The Better Tech President

Candidates positions are taken from their Web sites and from transcripts of recent speeches.

Expanding broadband. Both candidates favor expanding broadband (cable or DSL) Internet access in the U.S., with Bush pushing for having the technology in every corner of our country by 2007. Kerry says he wants to put broadband in the hands of first-responders by 2006, with others to follow. Edge: Even
Tax credits for research and development. Kerry favors extending the Research and Experimentation Tax Credit to encourage private sector R&D in technology. Bush wants to make those tax credits permanent instead of simply extending them. He also wants to raise federal spending on research and development by 44 percent over what it was when he took office. Sounds more decisive to me. Edge: Bush

Outsourcing. Bush favors no restrictions on U.S. firms outsourcing jobs to foreign countries. Outsourcing is a major issue for IT, which has seen its ranks shrink in the U.S. over the past several years as jobs are exported to other nations. Kerry wants to end tax breaks for companies shipping jobs overseas while giving tax breaks to companies that keep jobs in the U.S. That makes sense for our recovering economy. Edge: Kerry
Electronic health records. The candidates both favor using information technology to create electronic health records to increase the healthcare systems efficiency and reduce costs. Bush points to the need for standards across healthcare disciplines and providers to make this a reality. Kerry cites the encouraging possibility such a database will make creation of personalized medicines possible for individuals. Edge: Even
Taxes on Internet/broadband. Tax-ation of the Internet is a real possibility, and it would be a drag on an economy that increasingly is linked to the Web. While Senate Republicans and some Democrats favor permanently extending the now-expired moratorium on such taxes, Kerry wants a limited extension. Bush favors a permanent ban. Permanent is better. Edge: Bush

Technology for a cleaner environment. Kerry favors using market-oriented, performance-based, and other mechanisms to encourage private-sector development of technology solutions for environmental protection. Bush believes industry can grow without polluting our environment but has no specific plans to reward such achievements. Kerrys proactive approach, while lacking details, is a step in the right direction. Edge: Kerry

Alternative energy. Both candidates say we have to end our dependence on foreign sources of oil. Both say money should be spent on alternative energy technologies, including ethanol, cleaner burning coal, and hydrogen fuel cells. Bush, however, includes nuclear energy in his list of desirable alternatives. While nuclear got a bad rap based on Three-Mile Island, it continues to be used in the U.S. and worldwide, and it remains a viable alternative, especially if further developed. Edge: Bush

In summary, both candidates have pro-technology platforms, but the numbers here seem to favor Bush slightly. His commitment to technology R&D is a particularly powerful position as is his steadfast opposition to Internet taxation. Whatever your technological persuasion, however, my best advice would be: Get out there and vote!

is technology editor for National Underwriters property/casualty and life/health editions. He may be reached at atrembly@nuco.com.