Obama to put money and muscle behind IT

President-elect Barack Obama has begun laying out key elements of a massive economic stimulus program he hopes will be enacted in January after he takes office, and technology will play an important role in that plan. In his Saturday morning radio address on Dec. 6, Obama said his proposal to create 2.5 million jobs will include bringing more Internet access to schools and libraries, expanding nationwide broadband Internet access, and improving information technology at hospitals and doctors' offices.
 
"It is unacceptable that the United States ranks 15th in the world in broadband adoption,'' said Obama. "Here, in the country that invented the Internet, every child should have the chance to get online, and they'll get that chance when I'm President--because that's how we'll strengthen America's competitiveness in the world.''

"In addition to connecting our libraries and schools to the Internet, we must also ensure that our hospitals are connected to each other through the Internet,'' he added. "That is why the economic recovery plan I'm proposing will help modernize our health care system--and that won't just save jobs, it will save lives. We will make sure that every doctor's office and hospital in this country is using cutting-edge technology and electronic medical records so that we can cut red tape, prevent medical mistakes, and help save billions of dollars each year.''

Obama did not offer a price tag for how much his economic plan will cost, but he said, "We need to act with the urgency this moment demands to save or create at least two and a half million jobs so that the nearly two million Americans who've lost them know that they have a future."

Obama talked about expanding broadband access during his presidential campaign, and the idea has been raised by incoming White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel. Obama's radio address provided added assurance that this will be part of the stimulus package. Obama also said he plans a massive effort to make public buildings more energy efficient. Although he didn't mention IT specifically in relation to energy, it's clear that IT will be a major component of his plan to modernize public buildings across the United States.

 For more on Obama's 21st century New Deal:
 - check out this New York Times article

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