Max Cleland: “we have on the books today a special enhanced tax deduction for individuals and corporations which donate computers to…”

“we have on the books today a special enhanced tax deduction for individuals and corporations which donate computers to our nation's elementary and secondary schools. This deduction--which helps to keep America on the cutting-edge in technology--is scheduled to expire at the end of the year. The amendment I am offering is twofold: it would extend this tax deduction for five years and it would expand it to include computer donations to public libraries and non-profit and governmental community centers as well. My amendment will help to close the ``digital divide'' which exists in this country by providing a viable alternative for Americans who are being left behind because they do not have access in their homes to computer and Internet use. We know, for example, that Americans earning less than $20,000 who use the Internet outside the home are twice as likely to get their access through a public library or community center. And Americans who are not in the labor force, such as retirees or homemakers, are twice as likely to use public libraries for on-line access. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.”