Milton Mueller of Rutgers University, Jeff Rohlfs of the National Economic Research Association, Mike Lowe of Bell Atlantic, and Joseph Farrell of the Federal Communications Commission discussed the promises and perils of the New Zealand experience. Roger Pilon, director of Cato's Center for Constitutional Studies, provided commentary on the book and an account of his own Kafkaesque experience with the Department of Justice.
Opponents say that the plan is voodoo economics redux.
Advocates argue that it is politically attractive and an imperative for restoring economic prosperity. Last year was the largest tax-cutting year for states in more than a decade. This year 27 governors recommended lower taxes and tight-fisted budgets that hold expenditures below inflation. The Clinton administration has vigorously defended restrictions on the export of strong encryption technology. Those export controls hurt American business and consumers by discouraging the spread of technology that guarantees the security and privacy of on-line communications.