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Show Policies for Internet and E-Commerce Utah State Senator Scott Howell way to provide more efficient service at a lower price. A few cities should be given funds to "push the envelope" and integrate digital technology into their systems. They will serve as models for all other cities and other local governments to observe and emulate. Three needed factors will assist in this process: (a) State governments should require the Department of Motor Vehicles to issue digital certificates to residents who want them. This will allow individuals to "sign" documents on line, (b) The national government should establish a $500 million annual digital Federal fund to invest in cross-agency projects. This will enable the streamlining of government, automated business-government, and consumer-government transactions, (c) The national government should establish the position of a Federal Chief Information Officer, who would report directly to the President. This person would be responsible for an independent budget that will drive the next generation of digital government. Thirdly, governments must resist pressures from threatened industry and business interests in such interests' attempt to delay the transition to digital technology. Many of these industries will lobby for laws making it difficult to conduct e-commerce. These laws will be disguised as protection for smaller business or for the benefit of the consumer, when in reality their objective is to advance a firm or an industry attached to the status quo. In order to continue American economic dominance into the 21st century, we must be willing to accept and incorporate the new technology that is so readily available. This emerging technology includes smart cards, voice-based computing, video telephony, and expert systems. As more of the economy and society are linked through digital networks, the majority of the economic functions will be conducted through digital technology, thus decreasing the need for low technology services (e.g., cash, forms, files, clerks and order takers). As a result, the animating force for productivity and wage growth in the New Economy will be the pervasive use of digital technologies. Once this occurs, the productivity paradox could very likely give way to a productivity boom. 98 |