What Tomorrow's Elections Mean for Science and Technology (It's not pretty)

[onehandle]

From Gizmodo, of all places.
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Tuesday's midterms could mean more than just a routine reshuffling of the House and Senate majorities. The fates of a number of important science and technology policies also hang in the balance.

Net Neutrality
If things go the way the polls seem to indicate, the fight to keep an open Internet could become much harder next year. Incumbent congressman and front-runner to chair the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.), has already said there will be little incentive to support the current temporary compromise if Republicans capture the House on Tuesday. That's no surprise given that Upton himself has long history of Net neutrality opposition. He has called FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski's plan to reclassify broadband as a "blind power grab."

"Knowing we'll have a much stronger hand come January, there's no reason for us to compromise or save someone's bacon," Upton said in an interview with Politico.

Over the past five months, telecom and Internet companies have been scrambling to come up with a compromise for the controversial issue. The current draft would have granted the FCC temporary authority to regulate content on the Internet, but not on wireless networks. But even that neutered version never came close to a vote, as key Republicans refused to sign on to the draft legislation. Don't expect things to get better if Tea Party candidates also win seats, either. A coalition that included 35 groups sent a letter to the FCC last August urging it not to extend authority over broadband providers because doing so would be "an affront to free speech."

More on the NASA Budget, Environmental Policy, Taxes, Prop 23, Stem Cell Legislation:

http://gizmodo.com/5678062/what-tomorrows-elections-mean-for-science-and-technology

[stray cat]

1. Same for any type of research including medical and for educators

[KoKo]

2. It's going to be a Long Slog these years ahead of us...We either Fight or Give Up..

And, many of us have fought so long...we keep at it because we see it as Long and Drawn Out.. Or, the stress of it causes us to cave. I don't blame the latter...but hope to be here for the "Former" ...if, indeed, I myself, can keep my enthusiasm focused.

[Kdillard]

3. Pretty much as expected if Republicans gain power. I can only hope that Dems pull through or are

able to do as much damage control as they can no matter what happens.