Strong leadership needed for uncertain times

[Commentary] Investing and innovating with an eye toward benefiting from global markets will directly result in more dollars for jobs today and tomorrow. Over the next decade, the world promises to be a smaller, faster, more connected place. This nation's standing in that new world will be determined by the decisions we make today.

We can and should be the world leader in innovation for decades to come, as long as we embrace the future, and take common-sense steps to make our nation more competitive, our workforce more educated, our tax laws more rational, our trade policies more positive, and our immigrations laws more welcoming of international talent.

In many respects the major policies we have in the place in the areas that matter most to jobs - - education, immigration, trade, taxes - - are the same policies we had in place for the last fifty years. As a result, over that time we have experienced double digit declines in the manufacturing sector and complete stagnation in real wages. What we need now are smart policies that will serve us well for the next fifty years. By advancing such polices, President Obama has the opportunity to utilize the same technologies that have "flattened the world" to ensure that America remains a global leader in innovation and moves from uncertainty to unbounded optimism.

[Dean C. Garfield is President and CEO of the Information Technology Industry Council]