Summertime Temperatures Call for Increased Caution houserepublicansscoredasmallvictorylastweekinthebattleoverwhattheyconsiderwastefulspending.Theytemporarilysidetrackedabillthatwouldrenewforfiveyearsthefederalgovernmentsunderlyingsupportforscientificresearchanddevelopment.Oh,andintheprocesstheystruckablowforproperbehaviorbygettingthehousetosupportabanonviewingpornographyinfederalworkplaces.Fromthelooksofthings,infact,thehousegopdoesntlikefederallyfinancedscientificresearchanymorethanitlikesfederallyfinancedporn.Quitepossiblyless.Bylinkingthepornbantotheirproposaltoshortentheperiodcoveredbythebilltothreeyearsandtofreezethespendinglevelsforthenationalsciencefoundation,thenationalinstituteforstandardsandtechnology,andtheresearchoperationsofthedepartmentofenergy,therepublicanselevatedthepoliticalstakesandguaranteedthatalargenumberofdemocratswouldjointhemonthevote.Thespendingcutbackwasagreedtobyavoteof292-126.Fivegoplawmakerswhohadsupportedthemeasureincommitteethreeweeksearliervotedtogutitonthefloor.Onelonerepublican,vernonj.Ehlersofmichigan--whohappenstobeoneofthreephysicistsinthehouse--votedagainsttherepublicanlanguage.Ehlersvoteistelling.Hepresumablyknowsbetterthanmostofhiscolleaguesthevalueofscientificinnovation.Hiswillingnesstoignorethepoisonpillpornprovisionandstandupforboostingresearchanddevelopmentgoesrighttotheheartofwhatsomecontendisacriticalfightoverthefutureoftheu.S.Economy.Itwouldbeabitmuchtohangamericancompetitiveness,andtheprospectsforsustainedjobgrowth,ononeauthorizationbillthatalmostnooneinthecountryhasheardof--butonlyabit.Theamountatstakehereissmallinrelativeterms,justafewbilliondollarsayeardifferencebetweenthebillapprovedbycommitteeandthecutbacksengineeredonthefloorbythegop.Buttomanyofthosewhoseetheunitedstatesfallingbehindothercountriesinourabilitytoeducateandinnovate,everypennymatters.Thatswhatthisfightcomesdownto:shouldthefederalgovernmentbeinthebusinessoffinancingresearchanddevelopment,andifso,inwhatfashion?Andwithhowmuchmoney?Itwasthedemocratswho,in2007,madeaconcertedefforttoexpandresearchspendingundertheamericacompetesact(theacronymisforcreatingopportunitiestomeaningfullypromoteexcellenceintechnology,educationandscience).Thatsthelawupforrenewalthisyear;complaintsaboutitareaimednotatthepresumptuoustitle,butratheratitsunderlyingpremise.Slippingasinnovationincubatorsuchobjectionsleadpeoplesuchasrobertatkinsontoriseupandobject.Atkinsonisthefounderandpresidentoftheinformationtechnologyandinnovationfoundation(itif),afledglingwashingtonthinktankthattakesasomewhatuniqueapproachtopolicyargumentsbyeschewingmosteconomicorthodoxy--liberalandconservative.Toitscredit,itifisgettingsomeattentionforitseffortstopromoteinnovationasanecessary21stcenturygoalthatrequiresgovernmentinput,andlotsofit.Inastudylastyearfortheeuropean-americanbusinesscouncil,atkinsonsgroupcounteredtheconventionalwisdomthattheunitedstatesleadstheworldininnovation.Usingmorethanadozenmetrics,itiffoundthattheunitedstatesrankedsixthamongroughlythreedozenindustrializedanddevelopingcountries,behindsingapore,sweden,luxembourg,denmarkandsouthkorea.Morecritically,theunitedstateswaslastintherateofimprovementoverthedecadefrom1999to2009.Intermsofgovernmentsupportforresearchanddevelopment,theunitedstatesrankedsixth,butitwas24thintherateofincreaseoverthedecade.Forcorporater&d,educationalattainmentandthenumberofresearchers,theu.S.Standingwasroughlythesame.Thisportendsacrisisforthenationseconomywithinthenextdecade,atkinsonsays,andheblamesitonflawedeconomicprinciplesthathesaysdominatepolicyprescriptionsontherightandleft.Conservativesandmanyliberals(thoseinthemoldofrobertrubinandlawrencesummers)aretoofixatedonthedeficit,hesays.Someotherleft-leaningpolicymakersaretoofocused,hesays,onhighertaxestofinancebenefitsdirectedtoworkers.Toofewpeople,hesays,careabouttheneedtovigorouslypromoteinnovation--whichinhisviewrequirestargetedgovernment-financedresearch;closepartnershipsamonggovernment,companiesandotherorganizations;andstrongtaxbenefitstopromoteprivater&d.Itsfairtosaythatmostwhohewtotheestablishedpositionsofrightandleftinwashingtoncanfindsomethingtoembraceinatkinsonspolicyproposals,aswellassomethingtoreject.Thequestioniswhethertheycanseehislogic.Whenthehouseagaintakesupthescienceauthorizationbillthisweek,atkinsonandhisallieswillbewatchingtoseeiflawmakerscandirecttheirattentiontothelong-termgoalsofthelaw,orwhethertheyremaindistractedbypoliticsandsmut.Clickheretoseemorepoliticaleconomycolumns |22222222| !,Becomeafanonfacebook
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