Column from U.S. Senator Russ Feingold We Must Stop the Government From Seizing Laptops at the Border October 22, 2008 U.S. News & World Report As they try to cope with a struggling economy, flawed trade agreements, rising health care costs and high energy prices, working families are in a difficult position. Yet our state’s unique strengths and resources are cause for optimism. We can harness Wisconsin’s tremendous workforce and innovative small businesses to create jobs and enhance our economy. In September I introduced the E4 Initiative – dubbed E4 because of its focus on Economy, Employment, Education, and Energy – to help meet the challenges facing Wisconsin’s working families. In order to do that, we need to boost small business innovation, strengthen workforce development, support job growth in the emerging energy sector, build new education partnerships, and expand transportation opportunities. American small businesses generate approximately half of our nation’s payroll jobs and most of our new employment opportunities. My E4 Initiative supports small business by increasing total federal spending on grants for small business research, and prioritizing grants for work on energy, water, transportation and domestic security issues, which are key national priorities where Wisconsin has a competitive advantage. In particular, the growth and opportunities of Wisconsin’s small businesses and research institutions focused on water technology, especially in Southeast Wisconsin, make our state ideally suited to foster and host the ‘Silicon Valley’ of water technology. We have to do a better job of connecting these businesses and others with the strong Wisconsin workforce. I want to empower workers by providing them with proof of their skills, an important bargaining chip that can mean better wages and benefits, more opportunities, and less time searching for employment. The E4 Initiative will promote skills standards certificates, which workers can get while on the job as a validation of skills they use every day, or when seeking to enter a new field. These skill standards would be particularly helpful in the emerging energy sector. Skyrocketing energy prices are creating a huge demand for jobs to help make buildings more energy efficient, to conserve energy, and to expand renewables. My initiative helps businesses test new technologies, particularly in the energy sector, so that they can move them from the research and development phase to the marketplace. It includes a push for the USDA to pursue a pilot biorefinery to allow businesses to test new biofuel technologies. The E4 initiative also continues my strong support of “green-collar jobs” and federal programs that create jobs as they fund renewable energy and help communities become more energy efficient. These new jobs in the emerging energy sector are far more likely to stay right here in America. A strong workforce is founded in a good education. That is why my initiative also seeks to help high schools, businesses and workforce development boards work together to present new and exciting career paths for our students in emerging industries and give them opportunities to explore those paths, whether they are going onto college or directly into the workforce. Qualified, educated workers can only meet the needs of business if they can get to the jobs and businesses that need them. My E4 Initiative will help do that by strengthening the Job Access and Reverse Commute or “JARC” program, which enables low-income individuals to have access to better jobs by providing them reliable transportation. During these tough economic times, Wisconsin has tremendous potential for new growth if we can harness our innovative new ideas and strong workforce to strengthen the state’s economy. We can meet the economic challenge we face and help create more opportunities for Wisconsin’s hardworking families.