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Congressional Elections - Who's Good for IT Folks?

Posted by Cliff on from the techies-as-a-voting-bloc dept.

rlp asks: "Most of the articles appearing in Slashdot's new political section pertain to the U.S. Presidential election. However, most of the political issues facing American IT people are issues that are dealt with (or more often caused by) Congress. Therefore, my question is: who are the heroes and villains (for U.S. IT people) in Congress that are running for office this year? How does your local Congresscritter (or the person running against them) feel about copyrights, privacy, data security, H1-B, outsourcing, software patents, Open Source, tech education, R&D funding, anti-trust, etc?"

4 of 117 comments (clear)

  1. There isn't a pro or anti IT party by DesScorp · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Doesn't really matter, because IT has become such a neccessity, and such a commodity, that it's silly to say "who should I vote for? who will support IT the most?". It's a non-issue. It's like saying "gee, which party will support accountants more?" or "which party supports telephone use?". It just isn't one of those economic sectors thats on one side of the spectrum politically, like trial lawyers.

    --
    Life is hard, and the world is cruel
    1. Re:There isn't a pro or anti IT party by Otter · · Score: 3, Interesting

      It's not news that the "outsourcing" issue draws heavily on thinly-veiled racial scapegoating. But I'm not sure who is making less of an attempt to conceal it: you or this idiot.

      --
      What I'm listening to now on Pandora...
    2. Re:There isn't a pro or anti IT party by orthogonal · · Score: 3, Interesting

      It's not news that the "outsourcing" issue draws heavily on thinly-veiled racial scapegoating. But I'm not sure who is making less of an attempt to conceal it: you or this idiot.

      I think you missed my point, friend.

      I'm not scapegoating the Indian worker: he's making a rational decision to take a better job so he can better feed his family, and you or I would do the same in his place.

      My point was to demonstrate that -- whether the issue is outsourcing of the IT sector, or John Ashcroft's cavalier (roundhead?) attitude toward civil liberties, or the DMCA, or anything else -- those who blithely ignore politics quickly sooner or later find themselves at the mercy of those who do pay attention.

      Many of us in the "tech sector" pretend to disdain politics -- it's a luxury when can just barely afford to get away with as the "American Century" draws to a close.

      But one way or another, the butcher's bill comes due, either at Omaha Beach or at Tarawa or Concord or Lexington, or to mix metaphors, in a bread line.

      --
      Opinions on the Twiddler2 hand-held keyboard?
  2. Russ Feingold for WI by Joe+Tennies · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Let's just say he's the only guy in Congress to vote AGAINST the Patriot Act. From his website (russfeingold.org): Senator Feingold supported 90% of the provisions of the PATRIOT Act, but too many provisions were deeply troubling. Certain provisions may infringe on the rights of law-abiding citizens, while doing little protect our country against terrorists. If he ever runs for President, he's got my vote.