Local Business Owner Supports E-Government Bill

A Rocky Hill businessman showed his support for a bill that would help with the development and implementation of an E-Government plan. 

On March 8, Scott Coleman, the owner of , spoke in support of House Bill 5309 during a public hearing at the Legislative Office Building.

The bill would develop a plan with the application of  the Internet to deliver information from the government, education and business to the citizens of Connecticut better and more efficiently. Please see the attached PDF of the house bill.

Coleman, who authored two E-Government bills last year, said the bill has the "power and potential to foster greater government transparency and a more engaged, collaborative and participatory public as never before."

The bill has been referred to Joint Committee on Government Administration and Elections. Senator Paul Doyle (D-Rocky Hill) asked that the bill be submitted to the committee.

"I think it is a good bill," Doyle said. "I will work on getting this bill passed."

The chairman of the Joint Committee on Government Administration and Elections has to decide what bills will be brought to the floor of the State Capitol.

Here is Coleman's testimony, which is also attached as a PDF:

"I am speaking in support of House Bill 5309 concerning the creation of an eGovernance structure.

"I’m glad to see that this bill has been reconstituted this session, and hope that it will not meet the same fate as its predecessor.

"My company has been developing websites since 2001, and over that time, I have visited over 2000 federal, state, municipal and education websites becoming a student of government’s use of the web.

“The importance of the Internet has grown exponentially over the last decade, but the government’s ability to provide online services to Connecticut’s residents hasn’t grown at the same pace. Building this capacity will present one of the biggest challenges—and most promising. We need to build on the groundswell of citizen use of the Internet and social media, and make people’s everyday interactions with their government easier and more transparent.”

"Many government websites today tout organizational achievements instead of effectively delivering basic information and services. Many merely provide one way transmittal of “government-speak”. Many agencies focus more on technology and website infrastructure than improving content and service delivery. Connecticut has an opportunity to innovate and lead.

"HB 5309 is basically a no-cost Bill, and received support last session from COST, CERC, and CCM. It has the power and potential to foster greater government transparency and a more engaged, collaborative and participatory public as never before. Furthermore, I believe that we, as a State, following an innovative strategy, have an unprecedented opportunity to turn the Internet into a billion dollar money machine, as have industry icons such as Google, Amazon, eBay, Craigslist, Facebook, Twitter ($100+Bil), generating significant income, permitting us a level of self-sufficiency, thereby reducing our dependence on tax dollars.

"In order for this bill to achieve the desired outcome and maximize its potential return, I would ask that this body to consider several suggested amendments. This Bill should:

• 1) Set goals and state expected outcomes, such as “Strive for achieving a position of national leadership through development of innovative strategies and programs”.
• 2) Call for the establishment of three distinct centralized web portals, Municipal, Education, and Business/eCommerce, to better focus on and serve those market segments.
• 3) Call for development of a quasi-public agency, similar to the lottery commission, in order to monetize the web.
• 4) Success on the web is dependent not on technology but rather on marketing. To that end DECD should be added to the list of Governor appointed committee participants
• 5) Believing that real innovation will come not from within government, but from the private sector, I advocate for greater participation on this committee by innovative, “out-of-the-box” thinking, industry and business leaders. To quote Einstein: “A problem cannot be solved by the minds that created it.”

"I thank this committee for its time and consideration, and am available to answer your questions!"

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