Whether or not you follow what's going on today in Washington, no matter how you voted or wanted to vote, as an IT professional you should be encouraged by these words from President Barack Obama's inauguration speech:

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act - not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together.  We will restore science to its rightful place and wield technology's wonders to raise healthcare's quality and lower its cost.  We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age.  All this we can do. And all this we will do.

I believe strongly that we need to invest in technology education and training, for both short term and long term benefits.  Perhaps some of this investment can be made in data quality, data protection, and information management.  Fewer surprises, fewer sudden failures that increase the risk of public harm.