Offering regional and national programs, CIO (and CSO) events bring together some of the most respected names and thought leaders in information technology and security. Presented by CIOs and other senior level executives, these invitation-only programs offer timely topics and strong networking. Learn More »
State of the CIO 2010: Business Strategists Gain Ground
This report analyzes the data of the 2010 State of the CIO survey to highlight the differences between the three fundamental types of CIOs--the Function Heads, Transformational Leaders and the Business Strategists.
Contribute your experience to the 8th annual Global Security Survey
CIO & CSO, in partnership with PricewaterhouseCoopers, are conducting our 8th annual Global Security Survey. Take the survey and enter our drawing for a new HP, Dell, or Lenovo Netbook and other great prizes. Survey respondents will also receive a copy of the survey summary report, a valuable tool in measuring security initiatives against peers and gaining insight into the current state of information security practices and challenges. Take the survey »
The Sustainability Responsibility - FREE Webcast March 26
Join Council member, Claudio Abreu, president and CEO, Bayer Corporation Business and Technology Services, as he explains why and how Bayer practices sustainability in every aspect of their day-to-day business from implementing international standards for reducing emissions to lowering energy use within the company, and holding all contractors and partners to a code of conduct across the supply chain.
Learn more about the CIO Executive Council »December 15, 2003 — CIO —
CIOs critique Congress on a national plan for Internet sales taxes and raising H-1B visa limits
Congress in 2004 is set to address the problems of Internet sales taxes and whether to increase the number of visas for foreign high-tech workers. We asked CIOs and e-commerce executives to weigh in on the wisdom of the lawmakers’ efforts.
Issue: Fair Internet taxes for all
2004 agenda: Create a national agreement for collection of state sales taxes from online and catalog retailers
The rub: Currently, states can’t force retailers with no in-state stores to collect sales taxes, and state and local government lost more than $13 billion in 2001 because of it, according to a study by the University of Tennessee. Pending legislation in Congress, sponsored by Rep. Ernest Istook Jr. (R-Okla.) and Sen. Michael Enzi (R-Wyo.), would allow states to require remote sellers to collect taxes by joining a national agreement. Companies with annual out-of-state sales of less than $5 million would be exempt.
E-commerce execs say: It’s fair. Every retailer should pay the same taxes, says Sam Taylor, vice president of e-commerce with Lands’ End, whether or not they have a physical presence in a state. Before it was acquired by Sears in 2002, Lands’ End collected sales taxes in only five states but now collects taxes on catalog and Internet sales in all 50. "The role of government is to level the playing field, creating rules and laws that balance fair trade with bureaucracy," says Mark Kohls, former director of e-commerce technology with furniture retailer KI Inc., which does not collect sales taxes in 27 states.
Issue: Who gets tech jobs
2004 agenda: Raise the limit on the number of foreign high-tech workers allowed in the United States on H-1B visas
The rub: On Oct. 1, the cap on H-1B visas dropped from 195,000 to 65,000. With bills pending that would further limit H-1Bs, lawmakers are being pressured on one side from companies such as Intel, which says it continues to have trouble hiring U.S. workers for some high-skill tech jobs, and on the other by workers who point out that unemployment for some technology jobs is at an all-time high.
CIOs say: Depends who you ask, even among tech company CIOs who, as a group, clamor for foreign labor. "There are plenty of people in the United States willing to perform these jobs," says Walt Crosby, executive vice president and CIO at Terabase, a search engine and database software vendor. Crosby thinks his peers are misusing the visas by importing foreign workers as cheap labor, instead of hiring foreign workers only for hard-to-fill positions.
Read more about cio role in CIO's CIO Role Section.