Marco Rubio on Technology

Invest in R&D and space exploration

A: I believe that research and development results in innovations that help drive America's economic edge. However, we must continue to invest and improve our education system, space exploration and other programs to ensure our continued success.

E-budget website for detailed, issue-level budget

Florida Government Accountability Act
• Create and empower a Sunset Advisory Committee to increase the effectiveness of the review process of state agencies and programs
• Policy Choices Should Drive Budget Choices
• Combine fiscal and substantive committees into a single committee that will develop and fund the most appropriate policy issues for Florida
• Design an e-budget website that will display a detailed, issue-level budget and allow the public to comment on the budget

Protect against identity theft with privacy opt-in

Protection from Identity Theft
• Enhance penalties for identity theft crimes that affect persons sixty-five years or older
• Make any unauthorized possession of another's personal identity information a felony
• Adopt an "opt in" policy that requires government and business to receive permission from citizens before distributing any of their personal information

Put budget online to allow public inspection and comment

Florida will design an e-budget website that will display a detailed, issue-level budget and allow the publi to comment on the budget. This budget will be restructured from an input-based methodology appropriating money for employees, salaries, travel ,furniture, and contracts, to a results-based approach.

The new e-budget will allow residents to view the funding of the budget's service or program areas by category. Viewers will see the budget at various levels of complexity; departmental, program, service, and issue. The budget will be far more transparent and understandable.

Public-private partnerships to build & operate roadways

Problem: Funding is inadequate to build and maintain a transportation system that meets Florida's expanding needs.

Solution: Government should collaborate with the private sector to fund, build, and maintain needed transportation improvements.

Currently, the private sector services in such areas as road and bridge construction, engineering design, construction inspection, roadway maintenance, and toll collection. Public-private partnerships (PPPs) are comprehensive services that include design-build-finance-operate-maintain schemes, with the private sector receiving "payment" through tolls collected on a road or bridge, a direct payment from the "owner," or a combination of the two.

Increase criminal penalties for identity theft

Florida should base the felony level of identity theft crimes on the class of victim, as well as the monetary damage incurred. In Florida, any person convicted of an identity theft crime affecting a person 65 years or older will face enhanced penalties.

Current Florida law permits conviction for possession of another's identification information only of the state can prove intent to USE the information. We should eliminate the "use" requirement.

Protect kids from sex predators on Facebook & MySpace

To enhance child safety, Florida will require social networking sites to set up verification systems to require parental notification and consent for minors to use these sites. The consent form should detail what data is collected from users, the disclosure practices of the site operator, and what limits, of any, parents can place on their children's use of the site. Civil penalties will be enforced against anyone that falsifies or otherwise allows a minor access to the site without the proper parental notification and consent.