Question 5:

The Internet. Getting beyond the hype, what role, if any, should state government play in the development, promotion, use, taxation, and regulation of the Internet?

QUIST Response 5:

Our country has become great because it has been free. Freedom of speech and freedom of information are among the fundamental freedoms that have made us a great nation, and even though all our freedoms, including freedom of speech are often abused, they, nevertheless, all need to be protected.

For that reason, if state government has a role relating to the Internet, its role should be the prevention of genuine censorship and/or prevention of other limitations which could restrict the free exchange of information.

Access to information is not only essential to a free society, it is also essential to developing policies that make for good government. The Internet plays a critical role in being able to easily access important information. I believe that government leaders should be studying such information, especially information demonstrating real success stories in various areas of government, and not be trying to "re-invent the wheel," (or re-invent education).

Success stories should then be used as models for government policy. Models that I would utilize, in the area of crime prevention, for example, would include, the highly effective crime prevention strategy in Charleston, North Carolina, as described by Chief of Police, Reuben Goldberg, http://www.amexp.org/culture29.htm.

Success stories in education that I would use as models include, http://www.townhall.com/heritage/p_review/jan98/noexcuses.html , and http://www.amexp.org/com12496.htm.

On the question of raising the level of student achievement in high poverty areas, the two above articles describe proven strategies that give genuine reason for optimism, strategies that I would seek to emulate.