WHEREAS, According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, California is America’s leading high technology state in terms of the quality and quantity of high technology jobs, companies, payroll, and wages; and

WHEREAS, California is the top ranked high technology employer in the United States with 940,700 technology workers in 2006, more than twice as many technology workers as second ranked Texas, and more than three times as many as third ranked New York; and

WHEREAS, In 2006, California led the nation with the highest paid technology workers, earning an average annual wage of $101,200; and

WHEREAS, High technology workers in California have earned average wages of more than twice the wages of non-high technology workers in the private sector in California; and

WHEREAS, California led the nation with a total high technology payroll of $95.2 billion accounting for 20.8 percent of the nation’s total technology payroll in 2006; and

WHEREAS, California has the highest employment in the field of semiconductor manufacturing of all the states in the United States according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics’ 2006 data; and

WHEREAS, California had the most high technology exports of any state, $48.2 billion in 2007; and

WHEREAS, In 2007, California led the nation in exports in six of the eight high technology sectors: computers and peripheral equipment, consumer electronics, semi-conductors, electromedical equipment, industrial electronics, and photonics; and

WHEREAS, California’s high technology export market supports an estimated 180,000 jobs and a number of local economies; and

WHEREAS, California was the leading state in total research and development expenditures with $60.5 billion in expenditures in 2004, the most recent year that data are available from the United States National Science Foundation and the United States Bureau of the Census; and

WHEREAS, In 2006, California ranked first nationwide in computer systems design and related services employment with 185,100 jobs; and

WHEREAS, In 2006, California ranked first among all states in employment in a number of technology industry manufacturing sectors. These sectors include computer and peripheral equipment manufacturing, communications equipment manufacturing, consumer electronic manufacturing, electronic components manufacturing, semiconductor manufacturing, defense electronic manufacturing, measuring and control instruments manufacturing, and electromedical equipment manufacturing; and

WHEREAS, The nation’s greatest high technology industry concentration is in San Jose/Silicon Valley with 386,200 workers, translating into more than one in four private sector workers being employed by the high technology industry; and

WHEREAS, Southern California collectively has greatly contributed to California’s leading position in the high technology industry with the Counties of Orange, San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Los Angeles playing leading roles; and

WHEREAS, Computer systems design and related services comprised the largest technology sector in Orange County, employing 16,900 people; and

WHEREAS, Orange County ranked second in employment in the nation’s defense electronics manufacturing sector with 9,400 jobs; and

WHEREAS, San Diego County ranked second in the nation’s consumer electronics manufacturing employment with 3,200 jobs; and

WHEREAS, Los Angeles County ranked first in the nation in defense electronics manufacturing employment with 28,600 jobs; and

WHEREAS, The Inland Empire ranked first in percentage of high technology jobs growth among all cybercities in the nation during 2006 with 29 percent growth; and

WHEREAS, The policies of the State of California should promote and protect those industries that bring prosperity for its citizens; and

WHEREAS, The economic health of the great State of California is predicated on the fortunes of its industries; and

WHEREAS, All the citizens of California benefit from the proven immense, positive economic impact of the high technology industry; now, therefore, be it