Politics in Mobility: The McCain Technology Platform

On Sunday, we shared our views making broadband access through the country.  We don't endorse a particular path regarding mobile broadband but we do believe it is essential.

On that note, CNet News has reported that Arizona Senator John McCain's Presidential campaign has issued its technology platform.  It's a worthy read but as to what these statements mean in practice, we won't ever know until it happens, will we?  I glanced at the post and the text of the platform and it is very pro-business, if that's your cup of tea.

Here are the main points:

• Promise to protect intellectual property.
• Keep out regulation.
• Commits to fair and open trade.
• Encourage Investment - clouded with some stuff about capital gains and corporate taxes.  I'm good with lower cap gains taxes but it doesn't make me want to invest more.  It makes me happy I can keep more.  But I'm small fry.
• R&D tax credit to be made permanent.
• First-year expense of new equipment and tech.
• Keep taxation from the Internet.  Unfortunately, it doesn't say anything about the states.  
• Foster a competitive workforce.

Here are a few of particular interests to mobile warriors:

• Wants consumer freedom to choose.  "free to use the applications and services they choose; free to attach devices they choose, if they do not harm the network; and free to chose among broadband service providers."
• Opposes higher taxes on wireless services.  Here is what's important.  The campaign opposses " new state and local discriminatory taxes and fees on wireless services".  
• Will fully fund America Competes Act.  Retrain displaced workers and changes to the community college system.  Targeted programs for minorities and low-income students.  Grants for wireless technology.

And hey!  Guess what?  We're on the same page when it comes to connectivity.  The McCain campaign believes a connected America (we think a wirelessly connected America) is important to "solving the problems of health care, immigration, climate change, and energy dependence all require connecting our citizens to a world-class network".  

Obviously, it sounds great on paper but if Senator McCain does win in November, he will likely have a powerful Democratic Congress to contend with.  Let's hope his past ability to work across the isle translates into a White House leadership in bipartisan efforts to offer 21st Century technology and education for America.  

Here is the link to Senator John McCain's technology platform.  Senator McCain of Arizona is the presumptive Republican nominee for the forty-fourth President of the United States.  

Later this week, we'll bring you the technology platform from the presumptive Democratic nominee, Senator Barack Obama of Illinois.  

Note:  Onxo will never pick one side over another unless we notice positions or policies that are blatantly contrary to the benefits of mobile  and Web users.  And we're not going to see that during an election year from either side.  Suffice to say, we believe there is a balanced policy that can weigh the interests of wireless providers against those of consumers.  


I guess one want to figure out who's best for mobile warriors is to see who's using a Blackberry or iPhone.  Yeah, okay.  Not funny.  Sorry...