Comments on: John Doerr's advice to Obama: Take Bill Joy

The VC endorses the idea of appointing a CTO for the country who could focus on energy and green tech. Also, some tips for entrepreneurs on surviving the downturn.

[PandemicSoul]

Bill Joy? The noted future-phobe of "Why the future doesn't need us"? Yeah, no thanks. I want to try and make some progress with this administration -- not see our technology smashed under Luddite feet.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_the_future_doesn%27t_need_us

He's right about the only leapfrog advances come from pure research, not mission-based. But it can cost a lot and the benefits aren't predictable. But it's more important than anything.

And Bill Joy? Sorry no way. Not someone who is afraid of our pursuit of technology, who doesn't believe in a bright future but a dark one. There are too many people like him ALREADY running the world and involved in politics. We need to get them out, not put them in charge of scientific direction.

[bemused2]

John Doerr is uninformed of some important facts. His research comments are spot on and important, to be sure, but carrying them out would not be a big "change." The Bush Administration has invesested heavily in energy R&D -- proposing $4 billion in FY09 alone as versus the $1 billion Mr. Doerr claims. Over the course of his Administration, President Bush has invested much much more in this area than the Clinton-Gore Administration ever did, with an important focus on basic research (breakthroughs) not just more demonstration projects -- a favorite but fruitless DOE course since its creation. President Bush also proposed the American Competitiveness Initiative to fund more basic physical science and engineering research -- to double the budgets of the NSF, DOE Office of Science, and NIST Core over 10 years. Unfortunately the Democratic Congress has refused to fund these increases. Hopefully, President Obama will re-propose such vital basic reseach increases, and now Mrs. Pelosi's and Mr. Ried's Congress will see fit to fund them.