OBAMA: ALL GOVT MEETINGS WEBCAST, w/BLOGS ATTACHED! NET NEUTRALITY, $50 BIL FUNDING FOR CLEAN TECH!!

[Dems Will Win]

Wow. All I can say is Wow. This is proof that Obama has the goods. Where's the beef?

Right here:

It contains several new proposals, including the appointment of technology czar called a Chief Technology Officer.

The CTO’s mandate would be quite different from the Cybersecurity czar appointed under the Bush Administration. Bush’s czar helped defend against cyberattacks. Obama’s CTO, by contrast, would ensure government officials holds open meetings, broadcast live webcasts of those meetings, and use blogging software, wikis and open comments to communicate policies with Americans, according to the plan.

...

I. OPEN GOVERNMENT

He wants Cabinet officials, government executives and rulemaking agencies to hold meetings that are open to the public and transmitted with a live feed. The CTO’s mandate will be to ensure this happens. Specifically, Obama wants the public to be able to comment on the White House website for five days before legislation is signed.

...

IV. NETWORK NEUTRALITY

Obama also is supporting network neutrality, a policy that would ensure Google wouldn’t be forced to pay an Internet service provider extra to ensure the speedy transfer of its data over the Internet. Stanford legal expert, Larry Lessig, called me up this afternoon (apparently under recommendation from the campaign) saying Obama has the most nicely balanced policy among the democrats. Obama’s plan, he says, imposes minimal regulatory burden. So: Unlike John Edwards who, proposes to “enforce net neutrality ensuring no degradation or blocking of access to websites,” Obama would not ban differential service. He would simply require that the terms offered one website or company are no better or worse than those offered anyone else. This is a kind of “most favored nations” network neutrality, much simpler to enforce than one that looks to technical factors to determine whether the regulation is obeyed. Venture people should be very interested in this, Lessig says, because “if network neutrality regulation is going to be passed (as it will if a Dem is president) this imposes a very minimal (and relatively easy to monitor) burden on network owner.”

...In fact, Roos also called me earlier today. Roos said Obama’s proposal a few days ago for a clean technology venture capital fund, to be backed by a whopping $50 billion in federal funding for five years, is particularly encouraging.


MORE: http://venturebeat.com/2007/11/13/exclusive-barack-obama-to-name-a-chief-technology-officer/

Please recommend so we can all discuss this important issue! $50 billion in govt backing for clean tech! Holy #%$#@$ #@^$#&!

This is GREAT.

[Dems Will Win]

1. I'm in Energy and $50 billion would definitely save the planet

I can assure you being on the inside of a lot of revolutionary technology in solar and "lunar" energy.

[KansDem]

2. I'm all for this...

...would ensure government officials holds open meetings, broadcast live webcasts of those meetings, and use blogging software, wikis and open comments to communicate policies with Americans, according to the plan.

I mean, if the Dems aren't going to enforce subpoenas to get this information, then it's best not to have a reason for the subpoenas in the first place...

And, like Bush's retro-active protection for the phone companies and their illegal spying, I'd like Obama's proposal to be retro-active...

[Dems Will Win]

4. Can you imagine how much more power this gives the blogosphere

I mean - we have REALITY on our side! The Rs would be hard-pressed to match that!

[hedgehog]

3. Open government with people being held to account for the advice they give?

Won't someone think of the children!

[Dems Will Win]

5. Hide their eyes so they are not blinded by the LIGHT!

[hedgehog]

6. Why, if it is known which advisor says what, how will companies

like Halliburton get no-bid contracts?

[Dems Will Win]

7. Wait, you're RIGHT! Lets fuggedaboutit...

[Scriptor Ignotus]

8. excellent

I like the CTO position, although their chief job would be to create a more robust version of CSPAN.org.

I was hoping the CTO would be charged with fixing our technological infrastructure (broadband, wifi, etc) that is lagging behind Korea and Japan, among others. But still, a lot of great stuff in this. Very forward thinking. I love it.

[druidity33]

9. good ideas... K&R nt

[hedgehog]

10. Wait a minute - a posting that lauds a candidate's proposals

with no put downs of other candidates and no polling info? Just what is the OP trying to pull, anyways?

[WilliamPitt]

11. Your candidate sucks.

Balance is restored.

;)

[warren pease]

12. As a DK supporter and campaign volunteer...

I'm seriously impressed with these initiatives. I'm curious to see how DK responds. He's advocating net neutrality, federal investment in new energy technology and open government, but hasn't been too specific on how to implement them.

I really, really like this plan from Obama. It's in fact the first really exciting thing I've seen emerge from his campaign. I just hope that $80.2 million he's collected from corporate america doesn't get in the way of his advocacy of these vital policies.


wp

[hedgehog]

14. Well, I thought that this was pretty exciting, but then I am an organic

gardener!

http://www.barackobama.com/2007/10/16/obama_outlines_policies_for_ru.php

Obama traveled to an eastern Iowa farm to outline his plan, parts of which have been offered before. His proposal included:

_ A $250,000 limit on subsidy payments to farmers as well as strict environmental rules and enforcement for large livestock operations. He would also put strict limits on the size of operations eligible for assistance in cleaning pollution, "so the largest polluters have to pay for their own environmental cleanup."

_ Creation of new cost-sharing programs to help farmers get certification as organic farmers, and revamping crop insurance programs to avoid penalizing organic producers.

[Terri S]

16. The $80 million he's collected has been from around 500,000 supporters

many of which gave in amounts under $100. It was a really nice post. I figured you'd want it to be accurate too. ;)

I think DK would respond favorably to this. It's a great plan. I don't see how any of the candidates could argue with that, actually..at least none on our side of the aisle.

[warren pease]

18. Obama support data...

According to opensecrets.org, here's the demographic breakout of his individual contributors. I don't see how that adds up to 500,000 individual contributors, but I may be missing something.

Here's a list of his top corporate/special interest contributors.

Breakouts on a bunch of other campaign finance stuff for Obama here.

Links to all candidates' campaign funding data http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/index.asp">here.

And the link to the main opensecrets.org page is here.


wp

[LanternWaste]

13. It sounds like a good idea on so many levels....

These sound like good ideas on so many levels. National, corporate and individual.

Good stuff all the way around. This is what I like to see in the primaries-- ideas and concepts getting discussed!

[killbotfactory]

15. I'm impressed

and I'm proud to support him

[HuffleClaw]

17. wow, what a great idea!

won't ever happen of course