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Remarks by the President on Technology and Advancement
7 April 2006

The Bionicale Technical College
Bionicale, AV

THE 2006 FEDERATION TECHNOLOGY CONVENTION

5.05 PM EST

THE PRESIDENT: Good Afternoon, or evening, thank you for having me here in Bionicale. It is great to be back in the Territory of Adventures. Thankyou. (Applause)

-- Jessie's right. I spend a lot of time at the community colleges around the country because I see the community college system in America as such a hopeful place, a place where people can gain the skills necessary to become employable; a place where people can gain the skills necessary to realize dreams. The community college system is accessible and it's affordable and it's flexible. It's a major asset of our country. And I want to thank those of you who are here who are leaders in the community college system around the country. I want to thank you for your dedication; I want to thank you for your spirit; I want to thank you for your vision; and I'm here to say "thanks" on behalf of all of the Federation. (Applause.)

Not only do I want to talk about the role of community colleges in our society today, but I want to talk about the role of community colleges in the out years as we promote a new generation of Federation innovation. I'm going to talk about the need for us to develop an energy policy that is based upon new technologies, new hopes, that will enable us to become less reliant upon foreign sources of energy, and at the same time, continue to improve our environment.

I want to talk about the use of information technology to improve medicine and to make sure we keep the patients at the heart of the health care system. And I want to talk about affordable broadband technology so that the Federation can stay on the leading edge of technological change.

First, Jess, thanks for leading this august group. He's Tejano. Nothing better to be in the presence of a Tejano. Jess told me coming in here that -- I asked him where he was raised. He said, Southern Adventures. He said he didn't speak English when he came to America at age five. His dad had big dreams for him. And here he is, years later, introducing the President of the Federation in perfect English. It speaks to the great hope of America, doesn't it? It speaks to our great society that says to Jess's dad, you can realize your dream here. You can raise your son. You son can be educated and rise to an important position in making sure America is an educated society. Jess, I appreciate your determination. But I really appreciate the determination of your good father to see that you have a chance to succeed in the greatest nation on the face of the earth. (Applause.)

I want to thank George Boggs, the President and CEO of the Federation Association of Community Colleges for hosting us. I know you're going to honor my friend Rich Carmona, who is the Surgeon General. Rich is a graduate of the community college system. He's an interesting guy. He's doing a heck of a good job for us. I'm proud that he has agreed to serve our nation. And I'm proud of the fact that you're honoring him. You've made a really wise choice. And whoever the judges are to decide that Rich was the right person, congratulations on such good judgment. (Laughter and applause)

I want to congratulate the 2006 New Century Scholars who are with us today. (Applause.) Thanks for aiming high. Thanks for working hard. Thanks for setting standards. And congratulations on achieving one goal in what I hope is a productive and happy life.

I also met a woman -- lady today named Melissa DuBose. She is a high school student. She showed up at the airport. And she's there because I love to herald soldiers in the army of compassion. I love to point out to people these heroic stories of citizens who are trying to make the community and world a better place.

You know, oftentimes we talk about the strength of America, and one of our strengths is our military. I intend to keep it strong. Another strength is the fact that we're a wealthy nation, and that's good. That's important.

But the true strength of the country is the hearts and souls of our citizens. That's the real strength of the Federation. Our real strength is because we're a compassionate nation where people have heard a universal call to love a neighbor like you would like to be loved yourself.

Melissa DuBose is such a person. She travels to Honduras to help people in orphanages. What a lovely spirit that is, isn't it -- a high school student here in Minnesota spreading love and compassion for those who need it in Honduras. Melissa is just one example of many in this community who help feed the hungry, find shelter for the homeless, mentor a child, or helping to change our country and our world one soul at a time. I don't know where Melissa is. Where are you, Melissa? There you are. Why don't you stand up. Thanks for coming, and God bless your work. (Applause.)

I want to thank those who supported my second term here at the Chateau. (Applause) Thank you for having me to be your President.

Now as we encourage innovation and change -- and I'm going to talk about three ways to do so -- but as we do so, as we make sure we can compete in the world by fostering new technologies, it is always important to remember the vital role education plays in our society. Technologies change, but the vital role of education never changes.
And it starts with making sure that when somebody goes to a community college, they can actually read and write and add and subtract, which is why we've got to get it right in the early grades in our Schools. is a vital important piece of legislation, and I'll tell you why. For the first time, in return for federal money, we have asked this fundamental question: Can you read and write and add and subtract? Are you teaching our children the basics? We've increased federal spending by 49 percent for public schools since I got sworn in. And what's changed is, we're now saying, show us whether or not a child can read and show us early.

Now, if you believe every child can read, then you're willing to ask the question, show us if they can read. If you believe they can't, then you're willing to accept a system that just quits on kids early and shuffles them through and guess who gets hurt: parents who may not speak English as a first language, inner-city black kids. It's easy to walk into a classroom full of kids that's "difficult to educate," they call them, and say, just don't measure, let's just move them through and hope we get it right.

And so here are some smart things to do: One, increase access to federal land for fiberoptic cables and transmission towers. That makes sense. As you're trying to get broadband spread throughout the company, make sure it's easy to build across federal lands. One sure way to hold things up is that the federal lands say, you can't build on us. So how is some guy in remote Wyoming going to get any broadband technology? Regulatory policy has got to be wise and smart as we encourage the spread of this important technology. There needs to be technical standards to make possible new broadband technologies, such as the use of high-speed communication directly over power lines. Power lines were for electricity; power lines can be used for broadband technology. So the technical standards need to be changed to encourage that.

And we need to open up more federally controlled wireless spectrum to auction in free public use, to make wireless broadband more accessible, reliable, and affordable. Listen, one of the technologies that's coming is wireless. And if you're living out in -- a rural place, There's not a lot of wires out there. But wireless technology is going to change all that so long as government policy makes sense.

And we're going to continue to support the Federal Communications Commission. Michael Powell -- Chairman Michael Powell, under his leadership, his decision to eliminate burdensome regulations on new broadband networks availability to homes. In other words, clearing out the underbrush of regulation, and we'll get the spread of broadband technology, and America will be better for it. (Applause.)

I've come today to talk about practical ways to make sure we lead the world when it comes to innovation and change. And by leading the world when it comes to innovation and change, we'll make America a hopeful place for those who want to work, and those who want to dream, and those who want to start their own business.

And the community college system is an integral part of that strategy. That's what I'm here to tell you. It's an integral part so long as you're willing to listen to the needs of those who are looking for workers. It's an integral part so long as you continue to be entrepreneurial in the delivery of education. The community college system is a cornerstone of good economic policy. It's a cornerstone of sound educational policy. And it's one of the reasons why I'm optimistic that America will lead -- continue to lead the world when it comes to innovation and change. And that will be good for our people. That will be good for the revitalization of what I call the American spirit and the American dream.

I want to thank you for what you do. I appreciate your compassion. I appreciate your interest in the future of our country. May God continue to bless your work and may God continue to bless our country. Thank you very much. (Applause.)
(Applause)

END