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Governors Aim To Harness Tech In The West
This week, members of the Western Governors Association will meet in San Diego for their winter meeting where they are expected to make governments' ability to harness high tech a top priority.
At the conference, the Western High Technology Council will address ways to help the western United States cultivate the relationship between government, business and citizens. In October, WGA Chairman Dick Kempthorne, R-ID, convened the council in Sun Valley, ID.
In San Diego, the governors will meet with the council, which expects to make recommendations for pilot projects on ensuring broadband connectivity, improving education and deploying cutting-edge technologies to improve citizens' health. Governors also will adopt policy resolutions and discuss key issues they plan to bring before the new administration and Congress.
Expected attendees include Govs. Tony Knowles, D-AK; Jane Dee Hull, R-AZ; Carl Gutierrez, D-Guam; WGA Chairman Dirk Kempthorne, R-ID; Mike Johanns, R-NE; Gary Johnson, R-NM; Ed Schafer, R-ND; John Kitzhaber, D-OR; William Janklow, R-SD; Mike Leavitt, R-UT; and Jim Geringer, R-WY.
The council's connectivity subcommittee is scheduled to prepare an initial plan of action to encourage universal connectivity, including identifying additional partners and research needs. On Feb. 27, the teams will present more detailed implementation plans. At the WGA annual meeting Aug. 11-14, the teams will present accomplishments that will help the governors and council contemplate the next step.
DC Tech Bill In Final Stages
A bill designed to attract high-tech companies to the Washington, DC- area will enter its final stages Tuesday as it comes before the city council for a vote. The New Economy Transformation Act of 2000 creates 11 new incentives such as training and employment for those people coming off welfare.
The bill only needs seven votes to pass and has 10 co-sponsors, making the measure's backers confident in its acceptance. DC Mayor Anthony Williams supports the measure, and City Control Board Chairwoman Alice Rivlin's staff also has been meeting with the bill's sponsors to iron out details of high-tech policy in general, said Shabbir Sadfar, co-founder of mindshare Internet Campaigns and co-chair of the New Economy Advisory Group — the driving force behind the bill.
"We think that hurdle is probably surmountable," Sadfar said. "We believe we've set it up to be an easy tee-up for her (Rivlin)."
NACo Takes Election Concerns To The Web
The National Association of Counties (NACo) announced a multi-pronged effort earlier this month to help county government address concerns over the election system. NACo President and King County, WA, council member Jane Hague announced the creation of a listserv for county officials. "The election process begins and ends at the county level," Hague said in a statement. "One good thing that has come out of this year's election is that people have started talking about the role of counties in the electoral process. People are starting to understand that elections are handled at the county level, and should be thought of in terms of counties." The e-mail discussion group allows NACo and National Association of County Recorders, Election Officials and Clerks (NACRC) to share information about election procedures.
NACo spokeswoman Liz Galewski said she had been "inundated" with e-mails since the listserv was announced Nov. 16.
"It has been very effective so far and the level of interest has been very encouraging," Galewski said, adding that much of the discussion thus far has been what kind of voting methods have worked or not worked for various counties.
"There have been a few participants who have come forward saying they want across the board changes, but they usually get shot down, because each county has such different needs," she added, saying that the e-mail discussion will continue indefinitely. "Right now, they're just sort of communicating about what their different needs are."
Along with establishing a listserv as part of the national effort, a panel made up of county and election officials and other election experts will be created to provide leadership for counties on election issues and make recommendations to Congress and the administration. At the top of the agenda are issues like election funding, county authority in conducting elections, improving election equipment and maintaining voter confidence.
Microsoft, Virginia ACCESS Digital Divide Solutions
Virginia Attorney General Mark Earley, R, Tuesday announced a partnership between the private high-tech industry and the state's Community Action Agencies (CAAs) that serve low-income residents in an effort to help close the digital divide. About $400 already had been donated by industry to Virginia ACCESS — the Alliance of Commonwealth Connections for Education and Self-Sufficiency. Other industry partners besides Microsoft — which contributed $60,000 — include: AT&T, which contributed $50,000; WorldCom, which donated $25,000; Oracle, which donated $150,000 in way of database; and Compaq, which contributed over 30 laptops and two servers.
Earley's general counsel Richard Campbell said in an interview that contributions are still being accepted and that they hope to attract attention from more tech companies.
Campbell said Earley sought the participation of the Virginians Against Poverty group, which overseas the 30 CAAs throughout the state as a point group for the project.
"He (Earley) gets the credit for conceiving of this - he saw them as a group that really reaches the poorest as the poor ... and saw them as the right group who can reach people who don't have access or familiarity" with technology, Campbell said.
Earley, who was state senator for 10 years before elected to the attorney general position, "just saw it as a way to be a broker between the demand end ... and the supply end," Campbell said. "We played matchmaker and brokered the relationship, and we continue to try to help them meet (industry and CAAs) together and come to the table."
Virginia's CAAs surveyed more than 7,000 low-income state residents and found that only 35 percent have regular access to a computer and only 25 percent have access to the Internet, although about 95 percent of those surveyed said they realized the importance technology could play in educational, employment and personal advantages.
The program will offer mobile introductory computer classes, access sites at various community centers and ownership opportunities. ACCESS will partner with local churches, schools and businesses to harness local resources and involve community members with the project.
Taking Big Tobacco To The Web
Connecticut Office of Policy and Management (OPM) has launched its new Web site, www.tobaccofreect.com. During this holiday season, those that go to the movies will see trailers about Big Tobacco, with a tag line including the address for the new anti-tobacco site. The site is part of the state's Anti-Tobacco project and serves as a point of entry for information about the tobacco prevention efforts being made by state agencies and local and national groups. Since August, over 500 Connecticut teachers have been trained in the "Science, Tobacco & You" education program that have been delivered to over 1,000 schools in the state. Initially launched in Florida, the ST&Y program in Connecticut appears to be succeeding. In a survey of 2,000 students, more than 95 percent of those interviewed reported they were "less likely to use tobacco after using the program."
New York Tries To Keep High-Tech Talent
New York Gov. George Pataki, R, on Tuesday announced the launch of a new Web site designed to further the state's position as a national leader in high-tech-based economic growth and job creation. The site will advertise more than 40,000 available high-tech jobs and is the product of a partnership between Empire State Development (ESD), the state Department of Labor (DOL) and New York's private sector businesses.
"This new Web site will help New York-based companies attract and retail the skilled workforce they need, while also alerting talented young New Yorkers to the many exciting job opportunities available in the various high-technology fields," Pataki said in a statement.
On Wednesday, the DOL also held its first statewide high-tech interactive job fair in 11 locations throughout the state. According to recent reports by the American Electronics Association, New York is second in the nation in the total number of high-tech establishments (13,368) and third in employment (328,782 workers) in 1998.
- by Liza Porteus
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