Candidate Responses for TX-3
Comparing responses to Innovation & the Elections 2008 for:
Innovation
Science and technology have been responsible for half of the growth of the American economy since World War II. But several recent reports question America’s continued leadership in these vital areas. What policies would you support to ensure that America remains the world leader in innovation?
Samuel Robert Johnson
All candidates have been invited to respond to the Innovation & the Elections 2008 questionnaire on science and technology policy. Urge Samuel Robert Johnson to participate by contacting him through his webform today.Thomas Daley
Bill Clinton said during his first Presidential inauguration that “there is nothing wrong with America that can’t be fixed with what is RIGHT with America.” I believe this inspiring notion—that we are greater than our problems—is exactly the place to begin. Americans thrive on ingenuity and “can do” spirit.Now, facing a confluence of historic challenges, we must offer financial support and incentives to create an environment where research and development in science and engineering flourish. For example, I support mostly privately funded, publically incented research projects focusing on several crises (innovation, environment, gas prices, etc.) at one time while rewarding our nation’s top thinkers and creators.
Climate Change
The Earth’s climate is changing and there is concern about the potentially adverse effects of these changes on life on the planet. What is your position on the following measures that have been proposed to address global climate change—a cap-and-trade system, a carbon tax, increased fuel-economy standards, and research? Are there other policies you would support?
Samuel Robert Johnson
All candidates have been invited to respond to the Innovation & the Elections 2008 questionnaire on science and technology policy. Urge Samuel Robert Johnson to participate by contacting him through his webform today.Thomas Daley
There is no longer any reasonable debate as to whether our climate is changing in ways adverse to our way of life. Parties that argued against scientific evidence that human activity is resulting in climate change now capitulate to the truth. The question is what do we do and when.Some believe that the U.S. cannot afford to address climate change until our economic rivals address their climate-changing behavior. I believe that is an immoral position that plays “chicken” with nature’s dispassionate forces. Many large corporations have made Green a serious part of their corporate behavior and they have profited from it. Not only is it immoral to dare the environment, but forestalling action cripples U.S. businesses, and sets up challenges that future generations may not be able to meet.
Except in academic circles, there is no longer any meaningful debate between cap-and-trade and a carbon tax. Kyoto settled that issue on a global basis in favor of cap-and-trade. I support cap-and-trade as long as the initial auction of credits is market-based (i.e. not set artificially low) with ever-rising standards. Cap-and-trade meets the goal of lowering pollution on a global basis while allowing financial markets to direct investment priorities.
We need more research into sources and methods of producing energy and manufacturing products cost-effectively while we lower our overall carbon footprint. I support much higher fuel-economy standards, yet I believe that we can be off of gasoline in private vehicles in this short run. If we can only win one battle--higher efficiency standards OR breaking the petroleum habit--I would vote to do whatever we have to do to break our petroleum habit while maintaining the best of our standard of living.
Energy
Many scientists and policymakers say energy security and sustainability are major problems facing the United States this century. What policies would you support to meet the demand for energy while ensuring an economically and environmentally sustainable future?
Samuel Robert Johnson
All candidates have been invited to respond to the Innovation & the Elections 2008 questionnaire on science and technology policy. Urge Samuel Robert Johnson to participate by contacting him through his webform today.Thomas Daley
Energy is a multi-faceted issue within which we must address various modalities of transportation, point of use and point of origin environmental impacts, uses in fixed structures, local versus centralized generation, and the balance between technical feasibility and commercial viability.All new construction should be at least LEED-certified. Some municipalities are experimenting with generous tax incentives for LEED-certified construction and I believe those are good policies.
Fuel efficiency standards in vehicles must be much higher, yet it is possible that we can end our use of fossil fuels in private vehicles and public transportation within a few years. That is a much shorter time horizon than that within which higher fuel efficiency standards would be helpful and will provide much more benefit.
We must offer compelling incentives to lure sustained private investment into research and development “with all deliberate speed.” Innovations in public policy, business practices, and scientific and engineering thinking hold the keys to our energy future.
It is not clear what the respective roles of all-electric vs hydrogen fuel-cells will be in the future. Yet I believe that a government-funded, industry-driven consortium must immediately develop battery engineering and manufacturing standards so that batteries can be replaced at "gas" stations as easily as propane tanks can be swapped out at any local store. Standard sizes, fittings, and capacities means that no one ever waits for a propane tank to be refilled. Similar physical standards will make battery-powered cars viable for long-distrance trips.
Education
A comparison of 15-year-olds in 30 wealthy nations found that average science scores among U.S. students ranked 17th, while average U.S. math scores ranked 24th. What role do you think the federal government should play in preparing K-12 students for the science and technology driven 21st Century?
Samuel Robert Johnson
All candidates have been invited to respond to the Innovation & the Elections 2008 questionnaire on science and technology policy. Urge Samuel Robert Johnson to participate by contacting him through his webform today.Thomas Daley
If the solution to our current energy, environmental, economic, and security needs lies on the other side of innovation, then education is a mandatory condition precedent. Education is an important element of national strength.I am currently doing research on No Child Left Behind with educators from all levels, finding out what works about it and what does not, and what needs to be changed.
A few things are clear: Our programs for gifted and talented children need far more support and our classroom sizes, at all levels, need to be cut in half. That means that we need more teachers, meeting the highest professional standards, receiving a wage commensurate to their impact on our future, and secure in their retirement following a lifetime of work well done.
