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Tech Seeding For The Sunflower State
by Liza Porteus
Sen. Pat Roberts this week stressed the need for science and technology research as a tool to improve Americans' quality of life, particularly after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
As part of his effort to advocate research, high technology and higher education in Kansas, Roberts, R-Kan., told the Lawrence Technology Association that the Sunflower State is well prepared to respond to terrorism and said the universities have the ability to compete for research dollars. He said his Commission on Science, Technology and the Future -- which advises him on science and tech issues and how Kansas can leverage research into economic prosperity -- has identified seven areas as strategic to the state's future: biotechnology, agriculture, aviation, information technology, energy, manufacturing and materials science.
Roberts also spoke to state legislators about universities' research and infrastructure needs, noting that three Kansas universities conducted more than $400 million of research last year. The number of high-tech jobs in Kansas has surpassed more traditional industries there like aircraft and food in the past five years, he added.
Roberts also said Kansas University could contribute the software and wireless technology to link sensors from state or national facilities to detect potential terrorist threats to agricultural supplies.
"Let me reassure you that it is wise public policy to make a commitment today to our institutions of higher education, and especially to science, engineering and technology research," Roberts said.
California On My Mind
Californians are more worried than the nation overall about losing civil liberties during the war against terrorism, according to a survey released Thursday by the Public Policy Institute of California.
In his recent State of the State address, Gov. Gray Davis proposed authorizing the use of "roving" wiretaps that could trace suspects' calls from phone to phone, as well as increased e-mail and telephone surveillance of suspected terrorists. But the state legislative counsel's office this week concluded that such surveillance activity would be illegal.
Legal or not, Californians appear to be uncomfortable with such proposals, the study showed. About 51 percent of Californians are more afraid that the government will encroach upon their civil liberties than the 37 percent who believe the government will not do enough to fight terrorism. About 62 percent said they do not want the government to monitor phone calls and e-mails of ordinary citizens.
"There doesn't seem to be an appetite in the state at this time for proposals that could be intrusive or restrict civil liberties," survey director Mark Baldassare said in a statement.
But 82 percent of those surveyed said the government should issue mandatory ID cards to non-citizens in the United States and link those cards to a federal database. Only 55 percent said they would support voluntary ID cards for U.S. citizens.
State residents also are still concerned with issues such as the so-called digital divide, the study showed. Although California leads the nation in computer use, there has been a steady decline in computer use by Latinos, the study showed. The gap between Latinos and whites in Internet use has grown from 16 points to 20 points, but higher-income Latinos have nearly identical rates of computer and Internet use as whites.
TechNet Lauds New California Speaker
The high-tech lobbying group TechNet last week congratulated Herb Wesson on his election as California Assembly Speaker.
"The entire tech community, both in Silicon Valley and across the state, look forward to working with Herb Wesson," John Doerr, a TechNet cofounder and partner at Kleiner, Perkins, Caulfield, and Byers, said in a statement.
TechNet officials said Wesson has shown "great interest" in getting to know the high-tech and biotech communities.
Houston Highlights Software Piracy
The Business Software Alliance (BSA) is hailing Houston Mayor Lee Brown's signing of a proclamation signifying January 2002 as Business Software Compliance Month as an important move in ensuring the use of licensed computer software.
Under a BSA grace period, businesses in Houston and other cities get one month to review their software installations and acquire licenses without facing penalties for infringement. The period will expire Jan. 31 in Billings/Bozeman/Missoula, Mont; Indianapolis; Nashville, Tenn.; San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose, Calif.; Orlando, Fla; and Norfolk/Richmond, Va.
According to BSA, the national piracy rate is 24 percent, whereas Texas' rate is 17.9 percent. Texas lost nearly $139 million in retail dollars of the business software applications studied and nearly 7,500 jobs as the result of piracy.
"Software piracy represents a serious threat to the continued growth of Texas' high-tech industry, and this declaration will set a positive example for businesses and organizations about the importance of using legal and licensed software," Bob Kruger, vice president of enforcement for BSA, said in a statement.
Warner Appoints Efficiency Task Force
Virginia Gov. Mark Warner this week created the Governor's Commission on Efficiency and Effectiveness to streamline the state's technology systems, among other things.
Former Gov. L. Douglas Wilder and Capital One President Nigel Morris will head the panel. The commission will: identify redundant and ineffective services; streamline and consolidate state agencies and programs; promote better use of technology to improve service delivery and reduce costs; and employ modern management tools to make state services more efficient.
The panel will present recommendations to Warner by Aug. 1.
New Faces In Tech, Telecom Policy
The Pennsylvania Office of Educational Technology has some new faces. Mark Santayana is the new telecommunications policy specialist and will focus on e-rate funding for connecting schools to the Internet, the state's telecom contract, and telecom carrier disputes in school districts.
Nicole Bartfai is the new executive policy specialist and will focus on various research and evaluation projects and higher education grants, and will work with the state's "digital school districts." Bartfai also will help streamline schools' technology inventory.
In other Keystone State personnel news, Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission Chairman Glen Thomas last week announced that Barbara Bruin left her post as executive director. Former Deputy Director Veronica Smith replaced Bruin on Tuesday.
In California, meanwhile, Gov. Davis has appointed George Vinson and Mike Medavoy as members of the executive advisory board to the California Anti-Terrorism Information Center (CATIC). Created in September, the CATIC will collect information from law enforcement agencies and compile it into a central database accessible to authorized state, local and federal law enforcement personnel.
Vinson has been Davis's special adviser on security and worked at the FBI for 23 years. Medavoy is the chairman of Phoenix Pictures and previously worked for Universal Studios and United Artists.
Elsewhere, Ann Boyle earlier this month became the first woman to chair the Nebraska Public Service Commission. Issues under consideration by the commission include the creation of a competitive environment for local telephone service, the proliferation of cell phones, and the high-speed Internet.
And in Texas, Gwyn Shea, a Dallas County constable and former state representative, last week became secretary of state. Along with upholding the traditional duties as chief elections officer, Shea also promised to act as the governor's liaison for Mexico and border affairs, and to serve as international protocol officer.
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