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E-Trash Talk In the States
by Maureen Sirhal
While high-tech companies are clamoring for consumers and businesses to upgrade their equipment as a means of spurring the industry's recovery, state lawmakers are wrestling with what to do when all that old gear gets trashed. Several legislators have begun filing measures to address the growing concern over high-tech waste.
State Sen. Bryon Scher, a Democrat, signaled his intent to reintroduce a measure he backed in California's legislature last year. Earlier this month, he filed a bill, S.B. 20, that will act as a placeholder while the lawmaker crafts the final language.
Scher's previous measure, S.B. 1523, would have levied a fee on the price of equipment such as computers and televisions to finance the disposal of the products' parts. Gov. Gray Davis vetoed the bill but emphasized the need for the legislature to address the growing waste problem. "I believe California should have a new law next year," David wrote in his veto.
In New Hampshire, two legislators have proposed similar measures. Rep. Mary Cooney has filed a bill to study the feasibility of imposing fees for computer recycling, and Rep. George Musler introduced a bill, H. 0793, that would levy a disposal fee on computer products.
Heather Bowman, director of environmental affairs and deputy general counsel of the Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA), explained that many states already have passed laws that ban the disposal in landfills of the cathode-ray tubes of computer monitors and television sets. Proponents of those laws have argued that the ingredients in the tubes contain toxic metals that can pollute the environment through traditional disposal methods.
Industry groups fear a patchwork of inconsistent state rules on the matter. "We think a national solution is the only way to make this work in the [United States]," Bowman said.
Some tech companies have become proactive on the issue, recognizing that many states are facing deadlines to impose new disposal methods. And in a striking shift, Hewlett-Packard announced earlier this month that it would support initiatives to require computer manufacturers to share the burden of recycling their products.
Gov. Locke Unveils Washington Budget
Washington Gov. Gary Locke unveiled his plan to trim more than $2 billion in state spending while boosting education, employment and economic development initiatives.
Locke's plan focuses on investing $2.5 million in new public works, including enhancements to roads and transportation systems, that the governor argues will provide jobs and attract new business to the region. The budget also would provide $108 million for general economic initiatives to aid emerging industries and funding to boost the state's trade.
Locke requested $87 million for workforce training programs that are tied to high-demand positions, including training for information technology workers. Another $2.7 billion has been earmarked to fund the education of more than 215,000 students at the state's colleges and universities. That plan includes scholarships for 1,550 students who enroll in high-demand fields such as engineering, computer science and health care.
But the new budget would cut more than $400 million from education initiatives and $109 million from higher education. Some legislators expressed concern over those proposals.
The Seattle Post-Intelligence reported that Rep. Helen Sommers, who handles budget matters for the majority House Democrats, said her party's lawmakers likely will propose tax increases to offset the steep cuts. "Most of our people do not think that we should cut this much," she said.
We Want Our Money -- Now!
The National League of Cities (NLC) has launched a campaign to spur federal officials to quickly release funds to pay for state and local homeland security costs.
The organization is asking local emergency responders to send police and firefighter badges to President Bush to remind him how desperately the groups need funds promised nearly a year ago to pay for homeland security mandates. The White House budgeted $3.5 million for states and localities. But most of the government's spending decisions for fiscal 2003 remain on hold.
Lawmakers will consider the 11 remaining annual spending bills when they return to Washington in January. Tom Ridge, President Bush's nominee to be Homeland Security secretary, said last week that he plans to work with Congress to speed delivery of the state and local money.
According to NLC, 51 percent of large cities say that providing homeland security has made it harder for them to perform routine public-safety responsibilities.
Georgia Funds New Regional Tech Centers
Georgia has allocated almost $7.5 million in grants and loans to several depressed regions of the state. Under the grants from the OneGeorgia Authority, 16 regions will receive funds to help promote economic development projects, including several high-tech ventures.
The Tattnall County Board of Commissioners received a $500,000 grant to help build a technology center adjacent to Southeastern Technical College in Glennville, Ga. The center will provide resources to bolster training and workforce development. The Technical College will provide high-tech faculty, administrative support, computer equipment, software and other resources to help provide high-tech training to the area's population.
Valley Partnership JDA, a collaborative effort among Chattahoochee, Harris, Marion, Muscogee, Stewart, Talbot and Taylor Counties, will receive a $499,243 grant to build a technology incubator. The Columbus Regional Technology Center, with eight incubator sites, will nurture startup tech companies with high growth potential by offering facilities and networking opportunities to help establish a market presence in region.
The Legal Limits Of Government By E-Mail
A Virginia judge ruled this week that three members of the Fredericksburg City Council violated the state's Freedom of Information Act by exchanging e-mails about public business.
The Free Lance-Star reported that Mayor Bill Beck, Vice Mayor Scott Howson and Councilman Matt Kelly discussed their committee assignments in a series of e-mails last summer. Former Vice Mayor Gordon Shelton and two city residents questioned the action and sued the council members.
In his ruling, Fredericksburg Circuit Judge John Scott said the e-mails were sent as a means of building consensus around the issue and thus the discussions should have occurred in public. But he dismissed two other e-mail counts against the councilmen, saying that they did not constitute violations because they only sought to gather information.
Conscientious Objectors
Oakland, Calif., has become the largest locality in the country to adopt a resolution in opposition to the 2001 federal counter-terrorism law that eased restrictions on wiretapping and high-tech surveillance.
According to a statement released by the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California, the Oakland City Council adopted a measure that urges California's members of Congress to repeal the law known as the USA PATRIOT Act. Proponents of the resolution said the federal law violates the constitutional rights of local citizens.
Santa Cruz, Sebastopol and Berkeley in California also have joined Denver and other cities in adopting such resolutions. Similar efforts are underway in more than 50 cities in 25 states.
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