Kerry’s plan includes mechanisms to create jobs in the technology sector. Encourage Innovation by Helping Companies that Take Risks:

• Support for Advanced Technology. The Advanced Technology Program provides support for projects that have high-payoff potential but often cannot get private sector support. President Bush proposed freezing new ATP grant awards; Kerry will advocate sufficient funding for these innovative projects. John Kerry has also proposed to double funding for the Manufacturing Extension Program.

Create Jobs of the Future with Research Today:

• Invest in Federal Research and Development. Research funded by the Federal government can pave the way for new innovation and advancements in high growth fields. It was central to development of the web browser and the computer mouse. Even the founders of Yahoo honed their computer skills at Stanford’s federal research labs. Kerry will support increased funding for key research programs and agencies, including the National Science Foundation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the Department of Energy.
• Create Jobs in a Broadband Nation.  Economists have estimated that widespread, high-speed broadband access could increase our national GDP by as much as $500 billion annually by 2006 and another study predicted that building and using a robust, nationwide broadband network will create an estimated 1.2 million new and permanent jobs. 
• Cutting Edge Energy Plan.  John Kerry believes we must harness technological innovation to create jobs by developing energy alternatives for the future. He has proposed a $10 billion research effort to help solve infrastructure needs and configuration challenges for developing a hydrogen economy. Kerry’s plan will also stimulate investments in renewable energy, with mechanisms such as loan guarantees, and new federal electricity rules to improve the way intermittent sources like solar and wind are valued by utilities.

Reallocate Spectrum. Wi-Fi networks at home are becoming cheaper, a Wi-Fi phone has been developed, and schools nationwide are setting up Wi-Fi hot spots to connect their students to the Internet.  The potential for this and other technologies that could operate in unlicensed spectrum is limitless. However, our spectrum rules are designed on the notion that spectrum is a finite, scarce resource. Kerry will work to make more spectrum available for experimentation with new, more efficient technologies and radios. He also believes that the Federal government could reallocate spectrum and make it available for third generation wireless phone networks.
 
Empower Americans by Making Internet Access Universally Available. As more commerce and service occurs over the Internet, John Kerry believes that we need to make Internet access available to all families. Several generations ago the Rural Electric Administration brought isolated areas out of the darkness. Similarly a visionary Federal government will build a bridge across the digital divide and bring the promise of broadband technology to rural and urban America. Kerry supports providing a tax credit to telecommunications companies that deploy broadband in rural and underserved parts of America.

Empower Innovators by Cracking Down on Trade and Intellectual Property Violations:

• Enforce Trade Law to Open Markets: The Bush Administration has not cracked down on countries that are manipulating trade laws or manipulating currency and has cut funds trade enforcement, despite the manufacturing drain. John Kerry will continue to fight for exporters of biotech products to open markets closed by unfair trade practices.
• Copyright-Based Industries Are Critical to Economic Growth: Products of the mind from America’s scientists, engineers, computer programmers have little value without intellectual property protections. Copyright based industries alone now account for nearly 6% of all jobs in America and 7.75 % of GDP. These industries are in jeopardy because of the Bush Administration’s failure to enforce international treaties to protect America’s creative community from piracy.
• Stop Intellectual Piracy: The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative estimates that losses theft of U.S. intellectual property in 51 foreign countries total $9.7 billion. In China alone we lose $1.8 billion to piracy. Yet even where we have strong agreements, piracy remains a major problem due to a failure to fully implement the TRIPS agreement and an unwillingness or inability to crack down on the problem. A Kerry Administration will take theft of the jobs of America’s creative workforce a trade and foreign policy priority.

Enhance Confidence With Strong Corporate Accountability: Our economy does well when our workers are doing well and there is confidence in our financial markets. Many corporations are undermining consumer confidence by bending the rules and shirking their fair share of the burden - and the Bush Administration is rewarding those who break the rules with lucrative government contracts. Kerry will fight for a government that rewards those who work hard and play by the rules and challenges those who don’t.  He will stop corporations from keeping bank accounts in countries like Bermuda to avoid paying taxes and will end government contracts to corporations breaking the rules.

Strengthen Economy with Fiscal Discipline: George W. Bush’s economic policies have, for the first time in history, forced the federal government to spend $1 billion more EACH DAY than it takes in. President Bush’s exploding deficits are destroying the solvency of Social Security and Medicare and placed the enormous burden of saving these programs on the shoulders of our children and grandchildren. John Kerry believes that we need a smaller and smarter government that wastes less money.

• Balance the Budget and Cut the Deficit in Half in First Term. Kerry has put forward a sensible plan that will cut the deficit at least in half in his first term, while investing in economic growth and investing in workers.
• A Balanced Budget Summit. Kerry will call a Balanced Budget Summit that will require all sides to work together to make at least temporary sacrifices – even in their top priorities –to restore fiscal discipline.

If we don’t have a highly educated workforce then more jobs will be at risk for going overseas and Americans won’t be able to get high paying jobs. So America succeeds in the 21st century, Kerry will work to assure every child a world class education.

Creating World-Class Schools:

• Guarantee Schools Are Fully Funded. Stop Cuts in Schools with a State Tax Relief and Education Fund that gives $25 billion. John Kerry will reverse George W. Bush’s broken promise to leave no child behind with an Education Trust Fund that guarantees mandatory funding for all the No Child Left Behind Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
• Assure America Leads in Math and Science. Strengthening math and science instruction is critical to ensuring a highly-qualified workforce for the technology jobs of the future. Kerry supports math-science partnerships between elementary and secondary schools and the private sector, teacher training in math and science, and strong remedial and after-school programs that focus on math and science.
• Make Vocational and Technical Education Available. Kerry also supports funding for vocational and technical education. President Bush has proposed slashing federal funding for vocational education. 

Make College As Universal As High School. Kerry’s “College Opportunity Tax Credit” will make four years of college affordable for all Americans.  He will provide a refundable credit for each and every year of college on the first $4,000 paid in tuition – the typical tuition and fees for public college tuition.

Support of Biotechnology: Modern biotechnology has already produced dramatic breakthroughs in human health, and offers promise in food, agriculture, and industrial products. Kerry strongly supports research and development in biotechnology (in both health and agriculture) and he supports government regulation that assures strong science-based decision making.

• Improve Health through Stem Cell Research:  Stem cell research has the potential to fight diseases such as Parkinson’s, cancer, and diabetes. Bush only supports research on a few inferior stem cell lines, which has undermined discoveries that could save lives. Kerry will support stem cell research.
• Improve America’s Security. John Kerry recognizes that having a workforce here at home that can develop and maintain the technology necessary for our critical infrastructure increases national security by ensuring that Americans never have to rely on technology that is developed overseas.