Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Kerry suggests merging Technology Administration, NTIA

From: [email-masked]
Date: Thu, 05 Aug 2004 15:41:24 -0400

08/04/04

Kerry suggests merging Technology Administration, NTIA

By Jason Miller
GCN Staff

Sen. John Kerry, the Democratic presidential candidate, yesterday
proposed combining two of the government’s technology and
telecommunications agencies. His plan details some of the federal
reforms his administration would pursue.

The Massachusetts senator’s strategy calls for the Commerce Department’s
Technology Administration to merge with the National Telecommunications
and Information Administration to “promote a more efficient and
effective operation, while ensuring that we move forward to bridge the
digital divide.”

The idea of combining of these two agencies is not new. In February 2003
Commerce Secretary Don Evans proposed merging the departments with the
e-commerce policy function of the International Trade Administration.

Congress rejected Evans’ proposal during the fiscal 2004 appropriations
process. Sen. Earnest Hollings (D-S.C.), the ranking member of the
Commerce, Justice, State appropriations subcommittee, led the effort to
reauthorize NTIA through 2008, but the bill never was passed by the full
Senate.

Industry groups have supported both Evans’ and Kerry’s proposals.

Harris Miller, president of the Information Technology Association of
America, said that as technology changes, the federal government’s
process of dealing with it should also change. He cited voice over IP is
an example of why the merger should happen. NTIA is focused on wired
telecommunications, but more agencies are using VOIP and more companies
are offering these services.

“The bureaucracy ought to adjust periodically to work with the
technology of today,” Miller said.

The Kerry campaign, according to its Web site, also supports:

Combining 70 statistical agencies into one called USA Statistics

Restoring the governmentwide target of having one manager per 15 workers

Reducing the number of contractors by 100,000 over the next 10 years

Freezing the federal travel budget.

http://gcn.com/vol1_no1/daily-updates/26842-1.html
======================================
Kerry Plan:

Merge the Commerce Department’s NTIA and TA. With the convergence of
telecommunications and technology, it is imperative that the Commerce
Department’s Technology Administration (TA) and the National
Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) operate on the
same page at all times. Therefore, John Kerry would merge these two
government agencies, to promote a more efficient and effective
operation, while ensuring that we move forward to bridge the digital
divide.

http://www.johnkerry.com/pdf/pr_2004_0803.pdf

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