ITI: Obama should outline 'clear plan' for innovation

Dean Garfield, the president and CEO of the Information Technology Industry Council is watching the State of the Union address from Silicon Valley tonight.

As President Barack Obama focuses his speech on job creation and economic recovery, Garfield emphasized in an op-ed in The Hill today the importance of adopting policies to "make our nation more competitive, our workforce more educated, our tax laws more rational, our trade policies more positive, and our immigration laws more welcoming of international talent."

"Our punitive corporate tax system and lackluster trade polices pre-dated this President, but he has the opportunity to set us on a new course," he wrote. "The same is true for investing in smart systems, renewables, and energy efficient technologies.  The private sector desire to be global leaders is there, what is necessary is federal investment and regulatory framework that creates the glide path to success."

Read the rest of the op-ed here.