Joe Lieberman is much more than Al Gore’s running mate on the Democratic presidential ticket. The Connecticut senator is also a serious observer of the mobile phone-cancer debate. In addition to requesting a General Accounting Office investigation of wireless health research last October, Lieberman wrote the Environmental Protection Agency in May to get more info on nonthermal health effects of RF radiation; on pending research supported by EPA; and on EPA spending and staffing on RF health research since 1990.
Pointing to data in a 1984 report, “Biological Effects of Radio Frequency Radiation,” EPA Assistant Administrator Norine E. Noonan wrote Lieberman, “The conclusions of those proceedings were that effects due to mechanisms other than heating have been reported, although they have not been unequivocally shown to have adverse health consequences. As with other chemical and physical agents of public health concern, as exposure levels decrease, uncertainty regarding biological effects increases and consensus becomes more difficult to reach.”
How serious is Lieberman, who as a vice president would be in a position to inject his views into the mobile-phone cancer controversy? Ever since hooking up with Gore, Lieberman has forsworn his heartfelt New Democrat views left and right. And given that key Gore advisers are high-powered telecom lobbyists, Lieberman may be given to another change of heart and mind.
Speaking of the Nov. 7 vote, one of the big lobbying forces in Election 2000-TechNet-reportedly is urging Democratic lawmakers to pull an immigration-related amendment to high-tech visa legislation. The amendment is said to be supported by the key Democrats and the White House.
Are there only upsides to increasing the number of visas issued to overseas high-tech workers, as Silicon Valley claims? Writing in The Washington Post last Tuesday, Norman Matloff-professor of computer science at the University of California-Davis-claims H-1B visas amount to high-tech cheap labor for U.S. firms. Freedom of Information Act inquiries and university studies, according to Matloff, found that highly skilled workers from other countries make at least 20 percent less than U.S. citizens and permanent residents. “The law requiring that H-1Bs be paid `prevailing wage’ is riddled with loopholes,” wrote Matloff.
Dubya might say it’s all the fault of some DemocRAT.
