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Tech Sen. In Training Talks Policy; Y2K Whereabouts
A month after he committed to becoming the "technology senator" if his 2000 race for Senate is victorious, former Virginia Gov. George Allen touted his tenets of tech policy at a CapNet forum last week. Co-hosting the discussion with Network Solutions Inc. Chairman Mike Daniels, Allen addressed issues germane to the high-tech industry, including Internet taxation and workforce shortages. "The way I look at the Internet tax issue, it should not be taxed. We need to stand strong against it," Allen told National Journal's Technology Daily. "I stand strong for states to chart their own course." Allen's stance on Net taxation comes as no surprise, but his approach to the shortage of technology workers is a bit more intriguing. While Allen is in support of using H-1Bs to remedy the worker shortage in Virginia, he said he also supports the tech -specific H-1T visa measure proposed by his opponent for the Senate seat. "I agree with that approach," Allen said of the proposal introduced by Sen. Chuck Robb, D-VA. "But there are plenty of issues we don't agree on." And the former governor said that while he supported Robb's bill, he doesn't believe the measure will be a long-term solution."
The forecast looks bright for Chris Hankin who has left NCR to become director of federal affairs for Sun Microsystems, where he will head the company's Washington office. At NCR, Hankin worked as director of government affairs and dealt with export policies, and will be handling many of the same issues at Sun. When asked why he left NCR, he said, "I wasn't looking. Sun called me. It was hard to say no."
Gregory Rohde has named his new staff, just about a month after he was sworn in as the Commerce Department's assistant secretary of commerce for communications and information and head of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. Maureen A. Lewis has been tapped director of the minority telecommunications development program, which creates policies designed to boost minority ownership of telecom businesses. Handling congressional affairs is Cinnamon Rogers, who currently is an attorney with DC law firm Sher & Blackwell. The new director of communications will be Art Brodsky, who for the past 10 years has covered telecommunications policy, and is senior editor and congressional correspondent for Communications Daily. Ranjit de Silva can now take the "acting" off of his title, as Rohde has named him director of public affairs.
GOPAC is hoping to stir up interest online with its revamped home page, GOPAC Chairman David Dreier, R-CA, announced last week. GOPAC expects to expand its Web offerings by providing Republican leaders with educational and training tools on the new page, and quicker access to other sites, including "The Republican Source" — an informational site unveiled six months ago. Early next year, the site will feature online campaign training. "By using the Internet and computers, Republicans interested in getting more involved in the political process can learn to run effective political campaigns and better local party organizations from their homes and campaign offices," he said.
Five years after serving as President Clinton's chief of staff, Erskine Bowles has been tapped to play a major role in a different capacity. Intelisys Electronic Commerce has appointed Bowles its chairman. But the former chief of staff already had a company connection as he is general partner of Forstmann Little & Co. Investment firm Forstman recently purchased a one-third voting interest in Intelisys for $65 million.
Florida's first Cyber Town Hall Meeting took place Friday for the 34 members of the states Information Service Technology Development Task Force. Gov. Jeb Bush, R, and Lt. Gov. Frank Brogan, R, joined the task force members to discuss the impact of technology on the state. The governor's speech was scheduled for noon to allow state employees and others to get online view the meeting during their lunch breaks. The nascent Internet Task Force was created to monitor the impact of technology on government services and the economy, among other issues. Millennial Madness And Musings
New Year's Eve separates the partygoers from the workaholics, Deputy Defense Secretary John Hamre told reporters last Thursday, referring to his News Year's Eve plans. Belonging to the group that burns the midnight oil, Hamre said he might go in to work, but is encouraging others not to follow suit. He also noted that it was "nearly miraculous" that the department achieved 99.9 percent Y2K readiness since it was difficult getting the staff focused to take on the Herculean task. "We're not worried," he said. "But I'll probably be working."
Tinabeth Burton, communications director for the Information Technology Association of America, also joins Hamre as part of the working class as Jan. 1 rolls in. "I will definitely be working, handling and responding to media calls and seeing and monitoring what goes on in Y2K," she said. She says that her husband, who works in technology at a Maryland company, also will be celebrating from the office.
Rep. Steve Horn, R-CA, will be putting the Federal Aviation Administration's word to the test. Horn, who got behind the FAA to make airlines and airports report their Y2K status, will fly from Los Angeles to Washington on New Year's Eve. But he has no qualms about bringing in the millennium in the wild blue yonder. "He's always had a quiet New Year's Eve at home," said Bonnie Heald, director of communications for the subcommittee on government management, information and technology.
In a voicemail, a chuckling Michael Maibach passed on word of a private party he will be throwing to celebrate the holiday. The vice president of government affairs for Intel will be hosting "20 For 2000" — a New Year's shindig he will be throwing for 20 of his friends at his Old Town Alexandria home, hence the fitting theme.
But for Jeff Mascott, there will be neither work nor partying in his plans. "I am going to be spending a romantic evening with my newly wed wife," said Mascott, president of Mascott Communications, which does Web work for the House Republican Conference. Mascott and his wife Jenn, who is the communications technology manager for the Senate Republican Conference, plan to see the fireworks and meander around the Hill area in which they live.
Although Unice Lieberman, spokeswoman for Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-CT, will be tied to her cell phone monitoring Y2K, she's still looking for a date for the big night. "Tell any eligible bachelors to call me," she said laughing.
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