responsible for almost one-third of America's economic growth in the past few years. More and more U.S. companies are using information and communications technologies to increase productivity, deliver "e-learning" to their workers, and sell their products in overseas markets. Al Gore understands that the founders and workers of the new technology sector are creating the New Economy. Al Gore will take the following steps to promote economic growth, innovation, and America's high-competitiveness with other countries. Gore wants to educate and train the workforce of tomorrow and ensure that all Americans have the opportunity to benefit from the high-tech jobs that the New Economy is creating. Al Gore wants to "finish the job of putting technology at the fingertips of children". Technology can make a real difference in the way that teachers teach and students learn. Using e-mail parents can communicate more frequently with teachers on the progress that their children are making. With the latest technology teachers or anyone else can keep up with the latest developments in their fields of teaching or anything else. "Students can engage in learning by doing - collaborating with a scientist half way around the world on an experiment, using simulations that make it easier to understand complex concepts, or developing their own educational Web site." Gore wants to finish connecting every classroom and library in the country to the Internet. He will also increase investment in training teachers and students to ensure they know how to use the Internet safely and effectively; support the development of "digital libraries" for K-12 education; and make sure that every child has access to a computer. Gore also wants to expand worker-training programs so that some workers are not left behind because their technology skills are not up to date. Providing technology recourses in all academic facilities will increase learners’ abilities to succeed in the high-tech-wage job market of the future.
Al Gore wants to protect values in the technology era. America has seen a rapid growth of innovation in telecommunications services and products because of the free and open competition promoted by the 1996 Telecommunications Act. Since the passage of the Act competition has spurred 230,000 new jobs and some $25 billion in private investment. It made the telecommunications industry a leader in America's economic growth. Al Gore wants to build on the current success and sustain his commitment to a competitive telecommunications industry. The electronic bill of rights also helps Americans maintain control over their personal information. Gore has called for legislation to strengthen the protection of financial, medical and genetic information. He has also worked with 25 of the largest Internet companies to give parents and teachers the tools they need to prevent their children from gaining access to inappropriate material. With the Internet growing at a high unpredictable rate we need someone in the government to protect our rights and privacy, because everything on the Internet could be out of control. Hackers and terrorists could cause a lot of chaos. Just this week, Al Gore’s opponents’ website (www.georgewbush.com) was hacked. With someone like Gore in the office we could get a lot of regulation on the Internet done, so that we wouldn’t have to worry about our privacy.
Al Gore has proposed creating an E-Government where citizens are "on-line, not in line", resulting in a government that is always open. Gore plans to put virtually every federal government service on-line by 2003. This will require agencies to put progress reports on-line creating a more accountable and effective federal government. Every one would be able to see what has been achieved, and where government has failed. This plan will also make the federal government more efficient and less expensive as well as ensure that E-Government is easy, accessible, and protects Americans' privacy. By providing information and the ability to do business over the Internet with the government, the "American people can get what they need from government, when they need it, with fewer hassles, headaches, and delays." People will be also able to respond with suggestions on what actions have to be taken to improve the effectiveness and quality of government services. Gore also proposes for an online government auction G-Bay that will be used to sell off equipment the government no longer needs and also sell goods confiscated by the IRS. Gore also wants to ensure that E-Government is accessible, easy for families to use, and protects privacy. Gore wants the government to work in partnership with private companies to provide a free "digital certificate" to any citizen who wants to connect with the government on-line. Americans will be able to use this technology to gain information about their Social Security benefits, apply for a home loan, or report a crime in their neighborhood "digital 911". "As the president I want to protect Americans' privacy - because it must remain a fundamental right as we enter the Information Age" Gore said. E-Government would be a very usefu resource in the 21st century, with "e-Gov" we won’t need to leave our computers for government business ever again.
As we await the results form Florida’s recount and decisions of Florida’s twenty-three congressman and two senators, we await the future of your technology research, progress and prosperity. I think, as President, Al Gore would help create opportunities for new technology development. If Gore gets a chance to invest in science and technology this will assist the growth of high-tech-wage jobs. Gore will also protect values while and building an E-Government with an auction house.
Bibliography
http://www.proquest.umi.com
Bell & Howell Information and Learning
The politics of technology; Jennifer Jones;
InfoWorld, Framingham;
Aug 28, 2000; Vol. 22, Iss. 35; pg. 22, 2 pgs
TECHNOLOGY LEADERS RELISHING ROLES IN POLITICS; ALEX PHAM;
Boston Globe, Boston, Mass.;
Jun 26, 2000; pg. C.2
Technology issues get campaign attention;Jennifer Jones;
InfoWorld, Framingham;
Mar 6, 2000; Vol. 22, Iss. 10; pg. 20, 1 pgs
http://www.galegroup.com/ (http://galenet.gale.com/a/acp/name/sant86396)
The Gale Group
Customer Technical Care
27500 Drake Road
Farmington Hills, MI 48331-3535
http://www.algore.com/
Gore/Lieberman Internet Team
Gore/Lieberman, Inc.
PO Box 23250
Nashville, TN 37202
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