Staring Down Political Goliaths

The recent U.S. election inspired this week’s discussion on the value of public advocacy for our industry.  While we are privileged to live in a free and democratic country, navigating the political landscape and ensuring your voice is heard may conjure up thoughts of David facing down Goliath. This is especially true for small businesses that often do not have its own public advocacy group or access to people who care for their concerns in Washington. But you can stand up and be heard; not with a slingshot as in the story of David, but through your trade association. The CompTIA public advocacy group is charged with ensuring that the interests of IT small businesses are heard by lawmakers and policy stakeholders.  Through the combined resources of thousands of members, we can effectively lobby on your behalf to stare down the giant. 

The CompTIA public advocacy team is working to educate members of Congress and the Administration about issues that are important to you.  Just a quick flavor of things they are working on:

• Promoting the Tech Entrepreneur:  In the coming days CompTIA will be aggressively seeking the repeal of an IRS requirement due to take effect in 2012 that would require any business that pays a single vendor for goods or services valued at $600 or more to provide that vendor with a Form 1099 to the IRS.   This provision, intended to raise revenues to pay for health care reform, will disproportionately hit small businesses and is an unreasonable burden. Also, in the months ahead, CompTIA will be looking for avenues to support small and medium sized technology firms that are preparing to get into the healthcare IT arena.


•  Supporting an Innovation and Competitiveness Agenda:  We need a workforce that has the skills and know-how to compete in a rapidly changing global economy.  Among other things, this means providing talented men and women -- who may now be out of work -- with the skills necessary to get a job in the IT field.  A principal vehicle in this effort is to ensure that the Workforce Investment Act continues to provide funding for training and education at One-Stop career centers around the country.  CompTIA strongly supports reauthorization of this important piece of legislation. 


•  Advancing Secure & Smart Tech Solutions:  With the mid-term elections just completed it is widely anticipated that matters like online privacy and data breach will gain greater prominence in the House of Representatives and that some sort of progress will be made toward enacting legislation on cybersecurity.  CompTIA intends to be at the forefront of all of these debates. 

 CompTIA is focused on supporting the policies that will allow our economy to recover and spur job growth and innovation. Small- and medium-size businesses are the lifeblood of our national economy, employing more than 50 percent of the country's private sector workforce. Moreover, they hire 43 percent of high tech workers (scientists, engi­neers, computer programmers, and others). That’s why we invest our time and efforts in Washington, to ensure companies like yours are heard on important issues that affect your future. Through the public advocacy group, we’ll continue to take up the causes that matter to our members, and make sure you have what it takes to compete with the Goliaths of the world.

Interested in hearing more about the issues above?  Is there an issue you would like us to represent?  Make a comment below, visit www.comptia.org/publicpolicy.aspx , sign up for a December 14^th webinar,  2010 Post-Election Wrap-Up: Impacts on the IT Industry,  or contact one of the public policy team members below and we’ll help you stand up and be heard.

IT Competitiveness:    
Elizabeth Hyman: Vice President, Public Advocacy
ehyman@comptia.org

Tech Entrepreneurs
Lamar Whitman Director, Public Advocacy
lwhitman@comptia.org

IT Security
David Valdez: Senior Director, Public Advocacy
dvaldez@comptia.org

PAC and Grassroots Advocacy
Matthew L. Evans: Manager, Public Advocacy
mevans@comptia.org