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For those of you following the forward movement of the Digital
Opportunity Investment Trust (www.digitalpromise.org
<http://www.digitalpromise.org/> ), of which DLF is a supporter as part
of their Digital Promise Leadership Coalition, the following
announcement and attachments provide an update on the Senate bill
re-introduced in the spring.
 
David
 
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Sent: Friday, July 15, 2005 1:49 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: DO IT Coalition E-Flash July 15
 
Dear Member of the DO IT Coalition:
 
With major help, hard work and the support from our dedicated friends in
the Digital Promise Coalition, the prospects for creating the DO IT
Trust Fund grow stronger by the day.  Here is the latest good news from
the Hill to keep you informed, up-to-date, and actively involved.  Your
efforts are absolutely critical to helping us increase momentum for this
landmark legislation in the public interest.
Senate "Dear Colleague" Letter for DO IT Bill Sent to Every Senator
Today
 
Senators Chris Dodd (D-CT), Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Dick Durbin (D-IL) and
Conrad Burns (R-MT) have signed and sent out an impressive "Dear
Colleague" letter to their fellow Members of the Senate asking for broad
bipartisan co-sponsorship of S. 1023, the Senate DO IT bill reintroduced
for the 109th Congress.  As you can see in the attachment, their "Dear
Colleague" letter outlines the basic purposes of the bill and makes the
strong connection between DO IT's proposed investment in R&D for new
learning and training technologies and America's economic
competitiveness and national security.  Many of you have already been
working on outreach to the House.  The time is now for your targeted
help to reinforce the newest "Dear Colleague" letter by reaching out to
Members of the Senate and adding a local voice to persuade them to sign
on.  A sample letter for your use is also attached to this e-mail and we
are standing by to discuss any questions or ideas you may have.  But
please send your letters before Congress leaves for August recess! And
please keep us informed of your efforts.
 
Testimony at Senate Commerce Committee Hearing Endorses Creation of 
DO IT Trust Fund as Part of DTV Bill
 
Two members of the Digital Promise Coalition testified this week about
the urgent need for Congress to create DO IT as part of new rules for
national policy governing the spectrum used for television. Both John
Lawson, President of American Public Television Stations and Michael
Calabrese, Vice President of the New America Foundation explained the
need for DO IT to create advanced learning technologies for the
transformation of education before the Senate Commerce Committee at a
daylong hearing on Tuesday, July 12. The hearing was held to discuss the
policy implications of a full national transition from analog to digital
television signal transmission, also known as the DTV transition. The
hearing may have critical implications for passage of DO IT.  DO IT's
Republican sponsors on the Commerce Committee, Senators Snowe and Burns,
were on hand as well as other leading Committee Members to hear
witnesses from all sectors of the television and spectrum research
communities. Lawson and Calabrese pressed on Congress to include the DO
IT trust fund in the overall DTV legislation, saying it would be in the
best interest of every consumer and the future of television.  Both
House and Senate Commerce Committees will be working on DTV bills this
fall.  Coalition members with local connections to House and Senate
Commerce Committee Members please contact us ASAP so we can talk about
how you can add your voice.  We believe we have a major opportunity to
get DO IT started here.
 
www.digitalpromise.org <http://www.digitalpromise.org/>