July 14, 1998

Representative Bob Livingston
Chairman
House Appropriations Committee
218 U.S. Capitol
Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Chairman Livingston:

We write to express our support for the Telecommunications and Information Infrastructure Assistance Program (TIIAP) of the Department of Commerce. We believe it is a cost-effective way of advancing technical literacy and innovative community services through effective private-public partnerships.

The Association for Computing (ACM) is an international non-profit educational and scientific society with over 60,000 members in the United States. As information technology professonals, we support TIIAP's effort to promote local information technology-based services. TIIAP's success is further demonstrated by the following:

* TIIAP is a highly competitive program, funding fewer than 1 in 14 applicants. Each grant application is reviewed by an independent panel of experts before funding recommendations are made.

* TIIAP projects leverage federal dollars by requiring at least a one-to-one local match. This partnership ensures strong community support for the TIIAP project.

* TIIAP encourages local organizations to cooperate across institutional boundaries for the good of the community. Hospitals, clinics, police departments, schools, and other community institutions have come together to develop creative, cost-effective programs that promote technical literacy.

* TIIAP follows through by funding independent, professional evaluation, both of individual projects and of the program as a whole. All program results are widely published and disseminated, extending the impact of the program well beyond the funded parties.

* TIIAP is not a "means tested" or entitlement program. Need is but one factor in evaluating proposals. The program is designed to identify, test, and disseminate promising new applications of technology in the public sector. No applicant may expect to receive continued program funding from TIIAP.

* TIIAP is distinct from the "e-rate" program. TIIAP grants go to specific, targeted projects and are not related to the more general issues of telephone service and Internet charges.

Our future economic progress depends on the technical skills, training, and opportunity that citizens experience today. We urge you to support fully the TIIAP program for FY99. The budget request of $22 million is consistent with the strong public response to the program and its record of achievement.

Sincerely,

Charles N. Brownstein
Chair, U.S. Public Policy Committee
Association for Computing Machinery

Cc: House Appropriations Committee
House Leadership