The last century, including the early the 2000s, has been an extraordinary century of scientific achievement and technological innovation.  I think often of what my grandfather, born in 1899, lived through: the Wright Brother’s flight; the invention first of the radio and then television; man landing upon the Moon, and the beginning of the Internet revolution. 

The Internet or Digital revolution promises to make us witnesses to even greater change than that witnessed by my grandfather.  American society is in the midst of a radical shift in the manner in which individuals learn and work, conduct their business, and are entertained and informed. 

When I began my Information Technology career, over 20 years ago, the prospect that the Internet might become the most influential change agent to affect culture since the creation of moveable type, seemed, to many, wildly farfetched. Today, that idea seems not so unreasonable.

All of us are now part of a global Digital Economy which has become integrated into the very fabric of our lives.  The new Digital World has brought with it the real opportunity to use information technology to help create fundamental improvements in the efficiency, convenience and quality of our daily lives…But it also brings new threats to our privacy, safety and even our very identities.

In the years to come, it is very clear that the Internet and Information Technology will continue to shape Utah, America and the whole world.  In the next few decades, many, if not most, of the public policy decisions and challenges facing Utah and our citizens will be affected in some way by the pervasive phenomenon of evolving technology.

It is a well understood fact that Government at all levels is a major collector and provider of data and user of information technologies.  How this information will be collected, utilized and protected affects the life of every person in Utah.  We must protect the privacy and information of Utah’s citizens as they live their lives and transact their daily business.

Utah's legislature will need to help us to ensure that our business and and personal information is protected from Internet predators and other criminals.  Yet, few, if any, of our Legislators have a background or the expertise in information technology to understand what will be required to protect our individual liberties and still transact our business in a global digital world.

As your representative I bring over 20 years of internationally recognized Information Technology expertise to Utah’s legislative process.  Together, we can effectively utilize technology to improve both Citizen Service and reduce costs.  We can enact effective measures to protect the privacy and information of Utah’s citizens from Internet predators and other criminals.

I will support and lead forward-thinking initiatives to use, explore and develop information technologies that will improve the way government serves all of Utah including: The USTAR initiative, increased funding for Internet Crimes taskforces, Identity Theft Passports, and information privacy protections.