While these efforts do help prevent new regulations, they also backfire. Hired political advocates are exactly that. Legislators quickly respond in an effort to ingratiate themselves with the industry's deep pockets. And technology executives, rightfully more preoccupied with profits than politics, are letting this process run free. By doing so, they are empowering the corporate welfare cycle that traps industries in Washington's web.
Money is spent.
Bills are passed. Establishment politics reign, replacing industry innovation with government regulation. For the technology industry, digital signature legislation represents the first chapter in this tragic tale. If high-tech companies want to avoid the familiar ending, they must renew their skepticism of government and reign in their political advocates. A Washington presence is necessary in today's pro-regulation climate.