I’ve noticed a curious pattern emerging. At agency after agency with telecom and high-tech oversight, key positions have yet to be filled. Some are not even close to being filled.
To be fair, President Bush-owing to Recount 2000 delays-got a late start. Here’s progress to date: The president announced three nominations to the Federal Communications Commission. Floyd Kvamme, a big-time Silicon Valley venture capitalist and Bush fund-raiser, was appointed co-chair and member of the president’s committee of advisers on science and technology. And Cisco Systems’ Bruce Mehlman was tapped to head technology policy at the Commerce Department.
But other high-tech policy positions-equally or arguably more important-remain vacant. Maybe this has nothing to do with delay, though. Perhaps Bush will rely on a few insiders for advice and his high-tech agenda will be tax cuts and deregulation. Period.
This poses a problem not only for the high-tech sector-currently in meltdown mode-but also for a shaky U.S. economy increasingly fueled by digital-driven productivity.
The most serious vacancy is at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.
The absence of a Bush-appointee at NTIA has created major headaches for a mobile-phone industry that is warring with the Pentagon for rights to airwaves carriers want for third-generation wireless systems. Granted, mobile-phone lobbyists got some encouraging words from Commerce Secretary Don Evans at a March 29 meeting. On Tuesday this week, cellular CEOs will meet with Evans to make the case for 3G spectrum.
Impressive as it may seem to some that Evans opened his door to industry, very little-if anything-has changed since last month’s meeting. Tomorrow’s meeting may well prove equally ineffective. The mobile-phone industry needs someone-namely an NTIA director-who can work the 3G spectrum issue around the clock. Time is of the essence.
NTIA is not alone.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which last week became aware of two more citizens killed by a distracted driver on a cell phone, is without a director. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, lacking adequate funding and burdened by increased high-tech patent applications of controversial nature, is without a director as well.
At the Justice Department, which stands watch over the incredibly shrinking telecom industry, things are a bit better. Antitrust lawyer Charles James has been nominated to oversee Justice’s antitrust division. But no Senate confirmation hearing has been scheduled.
Aggravated by ringing cell phones at meetings and having foresworn e-mail in the Oval Office, Bush may have taken himself out of the running for the position of New Economy poster child at the White House.
