Semiconductor executives in the United States made their annual pilgrimage to Washington last week in search of federal aid for their ailing industry. The latest "competitiveness" initiative seeks government funding for basic semiconductor research, an area the industry correctly warns is woefully underfunded.

The question is, Who should bear responsibility for a situation that threatens U.S. innovation? Why is the industry talking about competitiveness when it should be talking about innovation? And is competitiveness merely a code word for corporate welfare?

The timing of the latest industry salvo couldn't be worse. The government is awash in red ink, brought about largely by tax breaks for the rich, the usual pork-barrel spending for transportation and energy subsidies, and the escalating costs of the Iraq war. Add to that the cost to the U.S. treasury of the Hurricane Katrina recovery, which could run as high as the $300 billion that has been spent in four years of war in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The cookie jar is empty and the bills are past due.

The chip industry is correct to be pressing the government to boost funding for science and engineering education. That's a legitimate government function and a sound, long-term investment in the nation's ability to innovate. But coming to Washington, hat in hand, to get in line with the other lobbyists shows a stunning lack of imagination on the part of semiconductor executives. At the very least, they should be talking about sharing risks and meeting government halfway.

It's high time the chip industry stopped asking for what is nothing more than corporate welfare — especially when there are so many other pressing needs and growing inequality in America. Instead, executives and engineers should be rolling up their sleeves and getting to work on the risky but vital mission of reviving America's ability to innovate.

- George Leopold (gleopold@cmp.com), EE Times network news editor and Washington bureau chief for EE Times