Jim Gibbons and technology

As shown in the polls and overall public opinion, Jim Gibbons has become substantially disliked as governor of Nevada. Yet much of his voting record shows a substantial bent toward technology and progress. But does it do any good?

Before and after assuming the office of governor in 2007, technology has been at the center of some of his votes. In his first State of the State address, he announced that he would allocate $170 million to improve the traffic flow and safety of several of Nevada's highways. He supported the Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act of 2005, which determined the guidelines for posting illicit content and the penalties therein. A year earlier, he voted in favor of investigating commercial space travel.

As a member of the Congressional Internet Caucus, some of Gibbons's recent work promoting awareness of and solving problems related to the Web. In early 2001, he supported the enforcement of criminal laws aimed at reducing the number of spam messages. In 2002, he voted in favor of a bill that allowed telephone giants to add high-speed Internet to their marketing. The next year, he voted to ban credit card payments to online gambling companies.¹

Recently, Gibbons called for technology to be updated in the fight against illegal immigration. On April 26 of this year, he called on Barack Obama to take a stand against the problems at the border; part of his solution included updated technologies such as facial recognition software². His stance is that since we have greater capabilities with which we can protect ourselves, it makes sense to use them.³

In his most recent State of the State address, he elaborated on the substantial problems facing the state. With the economy and housing market high on the list, technology isn't the highest place. In fact, his main mention of technology discussed a project to recycle waste and make landfills a thing of the past.⁴

Progress in Nevada is the same as in any state: it needs technology, but that's not all there is to it. Technology depends on money and ingenuity of the public, and his measures show a bent toward using it for the public's benefit.

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Works cited:

1. http://www.issues2000.org/governor/Jim_Gibbons_Technology.htm
2. http://gov.state.nv.us/PressReleases/2010/2010-04-26_Immigration.htm
3. http://www.gibbonsforcongress.com/category/news/
4. http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/feb/08/full-text-gov-jim-gibbons-state-state-address/