Washington and Silicon Valley Need Each Other

The Personal Democracy Forum, an organization that examines how technology and politics can work together for change, poses and interesting question. Can the government attract Silicon Valley talent? The piece references the use of technology during the 2008 campaign and the new Google office in Reston, Va. as a couple proof points for a cozier partnership. But the post misses a significant point. It's about infrastructure.

The latest stimulus package puts a huge emphasis on infrastructure, and politicians from both sides of the aisle have touted the benefits of "shovel-ready" projects to build roads and bridges. It goes beyond that. The real question to ask is whether Washington can reach out to Silicon Valley to help modernize our nation's systems. We are posed with a choice. We can build like we're in the 1930's or build like we're in the 21st century. If the answer the the latter, then Washington needs Silicon Valley, and it must come up with appealing ways to attract the Valley's spirit of innovation and creative problem solving.

Check out yesterday's piece in the Wall Street Journal called "Smart Roads. Smart Bridges. Smart Grids" (subscription required). Here's an excerpt:

It's time the U.S. got a lot smarter.

Federal, state and local governments are about to pour tens of billions of dollars into the nation's infrastructure. The big question: Will we simply spend the money the way we've been doing for decades -- on more concrete and steel? Or will we use it to make our roads, bridges and other assets much more intelligent?

Imagine highways that alert motorists of a traffic jam before it forms. Or bridges that report when they're at risk of collapse. Or an electric grid that fixes itself when blackouts hit.

This vision -- known as "smart" infrastructure -- promises to make the nation more productive and competitive, while helping the environment and saving lives. Not to mention saving money by making what we've got work better and break down less often.

But fail to upgrade, advocates warn, and the country may be locked into the old way of building for decades to come.

How Barry Got His Groove Back

I'm watching President Obama's town hall meeting in Fort Myers, FL. He looks like Obama the campaigner. He's relaxed. He's joking around with the audience. He's walking with a swagger. He's in his element. In White House press conferences and photo-ops Obama looks dreary-eyed and sleep-deprived. I would too if I was forced to live in DC.

On one level he's being his usual long-winded self by trying to explain the macro-economic forces of our current crisis. But he succeeds by connecting the complex with the relevant.

While Obama isn't introducing anything new, this town hall meeting underscores his skill as a communicator. He boils down systemic issues such as energy grids and rural broadband access into singular outcomes such as jobs and commerce. He harnesses the winds of public opinion to power his message. He adds a level of accountability by asking his audience to judge him by his one success metric: job creation.

There's still a populist in him, and I worry he's just telling people what they want to hear. One woman named Henrietta Hughes could barely speak when she got up to the microphone. She begged him for help because she had no job and had lost her home. Obama walked down and hugged her. The crowd stood up and cheered. One woman in the audience looked like she was at the Kentucky Derby, shaking her fists as Obama walked towards Hughes.

Here's his most salient sound bite: "This is about turning crisis into opportunity." So true, given his set-backs since taking office (Republican rejection, Daschle tax evasion).

Stimulus and swine

As I’m following the debate around Obama’s economic stimulus package, the aphorism “one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter” keeps ringing in my head. In this case, is one man’s stimulus package is another man’s pork?

The front page of this morning’s Chronicle raises this question. Check out the handy chart at the bottom of the article that shows where the $825 billion in taxpayer money will go.

Much of the money could yield longer-term returns through greater energy efficiency and more better computer systems. But $200 million in renovations for the National Mall, $44 million for repairs at the Agriculture Department, and $426 million to construct facilities at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention seem weird, and only beneficial to D.C. construction companies.

At first blush, I am echoing Republican concerns that most of this money will do little to stimulate the economy. Obama’s throwing money at federal agencies that starved during the Bush administration. He also runs the risk of picking industry favorites, such as construction and health care, rather than providing relief to middle class Americans. But I’m not convinced that the Republican approach of giving a few hundred bucks in tax cuts for Americans to spend on useless stuff will help us invest for a better future.

I want to see an America that can apply its innovative spirit to fix the inefficiencies of our nation’s critical systems such as energy, food, health care, and transportation. And as a product of Silicon Valley, I’m idealistic that technology can play a big role in building a society that runs on more brains and less fuel than other countries. In order to make this work, government and the private sector must collaborate. Progress cannot be a solo venture.