Today , a few of you will vote . Sadly , there is no Geek Party candidate reppin ’ in Congress . So we ’ve pluck out 5 geek - favorable politicians to turn over pull up stakes a wall hanging chad for .
We ’re not examine whatever else they stand for , or enquire you to change your politics — we’re just looking at a few nominee based on theirGiz - friendly credentials . ( And if you ’re wondering how to vote , check outour guidebook to your local voting automobile . )
https://gizmodo.com/what-tomorrows-elections-mean-for-science-and-technolog-5678062
Rick Boucher (D) Virginia Rep., 9th District
Rick Boucher could think iPods were powered by pixie dust and we might still think he ’d be a Giz - worthy nominee . Why ? Hisenduring campaignto fight the forged provisions in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act , that wonderful musical composition of legislation that progress to it illegal to circumvent written matter protection mechanisms like digital rights management . A vast exponent offair use , he introduced theFAIR USE acta few geezerhood back , which would ’ve make the DMCA less ludicrous by providing sane exemptions for get around right of first publication shelter and enshrining fair habit as a law . He ’s alsovoted yeson net disinterest and promoting commercial flight of stairs , though he lose some points for voting yes to pay telecommunication retroactive exemption for warrantless wiretapping .
Russ Feingold (D) Wisconsin Senator
Russ Feingold has his script in a lot of pots — and is fightinga hotly contest election , but his leadership in Congress on two issues make water him the Giz selection : His effortsto fightamendments to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Acta couple years ago , the lawmaking that concede telecoms retroactive immunity for warrantless wiretapping andgreatly relaxed rules for electronic surveillance . Last year , Feingold put in the JUSTICE act , which take to beef up privacy safeguards by reforming the worst aspects of the Patriot deed . The other is that he ’s one of thebiggest proponentsof net disinterest in Congress , a rule that seems more and more jeopardize by things like the backdoor dealbetween Google and Verizon .
https://gizmodo.com/the-fcc-is-probably-bowing-down-to-verizon-and-google-o-5627900
Barbara Boxer (D) California Senator
Barbara Boxer gives geeks a set to wish , spread over a bunch of pocket-sized tech issue . She introduced theJumpstart Broadband Actof 2003 , which allocate more wireless spectrum for broadband , she oppose the FISA amendments like Russ Feingold , she ’s co - signed legislation for net disinterest and is a huge booster of invest in green push technologies .
Ed Markey (D) Massachusetts Rep., 7th District
Ed Markeyhas held a Congressional hearingin Second Life , thefirst timea Congressional hearing was ever virtually simulcast . He ’s one of the top telecom dweeb in Congress , having continue over the Communications , Technology and the Internet panelfor near two decadesbefore his current gig as chair of the Energy and Environment Subcommittee . He was one of the major consumer counsel during thedigital TV modulation , having push to retard the transition until it was certain few people would turn a loss their signal . As one of the other Congressmen vying for the biggest bloomer for net neutrality , he wrote theInternet Freedom Preservation Act of 2009 , the House ’s major net disinterest flyer , andthought the Verizon and Googledeal to spay wireless nett neutrality stinks as much we did .
Rush Holt (D) New Jersey Rep., 12th District
Rush Holt has about as much legit geek cred as anybody in Congress : An actual scientist , he was adjunct music director of Princeton ’s Plasma Physics Lab and has a solar vigor letters patent of his very own after year of researching alternative Department of Energy . If there ’s anything we take more of in Congress , it ’s nerds . Oh , andhe ’s won Jeopardy ! five times . In price of literal engineering number , he ’s vote yes onnet neutrality , promoting commercial-grade blank space flight of steps and nanotechnology research financial support . Did we mention the beau ’s been on Jeopardy ! ?
Those are just five Congresspeople we know that trumpeta lot of the geek idealsthat line up with Gizmodo’s — we’d love life to get wind which geeky candidate you ’re voting for , and why .
Photo by flickr userneotint
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