[Editors] Must-read FT Editorial TODAY by Pres. Reif, colleague

Wed Feb 27 09:34:57 EST 2013

Hi all,

You have to go through free registration but then you can see it here:

http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/14e4e522-7f7d-11e2-97f6-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2Lx4ul7o2

cheers,
nancy

Nancy DuVergne Smith

Editorial Director | MIT Alumni Association
MIT W98-322; 617-253-8217; ndsmith at mit.edu<mailto:ndsmith at mit.edu>

Stay connected:  Slice of MIT blog<http://alum.mit.edu/pages/sliceofmit/>

From: editors-bounces at MIT.EDU [mailto:editors-bounces at MIT.EDU] On Behalf Of Andrew Whitacre
Sent: Wednesday, February 27, 2013 9:31 AM
To: Elizabeth A Thomson
Cc: editors at mit.edu
Subject: Re: [Editors] Must-read FT Editorial TODAY by Pres. Reif, colleague

Bah, the article is behind a paywall. Anybody have access and can cut-and-paste to the list?

(Or is there a way to get to it via the MIT Libraries?)

Andrew Whitacre
Communications Director
cms.mit.edu<http://cms.mit.edu> | civic.mit.edu<http://civic.mit.edu> | gamelab.mit.edu<http://gamelab.mit.edu>
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(617) 324-0490
awhit at mit.edu<mailto:awhit at mit.edu>

On Feb 27, 2013, at 9:26 AM, Elizabeth A Thomson wrote:

FYI...worth posting FT piece on your social media feeds? Also, see Alumni Association note, below.

FT editorial: Cutting govt funds for R&D like seeking greater efficiency for a plane by jettisoning engines." ow.ly/i5VS2<https://t.co/redirect?url=http%3A%2F%2Ft.co%2FIfqHoBCGPZ&sig=8aa8b4a795c0df545281ba927200566aaa27a145&uid=28180320&iid=9d701657-7b29-4127-a77b-292f1666f338&nid=5+262>

Elizabeth
=========================
Elizabeth A. Thomson
Associate Director of Communications
MIT Resource Development
Office of Communications
600 Memorial Dr., W98-300
617-258-5563, 857-756-9457
<thomson at mit.edu<mailto:thomson at mit.edu>>, giving.mit.edu<http://giving.mit.edu/>
=========================

Begin forwarded message:

From: John Gavenonis '98 <alumadvocacy at MIT.EDU<mailto:alumadvocacy at MIT.EDU>>
Subject: MIT Legislative Advocacy Network Call to Action
Date: February 26, 2013 5:00:35 PM EST
To: "thomson at mit.edu<mailto:thomson at mit.edu>" <thomson at mit.edu<mailto:thomson at mit.edu>>
Reply-To: <alumadvocacy at MIT.EDU<mailto:alumadvocacy at MIT.EDU>>

[Legislative Advocacy Network]

________________________________
________________________________
Call to Action

Dear MIT Legislative Advocacy Network Members:

In today's Financial Times<http://alumic.mit.edu/redirect.aspx?linkID=25547&eid=174402>, MIT President Rafael Reif co-authored an op/ed with former Intel chief executive and chairman Craig Barrett. Calling for a recommitment to research universities and US innovation, the authors suggest "To slash America's R&D capability in the name of fiscal responsibility would be akin to seeking greater efficiency for an aircraft by jettisoning the engines."

As President Reif and Craig Barrett argue, the sequester, on track to take place in under 100 hours, will have a significant negative impact on America's innovation. Once again we ask you to take time to remind the members of congress and your community of the importance of investments in scientific research and education, and the competitive advantage they provide to the American economy.

To find the contact details for your representative and senators, visit this web page: http://www.contactingthecongress.org/<http://alumic.mit.edu/redirect.aspx?linkID=25546&eid=174402> In general, you will find that congressional leaders utilize web forms for receiving email from constituents.

Below you will find suggested text for communication to your congressional representative regarding sequestration. In addition, we've posted this sample letter to your congressional member and a sample letter to the editor on our volunteer toolkit<http://alumic.mit.edu/redirect.aspx?linkID=25545&eid=174402>.

We would be pleased to receive copies of any follow up messages you receive in reply from your congressional leaders or their staffs. Please forward them to alumadvocacy at mit.edu<mailto:alumadvocacy at mit.edu>.

I look forward to hearing about your experiences in this ongoing effort to contact congress and influence their efforts to avoid the sequester.

Sincerely,

John Gavenonis '98
Chair, Legislative Advocacy Network
________________________________

Sample letter Text:
I am writing as a constituent in your district to highlight MIT President Reif's and former Intel CEO Craig Barrett's recent op/ed in the Financial Times arguing against sequestration.

Sequester cuts on track to be initiated this Friday, March 1, will cause irreparable damage to the future of our country. The first impact will be in the area of federal funding for research and, as this funding continues to falter over the 9-year timeline of sequester, these cuts will reverberate through the economy in the form of lowered competitiveness, loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs, and curtailed innovation across economic sectors.

There is no doubt that while the federal budget is a significant concern, the sequester ignores the more complex needs of a dynamic economy, including the necessity to ensure a strong growth rate. In 2010, the U.S. Commerce Department reported over 60% of U.S. economic growth since World War II has been tied to technological and related innovation. Without investment in R&D, our economy doesn't have the engines for innovation that drive growth.

In addition to stalling the country's economic growth engine, these additional cuts to R&D come on the heels of 30 years of underinvestment in R&D. According to the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, from 1987 to 2007 investment in federally funded research as a portion of GDP grew just 0.3 percent annually. This figure significantly trails the investment of other countries in R&D, including China.

As an alumnus of MIT, I want to emphasize to you the mistake it is not only to continue the trajectory of underinvestment in R&D but to cut it even further. As you have already seen from the new numbers out this week, and as compiled by The Science Coalition, sequestration will reduce federal funding for scientific research by nearly $85 billion over the next nine years. This will reduce GDP by at least $203 billion. Between 2013 and 2016 alone, the economy will forfeit 200,000 jobs.

We know that sequestration will have a disastrous effect on the economy. The time is now: bet on America and American competitiveness, end the sequester threat, and recommit to funding American innovation for economic growth.

________________________________
________________________________

[MIT Alumni Association]<http://alumic.mit.edu/redirect.aspx?linkID=25544&eid=174402>

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