Water
Thirty-nine states expect some level of water shortage over the next decade, and scientific studies suggest that a majority of our water resources are at risk. What policies would you support to meet demand for water resources?
Samuel Robert Johnson
All candidates have been invited to respond to the Innovation & the Elections 2008 questionnaire on science and technology policy. Urge Samuel Robert Johnson to participate by contacting him through his webform today.Thomas Daley
Water and air are the common ingredients of all life and commerce. We have a closed system of water on Earth—we have all we will ever have and it is located according to forces we do not entirely control.In most regions of the country, water is underpriced by two-thirds, relative to its growing scarcity and immutable value. If water were priced at its true market value, vanity uses would cease, landscaping and agriculture would become climate-appropriate, and industry would support higher efficiency standards.
Research
For many years, Congress has recognized the importance of science and engineering research to realizing our national goals. Given that the next Congress will likely face spending constraints, what priority would you give to investment in basic research in upcoming budgets?
Samuel Robert Johnson
All candidates have been invited to respond to the Innovation & the Elections 2008 questionnaire on science and technology policy. Urge Samuel Robert Johnson to participate by contacting him through his webform today.Thomas Daley
Solutions to our problems require innovation. Innovation requires research. Research is carried out by healthy, educated people. Remove one element from that chain, and we forgo our ability to solve our own problems.Some of our traditional houses of research pay more in retiree health benefits than their competitors spend on R&D. My health care plan would ease the burden on firms that have run themselves aground on health care promises they cannot afford to keep. We would help them not because they deserve it or because we want to cushion investor losses. We would adopt policies to relieve these burdens in order to free up capital for research and development at start up firms as well as at our traditional R&D-intensive companies.
Talking about spending constraints accepts the rhetorical traps of right-wing thinkers. We face spending constraints primarily because we are over-extended in prosecuting a senseless war that has no relationship to the interests of the American people. If we want national security, we have to be secure in our sources of energy. Rather than project a multi trillion military force around the world to protect oil supplies, the better use of debt would be in research that produces results breaking our dependence on ALL oil. Once we achieve that goal, would could right-size our military and use the financial savings to service any debt we incur researching and developing independent, sustainable sources of energy.
Do not fall into this trap of believing that Pres Bush has successfully mortgaged our future! His irrational policies, furthered by a complicit Congress and cheered by an acolyte press merely endangered our future. We can still reclaim our future!
Health
Americans are increasingly concerned with the cost, quality, and availability of health care. How do you see science, research, and technology contributing to improved health and quality of life?
Samuel Robert Johnson
All candidates have been invited to respond to the Innovation & the Elections 2008 questionnaire on science and technology policy. Urge Samuel Robert Johnson to participate by contacting him through his webform today.Thomas Daley
The federal government pools our resources to accomplish important objectives that we cannot accomplish as individuals or as states. Portability of reasonable access to quality healthcare is a key dimension of national strength and therefore an important objective. We cannot provide it to each other as individuals and states cannot address interstate portability. Thus, as an important objective underpinning national strength, which we cannot otherwise accomplish, our national government must lead on this issue. I support preserving the best of what we have through a series of solutions to particularized problems, not all of which require higher spending.Science and technology have already improved health care and quality of life. Several years ago, dangerous exploratory surgery was the only option for learning what was going on inside a sick patient. Now MRIs and other radiological breakthroughs have reduced the need for exploratory surgery and prevented countless deaths.
Yet when MRIs first became available, they were prohibitively expensive. As the Japanese government lowwered the amount it would pay for MRIs, scientists and engineers developed far less expensive MRI machines that are equally effective.
This is only one example. Delivery of maintenance medications, monitoring blood-glucose and other body chemistry levels, and a host of other follow-up and preventive services will no longer require daily administration of medications or frequent visits to a doctor's office. Advances in wireless technology, miniturization, and innovations in public policy will greatly improve the quality and duration of live for millions.
Diabetics will be the first to live free of the imprecise regimens of the past.
Scientific research and product development are the wonder children of our economic system--now and in the future.
Our Partner
SHARP Network
Science, Health, and Related Policies
Recent News Stories
- Congress likely to delay health care overhaul
- Facing Veto, Democrats Drop Plan for Vote on Child Bill
- FDA to List Drugs Being Investigated
- Pentagon debates development of offensive cyberspace capabilities
- Senate candidates' energy positions are very similar
- John McCain’s Energy Follies
- Obama Has a Plan To Manage Our Oil Reserve
- The world we avoided
- Gustav Relief Sends Red Cross Into Debt
- Funding storm research could save cash, lives
- High-resolution satellite launched in California
- CERN fires up new atom smasher to near Big Bang
- No greenhouse gas in coal substitute
- Company uses algae to make ethanol more eco-friendly
- European science satellite launch is delayed
- China to launch space mission in late September
- Palin's Efforts to Reform Health Care Are Complicated
- McCain talks up oil drilling, green energy
- Senate Forges a Compromise Energy Bill
- Best bet to turn the White House green?
- NASA may extend shuttle use to 2015
- NASA moves space shuttle Atlantis to launch pad
- Feds warn climate change could harm giant sequoias
- Drilling For Clean Energy
- A Bad Experiment in Voting