Vision - January/February 2009 - (Page 2) Shapiro’S Spectrum on the consumer electronics horizon President-elect Obama is tech savvy and ran the most tech smart political campaign in history. President-Elect Obama he landslide election of a Democratic President and an overwhelmingly Democratic Congress may be welcome or troubling depending on your personal political view. As a glass half-full guy, I see some opportunities. Most of the world will be less wary of and hostile to the United States. President Bush meant well but was viewed as an unpredictable cowboy unconcerned with world opinion. The goodwill after 9/11 turned to disdain. President-elect Obama will be viewed as a repudiation of Bush. This may result in increased foreign investment, more tourists (along with CES visitors) and even a world safer for U.S. citizens. The CE industry’s desire for a national recycling standard is something Congress and the Administration may accept without turning to federalism or states’ rights. While this path is tricky and fraught with challenges, the other path of disparate state and local laws is worse. T President-elect Obama is tech savvy and ran the most tech smart political campaign in history. He appreciates technology, has worked for greater broadband deployment and for the expansion of the H1B visa program to ensure we remain competitive in attracting the best and the brightest from around the world. He has even called for a national tech czar and promised to open up all of government to Internet scrutiny so Americans can see and comment on policy proposals. President-elec t Obama also has surrounded himself with bright people who not only understand the benefits of technology, but the role that innovation plays in job Joe Raedle/Getty Images creation. We can only hope that they will work to moderate his stance on job-killers like card check, higher corporate taxation and restrictions on free trade. We face an incredibly challenging environment. The fundamentals of the economy are under attack, the deficit has grown and nearly half of Americans may be exempted from taxation. Only the tech industry has the possibility of fueling strong growth and we must do everyevery thing to ensure the U.S. tech industry has the ability to create the jobs that the new Administra Administration and Congress so loudly claim to want. CEA will do all it can to focus on the big issues, avoid unnecessary and harmful restrictions and encourage government to focus on policies which encourage free markets and innovation. • www.ce.org 2 January/February 2009 http://www.ce.org
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